Halloween Movie Picks

I picked these three movies for a few different reasons: to scare the crap out of you, to entertain you and to broaden your cinematic horizons. Here they go.

1. If you really want something haunting, something that rivals the scare of Paranormal Activity, watch The Entity. It's a 1982 horror film about a woman from Culver City that is haunted by a terrifying invisible entity. It's based on a true story and you should not watch it alone. It's an old low budget film but still very effective with an unexpectedly freaky soundtrack and its invisible paranormal villain. Read more about the real life haunting at GhostTheory.com.

2. If you're into sci-fi thrillers, watch The Frankenstein Syndrome. I was channel surfing this weekend when I stumbled upon it on The Movie Channel, and it creeped me the eff out. It's about modern day scientists experimenting with illegal human stem cell trials. The story is narrated by one of the mutilated researchers who recounts the terrifying and gory details of their underground operation. It didn't make it big at the box office when it was released in 2010, but it will give you the willies - perfect for Halloween!

3.If you like foreign film, Spanish language cinema or the work of the talented Guillermo del Toro, watch The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del Diablo). The film takes place in 1930's Spain while the country is amidst a civil war and its plot is centered on a boys' orphanage that is caught in the middle of war's wrath. It's about loss, living in the horror of uncertainties and the haunting of a dead orphan. Beautifully shot and scored, it's a must see. But really, anything by del Toro is a must see. He tells a horror story like no one else in Hollywood can.