Some horror movies were absolutely terrifying the first time you saw them. You think about them for years and remember how much they horrified you as a kid. Eventually, you decide to watch them again and they just don’t have the same effect. The problem with so many classic horror movies is that the story is strong, but sometimes the special effects or the acting just doesn’t hold up to today’s standards. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Here are 12 classic horror movies that are still really scary.
1. The Shining
There’s something about “The Shining” that makes it timeless. That movie will still be just as scary in 20 years as it was the day it came out. It’s so psychological you don’t even notice how many things are now outdated. Those twin girls and the old lady in the bathtub will haunt me until the day I die. That’s an amazing accomplishment.
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street
I love the Freddy movies, but after the first one, they were way too comical to actually cause fear. Plus, the second film almost ruins the franchise when Freddy is running around a pool party flipping over chairs like a drunken frat boy. The first one is still so scary because you don’t see all that much of Freddy. You just get glimpses of him here and there, which makes him so much scarier because you can’t fully grasp what he is. Ignore that terrible remake from a few years ago and stick with the original.
3. Phantasm
There are definitely some parts of “Phantasm” that aren’t quite as effective as when it came out, but Angus Scrimm (who’s still alive!) is probably the most underrated horror villain of all time. If you think it’s not as scary as it used to be, wait until the end. That mirror scene gets me every single time.
4. The Blair Witch Project
I know it sounds ridiculous calling this a “classic” but it’s been over 15 years since its original release, which makes me feel incredibly old. I know this movie gets a lot of hate, but let me explain why it’s so good. In almost every horror movie that comes out now, there are loads of fake, jump scares. It’s those annoying little moments that are completely fabricated to get you to jump out of your seat. They don’t advance the plot and usually it’s either in the character’s mind or a false alarm. “Blair Witch Project” avoids all of that. It’s somewhat of a slow burn that establishes a story, lets us develop a relationship with the characters and then manically tortures them.
One of the biggest complaints, which is completely absurd, is that you never actually see a witch or whatever is hunting them. Uh, yeah, that’s the point. Remember in the movie “Jeepers Creepers” how terrifying the first 20-30 minutes were? Then remember how unbelievably bad the last 2 acts were? It’s because after a half hour, “Jeepers Creepers” goes from a shadowy figure we only see in glances to an over-the-top monster that spends way too much time on screen. What you can’t see is always scarier because your mind will create something much more devious than any special effects team. When you see the monster, you can process it and it loses the scare element. That’s exactly why Blair Witch Project should be appreciated for how amazing it truly is.
5. The Omen
I may be one of the few people that didn’t mind the Julia Stiles 2006 remake, but it was nowhere near as good as the original. The feel of dread and despair was so heavy through the whole film and it still evokes those same feelings today. I don’t think Damien will ever not be creepy. Add that with the brilliant acting of Gregory Peck and it’s a timeless story that I’m sure will be recycled again and again.
6. Suspiria
There is no horror movie from the ’70s that will still completely terrify you like “Suspiria.” I’m not forgetting “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” either. Dario Argento did some incredible work through his career, but the surreal atmosphere he created along with a perfectly disturbing score makes it relevant to any generation. If “Suspiria” came out in theaters today as-is, it would still be a hit.
7. Cujo
I have no idea why my parents let me watch “Cujo” as a child. It totally made me terrified of dogs for a large portion of my childhood. What makes Stephen King’s tale so chilling is that the “monster” is basically a part of the family. Cujo is the boy’s best friend and a loving dog, but with one false step he becomes a rabid beast trying to kill them. It’s terrifying to think something we love and trust could completely transform in an instant. King understands that and created true horror by bringing it down to the smallest of scales.
8. The Brood
If you’re looking for a movie you can kind of pay attention to while texting or checking your Facebook, this is not the film for you. “The Brood” builds slowly, as most horror films should. We don’t know these characters, so without giving us a chance to invest them, they become generic, cardboard cutouts just waiting for their turn to die. “The Brood” may take a while to get there, but when it does, you actually care.
9. Hellraiser
I actually didn’t see “Hellraiser” until 2010, many, many years after it hit theaters, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. The acting isn’t superb, but the visuals Clive Barker created makes you feel like you’re actually looking into hell itself. It’s gory and grimy and makes you want to go take a shower after you watch it. No movie portrays evil better than “Hellraiser.”
10. Night of the Living Dead
“Night of the Living Dead” is nearly 50 years old and is still unbelievably scary. There are movies from 5 years ago that feel dated, yet George A. Romero created such an iconic film, it still feels fresh today. I remember watching this with my dad in the late ’80s or early ’90s and he had to turn it off because he kept feeling like there was something or someone behind him. Years later, I watched it again and it still feels that way. It’s just a haunting movie from beginning to end.
11. Event Horizon
For the most part, the ’90s were a terrible time for horror. You could honestly count the good ones on a single hand. Not only is “Event Horizon” one of the best of the decade, it may be one of the best sci-fi horror films ever made. “Alien” gets all the love, but Sam Neill being exceptionally creepy combined with all those quick cuts of demonic imagery make “Event Horizon” one of those movies that stick with you for days after you watch it. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
12. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
I prefer the 1978 version because the pointing and screaming move the infected do throughout the movie is nightmarish to say the least. The problem is that the story has been redone so many times most people won’t see the point in checking out a classic version of a movie they’ve already seen. I didn’t hate the Nicole Kidman remake, and the 1956 version is good, but neither feel as chilling as Philip Kaufman’s take on it.
