The Top 5 Scary Movies to Watch at Halloween Time
By Roni Loren
I’m a romance writer. This means that people assume that the only books I want to read or movies I want to watch are romantic ones. So when I tell people that one of my favorite genres besides romance is horror, I get the look with the “huh?” head tilt.
Falling in love (or reading/watching people fall in love) is an adrenaline. But so is fear. I love to be (safely) frightened. In real life, I’m a huge chicken. I don’t like roller coasters. I don’t want to go to those haunted houses where the people chase you with the chainsaws or jump at you. Screw that. But reading a book that makes me double check that my doors are locked or watching a movie that makes me cover my eyes and watch between my fingers? Yeah, I’m all over that.
This is one reason I love October. I mean, the month already has a lot going for it. Cooler temperatures after the brutal Texas summer heat, the endless supply of pumpkin-flavored things, and free candy (which you of course steal from your children’s Halloween bucket). But the best is that the TV stations and movie theatres start rolling out the scary stuff. Bring it on.
So here are a few of the movies I like to hunt down in October for a scary night on the couch.
1. Halloween – This is my classic. It’s got all those lovely b-horror movie elements and somehow it still holds up over time. And it just evokes that sense of fall and Halloween—the blowing leaves, the kids running around trick or treating, the guy with the creepy mask who wants to kill teenage babysitters. You know, the usual. ;-)
2. The Exorcist—This goes down as scariest movie of my childhood for me. (It still scares me.) Perhaps this was because I was raised Catholic so demons seemed like a real threat. Like when we played with those Ouija boards at slumber parties, most of us were really worried we were going to summon something and be in need of our local priest.
3. It – Okay, clowns are effing terrifying. Stephen King knows this and Pennywise the Clown is like the ultimate embodiement of that fear. We all float down here… Yeah, okay. I’m freaked out just hearing that in my head lol. I’ve read the book and the movie did a good job in my opinion (except for the ending) but this one holds up for me too. I love the miniseries time length and that we get to see them as kids and then as adults. If you’ve never seen it, it’s worth watching.
4. The Lost Boys – Okay, so this one is kind of horror/comedy. Very 80s. The two Coreys are in it. There is a great soundtrack. The plot is…a little convoluted. But I think because it’s nostalgic for me, it doesn’t get in my mind.
5. Poltergeist – Not the remake. They did a decent job with the remake, but nothing will top the original. I saw this movie when I was probably too young. There was a big ass oak tree in our front yard and I never trusted it after that. Plus, this one gave me my initial fear of clowns. I’m going to sound very “get off my lawn” old with this, but they don’t make them like this anymore. We’ve been exposed to so much violence/gore/special effects now that this level of horror probably wouldn’t freak out kids these days (see, I told you I’d sound old) but this one pulled off the scare factor without gore and with limited special effects.
Honorable mentions: Scream, The Ring, The Strangers, Nightmare on Elm Street
So those are mine. What are some of your favorite scary movies? Or do you avoid them at all costs? What do you like best about fall?
Break Me Down (Loving on the Edge #8.5)
by Roni Loren
Kindle Edition, 172 pages
Expected publication: October 27th 2015 by InterMix
ASINB00ISEOM2C
The New York Times bestselling author of Call on Me invites you to discover the thrill of control as one couple wrestles for power in and out of the bedroom…
Samantha Dunbar needs to forget Gibson Andrews. When he trained her to be a domme, she experienced just how hot things could get with the sexy executive. She was ready to hand him everything—including her heart. But Gibson backed away, declaring them incompatible. He’s a dominant, and Sam’s no submissive.
But after an attack shakes Sam to her core, Gibson tracks her down at her family’s rundown farmhouse and makes her an offer. He’ll stay the week and be hers in every way—a helping hand for the renovation and a willing lover in her bed. He swore he’d never give up control to anyone again, but he hasn’t been able to touch another woman since Sam. Maybe a week alone with her will cure him of his relentless craving.
But one taste only makes them want more, and Sam and Gibson are drawn in deeper than ever. The man who won’t give in has just met the girl who won’t give up…
Loving on the Edge Series
Author Bio:
Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son.
If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. She is the National Bestselling Author of The Loving on the Edge series from Berkley Heat. www.roniloren.com
I avoid them all. I can't watch anything that's going to scare me.. But I do love raking leaves and watching the grandchildren jump in them and going for hay rides..
ReplyDeleteTeena, I hear ya. It seems people either love or hate scary movies. Not much in between. ;) And watching kids play in the leaves sounds like a whole lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteI like to read the spoilers on scary movies more than I like to watch them. I remember seeing The Lost Boys a long time ago and it scared me! I had nightmares about it! Back on topic, I haven't seen any scary movies lately but I'm all caught up on The Walking Dead! I also watched Fear the Walking Dead.
ReplyDelete