10 Terrifying Horror Films You (Probably) Forgot Were Summer Movies
Summer isn't just for comic book movies or action films. Audiences can get their horror fix, too. It’s easy to forget that some of the biggest and best Hollywood scares were all summer movies. Here are ten of our favorites.
'Alien' (1979)
Release Date: May 25, 1979 The original “Alien" proved that it’s possible to tell a haunted house story in the cold vacuum of space. Everything in the film, from the frightening creature designs to the claustrophobic sets to the general sense of impending doom, adds up to a truly legendary sci-fi/horror classic.
'Poltergeist' (1982)
Release Date: June 4, 1982 "Poltergeist" is a scary movie, but it also has a strong emotional center that no doubt comes from the fact that Steven Spielberg wrote and produced it. It features some of the most iconic moments in horror history, including the line “They’re heeeere...” Why Hollywood thought this one needed a remake is beyond us.
'The Thing' (1982)
Release Date: June 25, 1982 Arguably the best of the many pairings between director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell, this slow-burn creep fest unfolds in a remote Antarctic facility, following a group of desperate scientists who discover that a shape-shifting alien predator hides among them.
'The Fly' (1986)
Release Date: August 15, 1986 Few directors can conjure up horror movies as unsettling (and downright gross) as David Cronenberg. With revolutionary creature effects, a haunting love story, and one of Jeff Goldblum’s most Goldblum-y performances, this hit became an instant classic.
'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)
Release Date: July 30, 1999 It’s probably safe to say that without “Blair Witch,” there wouldn’t be “Paranormal Activity” or its legion of imitators. This found-footage hit left more than a few moviegoers thinking they had just watched a horrific documentary. And this scene pictured here? This is why we haven't slept well in almost 20 years.
'The Sixth Sense' (1999)
Release Date: August 6, 1999 The summer of 1999 was host to not one, but two blockbuster horror movies that came out of nowhere. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan built his reputation with this moody, intelligent tale with one of the best twist endings ever.
'The Others' (2001)
Release Date: August 10, 2001 Nicole Kidman shines in this WWII-era tale of a troubled mother trapped with her children in a remote and very haunted country estate. Scares, and twists, ensue.
'What Lies Beneath' (2000)
Release Date: July 21, 2000 Robert Zemeckis set out to make a Hitchcockian horror film with this effort, and he mostly succeeded. "What Lies Beneath" impressed more on the strength of its psychological chills than its jump scares, and having Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer anchor the project certainly didn’t hurt.
'Signs' (2002)
Release Date: Aug. 2, 2002 Arguably Shyamalan's last good movie, "Signs" is a sci-fi chiller about losing one's faith and finding it again thanks to home-invading aliens. From its crazy-effective marketing campaign to its several frightening set pieces, "Signs" is one of the best (and most successful) summer entertainments.
'The Conjuring' (2013)
Release Date: July 19, 2013 James Wan's stylish film didn’t exactly break new ground for horror movies, but thanks to a solid cast and inventive/scary set pieces, it did manage to put a fresh spin on tropes like haunted houses and demonic possession.
