1. The Shining (1980)
Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, accepts a caretaker position at the isolated Overlook Hotel in order to work on his second book with his wife Wendy and son Danny. Although the hotel seems to be just what they are looking for, it has one major drawback: it only has six winter caretakers during the off-season. They soon learn that the Overlook is not quite the paradise it appears when they encounter an inhuman spirit living in the nearby woods.
2. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
A young married couple move into an apartment complex where strange things start happening around them; including the wife becoming mysteriously pregnant after Rosemary has visions of her fetus speaking to her.
3. The Omen (1976)
After the death of their father Robert Thorn, his son Damien is adopted by wealthy socialite Mrs. Baylock and her occult-dabbling priest friend Father Spiletto. Strange deaths begin occurring around Damien which seem to be omens foreshadowing terrible things to come.
4. The Exorcist (1973)
Based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, 12 year old Regan MacNeil begins acting strangely after a bizarre occurrence in the bedroom that leads to several injuries for both Regan and her mother Chris. When doctors fail to come up with any medical explanation for this behavior, Chris seeks help from two Catholic priests who specialize in exorcisms; one of whom is convinced that Regan is possessed by a demon.
Differences between the book and film: The major difference is that in Blatty’s novel, the possessed Regan acts more like an animal than a human being, which was too horrifying for audiences to handle so it was changed for the film. Another change from the book is that no actual exorcism takes place at all; after Father Karras sees Regan walking down a flight of stairs upside down and speaking in tongues.
2. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
A group of friends stumble upon a house where they find that there is more than just humans ringing the dinner bell as they meet Leatherface and his family who enjoy showing their guests some good old-fashioned Texas hospitality… with steel bars.
3. Halloween (1978)
Although many of the events that occur in this film are not part of the true “Halloween” story, it still introduced audiences to one of the most vicious killers ever put to film Michael Myers. Even though he doesn’t utter a single word throughout his reign of terror, he does manage to send chills down people’s spines as they cower in fear whenever he comes looking for them with his trusty butcher knife. He even managed to hide out for twenty-five years after attempting to kill both Dr. Loomis and Laurie Strode, but nothing could keep him hidden for very long…
4. Night of the Living Dead (1968
After surviving an assault by a massive zombie horde, Barbara and her remaining companions seek refuge in a remote farmhouse where the dead won’t bother them. However, they soon discover that hiding from the walking dead is much easier said than done.
5. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
While investigating a local Pittsburgh news story about several people who had been killed and revived by mysterious assailants, reporter Francine Parker ends up at the mall along with six other survivors after being rescued by helicopter pilot Stephen Andrews. As both groups struggle to maintain their footing in this new world against the undead hordes outside, there becomes turmoil within as each person has different agendas on how they should be spending their time…
6. Night of the Living Dead (1990)
After surviving the first film, Barbra manages to escape from being burned alive by a mob who was trying to kill her along with everything else that had died. Unfortunately for her, she is gunned down by National Guardsmen after having stopped at a gas station who mistake her moving around as an indication that she’s still alive. Needless to say, everyone misses out on meeting Ben again…except one person…
7. The Fly (1986)
A brilliant scientist named Seth Brundle has found himself experimenting with teleportation portals which he calls Telepods, but things start getting ugly when he unknowingly becomes merged with a housefly during transport and begins exhibiting both human and insect characteristics. Although he still has the desire to continue his relationship with Veronica, he soon becomes more fearful of her when she refuses to be intimate with him any longer…
8. The Ring (2002)
Sickened by modern life in Tokyo, reporter Naoko Nakamura decides to leave her job and goes to stay at an aunt’s farm in Izu for a while in order to think about what she wants in life. It takes just one day for everything in that location to change when Mai Takano commits suicide by hanging herself from a tree behind the house after being unable to deal with the loss of her daughter Sadako who had been diagnosed with leukemia after playing with a mysterious videotape that killed all of its viewers exactly 7 days later. Now everyone living in the house must discover the secret of the tape before they too are taken by something that is already dead…
9. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
After being murdered by her husband while she was passed out, Nancy Thompson finds herself trapped in a nightmarish realm inhabited by deadly serial killers who have escaped their sentences and are now after anyone foolish enough to fall asleep. She soon discovers that this new world doesn’t follow any rules of the real world as she can be attacked even while awake, but she learns more about this place through an inquisitive young man named Glen Lantz who has also come here for some unknown reason…
10. The Exorcist (1973)
When her daughter Regan begins exhibiting strange behavior after an incident with a Ouija board, it’s discovered that she has become possessed by a demon that wants to use her body in order to bring about the apocalypse. After faking her own death, the girl’s mother Chris tries to convince Father Damien Karras of what is happening while also trying to put an end to this ordeal before it’s too late.
6. The Shining (1980)
Jack Torrance, a writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as an off-season caretaker at the Overlook Hotel. Soon after arriving, he begins experiencing some strange events that cause him to start going insane, especially after his young son Danny starts having visions of the previous occupant of their room who went on a murderous rampage while under severe emotional stress. Jack’s wife Wendy can see what is happening and tries to find a way to help him before it’s too late…
7. Poltergeist (1982)
While her husband Steve is busy trying to finish up work for the family so they can move out of this housing development due to all of the paranormal activity taking place there, Diane Freeling experiences more unusual behavior from her daughter Carol Anne after she sees something the other girls refuse to discuss. They both soon learn that something has possessed Carol and is using her as a gateway to the real world so it can get revenge on all of them for building their home on an ancient burial ground.
8. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Although he doesn’t realize it, Malcolm Crowe is actually dead and his spirit remains trapped in this realm where he uses his ability to communicate with others who have died through brief glimpses of cryptic messages that only they will understand. He decides to use this skill for good while helping a young boy named Cole Sear deal with the loss of his mother due to illness while also showing him how not everything is what it seems…
9. The Ring (2002)
Sickened by modern life in Tokyo, reporter Naoko Nakamura decides to leave her job and goes to stay at an aunt’s farm in Izu for a while in order to think about what she wants in life. It takes just one day for everything in that location to change when Mai Takano commits suicide by hanging herself from a tree behind the house after being unable to deal with the loss of her daughter Sadako who had been diagnosed with leukemia after playing with a mysterious videotape that killed all of its viewers exactly 7 days later. Now everyone living in the house must discover the secret of the tape before they too are taken by something that is already dead…
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
After being murdered by her husband while she was passed out, Nancy Thompson finds herself trapped in a nightmarish realm inhabited by deadly serial killers who have escaped their sentences and are now after anyone foolish enough to fall asleep. She soon discovers that this new world doesn’t follow any rules of the real world as she can be attacked even while awake, but she learns more about this place through an inquisitive young man named Glen Lantz who has also come here for some unknown reason…
