- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is probably the best piece of literature written about a haunted house. There are a couple film versions (which have their pluses and minuses), but the book is definitely the way to go. Eerie and compelling.
- Stephen King's books are typically full of frightening moments. I'm cheating a little here by not naming any specific one, but it's my blog, so deal with it. King's characters get put through the ringer with gleeful efficiency. And there is enough variety of what's doing the spooking (although the supernatural and aliens are pretty recurrent) that there's something for everyone. And you can also find plenty of nasty humans of you don't care for some of the traditional horror villains. If I had to pick a couple to spotlight, well, Pet Sematary and The Stand are always a good choice. And keep an eye on his short fiction as well.
- Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is to this day the only movie that actually scares me. I will occasionally jump in other horror films, but this movie scares me. I can't explain what it is about the movie that does it, but it does it well. The atmosphere is oppressive, the actors are spot on and the story told (while not faithful to King's book) is creepy as all get out.
- The Ring or more appropriately Ringu is a great campfire tale. A Killer Videotape. In this age of digital media here's a tale suited to our generation. I'll leave the arguing about which version is better to others. The American version is told in a fashion that we're more used to (you get more of an explanation as to what is going on for one thing) but the Japanese version is more disturbing. Although the ferry/horse sequence in the remake is absolutely brilliant.
I feel the need to stop at this point and mourn the loss of the Saturday night Creature Feature. This was a staple in my childhood. Crematia Mortem would guide my poor soul through whatever horror was to be shown that weekend. I've heard tell of the creation of a horror cable channel, but as I don't have cable this will do nothing for me. Besides there was something about staying up late (or better yet recording for multiple viewings) and losing yourself in the moment. Good times. Neil Gaiman will be hosting a series of scary movies this October on the Fox Movie Channel and my wonderful in-laws will be taping it for me, so there are occasional glimpses of the way it should be, but not enough. Although what passes for programming on tv is certainly terrifying enough...
- The Silent Hill series is probably the current king of the hill when it comes to survival horror. Resident Evil certainly has its moments, but for overall horror Silent Hill wins. A town where nothing is what it seems. A town that draws broken people to it like moths to a flame. A town that most will never escape. That is Silent Hill. The games let you experience the stories of several tormented souls that have found their way to Silent Hill one way or another. Turn the lights off and the sound up and be prepared to sleep lightly that night...
- Fatal Frame is also worth mentioning. While the horror quotient of Silent Hill is higher, the spookiness factor of Fatal Frame isn't to be discounted. A ghost story with a twist is probably the best way to describe this game. The twist being that the only weapon you have in the game is a camera. Taking the old idea that a camera can steal your soul, Fatal Frame allows you to hurt the restless souls found in the game with your Mother's camera. Also best played in the dark with the sound up. If you can...
- Tales from the Darkside was one of my favorite tv shows growing up. Similar in many ways to The Twilight Zone, but more geared for horror. And often quite funny, in a black comedy sort of way...
- The Blair Witch Project is oddly enough a better campfire tale than a movie. At least for being scary. I found it spookier relating the story (as well as much of the backstory for the show) than sitting in the theater watching it. <shrug> Go figure.
So that covers a good chunk of what I've found scary over the years. And believe me, I've left a lot out. Cheap horror movies are what my friends and I thrived off of in High School. It's a pity my wife doesn't get the same enjoyment out of them that I do. There have been some real corkers released over the years.
In other news, if you haven't heard Coin Operated Boy by the Dresden Dolls, you're listening to the wrong radio station.
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