WATERLOO -- Cancel your weekend plans.

With Halloween less than a week away, it's time to spend an evening at home with Freddy, Norman and Dr. Caligari.

"As soon as Oct. 1 hits people come in wanting horror films," said Aaron Buck, manager of Digital Dog Pound in Evansdale. "Mostly the classics, like 'Nightmare on Elm Street,' but really, anything from the genre goes."

The video rental store, like several in the Cedar Valley, has a special section for seasonal movies. It's the first place many customers stop at the Ansborough Avenue Family Video store, said Assistant Manager Nicole Brown.

"It's beginning to turn fall and there's just kind of an eerie feeling in the air at night and different colors in the sky," she said. "It gets people in the mood for a scary movie."

Halloween is about embracing "the occult, the mysterious," said Paul Hedeen, a Wartburg College English professor who teaches film studies courses. The holiday gives movie lovers a chance to explore the supernatural forces that scare or excite them.

"The horror genre allows us to immerse ourselves in that world," he explained. "It's a release."

So turn down the lights, pop in a DVD and let the haunting begin.

Guts & gore

"Grindhouse," (2007)

Just out on DVD, this bloody double-feature is a great choice for fans of '50s exploitation films. In Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" a government experiment creates a population of hungry zombies. Delve into life in the fast lane in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" in which an angry killer uses his car to chase down his victims.

Also check out: "A Nightmare on Elm Street," (1984); "Halloween," (1978); "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," (1974).

Suspense

"Psycho" (1960)

Sometimes the scariest monsters are those within ourselves. Press play and surrender your psyche to terror titan Alfred Hitchcock. Secretary Marion Crane checks into The Bates Motel with $40,000 -- but she never checks out. Prepare yourself for the shower scene, it's a classic.

Also check out: "28 Days Later," (2003); "What Lies Beneath," (2000); "The Sixth Sense," (1999).

Supernatural

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" (2005)

Inspired by a true story, this creepy flick portrays the possession of a college freshman. Part horror film, part courtroom drama, Emily Rose's story is retold through flashbacks during the trial of a priest who is accused of negligent homicide after performing an unsuccessful exorcism on the young woman. Is Emily Rose demonic or suffering from epilepsy and psychosis? Watch and decide for yourself.

Also check out: "The Ring," (2002); "The Shining," (1980); "Rosemary's Baby," (1968).

Campy

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975)

Ready for some raunch? Yuk it up with this cult classic. A young couple -- Brad and Janet, played by Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon -- are lost on a cold and rainy November night. They seek shelter at a nearby castle and soon find themselves under the control of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a "transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania."

Also check out: "Shaun of the Dead," (2004); "The Return of the Living Dead," (1985); "Young Frankenstein," (1974).

Classic

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920)

See where the horror all began. This silent film is credited as one of the first scary movies and it has all the elements fright flicks are famous for: a mad scientist, a "monster" and a surprise twist. This German film will keep you guessing until the very end.

Also check out: "The Wolf Man," (1941); "Dracula," (1931); "The Phantom of the Opera," (1925).

Fear-free

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966).

Celebrate Halloween with the Peanuts gang. The ever-faithful Linus spends a night in the pumpkin patch while Charlie Brown and company go door to door trick-or-treating. The animated television special was first aired on CBS in the '60s and remains a family favorite today. Also check out: "Corpse Bride," (2005); "The Addams Family," (1991); "Beetlejuice," (1988).

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.