10 Movies That Will Keep You Awake Halloween Night

What are the 10 scariest movies ever made?

When it gets close to Halloween, that question oftens pop ups among film fans. The average movie-goer probably has a list. So does the Horror Film Buffs Society, a small, informal group of horror-film fanatics who have seen just about all the movies in the genre.

They guarantee that, if you watch any of their Top 10 fright flicks on Halloween night, you’ll be shivering and quivering. They’ve assigned a Frightmeter rating to their selections--10 for the scariest.

All except one are available on home video.

1. “The Night of the Living Dead” (1968, Active, Congress). An inexpensive movie with an obscure cast that, when first released, seemed like a grade-C flick destined for immediate oblivion. But director George Romero’s debut feature turned out to be one of the most influential horror movies ever made. About flesh-eating corpses attacking some people in a farmhouse, it looks grainy and somewhat cheap, but that doesn’t interfere with its ability to scare the living daylights out of you. Frightmeter: 10.

2. “Psycho” (1960, MCA). By now everyone knows that Norman Bates (Tony Perkins) is a psychotic mama’s boy and that the Bates Motel harbors an ugly secret. But the famous shower scene, in which a pretty young woman (Janet Leigh) is stabbed to death, and the last third of the movie still generate plenty of chills. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and co-starring Vera Miles. Frightmeter: 10.

3. “The Innocents” (1961). The only one of the Horror Buffs selections that’s not on home video. Based on Henry James’ “Turn of the Screw,” this may be the best ghost story ever filmed. It’s about a governess (Deborah Kerr) terrorized by ghosts. Throughout, you’re on edge--just like she is--because you don’t know when one will materialize. Directed by Jack Clayton and co-written by Truman Capote. Frightmeter: 10.

4. “Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984, Media). Before Freddy Krueger became a pop-culture hero, he was the dream demon in this brilliantly conceived tale, which plays upon everyone’s fears of nightmares. A teen-oriented slaughter film, directed by Wes Craven, it’s many notches above the junk in the genre. The sequels aren’t nearly as scary. Frightmeter: 10.

5. “The Omen” (1976, CBS-Fox). Strange things begin to happen to a couple (Gregory Peck and Lee Remick) after their young boy, Damien, is born. They have a devil of a time with this sinister kid, who’s the Antichrist. This one is chock full of scary scenes, including the attack of the devil dogs in the graveyard and the stunning decapitation. The two sequels are pure trash. Frightmeter: 9.

6. “The Fly” (1986, CBS-Fox). A gruesome, often sickening account of a scientist (Jeff Goldblum) who, through an experiment gone awry, slowly turns into a fly. This one features some genuinely horrifying moments. The birth scene, in which the scientist’s girlfriend (Geena Davis) conceives something unspeakable, is a gross-out classic. Frightmeter: 9.

7. “Alien” (1979, CBS-Fox). A slimy, grotesque creature gets on board a space ship and slowly murders its crew. The scene in which the alien pops out of a crew member’s stomach and scampers away is an unforgettable shocker. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver. Frightmeter: 9.

8. “Aliens” (1986, CBS-Fox). In this gripping, scary sequel, Weaver and a new crew return to outer space to investigate what happened to her colleagues and encounter dozens of the slimy creatures. The second half is non-stop terror and suspense. Frightmeter: 9.

9. “The Thing” (1982, MCA). A horrifying creature terrorizes a research station in Antarctica in this suspenseful remake--directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell--of the famed 1951 movie. It features one of the most hideous monsters in film history and is guaranteed to give you nightmares. The original, available from Nostalgia Merchant, doesn’t seem very scary now. Frightmeter: 9.

10. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956, Republic). Easily the best of the ‘50s sci-fi thrillers, this one is subtle but still scary, with the suspense building slowly and steadily. It’s about a small town taken over by aliens who appear in the form of pods and replace the townsfolk with doubles. Directed by Don Siegel and starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter. Frightmeter: 8.