Halloweek

In case you didn't know, Halloween is just 5 days away and I am already celebrating what I have dubbed Halloweek (yes, clever). So in this light I come to you with my top 5 Halloween films that should get you in the mood for a night of ghoulish affairs.

5) A Nightmare on Elm Street



Let's start off with a classic. When young Tina is brutally murdered in her sleep, her best friend Tina starts suspecting that a supernatural force is at work. This turns out to be Freddy Kruger who lives in our dreams and slaughters those unfortunate enough to fall asleep. This movie came out in 1984 (allot of good things came out of that year it would seem) and was directed by renowned horror/thriller director Wes Craven. When released it became an instant pop-culture phenomenon and Freddy Kruger has become the poster-boy of the horror genre ever since.
When it comes down to the film it self you have to take into account that this movie was made over twenty years ago, so some of the effects don't hold up but therein lies much of the films charms. Despite some pretty horrific acting, Freddy (Robert Englund) is as menacing as anything you have ever seen and you are introduced to a young Johnny Depp in his first on-screen role. Besides, the film that made New Line Cinema what it is today deserves our respect and is a good start to your Halloweek.

4) Ring


Forget the American remake (all though the U.S. The Ring is a pretty good adaptation), but the original Japanese Ring becomes even more spine-tingling when set against a foreign backdrop. We all know the story: After a group of teenagers all die at the same day at the exact same time after having watched a supposed cursed videotape, reporter Reiko starts digging into the modern myth and soon finds herself face to face with an avenging spirit of a wronged little girl.
What really make this film scary is that it never goes for the quick, make-you-jump kind of scare, but rather builds up an unsettling vibe that never lets up and never truly lets you relax. Complete it all with a surprise ending and you have yourself a Halloween movie that you won't soon forget.


3) SAW

Sure Halloween is all about ghosts and ghouls (or at least it used to be), but when prepping up for Halloween you can't ignore what has for five years now been a Halloween tradition, namely the Saw franchise. Nothing supernatural here, just good old human malice.
With a dead body laying between them, two men wake up in the secure lair of a serial killer who's been nicknamed "Jigsaw" by the police because of his unusual calling card (IMDB.com). If you can escape his traps you get to live, but not without some sacrifice. Your life is in your hand.
What made Saw such a big deal back in 2005 was that it for the first time in a very long while was a film that brought something new and original to the horror genre. Since then we have gotten a Saw movie for each Halloween with number five just being released in cinemas as we speak. People being killed in all manner of horrible ways is just the thing to get you in the Halloween mood (and if you have the time check out Saw 2 and 3 which both offer more of the same gory goodness. Nr. 4 not so much).


2) Bram Stoker's Dracula

When Francis Ford Coppola adapts one of the best Vampire novels of all time you know you are in for a good ride and a Halloween celebration is not complete without visiting one of the classic monsters. You get a stellar cast here: Gary Oldman as Dracula, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves (with an unfortunate British accent) and even with a running time of 123 minutes you never start looking at the clock. This is the hypnotic, Gothic and slightly erotic tale of the father of all vampires: Vlad the Impaler himself and you will be hard pressed not to find yourself drawn in by the lure and blood-lust this movie offers.


1) Halloween

Not a big surprise here as the best film to watch on Halloween is, in fact, Halloween. We started off with a horror icon and now we end with one, all though maybe a little less known. This is of course the man behind the mask Michael Myers. The IMDB.com's synopsis says it best: "A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood escapes on a mindless rampage while his doctor chases him through the streets." Enough said.
Made in 1978 by the legendary John Carpenter this movie quickly became another American horror film phenomenon that will remain a staple of not only Halloween, but U.S. horror for generations to come. If you can only see one film for Halloween this year, see Halloween.

So there you have it, my 5 choices for one week of Halloween. Of course there are countless horror films you can chose from that will do the job and I am sure you will have your own personal top 5 Halloween movies that puts you in the mood for a night of fright. So please, leave a comment and let me know what five films you would chose for your own personal Halloweek. Until next time remember: lock your door and close the window. You never know who or what is stalking you in the night.