When word spread that Halloween fell on a Wednesday this year, a collective sigh could almost be heard from the UCLA student body across campus. Many might not be able to go trick-or-treating like normal 18- to 22-year-olds, but there certainly are some Halloween-related activities to distract from the fifth week midterm gloom. There is one option spanning at most two and a half hours long that many will agree is a viable study break: horror movies. Watch any of these eight horror movies this Halloween night. People not indulging in candy or alcohol tonight are sure to satisfy their Halloween cravings with one of these classic horror flicks.
28 Days Later
Released in 2002, “28 Days Later” is a zombie apocalypse film about a virus outbreak that leaves the UK in a state of anarchy. Unlike many other zombie movies in which the undead are slow and lethargic, the infected in “28 Days Later” are lightning-fast and agile. This makes for a more realistic, breath-shortening horror film experience. While scaring audiences with quick and agile zombies, “28 Days Later” also questions the goodness of human nature when people are unleashed from political and social order. This film leaves the audience to question who is more dangerous: the infected or the uninfected.
The Sixth Sense
“The Sixth Sense” is another M. Night Shyamalan movie. The premise of this film is well-known. A boy is haunted by the spirits of dead people who believe they are still alive. With the help of a widower psychologist, the boy must learn to help the dead spirits or else succumb to a life of fear and hiding from these haunting ghosts. Haley Joel Osment gives an excellent performance as Cole Sear, the boy haunted by spirits of the deceased. Those who have not seen “The Sixth Sense” can expect terrifying ghosts, abrupt jump scenes and a plot twist so surprising it has become the leading identifier of M. Night Shyamalan’s career.
Shaun of the Dead
This one’s a comedy. But it’s about a zombie outbreak and thus squeezed its way onto the list. “Shaun of the Dead” put British filmmakers Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on the comedy scene in America before they continued to make movie hits like “Hot Fuzz” and “Paul.” A hilarious spoof on the famous zombie film “Dawn of the Dead,” “Shaun of the Dead” successfully keeps the laughs coming while maintaining the authenticity of a classic zombie movie with hefty violence and deluges of blood. Any fan of the zombie genre will enjoy this hilariously fresh take on the zombie apocalypse.
Signs
This continues to be one of the most eye-opening horror films. With a talented cast including Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, “Signs” is considered by some to be M. Night Shyamalan’s last great movie. Though Shyamalan’s recent reputation has been tainted with disappointing flops such as “Lady in the Water” and “The Last Airbender,” “Signs” exemplifies Shyamalan at his best. The story reveals the slow progression of an alien invasion of Earth as a family in rural Pennsylvania discovers crops circles in its cornfields. Shyamalan immaculately captures the fear and tension of the family leading up to the invasion and invites the audience to join the family in the terror.
Eyes Wide Shut
Before passing away in 1999, Stanley Kubrick produced “Eyes Wide Shut.” Though the film is not widely considered to be part of the horror genre, it exemplifies Kubrick’s eerie style of storytelling. The film follows the life of a man (Tom Cruise) who yearns to cheat on his wife (Nicole Kidman) after he discovers her own intentions of pursuing an affair. He finds himself trapped in the middle of a cult séance and danger soon ensues as the group begins to suspect that Tom Cruise’s character is a liability to its club’s secrecy. Fun fact: The couple, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, divorced a couple years after the movie was released.
The Shining
Another Kubrick film, “The Shining” is based on the Stephen King novel of the same title. “The Shining” convincingly portrays a man’s slow degradation into madness as he watches over a haunted hotel that is closed for the winter. The ghosts in this movie are eerily grotesque and Kubrick’s abrupt zooming technique on the camera and intense music add terror to the film. Jack Nicholson gives one of his best and most memorable performances as Jack Torrance, the writer whose sanity slowly decays. For a little extra festive Halloween fun, watch the latest South Park Halloween episode in which South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone do a spoof on “The Shining.”
Rear Window
“Rear Window” is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest works. It is about a photographer, played by James Stewart, who is temporarily disabled with a broken leg and is stuck in his room with nothing to do except watch his neighbors’ monotonous activities from his apartment window. Soon he is surprised when it appears that one of his neighbors may have killed his wife. At this point the tension in the movie slowly builds to a climax that will leave many yelling and cursing at the screen. “Rear Window” was released in 1954, yet this movie remains fresh with persisting cliff-hangers that continue to make many consider Hitchcock the master of suspense.
The Blair Witch Project
One of the first movies to film in mockumentary format, “The Blair Witch Project” usually receives mixed reviews from horror movie fans. Some say the movie consists of nothing more than kids running around the woods screaming. Others claim that it’s not what is seen on the screen that is scary, but instead what the film leaves to the audience’s imagination. “The Blair Witch Project” is best for those with vivid imaginations, as the real horror in this movie stems from the viewer’s mind.