Lately I have had people of all ages coming up to me saying, “Maven, I’m not so much into horror, but I would like to be. How do I, as a newcomer, get started?” Well if you believe that statement then you believe people really call me Maven on the street. And if you believe that…let me introduce you to a friend of mine who sells gas for a dollar a gallon. It’s real I swear.

All right so I don’t have hordes of non-believers clamoring at my door to hear what I think is the best way to get started in the genre. But I will tell you two things I know for sure: 1) They are out there searching in vain for someone to point them in the right direction and 2) I love circus peanuts. I don’t get why they are orange and shaped like peanuts but taste like bananas….but who cares?

What I have decided to do is jot down a few ideas for the novices. There is no need for anyone to go through the embarrassment of walking into a video store, proudly placing a copy of Dirt Bike Zombies With Bad Toupees (I have fabricated the title of this film, so don’t go looking for it) and promptly getting laughed at by the clerk behind the counter wearing the Re-Animator T shirt. And if said clerk does NOT poke fun (at least privately), then said clerk should be STRIPPED of prized Tee and thrown back into the family section…they cannot help you with horror.

What I am hoping to do here is offer a safe entry into the world of scary movies. There should be no trepidation. There should be no fear….well you know what I mean. There should only be the welcoming arms of Frankenstein’s Monster to enfold you in an embrace of kindred spirit. We are horror fans. Walk with us.

Done with mush. Let’s get started. The following is a comprehensive list, broken down by sub-genre, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, of everything you need to get a handle on horror. Now keep in mind this is the Starter Kit. You can always purchase the Expansion Packs later. These are my favorites and those I tend to see as “required viewing” (though not my entire required viewing list…I only have a column.)
Let’s not try to overwhelm ourselves, kay?

Nice and easy….let’s start with vampires.

Nosferatu (1922) – You always remember the first time
Dracula (1931) – Bela Lugosi defined Dracula as we know him today
Horror of Dracula (1958) – Any Hammer film will do, but this is a good one with which to start

Salem’s Lot (1979) – TV but ooooh scary
Fright Night (1985) – This is a great way to learn the rules plus it’s fun
Love at First Bite (1979) – Cause it’s too much fun to miss
Moving on to Werewolves.

An American Werewolf in London (1981) – This is how to film a transformation
The Howling (1981) – This was a good year for lycanthrope lovers. The Howling rocks
Dog Soldiers (2004) - After years of hellish films, this came along to make it all better
Silver Bullet (1985) - The Haimster vs the Werewolf…what more could you want?

The Wolf Man (1933) – In the beginning, God made the hairy man. And it was good
*Now you can decide whether you prefer bipedal or four-legged werewolves. Personally I go for the two-leggers every time. I know London is the definitive werewolf flick, but the uprights are just plain scarier to me.

Look out. Here come the zombies.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) – Uncle George’s first movie. Isn’t it cute?
Dawn of the Dead (1978) – The most epic zombie film ever made. Many fans favor this one
Day of the Dead (1985) – Think of these three as the Star Wars of zombie films
Night of the Living Dead (1990) – This is one time I will allow you to enjoy a remake
Dawn of the Dead (2004) – You can like this one too…just not too much. Then you can decide if you like ‘em fast or slow….slow, slow, slow
Shaun of the Dead (2004) – Beautifully made film that everyone should see, genre fan or not

Re-Animator (1985) - This is how Lovecraft does zombies

Look up. It’s aliens. No, not up the page. Up in the sky. It’s a…nevermind. Here they are.

Alien (1979) – Well what did you expect? It’s the coolest
The Thing (1982) – Carpenter kicked so much butt with this film and the effects are stellar
Spaced Invaders (HAHA NO! Just making sure you are paying attention)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and 1978) – Watch both. Both are good

The Slashers.

Halloween (1978) – Carpenter’s spooky flick that gave us an icon
Friday the 13th Parts 1-3 (1980) – The ones that started it all…for Jason
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) – Leatherface in all his gory glory (but it’s not gory)
Psycho (1960) – Hitchcock did it first. Watch it here.
Miscellaneous or movies that should be watched just because:

The Fly (1986) – I encourage you to watch the original with Vincent Price as well, but this one is awesome-er
The Exorcist (1973) – What possessed you to miss this movie? Christ compels you to watch it
Jaws (1975) – I will bite you if you don’t watch this movie. It’s my all-time favorite
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) - Classic tale of paranoia….maybe
The Birds (1963) - See? Hitchcock can make the simplest things scary as Hell
That’s a pretty decent list to get you started. I am not saying these are the only important films out there nor am I saying you shouldn’t watch anything else. Of course you can watch whatever you want, but these are the ones I am certainly glad I didn’t miss early on. They helped me love horror like I do today.

And now for some guidelines…

Don’t jump right in with some 70’s grindhouse/splatter/exploitation film. You probably won’t get it and you will consequently hate the genre you are learning about.
Do rent or borrow or watch on cable any classics you can get your hands on. Do not be afraid of black and white films. They will not hurt you. But missing some of them may hurt you. Look for anything involving William Castle, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr or Alfred Hitchcock.
Don’t watch a remake before you watch the original. See number Number One Rule below
Do watch the originals while trying to keep in mind the time period and what was going on with technology as well as politics and pop culture….look out, you just might learn something
At least until you are ready…stay away from anything referred to as a re-imagining. You have to crawl before you can run screaming
Above all, have fun and remember that being scared is a natural thing. It’s what keeps us safe from all the real-life boogeymen. Nothing wrong with honing that skill from time to time. If you feel you don’t want to enter into this alone, bring a buddy. The more the merrier. Remember when I mentioned the Number One Rule? Here it is:

“You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know whence you came.”

 Respect the classics. They paved the way for all of us.

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August 3rd, 2008
Categories: Horror Movies . Author: admin

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