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Volume 81, Issue 7
October 30, 2009

The Top Two Scary Movies of All Time

By Dorian Mitchell

Elm Staff Writer

Because this weekend is Halloween, I’ve decided to talk about the movies that everyone watches during this eerie and festive time: horror movies. There have been quite a few of them, independent and series, throughout the years; they range from incredibly cheesy to shockingly realistic, but only two hit franchises have been stupendous box office hits, with the highest net grosses. Personally, I’m a Freddy Krueger man myself, but these are what the people love. Each has its own theme, characters, and of course, insane amounts of slashing, hacking, girls who love running into trouble, and gallons of “blood.” So, without further ado, here are the top two:

1) Friday The 13th

Total Gross: $380, 637, 525

This series is one that has been around ever since its first movie debuted in 1980, and it continues to scare the pants off all, as seen in the 2009 series reboot. As most know, the movies revolve around Jason Voorhees, the hockey-masked, machete wielding Camp Crystal Lake killer who can never die, no matter the circumstances. There have been about twelve movies in all, which involve Jason getting revenge for his mother’s death, being cryogenically frozen and released in the future, and even clashing with fellow horror icon Freddy Krueger. It’s a good series to watch for one who thinks summer camps are fun.

2) Saw

Total Gross: $342, 510, 598

“I want to play a game.” Everyone is familiar with this quote, as it comes from the psychological terror fest that is the Saw series. With five movies already under its belt, and a sixth one recently released, Saw is well on its way to battling Friday the 13th for top dog of the horror movie mountain. Audiences love how the killer, known as Jigsaw, put victims through a series of bizarrely complex trials, each one incredibly deadly and fatal in its own unique way. Another factor that viewers can’t get enough of that each of the movies seem to become more gory, with each death ten times more graphic at the last. All in all, this series is always a winner for watching on All Hallow’s Eve.

Besides these two titans of the horror industry, there are other equally terrifying franchises, such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream, that one can always check out. With that in mind, enjoy being scared out of your wits,and have a Happy Halloween.

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