a bit of madness.

Good morning! I hope your weekend ended well and you're off to a good start for the week. It's such a beautiful Monday, that I thought today we'd spook it up a bit!

I'm notoriously picky about my scary movies; anything too "real" scares me. Texas Chain Saw Massacre? Ya, no. That really happened. Saw? Never saw (haha) more than a preview; no, thanks!

But this doesn't mean I don't love some spooky films at Halloween time. I just consider my taste more...I can't find the word for it.  I think there needs to be a balance of reality, fantasy, and artistic flair. 

Here's the perfect list of Halloween movies for a chilly night in. It's sure to entertain, not make you pee your pants! 

1. Carrie. 

The original Carrie is hands down my favorite spooky movie! Sissy Spacek gives great face in this movie; slightly vague but always terrifying. And let's not forget her crazy mother; who wouldn't want to bring her to dinner?

2. The Shining 

This movie for me, is a super close second to Carrie. Stanley Kubrick is pure genius and now that I live in Colorado, where you can actually stay at the hotel that inspired Stephen King, I'm that much more in love. I always loved Wendy's strength despite her timid demeanor and the movie just wouldn't be the same with our Nicholson and his animated eyebrows. Red Rum! Red Rum!

3. The Birds

I imagine in 1963 when Hitchcock released this film, it was the scariest of its kind. Today, it's everything I think a good horror film should be; scary, but a bit campy; pretty women with brains, amazing music and a killer plot. 

4. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

Ok, ok, so this isn't exactly a horror film, but it's still creepy enough to make my list. There's something about Jack Nicholson; he plays crazy so well and makes this about the only "reality-thriller" that I can stand to watch. And yes, I have a slight obsession with the fact that Ken Kesey was inspired to write the novel after one of his many LCD trips. This movie is the hippie horror film of the sixties. 

5. Psycho

Most of the movies on this list I have an affection for because of my Mom. She loved turning on these thrillers at Halloween time and I was probably way too young the first time I saw this movie. For a while there I thought Norman Bates and the Bates Motel was real. Up until we discover his "problem" of course. As a young girl, I wondered what would possess a man to keep his mother like that. I figured that he loved her...a lot. Obviously, way too much. 

There you have it. Two Hitchcock films, a little Stanley Kubrick, a splash of blood, and black and white would make a perfect Halloween movie night! There's no need for the gore, the predictability or the bimbos running up the stairs instead of out the front door. What movie would you add to the list?

Grab your friends, make some yummy popcorn balls and cider and have yourselves a spooky evening!