Spooky flicks for a Halloween movie-thon

By Jeff Walker

Don’t ask me why. But the first gift my wife ever received from me was a DVD titled “Evil Dead 2,” the mid 80s cult comedy horror flick directed by Sam Raimi. The first few months we dated, we wore the disc out watching the movie night after night, every blood-spewing minute of it.

I guess when it comes to our knack for always ending up with scary flick in our hands at the video store, “Evil Dead 2” sort of set the tone.

Don’t get the wrong idea. Otherwise, we’re just a couple of fun loving, God fearing folks who disdain violence and gore. We don’t even own a Ouija Board. It scares us. Lindsay and I are both your prototypical wussies when it comes to real life matters.

But for a couple of big chickens, we sure crave the thrill that comes with scary movies.

Whether it’s low-budget, silly spoof horrors or big blockbuster suspense, I’ve always simultaneously dreaded and yearned for scary movies. I cried from laughing so hard during the recently released “Zombieland,” a fun-and-games zombie flick where a hilarious Woody Harrelson redneck character gets to pick off zombies by the dozens; and I laughed nervously to keep from crying while sitting through the terrifying movie “The Ring.” In the theatre, I cringe and hide my face and wonder why the heck we chose a certain film, only to spend the next several days discussing with my wife the pivotal, horrific moments while convincing ourselves that “THAT was the scariest movie we’ve ever seen.”

And, to be honest, I’m not sure why we love it. It seems like self-induced torture.

Just recently we were watching the newly released “Paranormal Activity,” billed by promoters as “the scariest movie of all time” and coming darn close to living up to it. The film follows a suburbanite couple that fears a demonic presence inside their home. To track it, they set up a video camera in their bedroom to document what happens while they sleep at night. The findings that the viewer witnesses on screen, of course, are bone chilling.

Later, back at home, the two of us both were still shaken up by the film and had trouble settling in for the night. In fact, when the time for sleep finally came, Lindsay entered the bedroom with a can of mace and butcher’s knife and set them on the night stand, “just in case,” she explained, “something crazy happens.”

I bet we didn’t sleep two hours that night. In fact, at about 3 a.m. I awoke to the sound of something tapping against our front window — which was ironically, a Halloween decoration that had been up for weeks, and had surely made the same sound and gone unnoticed for weeks. But after an experience like “Paranormal Activity,” such a sound is huge — potentially demonic, even. I slunk down the stairs nervously, scared to death of nothing in particular, other than some silly effects from some fictional movie.

Now tell me what’s fun about that.

I can’t come close to telling you what’s fun about scaring the heck out of ourselves. Don’t ask me why.

But I can tell you that the next two movies on our Netflix que are, naturally, “Don’t Look Now” and “The Devil’s Backbone.”

I can only wish the later was referring to that beautiful, scenic stretch of road in Wimberley.

If you’re looking for a spook on Halloween, here’s a look at five films perfect for such an occasion.

1. REC; directed by Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza; rated R

This Spanish film is subtitled and has been remade for American audiences under the title “Quarantine.” Watch the original.

A young television reporter and her cameraman, Pablo, are doing a story on the local fire department night shift for their series “While You Sleep.” A call comes in about a woman trapped in an apartment and Pablo and the reporter tag along. Violence, mayhem and suspenseful moments down dark hallways ensue — all from the single vantage point of Pablo’s camera.

2. The Evil Dead; directed by Sam Raimi; rated R

Raimi introduced himself to the horror genre with this over-the-top and downright funny spoof on horror movies of the time. Originally, controversial for its extreme gore, the low-budget stunts and special effects now seem even sillier — but all the while, more impressive for the time.

3. The Ring; directed by Gore Verbinski; rated PG-13

A killer video. Literally. Based on a 1998 Japanese film, several teenagers turn up dead after watching a mysterious VHS tape with an urban legend behind it. Once the tape’s popped in and you’re seeing it for yourself, the images of the video will stick with you for weeks: A lighthouse, a tree, a long-haired girl and a well. And the terror begins.

4. Pet Sematary; directed by Mary Lambert, written by Stephen King; rated R

Vicious, destructive animals take over the Creed’s new home in this Stephen King classic. You’ll never appreciate your sweet little kitten more.

5. Dawn of the Dead; directed by Zack Snyder; rated R

While George Romero may be the Godfather of zombie films, Snyder’s remake brought the genre up to date with the quick-paced, gruesome and highly entertaining “Dawn of the Dead.” You won’t find a more intense opening sequence in any scary movie.