Halloween Movies for Us Grownups

These are some of the movies I recommend for those of us who are adults, by age not actions. They are some of my all-time favorite, and will really put you into the Halloween spirit.

I would suggest you check out my movies for kids, which does include some movies that grownups will also enjoy, such as "The Incredible Shrinking Man", and the Universal Monsters.

Pontypool (2008)- This is on top of my list. It is a wonderful, but rarely seen gem of a movie. Imagine the zombie virus spreading by words.  A great performance by Stephen McHattie. Find this movie and watch it, you will not be disappointed.

Black Sunday AKA The Mask of Satan (1960)- An executed witch from 1690 returns to seek vengeance on the descendants who condemned her. A duel performance by Barbara Steele.  The opening sequence of this movie is perhaps the most frightening ever filmed.

George Romero’s Dead movies.  Starting with Night of the Living Dead (1968), and ending with Survival of the Dead (2009) he was the grandfather of the current zombie craze.  He was the master of his craft, filming some of the greatest scenes in horror ever on a shoe string budget. George Romero died on July 16, 2017.

Psycho- Anthony Perkins plays Norman Bates who is a victim (?) and perpetrator of his mother’s crimes. I am trying to keep the ending a surprise, but I think everyone has seen it. One of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest director jobs of his entire long excellent career. As a companion piece watch Hitchcock (2012), which starts Anthony Hopkins as the director who is obsessed with making this movie.

The Exorcist (1973) – if you can sleep after watching this, you are better than I am. Next to Psycho, it is probably the most iconic horror movie of all time.

Th Haunting (1963) -  Modern directors need to watch this and take lots of notes.  It is the creepiest, scary movie with thick atmosphere to set the tone, and yet there is no gore, no monsters on screen. Directed by the great Robert Wise.  This is another example why Hollywood should not remake classics.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)-  A movie on my kids list of movies also.  The ominous tone set by director Robert Wise is instilled throughout the movie. Just watching Gort the robot is worth seeing this film. It includes a great music score was composed by Bernard Herrmann and features the Theremin.

Count Dracula (1977) - A British TV version of the classic tale which aired on American PBS channels.  The performances by Louis Jourdan as Dracula and Frank Finlay as Van Helsing are incredible. Hard to find, but it is worth the trouble.

Evil Dead 2 (1987), Army of Darkness (1992)  - Now its time for a little lighter horror.  Evil Dead 2 and its sequel Army of Darkness stars Bruce Campbell as a reluctant savior of the world.  Directed by Sam Rami.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)-  Maintaining the horror comedy. The world is taken over by zombies (sorry, we are not using the Z word) and two drunk slacker friends must find a way to save their loved ones.

Back to some serious movies. 

Halloween (1978) – The movie (original) that reinvigorated and reinvented the horror genre. Great performance by Jamie Lee Curtis (her film debut) and Donald Pleasence. Directed by John Carpenter.

Freaks (1932) -This movie basically destroyed the career of the director Tod Browning (Director of Dracula) because of the controversy surrounding the film. Sideshow people at a carnival take revenge on “normals” who have wronged them.

The Wicker Man (1973) – First movie I ever saw that disturbed me.  Edward Woodward shows in this film what a great actor he really was. The great Christopher Lee, who also appears in this movie, considered it his best film. The ending will shock you.

Zombie, AKA Zombi, Zombi2 (1979)- Directed by Lucio Fulci. Starring Richard Johnson of the previous listed “The Haunting”.  It has a zombie fighting a shark, do I need to say anything else.

Cat People (1942)- Stick with the original black and white version.  This movie is way ahead of its time.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) – Betty Davis at her best in this film.  Wonderfully made and simply terrifying.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) – A different kind of horror movie, because it becomes a satire of them.

Suspiria (1977)- Directed by Dario Argento as part of a film trilogy called the 3 Sisters (including Inferno (1980) and The Mother of Tears (2007)), it is a visually stunning and alarming movie. The lighting and color of this movie is both artistic and frightening.

The Last Man on Earth (1964) - Vincent Price at his best. The last man to survive a vampire plague hunts them during the day, and hides from them at night.  Based on the book by Richard Matheson. It is the best of the movies based on this novel; “Omega Man” (1971) and “I am Legend” (2007).

I hope you have enjoyed my list of movies for adults. I also hope you get a chance to see some of these before Halloween.

HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Next Time:  A Recap of Halloween at my House.

W.A. Rusho is an author, professional wrestler and historian. You can reach him vie his email, or website.