Night of the Living Dead
Despite its zombie-centric theme, Night of the Living Dead is hardly as gory as its successors. Seven people are trapped in a western Pennsylvania farmhouse, which is under attack by a growing horde of undead ghouls with a taste for human flesh. The franchise includes five official sequels, none of which are appropriate viewing material for the squeamish.
1408
Adapted from a Stephen King short story, 1408 is far more psychological than physical in terms of scares. An author whose success rides on the debunking of supernatural phenomena spends the night in a haunted hotel room, where he begins to understand the meaning of true fear.