Scariest Halloween Movies of All Time: Patch Editor List

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — Scaring yourself is a Halloween tradition, and horror movies are a sure-fire way to get you in the holiday spirit. When we asked Patch Editors and Orange County residents to name the scariest movie they had ever seen, the answers ran the gamut from real-life presidential debates (for the laugh) to the go-to regular Halloween spook fest.

"I love scary movies and can't wait to watch them with my kids," Los Alamitos area mother Karen Garces said. "I can't pick the scariest, but I love 'Halloween' and 'Scream.'"

Irvine mom Kelly Mitchell grew up watching horror movies, recalling how her own mother let her.

"I don't think my kids will watch them until they are teens," she said.

(Read the full list below.)

Lake Forest area mom Ashley Neitzke gets creeped out by "The Conjuring."

"My kids (7 and 10) have already joined us for a few scary movies," she said. Though, admittedly, not films as scary as "The Conjuring," and always in the daytime.

Mom Avary Cooke loves scary movies but finds that the tension makes her laugh in response. "I was that kid who watched them and laughed," she said.

In a recent informal poll of Orange County mothers, combined with a national poll of Patch staff, reporters and editors, we discovered a few trends with horror movies:

• Forget the remakes. The original is usually the best version.
• Stephen King, John Carpenter and Wes Craven are still truly the masters of horror.
• Many find it difficult to watch more than five or 10 minutes of pure horror movies.
• The last episode of "The Walking Dead" blows all of the below horror films away.

Halloween and horror movies may have taken a backseat to the shows on TV, like "American Horror Story" and "The Walking Dead" with spin-off "Fear the Walking Dead," but the below movies, listed A-Z and in no specific order of scariness, were the top horror movies that keep our readers and Patch editors awake at night.

Alien, 1979

This Oscar winner kept Patch editor Max Bennett up at night. The original "in space, no one can hear you scream" thriller "is one that people don’t often consider horror, but it’s one of the most tense movies ever made in my opinion," Bennett said.

Army of Darkness, 1992

Bruce Campbell brightened the lives of many a Patch.com editor, including Ashley Ludwig and Celeste Wetzel. Ash makes his return from the original "Evil Dead" for this 1300 AD horror/sci-fi thriller combo. Follow his journey through a zombie horde as he searches out the Necronomicon so he can return to the '90s.

Blair Witch Project, 1999

Patch editor Feroze Dhanoa was spooked by the original "Blair Witch Project," a low-budget horror flick that follows a trio of film students who travel into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving their footage and no trace of where they went.

Cabin in the Woods, 2012

There is a cabin in the woods that freaked out Patch editor Alison Bauter. When five friends take spring break at a cabin in remote woods, they stumble into a deadly secret and must uncover the truth behind the cabin in the woods. Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison and Kristen Connolly star in this fantasy/horror mystery.

Carrie, 1976

Stephen King, the master of the horror genre, deftly told the story of a shy and friendless 17-year-old high school student who has a little, tiny secret she's been hiding. Patch editor Deb Belt gets the chills from the original classic tale of horror which stars Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie and Amy Irving in their iconic rolls.

Children of the Corn, 1984, 2009

Another Stephen King masterfully retold story, "Children of the Corn" follows a young couple trapped in a remote town only to discover those who live there believe all grownups must be killed. This one still keeps Patch editor Paige Austin up at night.

The Conjuring, 2013

A horror-mystery thriller creeps Orange County mom Ashley Neitzke out in a big way. This film follows a team of paranormal investigators who help a family that is being terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. With equally creepy sequel, "The Conjuring 2," the investigators continue their work aiding those plagued by malevolent spirits.

Evil Dead, 1981, 2013

Yet another cabin in the woods is under attack from flesh-possessing demons, the first introduction to Bruce Hamilton's iconic character, Ash. Celeste Wetzel and Patch editor Ashley Ludwig both love to be freaked out by this fantasy horror flick.

The Exorcist, 1973

Even when this film appeared on television in the early '80s, Patch editors across the board remember being scared to death by this horror film. Starring Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow and Linda Blair, this is the story of a teenager possessed by a mysterious demon and her mother who brings in priests to save her daughter. "I'll have to sleep with the light on again at just the mention of it," Patch editor Beth Dalbey said.

Fahrenheit 9/11, 2004

This film leans more toward the docudrama category. Patch editor Scott Anderson lists "Fahrenheit 9/11" as the film that is up there in his top scariest, which is Michael Moore's tale of what really happened to the United States post-September 11 and how he believes government used the tragedy to push their agenda.

Friday the 13th, 1980

Back to the slasher horror flicks of the early '80s. Here, a group of teenage camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake are stalked, then murdered one by one by a crazed maniac in a hockey mask.

