Scary Movie Marathon

by Wade Longworth

We have made it to that time of year when the weather has finally begun to change and the sun is setting a earlier. All of that extra darkness means there is more time for creepy, crawly, and spooky creatures to slither around in frightening fashion. The spookiness of All Hallows ‘Eve descends upon us at the end of every October. It is in this most crisp and golden time of year that dastardly ghouls keep us looking over our shoulders. With that in mind it is also that time of year to open a window, fill a bowl of popcorn, and cozy up to watch a few scary movies. I wanted to share with you three horror movies with that changed the genre forever; Pyscho, Jaws, and Scream had society jumping out of seats with goosebumps trembling down their spine.

In the year 1960 director Alfred Hitchcock directed the movie Pyscho, The movie is about a secretary that embezzles a good amount of money from her employer's client and goes on the run. She checks into an out-of-the-way motel, run by a young man under the control of his mother. It is praised wildly for its smooth direction, tense atmosphere, and effective camerawork. It is perhaps most famous for the shower scene which you will have to watch to believe. This movie is so iconic that it ends up on many "greatest of all time" lists. It also is widely considered to be the earliest example of the slasher film genre.

Sticking with the thriller theme, in 1975 director James Cameron gave us the movie Jaws. It is the first movie to be shot on the ocean. The main story is about a killer shark that unleashes chaos on a beach community when a young girl meets her demise by the jaws of the beast. The local sheriff, a scientist, and old sea captain team up to go after the monster. Much like Pyscho scared people from stepping into their showers, Jaws had audiences frightened to head to the beach. So much so that beach attendance after the movie was released was historically low. This also produced a generation of man-eater copycat films that many writers and directors are still trying to capture the magic of Jaws today.

After a few years of uninspiring motion pictures failed to generate shrieks from the collective audiences, the release of Wes Cravens 1996 Scream once again seized viewer’s attention. He aimed to re-invent the slasher-horror genre by incorporating different elements that were not commonly used. Such as having a funny, clever, scary, masked, knife-wielding maniac that stalks high-school students in middleclass suburbia. Much like the previous two movies discussed, this film also spawned group of movies looking to make a mark of their own.

All though these are three of my favorites there are plenty more to choose from because Halloween isn’t all about the scary movies. From Hocus Pocus to Halloweentown all the way through Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. you can find anything you’re looking for this month on Freeform. Find some time to relax this month by kicking your feet up on brisk fall day and catching a great flick. Check their website for more information!