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The Exorcist
THOSE of you with a ‘dodgy box’ can get anything you want at any time, but if you’re looking to narrow it down to some movies on regular TV tonight, step this way.
With no frightening flicks on terrestrial channels, we’ll have to venture further into ‘cable TV’ land.
The Exorcist — 10pm BBC Three HD (Sky Channel 169)
The daddy of them all really. William Friedkin’s adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s book of the same name is regularly cited as the scariest film of all time and with good reason.
Twelve year old Regan becomes possessed by a demon and it’s up to two priests to save the day, is the one-line synopsis, but this isn’t schlocky B-movie fare.
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The cast is made up of thespian heavyweights like Ellen Burstyn, Lee J Cobb and Max Von Sydow, while Friedkin builds the tension slowly and Regan’s descent is well-paced.
The film has lost its power over the years due to endless parody and modern audiences will be desensitised to the violence, but when it was first released people had to carried out of cinemas after fainting due to the visceral assault on the senses.
Still though, you’d be brave to watch it alone tonight!
The Thing — 11.05pm, Legend (Channel 148 on Sky)
While The Exorcist is rolled out as the best horror movie ever, this is my personal favourite.
Kurt Russell as MacReady in The Thing.
From the master of terror, this is director John Carpenter’s best film and is close to perfection in the genre. It’s fascinating that it was a commercial flop and critically panned on release back in 1982, but is now recognised as one of the greats of cinema.
A team of American researchers in Antarctica is visited by an alien presence which infiltrates the station, resulting in a masterpiece in tension and claustrophobia.
The special effects, from 22 year old Rob Bottin, were revolutionary at the time and still hold up today, while Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack is a character in itself.
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The cast of Kurt Russell as MacReady, supported by character actors Wilford Brimley, Donald Moffat and Keith David, are all on top form (especially during the blood test scene) and the ending is ambiguously brilliant and brave.
Unfortunately it’s on a channel with adverts which will break up the tension, so you’re better off recording it and forwarding the ads for the best experience.
After that, choices are very limited. Jeepers Creepers on Horror Xtra (Sky channel 317) at 9pm sees a brother (Justin Long) and sister (Gina Philips) pursued by a demon serial killer in a pedestrian, average horror movie.
Venturing into Netflix-land there’s a lot of horror movies to choose from, but if you want something more satisfying then check out Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting Of Hill House.
As much a family drama as a chilling horror story, the ten-part series it’s rightly regarded as one of the best series produced for the streaming service and received glowing critical acclaim.
The Haunting Of Hill House.
Based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson, it tells the story of the Crain family who move into a house with a dark history. If you like jump-scares and a genuinely chilling story then this is well worth your time.
Flanagan has followed it up with further decent enough made-for-Netflix series The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club, but Hill House is the best.
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