School’s out for the summer and for the high school or college student that usually means parties, vacations and road trips – your general garden variety young-adult shenanigans.  But of course where the rowdy naiveté of youth can be found, evil is lurking close behind.  Here are some classic horror films to geek over this summer that pit young-adults against forces of evil, both supernatural and mundane.

The Evil Dead (1981)
Directed by a young Sam Raimi who feared having to move back in with his parents, The Evil Dead was pitched to a studio and subsequently filmed on a shoestring budget.  The film had a fair response domestically, but was a huge success internationally.  The Evil Dead has spawned two sequels, a reboot, graphic novels, and an ongoing television series currently airing on Starz.  The film has become a cult classic, notorious for it’s cheesy dialogue and over-the-top campy special effects (something the sequel recognizes and to which it stays loyal).  The Evil Dead is the perfect film for anyone who is a fan of classic campy 80’s horror (but can you really call yourself a fan if you haven’t seen this one?)

It Follows (2014)
It Follows is a welcome departure from your traditional modern horror flick.  In lieu of jumpscares and extreme gore, a sense of slow impending doom persists throughout the film.  Writer and director David Robert Mitchell manages to crank up the fear factor without ever feeling cheap or unfair to the audience.  A better synopsis of the film’s plot can be found elsewhere online, but I feel that this pic will pack the biggest punch if you’re going in blind.  The film has heavy 80s vibes and often pays tribute to the genre.  It also features one of the greatest film scores I’ve heard in years.

Scream (1996)
Wes Craven’s Scream blazed the trail in terms of self-aware horror.  A near perfect 90s slasher itself, Scream still manages to lambast the horror genre and its plethora of tropes.  Horror veterans and rookies alike can enjoy the cheeky “meta” tone of Scream, as its jabs aren’t specific to other movies, but to the genre as a whole.  One of my favorites of all time, anyone who hasn’t already should consider watching the entire Scream franchise (except Scream 3, just skip it, trust me.).  
Find these titles as well as other great horror classics and new flicks at your nearest Bookmans location. You can use your trade credit to stock up on movies for the summer!