Suspense wins over slashers

If you go: Halloween themed movies play throughout the weekend and on Halloween at the Historic State Theater.
"Little Shop of Horrors" (1960) - 7 p.m. Thursday, admission is free
“Night of the Living Dead” – 8 p.m. Friday, admission $3
“The Goonies” – 2 p.m. Saturday, admission $3
“Ghostbusters” – 6:45 p.m. Saturday, admission $3
“Halloween” – 9:15 p.m. Saturday, admission $3
“Teen Wolf” – 7 p.m. Wednesday, admission is free, presented by 94.3 the WOLF 

The slash-em-up brand of horror films are beyond ridiculous and don’t have the suspense of the classics. They seem to be all about glorifying blood-and-guts style murderous rants instead of the creepy suspense of filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock.

Because I’m not a fan of the gore, I typically don’t watch those films. Of the ghost, goblin and ghoul films, I’ve seen there are only a few I really liked.

In the suspense genre, “Silence of the Lambs” freaked me out. What’s scary about this film is that it is something that actually could happen. There are psycho serial killers out there who could do something that creepy. In the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 villains, Hannibal Lecter is at the top.

The only ghost movie I watch is “Poltergeist.” This film was in Spielberg’s 1980s creative hey-day. I never have been a fan of clowns but after that film, large clown dolls are on the top of my creepy list. The film also introduced the world to the phrase, “They’re back.”

Most Hitchcock films have a twisted charm to them. What’s great about his classic films is that he takes his time with the suspense. What’s not taking place on film is just as important to what is taking place on film. Sometimes he slows the pace to make a larger impact for the action. And sometimes he slows the pace with no action at all, just to mess with your head. It keeps audiences on the edge of their seats because they never know when something scary might happen.

M. Night Shyamalan did this in the movie “Signs.” In some scenes he took a long time to look around the corner of the door. You never knew if aliens would be on the other side. The quiet of movies like this make the story much scarier than films filled with screams and screeches.

The Historic State Theater is offering a variety of classic scary and comedic films in a Halloween film series.

“Night of the Living Dead” is a 1968 film released long before the current zombie craze. Zombie junkies can get their fix with this film Friday night.

Three films show Saturday: “The Goonies,” “Ghostbusters” and “Halloween.”

While scary movies are not my style, “Ghostbusters” is a favorite and one I’ve often watched on Halloween instead of a scary flick. It is full of humor and is highly quotable. To this day, if someone asks “who you gonna call,” the answer is always “Ghostbusters.”

“Halloween” may be the only horror film series I have seen, or attempted seeing with a pillow covering my face, that is. The reason I’ve watched these films is not because I particularly like the films but because of the Bowling Green connections. Like many Western Kentucky University students, I watched “Halloween” in my college years just to pick out the names of local streets and cities woven in the story. Director John Carpenter spent time in Bowling Green when his father taught at the university.

I’m a bit puzzled by “The Goonies” place in a Halloween film series but it’s a great flick to be watched any time of year. The film was one of my favorites growing up and is a timeless story of kids going off on an adventure to find pirate treasure.

The series is capped off with a free showing of “Teen Wolf” Halloween night. “Teen Wolf” is one of those movies that makes you wonder why you liked it in your youth, but you still watch if you catch it on television. It came out the same year Michael J. Fox hit it big in “Back to the Future.” If the films hadn’t come out about the same time, I’m not sure “Teen Wolf” would have built the fol-lowing it has but it’s a fun break from the scary on Halloween.

Becca Owsley can be reached at (270) 505-1741 or bowsley@thenewsenterprise.com. For movie reviews visit her reporter page on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/pages/Becca-Owsley/96924584861