It’s Halloween and that means horror films. The following is a list of some of the best and scariest for entertainment this weekend.

“The Shining.” Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Running time: 142 minutes. Rated R.

Though a new version of Stephen King’s 1977 best-selling novel was recently made into a television miniseries, Stanley Kubrick’s chilling, gothic adaptation nevertheless stands as the better version. Almost all of the film’s horror is shot not in darkness or in shadow, but in brightly lit scenes that lend a starkness to the production it otherwise might not have had.

Kubrick, a keen stylist, wisely distanced himself from the blood and gore of most horror films by instead focusing on the real horror: The human mind as poisoned by the paranormal. Grade: A-

“Dracula.” Starring Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan. Running time: 75 minutes. No rating.

Tod Browning’s “Dracula,” a pioneer among horror films, also ranks as one of the best. Based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel of the same name, the film is a visual wonder (if you can get past the armadillos posing as large rats), establishing Hungarian stage actor Bela Lugosi as the screen’s quintessential vampire.

Its ghostly atmosphere, largely the work of cinematographer Karl Freund, is as effective as Lugosi’s sometimes comic performance. Those who haven’t seen this classic shouldn’t miss it. Grade: A

“The Exorcist.” (1973) Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller. Running time: 121 minutes. Rated R.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary with a slick new print, this classic, Academy Award-winning film allegedly had people retching in theaters upon its initial release in 1973. Today’s audiences probably won’t suffer such unfortunate, gastrointestinal consequences, though they might still be rattled by the film’s excellent performances and horrific effects.

“The Exorcist,” which is about the demonic possession of a young girl, asks that if we are to believe in real evil, we must also believe that real evil can be cast out. By film’s end, we do believe. Grade A

“Halloween.” (1978) Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence. Running time: 92 minutes. Rated R.

Unlike current horror films, particularly Wes Craven’s recent “Scream” series, “Halloween” is more than just a sequential slaughtering of teen-agers. It’s a film that works because it’s well written, well crafted, and also because you come to care for Curtis and the two children she protects.

Craven may have done well at the box office with “Scream” and “Scream 2,” but his films lack these qualities, and thus can never be held in similar esteems. Grade: A-

“The Birds.” (1963) Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette. Running time: 120 minutes. No rating.

In advertising copy for “The Birds,” Alfred Hitchcock said that “this could be the most terrifying motion picture I have ever made.” It certainly was for Tippi Hedren, who, according to Donald Spotto’s biography on Hitchcock, “The Dark Side of Genius,” endured perhaps one of the most difficult and traumatic shoots in cinematic history.

Indeed, in an effort to get one of the film’s crucial shots, Hitchcock had live, frantic birds tied to Hedren’s body — allowing them to systematically attack her. The scene works, but don’t pity poor Tippi. The film — and those birds — made her a star. Grade: A

“Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” (1962) Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono. Running time: 132 minutes. No rating.

Speaking of birds, a dead one is served up in high-style in “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,” a camp-thriller featuring screen rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as sisters who launch into ugly, head-to-head combat. As Jane Hudson, a deranged, grotesque former child star, Davis is as unforgettable as Crawford’s portrayal of the paralyzed, brow-beaten Blanche. Want some humor at your Halloween party? Without question, this is your movie. Grade: A

Other Classics:

“Aliens” (1986) “American Werewolf in London” (1982) “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992) “Carrie” (1976) “Dawn of the Dead” (1978) “The Dead Zone” (1983) “Freaks” (1931) “Misery” (1990) “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) “The Omen” (1976) “Psycho” (1960) “Psycho II” (1983) “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) “Young Frankenstein” (1974)

Editor’s Note: Christopher Smith is the Bangor Daily News’ film critic. His reviews appear each Monday in the Style section. Each Thursday on WLBZ’s “NewsCenter 5:30 Today,” he reviews what’s new and worth renting in video stores. Tonight, he reviews four other horror films in a special editon of the Video Corner.