Since it’s October and Halloween is right around the corner, I thought I’d make a list of the top five horror movies that scared the hell out of me when I was kid.

1) Phantasm – 1979 – I can’t begin to tell you what this movie is about, but The Tall Man gave me nightmares. He and his spiked flying spheres that would stick into your forehead, drill a hole, and drain you of your blood.

2) The Exorcist – 1973 – Classic horror flick. It always bugged me that the priests would go into the room and sit on the bed and get all close to her. I wouldn’t go near that room. Or the house, for that matter.

3) The Fog – 1980 – Another great movie that gave me the chills. Zombie ghosts out for revenge that hide in the fog. A priest who knows the town’s 100-year-old dirty secret and why the ghosts are appearing. What more could you ask for?

4) Motel Hell – 1980 – Checking in is easy . . . checking out is hell. A campy and gory movie about a farmer and his sister who kidnap and kill people and use them to make smoked meats. Rob Zombie should remake this one.

5) The Changeling – 1980 – An excellent movie staring George C. Scott. A good, old-fashioned ghost story with a great plot. The scene with the ghost crawling up through the little girl’s bedroom floor terrified me. I would check the floor in my room for weeks before going to bed after watching this movie.

Well, that’s it. Feel free to share your favorite childhood horror movies in the comments section below.