Horror Movies 1980s to 2000s

• The Shining (1980)

What's It About? A writer named Jack moves into an isolated hotel with his young son and wife, not knowing the horror that lies ahead. Worse possible case of cabin fever.

Who Makes the Movie? Jack Nicholson

What Will Scare You? Jack tells his wife, "Wendy, you've got a big surprise coming to you. You're not going anywhere." While at a separate point, the poor boy, Danny, sees those ghosts of the twin girls who have passed, while riding his tricycle through the halls.

• Friday the 13th (1980)

What's It About? A good old fashioned camp, where, unfortunately, a young boy drowned years before, and someone is seeking revenge on the current counselors.

Who Makes the Movie? Betsy Palmer

What Will Scare You? When the true killer is revealed in the end, and for this movie, it's NOT Jason.

• Poltergeist (1982)

What's It About? This movie is so realistic from its characters to its dialogue, that it's scary. A typical family is forced to face the ghosts residing in their home, and things get only worse when their youngest daughter is kidnapped by those spirits.

Who Makes the Movie? Craig T. Nelson

What Will Scare You? When the daughter, Carol Ann, cries out, "They're here."

• Silence of the Lambs (1991)

What's It About? Clarice Starling is a young FBI agent, played by Jodi Foster, who tries to understand the mind of a serial killer by speaking with Hannibal Lecter, a man who is both a psychopath and a psychologist.

Who Makes the Movie? Anthony Hopkins

What Will Scare You? When Hannibal Lecter utters, "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

• Scream (1996)

What's It About? A psycho is on the loose, and one by one, the teenagers at your regular high school are getting killed off. Could it be one of the friends we have been watching this whole time?

Who Makes the Movie? Neve Campbell

What Will Scare You? When I saw this movie, I had NO idea that Drew Barrymore would die so soon. So for me, I was genuinely surprised at her death in the very beginning. Scary to think of that happening in your own home, minding your own business, making JiffyPop...

• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

What's It About? One little accident kept a secret among four teenagers. They accidentally struck and killed a man with their car. But what if that man wasn't dead? What if he is coming back for revenge?

Who Makes the Movie? Jennifer Love Hewitt

What Will Scare You? Sarah Michelle Gellar's character desperately trying to escape the killer

• The Sixth Sense (1999)

What's It About? An M. Night Shyamalan classic about a young boy with an extraordinary gift of seeing those who have passed. A child psychologist tries to help, but what if he is the one who truly needs helping?

Who Makes the Movie? Haley Joel Osment

What Will Scare You? "I see dead people."

• Final Destination (2000)

What's It About? A select group of teenagers cheat death by avoiding a plane crash when Alex, one of the group, has a dream foreshadowing the accident.

Who Makes the Movie? Devon Sawa

What Will Scare You? Believing that there really is a predetermined fate none of us can escape.

• The Others (2001)

What's It About? A mother remains in a home with her two children and the eerie caretakers. Suddenly we begin to feel as though they are not alone.

Who Makes the Movie? Nicole Kidman

What Will Scare You? Who exactly ARE the ghosts in this house?

• The Ring (2002)

What's It About? When you watch a specific videotape, you will die within seven days after viewing it. Or so says the movie. Journalist Rachel Keller tries to stop this from happening by digging deep to uncover the hidden legend.

Who Makes the Movie? Naomi Watts

What Will Scare You? Um, the vision of a girl actually crawling out of the TV is purely haunting.

• The Strangers (2008)

What's It About? Three unknown killers stalk and terrorize a young couple in an isolated home. Truly one of the scariest movies I have ever seen.

Who Makes the Movie? Liv Tyler & Scott Speedman

What Will Scare You? When the girlfriend asks the strangers why they are tormenting them, the one simply replies, "Because you were home."

* Created October 5th, 2010 KG