9 of the Best Films to Haunt Your Holidays With
Scott Hallam
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1408 (2007)
As far as haunted stories go, 1408 is absolutely paralyzing. Based on a very short story by horror master Stephen King, 1408 is a very powerful read, but when transferred to the screen, it actually gains steam and becomes even more enchanting. Not only is there a plethora of paranormal goings-on in 1408, but by the time the movie gets around to unleashing the final, most powerful haunts, the viewer can’t help but to cower under the power of the movie. Especially for those audience members who have children, 1408 is a hammer of a movie that drives its subject matter deep into the heart of the viewer. There are many devilish beasties that creep and knock in the dark of night, but perhaps none more tragic than those in Room 1408.
Inside (aka À l’intérieur) (2007)
The birth of a woman’s first child may very well be the most joyous experience of her life. So the night before that child is born is indeed a time of inner reflection, anticipation, and excitement. That is, unless a psychotic woman shows up at her door and tries to break in and cut the unborn fetus out of her belly. A situation like that tends to put a damper on the good times enjoyed by the expectant mother. The film Inside is a downright bloodbath that occurs when a woman preparing to be a new mom finds herself fighting for her life when a mysterious figure appears at her door the night before her labor is to be induced and she will give birth to her first child. The night begins with new mom waking to find a stranger straddling her in her sleep, pressing a pair of dress shears against her pregnant belly, about to plunge them in. And things go quickly downhill from there.
The Strangers (2007)
In the same vein as Inside is The Strangers. But where the antagonist in Inside has a definite reason for her vindictive nature, much of the power in The Strangers is due to the fact that it’s a depiction of a completely random crime. And we see this illustrated in one chilling bit of dialogue at the end of the movie when one of the victims asks the killers, “Why are you doing this to us?” and the masked killer, known only as Dollface, answers, “Because you were home.” Check out the scene below. That kind of disconnect with humanity and an utter lack of concern for life make the trio of killers in The Strangers simply terrifying. Some things that go bump in the night are monstrous creatures. Some are just monsters.
Digging Up the Marrow (2015)
A unique look at the things that haunt us in the darkness, Adam Green’s Digging Up the Marrow is an unclassifiable film that is, in fact, a case study on monsters and where they come from. Filmed mockumentary style with a fantastic performance by the legendary Ray Wise, Digging Up the Marrow shows us not only the monsters of the world, but gives us a blueprint to exactly where they live. Part comedy, part terror, the film was another feather in the cap of writer/director Adam Green, who has become one of the most versatile horror entertainment creators working in the genre today. Always delivering product that is fresh, new, and unexpected, Green once again brought it with Digging Up the Marrow and made the dark a little more scary.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Has anyone been more legendarily haunting than the man of our dreams himself, the iconic Freddy Krueger? He is the definition of a thing that goes bump in the night. Whether it was his original imagining that blindsided a generation of movie-goers with a red hot terror, or his later versions that were more anti-hero than villain, wise-cracking jokes as often as slaying innocents, Freddy Krueger is the ultimate nightmare. It’s bad enough to lie awake in bed, listening to the house creak and wondering if a monstrosity is sneaking around your home waiting to pounce. What’s worse is the fact that Freddy is waiting for you after you fall asleep… to sleep, perchance to dream; aye, there’s the rub. Please enjoy the Krueger compilation below featuring the song “Are You Ready for Freddy?” by The Fat Boys (with a guest rap appearance by Freddy Krueger… yes, we’re serious).
