Now, I’m a super huge fan of horror films. I love them all- foreign, domestic, terrible, amazing, old, new, grindhouse, sequels – the genre of everything horrific and grotesque is fantastical to me…much in the same way that people like Harry Potter or Twilight. I love the way it can tap into a culture’s psyche and make you question everything you think you know. That’s the point of horror, right? Teach everyone a nice little lesson about society and culture of the time, point out the fallacies (in sometimes a hilarious or just awful way) and let the viewer decide which course of action to take. With Halloween approaching so close, why not give everyone a taste of some of my go-to Halloween movies that should put you in the mood to celebrate overeating and forgetting that you have work the next day. There’s something for everyone on this list – if you like funny horror, I got you covered. Grotesque, cult-y, psychological- I watch it all. On with the reading, minions!
10. The Room (2003)
The Room is horrible. No, it really is. It’s regarding as the Citizen Kane of bad movies. No one wants to watch it other than people who love terrible movies. This 2003 flick was written, directed and starred Tommy Wiseau and managed to score 33% on Rotten Tomatoes (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/room/). This flick has spawned some serious dislike among the internet, which kind of makes sense if you like being super picky about movies:
Technically it’s a drama movie and not really horror but sometimes when you’re watching it and the popcorn is nice and warm, it feels like something horrific. I’m just going to leave that here.
9. Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)
Return of the Living Dead 3 was a masterpiece of my childhood. I remember watching this movie when I was just a whipper-snapper. As the third installment of the …Living Dead series, this one took a different turn than the rest. This plot focuses of using military science to raise people from the dead, but for a good cause (initially). Curt and Julie are dating. Julie dies (motorcycle accident). Curt steals his dad’s military access pass to resurrect Julie’s corpse using Trioxin gas. The best thing that this movie did was show that zombies have emotions too! The majority of the flick Julie is intentionally trying to stop her zombie cravings by punishing herself with some gruesome self-mutilation…all in the name of love.
If you want something slightly tearjerking, minimal amounts of comedy but easy to watch (if you’re okay with some gore) then I recommend this one. It also stars a Melinda Clarke before she was (funny enough) Julie Cooper on The O.C.
8. Ex-Drummer (2007)
WARNING: This movie is not for the faint of heart. At all.
Once again, this isn’t really considered a traditional horror movie, but I’m going to put it in here anyway. Ex-Drummer because it’s full of gore, societal commentary on struggling musicians – and it’s wrapped up into a little package of a lot of psychologically jarring moments, which in my book make it a horror movie. Keep in mind: the movie is in Flemmish so if you don’t like subtitles then don’t bother. But if you like good ol’ punk and don’t mind some stomach turning…go watch it.
The movie chronicles one band, The Feminists, – all of the members are “handicapped” in different ways. The Feminists approach Dries Vanhegen, a popular author and ask him to join the band. Slowly, Dries starts manipulating everyone within the circle of the band’s family and associates. They only manage to successfully play one song: Devo’s “Mongoloid” (which is one of my favorite songs, fyi) and the ending still gives me shivers. It was insane.
Image courtesy of Channel 4, Screenshot of Ex-Drummer
7. H (2002)
H another psychological thriller than I love putting on the television whenever I have to clean the house. This movie is reminds me a lot of the movie Se7en, but better. The intrigue is more intense and the movie has a plot twist at the end I never see coming, not matter how many times I re-watch it. The gore is relatively low, but the main killer originally chose his victims (all women) according to their menstruation cycles- so the younger viewers should take that with discretion.
The movie is in Korean, so once again – subtitles. The best part about this movie is that as you’re following Detectives Kim and Kang attempt to track down a series of serial killers, the viewer is being thrown into the mix of everything. Try to solve the riddles with the detectives as the movie progresses. Be careful though, sometimes it moves as a slow pace.
Image Courtesy of Asia Extreme and IMBD
6. The Human Centipede 1 & 2
I know the moment most people read this they’ll skip it and go straight to the others on the list. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations!
I have extremely fond memories of this movie. I went to the midnight premieres for both of them at The Nuart (an LA theater that does all sorts of nifty events, I used to hang out there frequently). I even got a free poster and DVD, which I still have.
