Halloween is just a few days away, and many are gearing up with parties, pastries, and movies to play throughout the month. Problem is, you’ve probably watched that Chucky or Kruger flick a thousand times, and Netflix just isn’t filling your thrill-seeking, epicure taste. You’re probably in the market for something a little different. For those of you with thirsts’ unquenched, here’s a list of films that are sure to put a shudder down your spine.
10. Cronos (1993)
Suprisingly unknown, Guillermo Del Toro’s “Cronos” is a great opener to what would become his staple of fantasy horror in the years to come. The film follows a device that falls into the hands of Jesus Gris, an antique dealer (played by legendary actor Federico Luppi). Gris is unaware of the enormous power he possesses, as the small golden scarab device actually grants immortality. But of course nothing is as simple as it seems. Everyone and everything has a price, and the horrifying events in “Cronos” unfold unlike anything many have ever seen. For fans of the auteur’s later films, like “Pan’s Labyrinth” or “Hellboy,” this is a real must see.
9. Long Weekend (1978)
The great outdoors: reclusive, emotion-inducing, truly God’s greatest gift…until everything that can go wrong does and nature rears its ugly head. “Long Weekend” follows a couple trying to save their marriage with a camping trip down the Australian coastline. The trip involves extensive littering and fighting and hitting a kangaroo with their car. This laundry lists of problems counteract any plans of resurrecting a broken marriage and instead turn the planned event into a long weekend of doom. You won’t be jumping out of your seat with Jamie Blank’s film, but between the couple’s drama and the film’s ever-mounting eerie occurrences, an uneasiness blossoms that is absolutely perfect for the horror genre.
8. Splinter (2008)
This one is not for the squeamish. “Splinter” is a monster movie in which a criminal and the couple that he’s taken hostage are trapped in a gas station by a mysterious parasite. The parasite feeds off human blood and can bend backbones. It can also protrude sharp splinters from the skin and turn humans into its personal hosts. “Splinter” is shot on a shoe string budget, yet the effects still manage to be pretty impressive. There isn’t really any archetype I’d base it on, but it’s definitely one of the fiercer horror films you’ll see in this lifetime.
7. Body Parts (1991)
Before actor Jeff Fahey starred in “Lost,” “Planet Terror,” and “Machete,” he headlined a few high-concept science fiction thrillers, the most famous being “The Lawnmower Man” (thinly based on the Stephen King’s short story). “Body Parts,” however, is a far more disturbing (and extremely entertaining) film. Fahey’s character Chuck loses his arm in a car accident, but gains a replacement limb through an experimental procedure. Chuck slowly loses control of the new arm and becomes violent. Co-writer/director Eric Red isn’t quick to take this story down a cliché path, however. There’s plenty of twists and turns led by impressive practical effects and Fahey’s very strong performance. The ending is one of the best scenes in horror genre to this day. It may not be easy to track the film down, as you probably won’t find it on any Wal-Mart or Target shelf, but it’s well worth the effort.
6. Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
The 90+ minutes of “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” are extremely dreamy and dread-soaked, so passing this flick up on Halloween would be a huge mistake. In John D. Hancock’s version (the original, not the horrible remake) we follow a trio of former hippies traveling to a farm they purchased in a small northern town. Jessica recently was released from a mental hospital, and throughout the film she is plagued by visions of someone watching her. When they arrive at the farm, they find a woman named Emily (Mariclare Costello) house squatting. The group and Emily hit it off and decide to stick together, but it doesn’t take very long for the new roommate’s (and the small town’s) normality to dissipate. Or at least it doesn’t to Jessica. Because the film is very soft-focus and dream-like, many depictions of ghosts and monsters that are used appear retro and subdued, even mellow. This allows the audience to question what is real, what is concrete and what is just a part of Jessica’s failing psychosis.
5. The Company of Wolves (1984)
The early 1980s is where the werewolf genre really got its second wind. “American Werewolf in London” and “The Howling” debut during this time, but not a lot of people talk about Neil Jordan’s ‘The Company of Wolves.” The film heavily tones the classic Grimm’s fairy tale, with everything from gothic castles, eerily dense forests, and yes, classic medieval-esque monsters. “The Company of Wolves” jumps between different characters, which opens up and expands the fantasy narrative. So instead of just another stereotypical werewolf-chasing-red-riding-hood film, you have short varied gothic tales that expand on things like witchcraft, questionable magic potions, and one hell of a werewolf transformation sequence.
4. Roadgames (1981)
I love the Aussie exploitation film market and I definitely recommend checking out at least one or two of these types of films at least once in your lifetime. One of my favorite director’s of the Aussie heyday was Richard Franklin. He was a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock, and even became his student for a few years. Franklin’s opening scene in “Roadgames” makes this readily apparent, and throughout the film you get a chilling sense of Hitchcock, even in the last few moments. “Roadgames” is about Stacy Keach, a truck driver who picks up a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis) on the same day a serial killer is known to be roaming the Outback. A great deal of time is spent between the two on the car ride, and their chemistry is perfect. The screenplay is witty and campy. It’s a good contrast to the physically chilling moments of the film, especially when the two characters start getting closer to the unknown killer. “Roadgames” pedals more off mounting suspense than gore, making the dread of the Outback scene fit like a glove. Australia is the perfect location for a sprawled out killer-on-the run thriller. It’s a locale that strums up the already mounted bias that danger in this terrain can potentially be anywhere.
3. Kill List (2011)
Director Ben Wheatley and co-writer Amy Jump created a film that leaps into graphic horror, grabs the audience, and never lets go. The film, called “Kill List,” follows two hit men who undertake a job for a very shady group. Jay and Gal (Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley) are completely unaware of the permanence the contract kill will become, and soon chaos expands and stakes are raised. To the unfamiliar eye, “Kill List” seems like an innocuous crime thriller, but Wheatley trades in typically overhyped action shots and shocks for a gruel suspense that really unnerves the viewer. With each decision made, another layer of ruination follows Jay and Gal, and it isn’t until the final scene that we get the entirety of the destruction. “Kill List” is a slow burn horror that rewards attentive viewers who are eager to unravel its mysteries. Plus, it’s chock-filled with enough jolts to keep you on your toes.
2. Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)
The Scandinavian documentary and quasi-horror picture “Häxan” explores peoples’ superstition and lack of understanding about mental illnesses as well as the birthed idea of witches being led to witch hunts. This film is not a banal documentary. It does well to divert (on numerous accounts) dramatizations of witch covens and the horrible deeds they were believed to have done. The black and white haggard film tailors to many enthusiasts of the aged prolific era. “Häxan” isn’t necessarily suspenseful or gory, but it is extremely enlightening and embodies idiosyncratic horror cinema to a T.
1. Begotten (1991)
Ohh man. Word to the wise thrill-seekers, ‘Begotten’ is not for the light of heart or lovers of easily digestible horror. Made on a shoe string budget by underground filmmaker E. Elias Merhige, Begotten is an experimental story about the book of Genesis. It is told using a black and white, scratchy, forcibly aged effect, and the highly disturbing images do well to portray Genesis very differently from what has been previously conceieved. There’s zero dialogue and very little music, leaving the viewer wide open to the bizarre and shocking sequences without much distraction (but plenty of discomfort.) Tracking this one down on disc or tape isn’t an easy task. The entirety can be found on YouTube, however, and does have a fairly sharp upload. Begotten is not recommended for a large group of friends. It has very dark undertones (sexual assault, gruesome unfiltered murder) and could possibly be viewed with two or three open minded companions. If you’re brave enough, Begotten is best taken on solo.
Photo courtesy of: pshomegazette
