Movies that keep me up at night...

These are the movies that keep me up at night. Their images creep into my subconscious and change the way I feel about the dark corners of my life.

Everyone has their own favorite films that scared them the most. Here's mine.

The Haunting (1963)
Forget the dumb 1999 remake, the original, directed by Robert Wise in 1966, is the truly scary one. Julie Harris effectively portrays the innocent and unstable Eleanor who, along with others, are induced to stay in an old mansion that is reputed to be haunted. And indeed it is. The special effects are understated, but stick with you.

The Sixth Sense
Nine-year-old Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) always seems disturbed, frightened... and his mother cannot figure out why. He finally confesses to psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) that it's because he sees dead people - everywhere... and they're not always pleasant to look at. Director M. Night Shyamalan has brought back a good old-fashioned scary movie in this "Twilight Zone" tradition, without relying on special effects. The film is cleverly constructed and provides a truly surprising twist at the end.

The Changeling
This one is quite spooky. George C. Scott portrays a composer who has recently lost his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. He moves into an old mansion where he hopes to concentrate on his work, but quickly learns that he is not alone. The house is haunted, it turns out, by the ghost of a child who lived there many years before. The subtle creepiness of this film makes this one of my favorite ghost movies.

Alien
"In space, no one can hear you scream..." But that didn't stop audiences shrieking at this superior sci-fi. Definitely the scariest science fiction movie of its day. No matter how many times I watch it, it still gives me a jolt or two and sets my nerves a-tingling. The alien was like nothing moviegoers had ever seen before. The sequels weren't bad either.

Signs
The story has a mixture of religious and classic sci-fi elements which are blended together by Shyamalan's remarkable sense of visual style. Mel Gibson is a minister who has lost his faith as the result of his wife's tragic accidental death and who now rejects the concept of unseen powers entirely--so he is perplexed when his children discover a crop circle in his own cornfield. He remains skeptical even as television news coverage reports alien crafts hovering over major cities. But his denial is exploded when he and his family have a close encounter of the extremely nasty kind. There is not a single movie that is out there which scares the viewer on a level of things they are NOT seeing rather than what they do see.

Top Family Creature Features

Here are some creepy films for a frightfully fun scary movie night at home. So, turn down the lights...and watch one of these creepy classics. Let the scarefest begin!

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
1993, Rated PG
Tim Burton's affection for the outcast gets the four-star treatment in this heartwarming tale of Jack Skellington's quest to be loved as much as "Sandy Claws." Creepily cool characters--like Sally, Dr. Finklestein, the Mayor of Halloween Town, and the trick-or-treating trio, Lock, Shock, and Barrel--populate Burton's bizarro world. With good intentions, Jack, the Pumpkin King, tries to spread his unique version of Christmas joy, only to end up creating a nightmare. Warning: Catchy tunes like "This Is Halloween!" and "What's This?" will stick in your head for days.

BEETLEJUICE
1988, Rated PG
Just say "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" and prepare for a wild adventure through the afterlife. Michael Keaton plays tour guide in this dark comedy about a ghost couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who try to rid their home of unsuspecting yuppies.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
1948, Not Rated
This is my absolute favorite Abbott & Costello film, charming and witty but also dark and spooky, with plenty of Gothic sets filled with full moons, flapping bats, cobwebs and lab equipment. Fifty Seven years after it was made this is still a fun film for the entire family to watch. Much of its greatness is attributed to the horror actors playing straight. Lou is the object of ghastly affection as Dracula hopes to transfer his malleable brain to the Frankenstein monster and Larry Talbot is out to stop him. Lots of laughs and creeps.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
1974, Rated PG
This classic Mel Brooks comedy will make you cry "It's alive! It's alive! It's alive!" with nonstop hilarious spoofs of creature features from yesteryear. A young neurosurgeon inherits the castle of his grandfather, the infamous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. The top-notch cast of Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, and Teri Garr combined with the black and white cinematography makes this a must-see for you and your family.

FRANKENSTEIN
1931, Not Rated
The original story of a mad scientist and his abominable creation, Mary Shelley's tale of science and terror brings to the screen an unforgettable performance by Boris Karloff as the monster. Fantastic make-up, excellent production design, and terrific storytelling bring this classic to life.

IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN
1966, Not rated
An annual tradition for many families, this not-to-be-missed Halloween classic follows the adventures of Linus as he sits in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. While the rest of the Peanuts gang trick-or-treats for lots of loot--except poor "I got a rock!" Charlie Brown--Snoopy dreams of becoming a World War I flying ace. Will the Great Pumpkin rise out of the pumpkin patch bearing gifts for all children or will Linus be exclaiming, "Oh, rats!" once again? You'll have to watch and see.

GHOSTBUSTERS
1984, Rated PG
"Something strange in your neighborhood? Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis star as three odd-ball scientists who open up a company that fulfills "supernatural elimination needs." When ghosts begin roaming the streets, including the 100-foot Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, the fearsome threesome is called upon to save the Big Apple.

CASPER
1995, Rated PG
When an afterlife therapist (Bill Pullman) is hired to rid a haunted house of ghosts, he and his daughter (Christina Ricci) have a close encounter with Casper, "the friendliest ghost you know." Unfortunately, Casper's got three not-so-friendly uncles, Stinkie, Fatso, and Stretch, who are unbendable in their desire to force the "fleshies" out.

POLTERGEIST
1982, Rated PG
Scarefest 101 for kids. Youngsters will be glued to the TV screen saying those familiar words, ""They're heeerrre!" when poltergeists visit the Freeling family. At first, the noisy ghosts appear friendly, but things take a turn for the worse when daughter Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is "kidnapped."