Fright Nights: The Best Horror Movies on Netflix Instant

Hi, guys! Somehow I didn't foresee that my job at the Halloween store became more demanding as it neared Halloween. Fantastic insight on my part. But even though I missed a week, I felt like I should carry on sharing some of my favorite things from my favorite holiday with you!

I really, really love horror movies. I'm the first in line to see every crummy new scary movie at the theater, just hoping to be one of the first to uncover a diamond in the rough (a la the Conjuring and You're Next this summer). In high school, I even tried to watch 100 horror movies one October. Um, obviously I don't have that kind of time on my hands anymore. But I still make sure to watch a few of my favorites (and try to scope out some great new flicks!) this time of year, and frankly, all year round.

 A list of the best scary movies is all well and good, but where the heck are you supposed to get them, Blockbuster? Every time I see something on a list I want to check out, I instantly cross-check it with Netflix Instant. Since everybody and their brother has Netflix, I thought I would save you guys the work, and share some fantastically spooky things you could watch this very minute, if you were so inclined. The horror section can be a dreadful and treacherous place filled with bad acting and even worse special effects, so trust me to weed out the truly stupid and point you in the right direction. I'm practically a professional.

Cabin in the Woods is an absolute must-see if you're a fan of horror movies. I'll try not to say much more as it's better to go in blind, but know it's incredibly inventive, genre-subverting, and nothing like you'll expect - in the best way possible.

The Evil Dead is a total classic if you're into cheesy B-Movie horror. If you've only seen the remake, you don't know Evil Dead. Remember when I said I would steer you away from stupid? I may have lied just a little bit, but Evil Dead is worth it. It's gross, silly, and inspired 1000 imitators - but there's nothing like the original.

The Caller is a surprise hit. I found this one on a whim this weekend (Craig and I were amused by the casting of Bill the True Blood vampire against Victoria the Twilight vampire), and was pleasantly surprised. It's not perfect, but the concept is pretty unique, and there are enough surprises, thrills, and chills to keep you hanging on the edge of your seat til the end.

Red State is a rare foray into horror by slacker-comedy god Kevin Smith, and watching it made me surprised he didn't live in the genre in the first place. This is an exploration of just how scary cult-like Westboro Baptist-type churches can be. This isn't a jumpy-scare flick, it's truly terrifying in the way that movies that seem as if they could really happen are.

Okay, I'm kind of cheating. After horror movies, my secret Netflix Instant obsession is the documentary section. I've talked about that, and this movie, before. The American Scream is a really cute little movie about people in a small town in Massachusetts who put a whole lot of effort into making free haunted houses for trick or treaters in their backyards. If you're not feeling like getting spooked tonight, but you still want to get in the holiday spirit, this is your best bet.

I saved the best for last! Pontypool is one of my top five favorite horror movies of all time. It's both a deep exploration of how we as a society interact with language and a very scary zombie movie almost exclusively set in the sound studio of a radio station. There are a lot of twists, turns, and secrets about how the zombie disease mutates so I won't give anything away, but know that it's really smart and so, so awesome.

Do you have some spooky Netflix recommendations for me? I'm always looking for new movies to fall in love with!