10 horror movies for Halloween (that you may not have seen before!)

October 28, 4:07 PMPhiladelphia Horror Movies ExaminerMark Easteadt

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This is the time of year where horror fans come out of the woodwork. . .temporarily.  Long-time horror movie fans get ready, in late September or early October, to answer the question, "What is a good scary movie my friends and I can watch for Halloween?"  Even for people not much into being scared, it becomes more palatable the closer October 31 comes.

They could always list the tried and true classics:  The Exorcist, Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc.  But it might be more useful (and fun!) to point out some truly original and scary films that are a bit less well-known.  Here are ten such films (for more details, click the link to the Internet Movie Database page for that film):

1. Frailty--Bill Paxton directed and stars in this unsettling shocker about a seemingly normal dad who, after a mystical vision, includes his sons in his quest to rid the earth of people he thinks are demons.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264616/

2. And Soon the Darkness--this Robert Fuest chiller is about to be remade, so do yourself a favor and see the original first.  Two British lasses on vacation are bicycling through rural France.  One disappears and paranoia and sunlit creepiness ensue. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065398/

3. Tourist Trap--without too many spoilers, if dummies or mannequins creep you out, this is the film for you. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080040/

4. The Devil's Backbone--directed by Guillermo Del Toro (of Hellboy fame), this Spanish-language film centers on the story of a of an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War.  A sad, haunting, yet still creepy film.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256009/

5. The Innocents--one of the all time classic ghost stories.  Subtle, slow-building creepiness with some of the best black and white cinematography around.  If you like slow-burn ghost stories you can't do better. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055018/

6. Joyride--once this gets going this one does not let up.  A nail-biting thrill ride. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206314/

7. Just Before Dawn--a little known early-80's slasher that is superior to most other films of its kind.  A setting that is both beautiful and isolated and some creepy scenes, set this one apart. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082592/

8. Black Christmas--a film that contains many of the slasher cliches (and predates Halloween by four years), but rises above them with style and creepiness.  Do not see the remake, one the worst horror films from the last 10 years. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071222/

9. Near Dark--this film was overshadowed by opening agains Lost Boys.  Near Dark is a horror-western hybrid that takes a more serious look at a modern vampire story.  Gritty, dark, and thrilling. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093605/

10. Tremors--an homage to the big bug movies of the 1950's, Tremors is exciting and very funny.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100814/