cover image source: Poltergeist
It's October, the month of Halloween, and that means many of us are getting into the spirit of things by watching...
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First off, I freaking love horror movies!
Every October, my wife and I dedicate the month to uncovering and watching horror flicks. It's a fun ritual for us, but we undoubtedly end up watching lots of bad movies or resort to rewatching our favorites.
My top 5 (for today, haha!):
The Shining — It's such an amazing flick. Stanley Kubrick def knows how to create a sense of dread. Also, if you're as into this movie as me, it's worth watching the documentary Room 237.
Get Out — Unparalleled dark comedy and satire in this one... it's an outstanding film! Jordan Peele's other movies (that he directed) "Us" and "Nope" are also extremely well done and worth watching.
The Conjuring — This one got me good and freaked out! It's an evil spirits/possession tale and launched a whole series of films following paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. You can see all the films included in The Conjuring universe here.
Let the Right One In — This movie had a lotta heart and was really surprising. I don't wanna give too much away because I think the mystery is a big part of the fun, but just know that this ain't your typical horror film. Also, it's a Swedish flick! There is an American remake, but I think the original is best!
Hereditary — I'm a big fan of this one! I've seen it more than once... it's one of those movies that is particularly interesting upon rewatch. Great cinematography, acting, and story!
Great selection of horror movies. I was about to type "The Conjuring 2". It freaks the hell out of me because it is based on a true trust me bro story.
Oooo right on, Mahmoud!! The Conjuring 2 was indeed a good one. Loved that it was set in the UK in the 70's and YES, based on true events!
The exorcism scene is a bit scary for me. Legends said I never had a peaceful sleep after watching it. It is haunting me, but in a good way, like spending sleepless nights on coding rather than actually sleeping, know what i am saying?
I was completely terrified by Alfred Hitchcock's film when I was young
The Birds is a 1963 American natural horror-thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Loosely based on the 1952 short story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier, it focuses on a series of sudden and unexplained violent bird attacks on the people of Bodega Bay, California, over the course of a few days.
Since then I learned that birds are actual living dinosaurs, so it's even worse.
Lol! Well, that does kinda put the film in a new light.
But forreal, if birds decided to turn on us, I'd be absolutely terrified.
For real, Jurassic Parks lied to us,
Only the non-avian dinosaurs died
Dinosaurs are already among us, they are in our trees and in our food.
OTOH the cool Pterosaurs and marine reptile are not dinosaurs, which is sad :'(
I learned that from the french whisperer (content in english), my favorite youtuber and an incredible content creator which does at the same time science, pedagogy and ASMR
So happy you followed up with all this info!
I'm tuning into the french whisperer right now and it's got me grinning ear to ear. You're right — he's covering a lotta bases with this content, haha!
crazy amount of research goes into his content
an incredible pedagogue
great for people with insomnia - "asking for a friend"
The scariest thing I watched as a kid was The Cat Came Back.
Probably the neverending torment that upset me the most 😅
The other scary film I can recommend is The Descent (the British release, for the ending).
The Descent is a 2005 British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film follows six women who enter a cave system and struggle to survive against the humanoid creatures inside.
The building horror was incredibly affective.
lol, I can see how The Cat Came Back was particularly scarring for you. The damn cat was relentless!
I definitely got freaked out by a number of kid's movies when I was a little one. I think lotsa folks know how scary Return to Oz is (see video👇), but memorably The Wiz really got me... particularly the witch Evillene, who runs a sweatshop and 1 by 1 tortures each of Dorothy's companions. It's intense! But, (SPOILERS!) she ultimately gets flushed down a toilet (see other video👇).
As a kid, this left a mark on me. Whenever I would use the bathroom, I'd run out of the room after flushing the toilet. I don't remember if I was worried about getting flushed down or Evillene coming back up, but I do remember the terror.
I loved "Return to Oz" as a kid !
The whole concept of non-crossing realities is skillfully managed for the whole movie, never giving a clear answer to viewers: does Oz really exists or is a dream and delusional world of Dorothy?
I loved it as well actually. It freaked me out, but that didn't stop me from wanting to watch it. Haha, guess things haven't changed too much — I clearly still enjoy getting freaked out.
And ooooo, I'm gonna have to rewatch with this movie with that whole concept in mind. I love the mysterious blend of dream and delusion... you described it really well! I mentioned Shutter Island somewhere in this thread, but I feel like that movie also kinda plays with this blend. However, in Shutter Island you don't get a whole fantasy realm like you do with Oz, so the delusion isn't quite so deep!
I remember having Shutter Island recommended often, I need to watch it!
I believe Gothica had a similar screenplay, even if the concept won't run as deep as in Return to Oz.
I don't want to spoil that, if you ever decide to watch the show.
The land of Oz is ripe for scaring children!
I haven't seen return to Oz, but that review makes a compelling case for it.