The Human Centipede (First Sequence)(2009) tells the story of an insane Dr. Heiter as he uses three humans to create a monster pet centipede. That’s about the gist of the film. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, the disgusting factor is present but it’s manageable (not nearly as bad as some scenes of Ex-Drummer). The second installment, The Human Centipede Full Sequence is much worse. The sequel gives the audience some gratification. The first movie never happened – it was just a movie! Full Sequence, however, focuses on a mentally-disturbed young man who idolizes the movie and put wants to translate Dr. Heiter’s actions into reality. There are 12 people in the centipede and the violence, language and hints as to the cause of the man’s mental anguish are atrociously graphic at moments so please don’t watch if you can’t sit through the first one.
I’m also really excited that The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) exists and will be coming out next year.
5. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
This Korean drama / thriller is one that still baffles me to this day. A Tale of Two Sisters focuses on a pair of siblings who do some time in a mental hospital (but that took some time to figure out) and have to deal with their evil Stepmother after they relocate to a new house that is haunted. It sounds cheesy, but it’s not. The cinematography and acting in this movie is spot on. Watch the trailer and see for yourself.
The flick is more about the ties of sisterly bonds while the two are lost not only in their lives, but within their own minds as they rely on each other to make it through even the simplest of days. The terror that is felt in some of the scenes and the feelings you can develop for these poor girls is just…oh, heart-wrenching.
4. Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror
This is movie is beautiful. The acting is cheesy. It's got Snoop Dogg narating it. It debuted at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and is the new millennium answer to old favorites like Tales from the Crypt or Creepshow. Believe it or not, Hood of Horror scored lower on Rotten Tomatoes than The Room did – and yet it’s way more enjoyable!
It’s a series of three stories – Crossed Out, The Scumlord and Rapsody Askey. Each story is different from the first and each one has an important lesion about growing up in economically troubled urban areas. Don’t get involved with gangs. Don’t judge others (especially, don’t be a racist). The core of societally-based commentary that inspires the majority of the horror genre is executed perfectly in this flick.
It’s also hilarious, lighthearted and not scary at all.
Image courtesy of The Movie Poster Shop
3. The Creepshow Series (1982)
Speaking of Creepshow – this is another institution of my childhood. The film anthology series of Creepshow began in 1982 and continued through to the mid-1990’s; ultimately ending with Creepshow III.
While this movie attempted the “lesson-learned” scenarios, usually it was just shorts made specifically just to be scary. But – seeing as it was a pretty low-rent series, it’s not scary at all. It’s reminiscent of scary summertime campfire stories. This would be one to curl up and watch with the kiddies. My particular favorite was Creepshow 2.
2. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
I remember going out and buying this movie on VHS right after I read the Edgar Allan Poe short story.
The Pit and the Pendulum is a perfect example of classical horror. This black-and-white movie stars the King of Horror himself, Vincent Price. The movie is amazing. Some may find the acting overbearing and melodramatic – but that’s the way it’s supposed to be. It’s a film adaptation of Poe starring Price (be still my dead heartstrings!). There’s death (murder?), suspense and someone goes a little insane.
It’s a great starter movie for people who can’t handle intense horror. This was created when horror was still considered a budding genre and had an air of prestige surrounding it. Plus, anything Price does is automatically dipped in gold. The man is a horror god.
Image courtesy of The Movie Poster Shop
1. Dead Alive (1992)
Every time I have a date, I make him watch Dead Alive. If the boy doesn’t like it then I don’t like him. This is one of my favorite flicks of all time. It’s intensely gory, has moments of hilarity and love scenario that is actually pertinent to the plot. Best of all – it was directed by Peter Jackson. Yes, that Peter Jackson
This was another one of his New Zealand-based flicks. Dead Alive is set in the New Zealand in the ‘50s, where poor Lionel is relentlessly bullied by his mother who gets turned into a zombie after being bitten by a Sumatran Rat Monkey. Now, he has to realize his destiny and save the world (well, New Zealand) from a huge zombie outbreak while trying to juggle hiding the zombies from his girlfriend and uncle.
It also has one of the most hilarious lines and scenes of horror cinema ever:
I recommend this for anyone who wants the following:
Amazing special effects, spot-on acting, decent paced dialogue, buckets of blood and guts without being disgusting, beautiful period-costume design, funny moments but not overdone comedy, not-too-scary moments and an odd relationship between a boy and his mother – than this is for you.