Adam Lis, Columnist
“All Hallows Eve.” “Day of the dead.” “Night of the walking dead.” These are phrases we hear during Halloween. Some of us cringe but others cannot hold in our excitement when Halloween comes around. One thing is for sure, many of the best and most classic scary movie marathons are aired during this time of year. I, being a huge fan of scary movies, have decided to give you a glimpse into the “faces of fear” that have haunted me and others throughout our childhood. We are going to look at the Big Four: Jason, Freddy, Michael and Chucky. The question still remains: Who is the scariest? Who left us crying the most? Do you ever still get nervous to go to sleep thinking Freddy might kill you in your dreams? Well folks, I’ll give you some background information on some of these characters and then you can decide who is the scariest and the best face of Halloween horror!
Let’s start out with Jason Vorhees, who has been scaring movie-goers since 1980. His story takes place at Camp Crystal Lake. One day, he was swimming unsupervised and drowned; his mother takes revenge on the camp by stalking and killing all the counselors years later when they prepare the camp for re-opening. The strange thing about it is that Jason becomes the face of the franchise even though he is not the killer in the first movie. Needless to say, once he makes his debut onscreen, he takes over the slaughterfest for decades with movie after movie of the hockey mask-wearing psycho who kills to please his mother. This makes it scary when you go camping and you’re around a lake. Check out “Friday the 13th” on Netflix only if you decide to stay in this Halloween.
Next we have Freddy Kruger. His “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise debuted in 1984. The story follows children who are being stalked in their dreams by a man who was lynched by his parents years before. The scariest thing is that Freddy kills you in your dreams! Could you imagine not being able to sleep because of the thought of dying in your dreams? Kind of horrifying, don’t you think?
“Halloween” is our third installment and my personal favorite. Michael Myers horrified me as a child and still does. Every time I hear the theme music I get nervous. The 1978 film, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, is the story of a deranged young boy named Michael Myers who murders his sister when he is just six. He is then instutionalized and escapes 15 years later to kill again. He goes after teenagers and stalks teenage girls. The scariest thing about Michael is that he doesn’t seem to ever die. He is shot, set on fire and run over but always seems to come back to kill again. I recommend watching the “Halloween” series to anyone who loves horror movies.
Finally we have Chucky, the doll possessed with the spirit of a serial killer who is given as a present to a little boy and runs wild killing everyone in sight. Frankly I’m not too thrilled with the concept of Chucky. I understand it is a classic and has had tons of time, money, production and development put into it yet I just don’t see real horror in the idea of a doll that kills people. Also we see the ridiculousness in the later movies with “Bride of Chucky” and “Seed of Chucky. Honestly how can the dolls have sex? How can a baby doll be born? It’s a terrible installment to a poor franchise.
Concluding this installment to your Halloween spirit, take a look at the movies and pick which one you feel deserves the “Face of Fear” Award. My vote is for Michael Myers. Happy Halloween everyone!
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