Haha, it really is. Please check it out, I think you'll find it a pretty fun watch!!
I used to watch a lot of the stuff...
Some of the classic I still remember:
Suspiria is a 1977 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Dario Argento, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daria Nicolodi, partially based on Thomas De Quincey's 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis. The film stars Jessica Harper as an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy but realizes, after a series of brutal murders, that the academy is a front for a supernatural conspiracy. It also features Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, Miguel Bosé, Alida Valli, Udo Kier, and Joan Bennett, in her final film role.
Bad Taste is a 1987 New Zealand science-fiction comedy horror film directed, produced and filmed by Peter Jackson, who also stars in and co-wrote the screenplay, along with Tony Hiles and Ken Hammon. Independently produced on a low budget, it is Jackson's first feature film. Jackson and friends take on most of the key roles, both on and off-screen. The plotline sees aliens invade the fictional New Zealand village of Kaihoro to harvest humans for their intergalactic fast food franchise, where they face off against a four-man paramilitary force. The film provided Jackson with the leverage necessary to advance in the film industry.
House II: The Second Story is a 1987 American comedy horror film written and directed by Ethan Wiley from an original story by Fred Dekker. It serves as the second installment in the House film series, and is a standalone sequel to the first movie. While the plots and characters are unrelated, House II involves a storyline centered around a new mansion with a supernatural connection. The tone is highlighted with a greater focus on comedy, with a tone even lighter than the original.
Cannibal Holocaust is a 1980 Italian found footage cannibal horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato and written by Gianfranco Clerici. It stars Robert Kerman as Harold Monroe, an anthropologist from New York University who leads a rescue team into the Amazon rainforest to locate a crew of filmmakers. Played by Carl Gabriel Yorke, Francesca Ciardi, Perry Pirkanen, and Luca Barbareschi, the crew had gone missing while filming a documentary on local cannibal tribes. When the rescue team is only able to recover the crew's lost cans of film, an American television station wishes to broadcast the footage as a sensationalized television special. Upon viewing the reels, Monroe is appalled by the team's actions and objects to the station's intent to air the documentary.
Tokyo Gore Police is a 2008 Japanese action splatter film co-written, edited and directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura and starring Eihi Shiina as Ruka, a vengeful police officer.
And something that I keep on the list forever, but actually never managed to start nor finish
964 Pinocchio , released in the United Kingdom as Screams of Blasphemy, is a 1991 Japanese cyberpunk horror film directed by Shozin Fukui. It deals with the theme of brain-modified sex slaves as well as mental breakdowns in a hallucinogenic thrill ride.
Tetsuo: The Iron Man , is a 1989 Japanese cyberpunk body horror film written, produced, edited, and directed by Shinya Tsukamoto. It is shot in the same low-budget, underground-production style as his first two films. The film established Tsukamoto internationally and created his worldwide cult following. It was followed by Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992) and Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009).
I might be able to get a longer list, if you want to dig into gore/horror music video.
I find them relaxing while debugging. 😌
Holy cow! I haven't seen any of these. Thanks so much for dropping this list... I got some watching to do!
And please, please feel free to drop some horror/gore music videos, hah.
I think I'll make that a focus for one of my Music Monday posts (series here) — that'd be a great topic for Halloween (which is a Monday!). Yep, I'm gonna do it, haha... hope you tune in!
But also, in the meantime, feel free to share any horror music videos in thread here!!
I know, there are tons of good stuff maybe just a bit hidden or fell off radar because we don't talk about that anymore. 😊
About music... well its almost Monday, so I'll reach the thread tomorrow 🤪
Just a bit tease I came to appreciate:
Awww yeah! 🤘Rock on.
So, I'm about to post the Music Monday article here in just a few. But, just so ya know, I'm gonna keep the Horror/Halloween theme in the bag for 2 weeks from today, so that we can do it on actual Halloween. That said, still hope to see ya in the thread with more tunes! 🙌
Nice idea, I'll select a few to post on the proper themed thread :-)
Triangle is a 2009 psychological horror film written and directed by Christopher Smith and starring Melissa George and Michael Dorman. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 16 October 2009. George portrays a single mother who goes on a boating trip with several friends. When they are forced to abandon their ship, they board a derelict ocean liner, where they become convinced that someone is stalking them.
Has to be one of my favourite movies, one that I've got something new from on several viewings :)
Ooooo very nice! I hadn't heard of this one before.
My most favorites Hollywood horror but I am going to suggest some other language horror movie that are fantastic, like Turkish, Malaysian movies, Taiwanese horror, Indian horror.
Turkish horror movies :
Magi (2015)
Siccin 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6
Dabbe 3,4,5,6
Baskin (2015)
Malaysia's horror movies :
Munafik 1,2 (2016)
Penunggang Agama 1,2
Roh (film) (2019)
Don't Look At The Demon
Taiwanese horror movies :
Incantation
The Bride
The Tag-Along: Devil Fish
The Tag-Along 2
Indian horror movies :
Tumbbad
That's for now.
