October has a reputation, doesn’t it? Mostly because of Halloween, this month sees a surge in horror movie viewership. It really is the time when people lean into the spooky vibes. On “Stu and Dave Do America,” hosts Stu Burguiere and Dave Landau, along with guest Angela Boggs, who happens to be a horror expert, take a deep dive into their personal favorite horror films and rank them from five to one.
Dave’s Picks:
Dave, with a brief stint in film studies back in college, shared his top picks, which reflect his personal taste in horror:
5. “The Thing” (1982), directed by John Carpenter, featuring Kurt Russell. In this chilling tale, a team at an Antarctic research station encounters a shape-shifting alien that can perfectly mimic any living organism, leading to a tense atmosphere filled with paranoia as they struggle to figure out who’s truly human.
4. “The Cabin in the Woods” (2011), directed by Drew Goddard, starring Chris Hemsworth. A classic horror setup where five college friends go to a remote cabin, only to find themselves ensnared in a larger, sinister scheme.
3. “Evil Dead II” (1987), directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell. This sequel continues Ash Williams’s terrifying journey against Deadites, and it’s packed with wild supernatural chaos.
2. “American Psycho” (2000), directed by Mary Harron, with Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, and others. A gripping narrative about a wealthy banker who leads a double life as a serial killer, all while keeping up a façade of sophistication.
1. “The Shining” (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick, featuring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. The story of the Torrance family becomes increasingly eerie as they serve as caretakers at a remote hotel, with the father slowly losing his grip on sanity influenced by dark forces.
Stu’s Favorites:
Now, Stu might not be as deeply into horror as Dave and Angela, but he certainly has a few interesting picks:
5. “Scream” (1996), directed by Wes Craven. This film became a major franchise starter, featuring a masked killer who taunts teens with horror trivia before making his move.
4. “Signs” (2002), written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix. It’s about a family on a farm who discover signs of an alien invasion through mysterious crop circles.
3. “Misery” (1990), directed by Rob Reiner, featuring James Caan and Kathy Bates. Based on Stephen King’s novel, a writer is held captive by his biggest fan, who wants him to rewrite his latest work.
2. “Halloween” (1978), directed by John Carpenter and starring Jamie Lee Curtis. The film introduces us to Michael Myers, an escaped mental patient who causes chaos on Halloween night.
1. “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch” (1982), directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. Notably different from the others in the series, this one involves a sinister toy company planning to unleash deadly effects during Halloween.
Angela’s Recommendations:
Angela Boggs, who runs “Angela Does Horror,” a channel full of horror content, has a unique and “quirky” list she believes sets the Halloween mood:
5. “1408” (2007), directed by Mikael Håfström, featuring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. An author who disbelieves in haunted hotels faces genuine supernatural events in the infamous room 1408.
4. “Starry Eyes” (2014), an indie horror film. It tells the dark story of an actress in Los Angeles who makes a weird deal with a production company to gain fame.
3. “Unfriended: Dark Web” (2018), directed by Stephen Susco. This low-budget film follows friends on a video chat who realize they’re being hunted due to a stolen laptop.
2. “Late Night with the Devil” (2023), directed by Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes. A found-footage-style film about a talk show host whose Halloween special brings real demons to light.
1. “As Above, So Below” (2014), directed by John Erick Dowdle. Set in the catacombs of Paris, a group of explorers finds themselves in a trap where they confront their inner demons.
If you want to hear more about their thoughts and dive deeper into these picks, give the episode a listen.
