Halloween Time: Times Scare, Minar and Evil Dead

I didn’t come to really enjoy scary things until well into adulthood. While never averse to horror in book, movie or haunted house form, we grew up mostly with comedies and fantasy books. These last few years I’ve made up for lost ground consuming a steady diet of classic stuff like Nightmare on Elm Street and Hitchcock. In books I really enjoyed Salem’s Lot and the Shining by Stephen King.

Groupon was having a deal on a local haunted house called Times Scare. Located on 42nd and 8th avenue, it’s the only year round haunted house in NYC. We arrived around 6:30. Despite being Halloween eve, there was no line to get in. I won’t give away anything away but will mention that there is….a chainsaw. The attraction took about 20-30 minutes. It did not disappoint.

Afterward, we picked up some amazing Indian food at Minar located on 46th St to bring back home. We settled in and checked out the Evil Dead reboot which came out last year. Sticking close to the original, it wasn’t awful but not as entertaining as we’d hoped. I did appreciate the references to the first film including the same camera tricks, the fast zoom on the weapons and of course a chainsaw. Unfortunately it wasn’t scary or campy which was the beauty of the first series.

Are there any films or books you recommend?

Here is a short list of recommended movies and TV that are either fun and or deliver a good scare:
Movies
Poltergeist
The Birds
Nightmare on Elm First
Halloween
Exorcist
The Orphanage (Guillermo Del Toro)
Bhoot (Hindi Film with English Subtitles)
Drag Me to Hell
Paranormal Activity 1
Night of the Living Deal