Very nice!! I really appreciate ya pulling in horror movies that are made outside the US... I need to explore more of these.
Yes, of course you can discover really wonderful work, story, and folklore with horror.
I use to watch a lot horror movies, I don't do that anymore.
I think that best one I can remember is Ring, but original not US remake.
Ring is a 1998 Japanese psychological supernatural horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, based on the 1991 novel by Koji Suzuki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Miki Nakatani and Hiroyuki Sanada, and follows a reporter who is racing to investigate the mystery behind a cursed video tape; whoever watches the tape dies seven days after doing so. The film is titled The Ring in English in Japan and released as Ringu in North America.
Another scary movie was Shutter from 2004, there is also a US remake from 2008. I think I've watched original.
Shutter is a 2004 Thai supernatural horror film by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom; starring Ananda Everingham, Natthaweeranuch Thongmee, and Achita Sikamana. It focuses on mysterious images seen in developed pictures. The film was a huge box office success, making it one of the best known horror films from Thailand and recognized worldwide.
Ooooo, I really need to see the original, that's going on my list for sure! Thanks for the suggestion. 🙌
I saw the remake when I was middle school, but never watched the original. The GIF I shared in the body of this post is indeed referencing The Ring though!
I've edited my comment and added another to the list.
Oooo, I've not seen Shutter either... sounds interesting!
You mentioning it reminded me of Shutter Island, which is also quite good. While it's probs better classified as a thriller, I think it's about as close as we're gonna get to a Martin Scorsese horror film, haha!
Shutter is a great film
Oh well here you go
OG Omen trilogy is really good.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omen
*It * is fantastic
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_(2017_film)
Then there is Ghost ship. It's a unique premise.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Ship_(...
Scream / Friday the 13th / Nightmare on elm street / Child's Play are okay I guess
Then there are Saw series , Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hills have eyes, Final Destination, Hostel, Wrong Turn,. The quality range is in between "well thats disgusting" to "this is funny shit"
Haha right?! I do think there is a fine line between horror and comedy.
I like a lotta your suggestions though. I watched Nightmare on Elm Street last night actually... I love how weird it is!
Oh yes Freddy Kreuger is terrifying. Not his appearance but the premise of his powers.
Bird Box is another unique horror movie.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Box_(film)
I'm not a user who like horror movie, but I already looked Saw 🔪
Saw is a 2004 American horror film directed by James Wan, in his feature directorial debut, and written by Leigh Whannell from a story by Wan and Whannell. It is the first installment in the Saw film series, and stars Whannell, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, Ken Leung, and Tobin Bell.
You already saw Saw?
No need to answer, I just wanted to say that, haha!
The best horror movies are from the director James Wan:
Oh heck yeah!! I love this series.
The Conjuring is still probs my fave, but I realize I haven't seen some of these: The Conjuring 3, Insidious Chapter 3, Insidious The Last Key... I got some catching up to do!
Side note: I love how Insidious uses Tiny Tim's Tiptoe Through the Tulips song.
And I love how James Wan is sitting behind you while you watch Insidious and he knows when you expect a scare scene, but right at that point there is no scary thing and you start to calm down. Then he gets the hell out of you :D
SPOILER ALARM ⚠️ Example in Insidious Chapter 3:
First the man looks out of the window (expected scare scene) but nothing is there ;P
After that you start to think ok there is nothing, but then the girl looks out of the window...
Haha! I totally get what ya mean about Wan playing with expectations of the jump scare. It's never when you think it's gonna happen... it's almost always just after you sigh a sigh of relief that something didn't happen, haha.
So, I watched most of The Conjuring 3 last night — sleep got me. But, from what I saw, I liked it a lot! I think I probs enjoyed it more than The Conjuring 2, but the original The Conjuring is still my fave. I'll finish it tonight, but next up, I'm gonna have to dig into the other Insidious movies I missed!
Horror Comedy: „The Evil Dead“ and especially its sequel „Army of Darkness“.
There is also a series with 3x10 episodes „Ash vs. Evil Dead“ (available on Netflix), which captures the spirit of the movies quite well!
Oh YESS!!! I'm so glad you The Evil Dead series a mention. Army of Darkness in particular is just so completely ridiculous and awesome — I love that movie! And agreed that the Netflix show does a damn good job of capturing the feels of the originals.
Other awesome horror comedies worth a mention:
Anything from Mike Flanagan! "Oculus", "Before I wake up"... or for a miniseries, "Midnight mass". He has that kind of psychoanalytical horror that involves well written characters and complex relations that even if you don't like horror movies can get you hooked.