Patch editor Karen Wall remembers watching "Friday the 13th" at a Halloween party "when I was in high school, and the gore left me sleepless for weeks," she said.

Halloween, 1978

Jamie Lee Curtis made us all believe her terror; no need for Hollywood to remake this John Carpenter classic, which maintains its scream factor to this day. Patch editor Alex Newman gave a thumbs up to this film.

The Hills Have Eyes, 2006

It's no wonder this film freaks out OC moms Michelle Speigel and Michelle Meza. In the feature starring Kathleen Quinlan and Ted Levine, a suburban American family is stalked by psychotic desert folk. Meza claims she couldn't watch after the opening sequence. Enough said on the scary factor of this one.

The Hitcher, 1986

Rutger Hauer defined horror in this mystery thriller from the mid 1980s. C. Thomas Howell found himself framed for a hitchhiker's crimes after a seemingly good deed of picking up the murderous hitcher goes dreadfully awry. Patch editor Deb Belt recommended this spooky tale that was retold in 2007.

It, 1990

Another Stephen King horror classic, the creepy clown trend has drawn this drama, fantasy horror film back from the dead. It's about a group of friends in the 1960s known as "the loser club" who fight an evil demonic clown. Yeah. It's Stephen King. It also was a made-for-TV miniseries, but it starred a terrifying Tim Curry as Pennywise the clown so, shivers!

Jacob's Ladder, 1990

A haunted Vietnam veteran, played by Tim Robbins, leads the audience into his realm of nightmares. In a story of haunting sadness, Robbins must confront the loss of his child, his nightmares, delusion and his ideas about death in order to figure out what is real and what is not. The mystery, horror and dramatic film recommended by Patch reporter Ryan Sartor.

Jurassic Park, 1993

Moms across the land understand this one, though many wouldn't put it in a "horror movie" poll.

In "Jurassic Park," dinosaurs are real. That was enough to scare Patch editor Justin Heinze and several others who spent their childhood in the '90s. A theme park preview goes horribly wrong when cloned dinosaurs start eating the park workers. The film stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in the first of the Steven Spielberg franchise.

Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984

A group of friends on Elm Street discover they are having a little trouble sleeping in this mid-'80s pure horror movie. Director Wes Craven drags Johnny Depp and Heather Langenkamp into the depths of horrific nightmares when they meet Freddie Kruger, expertly captured by Robert Englund. Yes, the effects are cheesy. But the screams are still purely fun. OC Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig still has nightmares about this one.

Poltergeist, 1982

Another Spielberg screenplay. The words, "They're here..." were never so creepy. In "Poltergeist," a family home in the suburbs is haunted from an unknown source....

Psycho, 1960

Starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, this Alfred Hitchcock thriller is still one of the most horrifying mysteries out there. Yes, it's black and white. It is often imitated and never matched. Grab the popcorn and cuddle up for your reservation at the Bates Motel.

The Ring, 2002

In this Naomi Watts horror flick, remade from a Japanese original, a journalist investigates a mysterious video which causes all who watch it to die one week later. Patch Editor Max Bennett said, "(The Ring) really traumatized me for a while. When the first victim is shown…I still shudder thinking of it."

Scream, 1996

It was the spoof of all spoofs back in the mid-;90s. A horror film where horror movie lovers decided to create the ultimate scary game. Wes Craven was the demented mind behind this Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette horror masterpiece. Still rising in popularity after 20 years.

The Shining, 1980

"Here's Johnny!" This early '80s dramatic horror film stars Jack Nicholson in an iconic role set in a haunted hotel in the dead of winter. The hotelier goes mad with visions of the past and future. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...in this movie rendition of the Stephen King classic novel.

Sinister, 2012

Starring Ethan Hawke and directed by Scott Derrickson, a true-crime writer follows a box of super 8 movies to learn the identity of a serial killer from the 1960s. This one is the scariest for Orange County mom Kelly Mitchell. "Kids killing their families," she said. "'Sinister' totally freaked me out. And I've been watching horror movies since I was a kid."

Sleepy Hollow, 1999

What do Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci and the legend of Ichabod Crane have to do with the Headless Horseman? Find out in this terrifying tale that is part fantasy, part mystery and all horror.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2003

In this remake of the original 1974 pure horror film, you'll be tormented by a family of psychopathic killers. If you can last more than a few minutes.

Jessica Biel and others left many queasy in this monster horror film. Patch editor Katie Kausch is still haunted by this one, though she didn't make it far watching the film. "I only saw the first five minutes," she said, "but it was horrific, so…"

Yes. We understand.

The Thing, 1982

Watch the original version of this horror, mystery sci-fi thriller starring Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley and directed by John Carpenter. At an Antarctica research site doctors discover an alien craft...and the horrifying monster that lies inside that can assimilate anything it touches. Who is the Thing? Maybe it's you...

Happy Halloween!

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