My top 5 scary Halloween movies

Here's another selection to scare yourself out of your wits for Halloween.

While putting this list together, I realized that what scares me the most are claustrophobic huis-clos...as 4 out of 5 movies fit  in that category ... no, make that 5 out of 5 ...

5. Poltergeist

©MGM

 The 1982 version obviously. Officially directed by Tobe Hooper, many still think that Steven Spielberg (the producer) was at helm. Indeed, other than the final 10 minutes that indeniably have the Hooper gory touch, the rest of the film has the Spielberg's marks all over it.

4. In the mouth of darkness

 © New Line Home Entertainment

A generally underrated masterpiece by John Carpenter. Bizarre, unsettling, incongruous, it is a difficult movie to summarize. What is scarier than  starting to doubt your own sanity?

3.Signs

 © Buena Vista

 I love M. Night Shyamalan's careful and detailed movie making style which reminds me a lot of Hitchcock's. So when he decided to make a movie on a topic I love (ufology), I was thrilled...and not disappointed. Though I have to admit that all the clever references to the ufology field will be lost on anyone not into the topic, the film still works well as a claustrophobic thriller.

2. The Thing

 © Universal Pictures

 Huh, yes, another John Carpenter's film. A remake of a B movie from the 50's, this huis-clos set in an arctic base is...chilling ;)  There are some awesome pre-CGI monsters/creatures too.

1. The Haunting

 © Paramount Pictures

Directed by Robert Wise in 1963, this is probably the best ghost movie ever. It is also a lesson in movie making. With no special effects, no monsters, no blood...it is a film that will haunt you long after you've watched it.

So, what are your favorite scary movies?  I could have added some others to the list like Alien, World War Z, some more Carpenter's films and George Romero's Night of the living dead. I am not much into gory/slasher films, I usually find them gross and not very scary...