Want some recommendations from the King himself?

The British Film Institute today announced Stephen King On Screen, a season of film and television dedicated to one of the most frequently adapted and versatile writers in history.

Taking place at BFI Southbank from September 1st through October 3rd, the season will include screenings of classic adaptations such as Stand by Me, The Shining, Carrie and The Shawshank Redemption, talks and discussions, and a special Birthday Weekender (September 21st-23rd) including a Stephen King Film Quiz and a Stephen King Summit.

King himself also hand selected five of his favorite horror films to screen exclusively at BFI Southbank. The side-bar of films will run alongside Stephen King on Screen. Along with the announcement, King even commented on each of the five films, explaining why he chose them.

NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1957)

“Although it’s old school, I love Jacques Tourneur’s Night of the Demon, a pretty wonderful adaptation of M. R. James’ story, Casting the Runes. Tourneur was a disciple of Val Lewton, which means the horror here is pretty understated, until the very end.”

VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960)

“On the subject of British horror (wrapped in an sci-fi bow), you can’t do much better than Village of the Damned, directed by Wolf Rilla and – like Night of the Demon – shot  in beautiful black and white. It’s an adaptation of The Midwich Cuckoos, by John Wyndham, and George Sanders does a stellar job as the schoolmaster tasked with teaching some very strange pupils.”

THE CHANGELING (1980)

“For supernatural horror, I like Peter Medak’s film The Changeling, starring George C. Scott in perhaps his last great screen role. There are no monsters bursting from chests; just a child’s ball bouncing down a flight of stairs was enough to scare the daylights out of me.”

THE HITCHER (1986)

“The Hitcher is a terrifying road movie stripped back to basics. What sets this apart, other than some spectacular stunts, is the amazing performance of Rutger Hauer as the mysterious and homicidal John Ryder. “Where did you come from?” asks the terrified kid Ryder is chasing. “Disneyland,” Ryder whispers back.”

THE STEPFATHER (1987)

“While we’re talking about terrifying men who come from nowhere, there’s The Stepfather, with Terry O’Quinn as the murderous (but charming) psycho looking for a family to love him. There’s that classic moment when he goes blank and says, “Saaay, who am I this time?” before bludgeoning his wife with a telephone.”