My 8 Great Favorite Scary Halloween Horror Movies

With Halloween approaching, I'm going to share a deep, dark secret with you. I love horror films. Yes, I do. While my favorite movies are dramas, I really get revved up over a really good scary movie.

The problem with horror flicks is that it's hard to find a good one. So many are cheesy, badly acted, and just overall poorly done. So when I come across a horror movie that keeps me on the edge of my seat, I am very appreciative.

Now, I don't like the bloody, slash 'em up scary movies. No Friday the 13th for me. Those movies are predictable. Everybody knows the plot--a bunch of young people in an out-of-the-way location where they get brutally murdered one by one. That's just no fun. There's no suspense.

No, I don't want blood and gore. I want a plot. I want a storyline that keeps me guessing. Psychological thrillers are the best.

So, without further adieu, here's my list of eight great horror movies. At least in my humble opinion.

This one is a classic! When a young gal goes to Bates Hotel to hide out, the madness begins.

Good ole Norman Bates befriends her but reveals that his mother may be jealous of his talking to young, pretty women.

When the woman is killed, the plot thickens as it seems that Mama Bates passed away years ago. How can that be when we see her sitting up in the window?

There's a lot of mystery in this movie that will keep you guessing.

Well, yeah! Of course you have to include the movie with the same title as the holiday!

Remember little Michael (about eight years old, I think) killing his sister for no apparent reason at the beginning of the movie? Well, fast forward to fifteen years later when the now grown-up psychopath is released from the insane asylum.

His psychiatrist isn't too keen on the idea so follows Michael all around town, knowing he will kill again. So why did you let him out, doc?

I remember watching this movie on the couch in the basement sitting close with my brothers. Mom! Really? I wasn't even twelve years old. Come on!

Well, maybe it was a few years later that we watched the re-run. I do think it was. Sorry, Mom.

Anyway, this one is eerie. Weird changes start happening with a young girl. Meanwhile, a priest who is struggling with his faith becomes the one to try to help the young Reagan. Finally, along with the help of a mature priest, the two attempt an exorcism.

Lots of head-turning and vomiting later, this film will totally creep you out.

Yes, I remember this as a kid. I even had the paperback book, and I remember the creepy windows on the house distinctly. Things seem all normal after a family moves in until the father starts acting all weird. Evidently, a dad went crazy years before and killed the whole family. Will history repeat itself?

I saw the remake, too, in 2005, and it was pretty darn good, too. Definitely worth watching--both versions!

"Heeeeeere's, Johnny!" says Jack Nicholson when he starts losing his mind in the big old hotel where he brought his family. The perfect getaway for him to write--or so he thought.

Well, his son starts to see things, murders and atrocities from years before. Finally, it gets to Jack, putting his wife and child in danger.

Remember "redrum" in the mirror? What about the scary-looking twin girls in the hallway? Remember the maze where Nicholson's character chases his son through the snow?

If not, then you better plan to watch this one right away. This one packs some exciting stuff! It freaks me out a little every time I've seen it! It's definitely a classic scary movie.

Poltergeist was pretty freaky. When a family realizes that their home is inhabited by ghosts, they aren't too concerned as the ghosts seem friendly, pulling pranks and moving things around.

But then, more sinister things start happening, such as the death of the family bird, random storms . . . . Really weird was the TV suddenly going to static and drawing in the cute little girl and "speaking" to her. "They're here," she warns the family.

If you haven't seen this movie, go find it. It's a must-see.

People think I'm freaky that I like the Saw series so well. I'm a social worker, I'm a teacher, and I'm a psychological horror film lover!

The first movie starts out with two men waking up in an undisclosed location and a dead man between them. They are both held captive with chains. What will they do to escape?

What I love about this movie is the psychological part--how far would someone go to get out of being tortured? To escape? Who will survive? And who is behind all the madness in this movie?

I love the intrigue and suspense in this movie, the first being the best, as you have yet to figure out what's going on. I've seen all six sequels of the Saw series (except maybe the last one), and they all keep me on the edge of my seat. I love that!

So what about you? Do you like scary movies? Horror flicks? Blood and gore? Torture? Or those good ole psychological, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrillers?

I don't know why I like them exactly, because sometimes a scary movie will keep me up at night, while my mind goes over and over the movie. Or the movie might make me jumpy for a while when I hear something outside in the dark.

I might even randomly tear open the shower to make sure nobody is in there! Sure, I can be brave like the characters in scary movies!

So, what do you think about horror movies?

Okay, so maybe this isn't a traditional Halloween movie, but it is the ultimate in suspense and horror. After a gang of thugs torture a couple of young girls, a family comes up with their own acts of torture when the group ends up at their house, not knowing this is the very house where the young girl they attacked lives.

Seriously, this movie is so suspenseful. A funny thing . . . My boyfriend and I were laughing by the time the family held down a hand in the garbage disposal. No, it wasn't sadistic enjoyment, but it was wild relief. Seriously! You've got to see the horrific attack in this movie to appreciate the family's getting back at the attackers.

Actually, I had a hard time watching the earlier part of this movie due to a disturbing scene, but once I got past that, I enjoyed the suspense throughout the rest of the movie. I think we may have accidentally watched the unrated version. Don't do that! The movie is dark and ugly at times, so be prepared if you choose to watch it.

Note: There's a movie by a similar name, The House at the End of the Street, that came out a few years later. It's a good one that keeps you guessing until the end, but it's not nearly as dark as this one.