Jump-in-your-seat fright flicks

Halloween has its staples: costumes, haunted houses, trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and… Halloween has its staples: costumes, haunted houses, trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and scary movies. It’s the best time of year to make some popcorn, turn off all the lights and either get the chills, jump in your seat or cringe from watching the gory content of one of the classic fright flicks. Here’s 10 of the best.

10. “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968)

Roman Polanski had a box-office hit with this film about a newlywed wife who becomes part of a group of Satan worshippers’ plan to give birth to the devil. Mia Farrow’s neurotic performance as Rosemary and sinister theme music help make for one the more original horror films ever made.

9. “Se7en” (1995)

Everybody knows Brad Pitt is attractive, but he can also act. And so can Kevin Spacey as John Doe, a maniac who sets out to cause seven murders in representation of the seven deadly sins. The ending elevates the psychological thriller to new heights as the plot cruelly twists on its protagonist.

8. “Carrie” (1976)

An unpopular teen with paranormal powers makes for a deadly mix in Brian de Palma’s adaptation of the Steven King novel. After fellow classmates pour pigs’ blood on her at the prom, Carrie uses telekinesis and begins an angry rage, causing this high-school dance to be unforgettable.

7. “Halloween” (1978)

One of the best slasher films about a serial killer, John Carpenter’s “Halloween” either started or fits most of the genre’s cliches, but it still scared the hell out of people. Though it’s now a bit overused, the masked Michael Myers was a petrifying character to all when the movie first came out.

6. “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) / “Dawn of the Dead” (1978)

George Romero’s first two horror movies are the quintessential zombie movies and cult classics. Filmed in Pittsburgh, Romero managed to make a low-budget horror film that both looks real and is scary. He was able to follow it up with an even more impressive sequel.

5. “Psycho” (1960)

One of Hitchcock’s later films, “Psycho” affirmed that he was the master of suspense. The famous montage shower scene is one of the most famous in all of film, and is a display of unmatched technical directing. Then add Norman Bates, a split-personality who became the model for the horror-genre psychopath, and you have a timeless masterpiece.

4. “The Sixth Sense” (1999)

M. Night Shyamalan’s first and best movie is about a boy who sees dead people and a dispirited child psychologist and is a relatively recent film that is becoming a deserving classic. The movie maintains an eerie tone throughout that keeps viewers anxious – not to mention it has an amazing plot twist near its end.

3. “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)

Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter is probably the creepiest character in cinema’s history. Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of this twisted killer who dined on his victims with “fava beans and a nice Chianti” steals the movie, but the psychological insight is so plausible it’s unsettling.

2. “The Exorcist” (1973)

Sure, it can be said that the special effects were obvious and a bit cheesy, but that doesn’t make this classic about a possessed child any less frightening. The theme music is the definitive soundtrack for horror flicks. With the tag “Based on a True Story,” The Exorcist has been terrifying audiences for decades.

1. “The Shining” (1980)

As far as horror movies go, this one has it all. Kubrick delivers chilling psychological terror with Jack Nicholson playing the loose-cannon Jack Torrance, creepy images – such as the twin ghosts at the end of the hall – and the climax of a madman swinging away with his axe. Kubrick achieves the pinnacle of mixing perverse humor with unnerving fear when Jack chops through the door and yells, “Heeeeere’s Johnny!”