Top 5 Scary Movie Marathons

If horror films had a celebratory day, it would be Halloween. While some like to dress up and party, others prefer to sit on the couch and watch a scary movie. With hundreds of horror films, it’s difficult to choose the perfect one. So why not have a marathon with some of the biggest horror franchises to hit the big screen? Here the five franchises perfect for your Halloween celebration.

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The Saw Franchise 

While the films are often referred to as torture porn, the Saw franchise still  holds a fair amount of enjoyment. The purpose of most horror films is to not only scare the viewer, but give them a lesson that they can choose to ignore or hold dearly. The characters in the Saw films are often faced with an extreme choice: do harm to themselves or someone else, or die in the process. It may seem a bit demented, but it paints a picture in viewers’ minds- a single life choice can have a dark consequence as it affects someone, whether that be bodily harm or a ripple effect.  This psychological element may not be noticed right off the bad, but after watching the butterfly effect repeat itself, it begins to make the films that much more scary. The films offer enough blood and gore for any fan, but it’s the twist endings and connected storyline of the films, which truly make Saw a thrill ride you want to endure till the very end.

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The Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise

In honor of the late Wes Craven, a marathon of all seven films is a must. Wes Craven was the mastermind behind two entries of the franchise: the first A Nightmare on Elm Street and the franchise finale Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. Both films took the horror genre to an entirely new level, as the original created a truly terrifying yet iconic character in Freddy Krueger, and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare brought the folklore of the film to the real world. Robert Englund portrayed the evil yet eccentric Freddy for almost 30 years, ending his role with Freddy vs. Jason. The premise of a killer who lives within your dreams is all the more terrifying, making the films both mentally and physically horrifying for some viewers.

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The Friday the 13th Franchise 

Friday the 13th is considered the epitome of teen slasher films. Mostly taking place on the ground of Camp Crystal lake, teenagers fall to their vices of sex, drinking and drugs to only meet their fate when encountering the menacing silent killer, Jason Voorhees. With 11 films, and dozens of kills, Jason can be considered the most deadly masked killers to ever hit cinemas. Camp Crystal lake wasn’t the only destination for Jason, as he traveled to New York City and even space. As the franchised continued, it became more and more comical, yet still entertaining. Similar to Freddy, Jason is now terrorizing newer generations with a remake as well as a upcoming 2017 film. If you aren’t up for all 11 films, there are a few standouts such as; the original Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th part II, Friday the 13th part IV: the Final Chapter and the 2009 remake Friday the 13th.

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The Evil Dead Franchise 

Before Spider-Man, Director Sam Raimi became famous for bringing terror in a very graphic yet masterful way. His first film The Evil Dead, while low budget, captured the essence of horror by having a set number of young adults isolated in a area while encountering an unstoppable force. The franchises follows Ash, who attempts to ward off the pesky and frightening deadites that are summoned from the book of the dead. Each film stands on its own, with horror, action, comedy and some rather emotional moments within the stories. If you aren’t covering your face as gallons of blood cover the screen, you’ll be laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Most assume that the newest entry in the series, 2013’s Evil Dead, is a remake, but that’s far from the truth. It’s actually a continuation of the film, which Sam Raimi has been said to be planning a crossover between the newer film’s story arc and Ash’s. It’s difficult to choose one over the other as the best, for each film has a very different tone; making the Evil Dead franchise one of the best.

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The Alien Franchise

The Alien franchise is one to experience. With the tagline “In space, no one can hear you scream,” it was obvious that the film wouldn’t be a gentle telling on extraterrestrial life. The first film, directed by Ridley Scott, was much more a horror film then its sequels, which followed a more action approach. With tight corridors, blackened tunnels and a ferocious beast, Alien produced an experience that was claustrophobic and downright scary. The sequels also had their fair share of horror, however Aliens is by far the superb installment of the sequel for it captures the same horrific beats from the first film, but with more aliens. While each following sequel began to focus more on action than producing screams, the franchise as a whole is still able to scare the living daylight out of audiences, making the series a must watch around Halloween.