• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

By Emilia Hwang

Daily Bruin Senior Staff The latest crop of fiendish flicks has attempted to bewitch and bedazzle contemporary movie goers. Though stick men witch figurines and Elizabeth Hurley as a seductive Satan can be entertaining enough on most evenings, Halloween night deserves a certain reverence for the horror genre that requires going back to the roots of scary movies. Many slasher flicks have left a legacy of disappointment and a string of never ending sequels, however, the originals are worth calling upon to find the quintessence of true cinematic terror. So before you retire to your comfy couch for a quiet Halloween night, hit the video store, put the Jiffy-Pop on the stove, dim the lights and endeavor to answer the ever-pervasive question – What’s your favorite scary movie?

“Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills” (1996)

You've heard about “Book of Shadows: The Blair Witch 2,” now check out the nonfiction work of its acclaimed director Joe Berlinger. When three little boys are found stabbed and mutilated in a small Arkansas town, the horrific crimes are supposedly the work of Satanists. Suspicion falls on three black-clad teens. Berlinger and his partner, Bruce Sinofsky, craft their coverage of the real-life trial into a dark and intense narrative documentary. By gaining an unprecedented level of access to both the trial and the personal lives of virtually every person involved in the case, Berlinger and Sinofsky demonstrate that a movie doesn’t need a big budget, gruesome make-up and scary special effects to create a truly disturbing atmosphere, especially when reality can be stranger than fiction.

“Hellraiser” (1987) The recent release of “Hellraiser V: Inferno” disappointed horror fans by only delivering a short cameo by the infamous Pinhead (Doug Bradley). Get your full dose of the nefarious hell demon is Clive Barker’s feature directing debut, the original “Hellraiser.” The film graphically depicts the story of a man who gets more than he bargains for when he solves the puzzle of the Lamont Configuration – a doorway to hell. His ex-lover finds a way to bring him back, and his niece bargains with the angel/demon Cenobites for salvation.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)

After “The Final Nightmare” in 1991, Freddy Kruger came back from the dead for “A New Nightmare” (1997), making a total of seven films in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series. In the original movie, find out how the badly scarred, razor toting villain has become a horror film icon. Written and directed by Wes Craven, the first “Nightmare” centers around a teenage girl and her friends who share the same frightening nightmares about Freddy. To avoid being gruesomely murdered in their sleep, they must stay awake and uncover the secret identity of the dream killer.

“Scream” (1996)

Wes Craven’s horror film about a killer who’s seen one too many scary movies, “Scream” set off a series of satirical scary movies such as “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Scary Movie.” After a series of murders in Woodsboro, Sidney (Neve Campbell) is confronted by the stalker who has killed one of her classmates. In whodunnit tradition, “Scream” introduces a cast of equally suspicious characters, allowing the audience to hone their detective skills and pin down the psychopathic killer before Sidney does. Written by Kevin Williamson, “Scream” achieves a clever balance between gratuitous slashing and movie trivia, perfect for an intellectual.

Comments

Post a comment