31 Nights, 31 Frights: The Blair Witch Project

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One of the most polarizing films ever made. Though I generally disdain shaky camera work, this is one of the few instances where it works in the movie’s favor, primarily because of its documentary conceit. Devoid of music or sound effects, letting natural sound flavor the mood, and utilizing a ridiculously simple premise (three kids lost in the woods, taunted by spooks), The Blair Witch Project manages to build upon itself progressively, in the process producing some genuinely terrifying footage.

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31 Nights, 31 Frights: Trick ‘r Treat

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'Trick 'r Treat'

A Halloween anthology that draws inspiration from multiple sources, most notably John Carpenter’s slasher classic and the Stephen King/George A. Romero collaboration Creepshow. It serves up four intertwined vignettes in classic campfire-story style. Yet where Creepshow had five distinctly separate scenarios, Trick ‘r Treat weaves them intricately together into one non-linear fright-fest.

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31 Nights, 31 Frights: The Pit, the Pendulum, and Hope

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'The Pit, the Pendulum and Hope'

A sweet little gem from Czech filmmaker Jan Švankmajer that is short and to the point. At fifteen minutes, this wordless near-literal adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s Inquisition horror show conveys more dread and foreboding than most feature-length frights. Shot in stark black and white, enabling Švankmajer to take full advantage of shadows and light.

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31 Nights 31 Frights: The Orphanage

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'The Orphanage'

This superbly tragic ghost story is a chilling multi-mystery centering around an adopted and adoptive mother, Laura, and her torment as she sets about unraveling the fate of her son. Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona has a keen understanding for the rhythms of classic horror, as well as the eye to create a chilling aura.

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31 Nights, 31 Frights: The Crazies

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'The Crazies'

Superior to George A. Romero’s rather sloppy original, Breck Eisner’s follow-up to his underappreciated Sahara is a sharply edited, briskly paced fright that has its protagonists on the run for the duration of the film. As with Romero’s … of the Dead movies, this could easily serve as a parable of war, with strange, anonymous soldiers invading the small town and the locals turning on each other.

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31 Nights, 31 Frights: Alien

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'Alien'

The timeless classic that effectively launched Ridley Scott’s career. Deservedly so. What starts as a quasi-ghost story eventually turns all-out monster movie, but sophomore director Scott is in no hurry to get there. The movie unfolds in layers, each one revealing and adding to the suspense. Scott paces the film in rhythmic ebbs and truly jarring crests.

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