Ooooo, I haven't seen "Oculus" or "Before I wake up", but if they're anything like "Midnight mass" then I'm all in! I loved that show.
you could make this as a series post, like Movie Monday.
The recent horror movies I have watched are Jordan Peele's movies: Get Out (2017), Us (2019), Nope (2022)
and John Krasinki's A Quiet Place I & II
Haha forreal! Movie Monday would be quite a fun one. 😀
I like all your suggestions here, though I still need to see A Quiet Place I.
I want to talk about it Follows. I think nobody talked before.
Is a modern horror movie that scares in a simple, surprising and amazing way. For me, is one of the "best" experiences i ever had watching a horror movie. I remember the experience i had watching Paranormal activity, the original one. I hate that kind of movies i dont like the genre, but these two are movies that, i maybe... some times i thinked in watch again... 100% recommended
"Hostel", both the original and the sequel. Not a fan of scary movies, but both movies gave me nightmares for 3 nights after watching them. Good thing they did not make the thrid one, "Hostel" is one of those rare gems whose sequel is as good as the original.
Alien is an all time favorite.
Alien is a classic!! I love the whole series, but I think Alien is the one true horror film in the bunch. So much suspense and dread is built up!
Yeah, the sequels are more action movies. The first one was more suspenseful. With the hidden monster theme. What's it look like, where is it.
Well said!! I def get the hidden monster vibes from Alien, whereas the sequels are generally pretty quick to show ya the aliens, which kinda loses the tension.
The original Spanish version of "[Rec]" is terrifying
Ooo, this one seems familiar, but I can't quite remember if I've seen it... gonna have to check this out!
Coming back because I watched The Ritual last night and wow, that was a freaky one! Very original too!
Man, seeing your suggestions here and others in the thread, I really need to tune into more Asian horror flicks! I'm gonna make a point to do it this season.
Terrifier, it's got that classic horror vibe but was made in 2016
Holy crap! That GIF is awesome... I'm interested!
I am looking for good space and scifi horror but so many movies in this genre are complete 💩
Haha, true that! Sometimes I'm in the mood for crappy, b-rated horror movies (and there are loads) but trying to find something actually good is a job.
Hmmm... I'm gonna think on this and might get back to ya. If we can just get John Carpenter to direct an adaptation of Dead Space...
I hope the next Alien movie is raising the bar up and not down again. After Prey I got hyped about quality, although I didn't like the theme personally.
Maybe some movies by Kubrick like Shining or John Carpenter.
Oooo wow! Can't believe I completely blanked on John Carpenter — I freaking love The Thing!!
And Kubrick is seriously a mastermind of creepiness... even in his films that aren't horror, they just build up such an intensity and really reveal and evil side to humanity that is downright dreadful. Plus, I think the visuals in his films are purposefully, but subtly unnerving. I've heard that he places everything (like props) with intention and that he studied subliminal messaging in marketing. He apparently used these techniques throughout The Shining to constantly hit viewers with images that will conjure up evil and dread.
Carpenter is another visionary. His movies are so deep.
You may stop there ^^.
Indeed, Shining might be more subtle than it looks. I think Kubrick studied a lot of things, including what you mentioned. Really love the accuracy and the mystical end.
Hahaha, point well made! I'd agree that full stop at mastermind is appropriate.
Train To Busan! My favourite zombie movie.
Train to Busan is a 2016 South Korean action horror film directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Eui-sung. The film mostly takes place on a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan as a zombie apocalypse suddenly breaks out in the country and threatens the safety of the passengers.
Oooo yeah, that one was awesome! South Korea has been releasing some really great zombie flicks!! I really loved #Alive and the tv show All of Us Are Dead, but Train to Busan was the first one I saw.
Oh yes I enjoyed them too! You've probably checked it out already, but if you haven't, Kingdom on Netflix is also pretty cool.
I haven't, but wow!! I love that they chose to set it in a different time period. Very cool! I'm gonna have to check it out.
I'm not much of a horror aficionado, but "Voice from the Stone" was really good:
Voice from the Stone is a 2017 American supernatural psychological thriller film directed by Eric D. Howell and written by Andrew Shaw, based on the novel of the same name by Silvio Raffo. The film tells about a young patient of a female psychologist, who gave a promise to the dying mother to remain silent, until her spirit returns. The film, shot in Italy, stars Emilia Clarke, Marton Csokas, Caterina Murino, Remo Girone, Lisa Gastoni and Edward George Dring.
Oooo interesting! I'd never heard of this one.
hands down my fav horror movie to date:
imdb.com/title/tt0395584/
I can chime in adding The Descent. Paranormal Activity (the first one) was also a novelty at that time. And the last one, not a horror movie, really, but a very good thriller: Eden Lake.
The Descent is so good! I almost included that one in my top list. I still really wanna see The Descent Part II!
The Silence of the Lambs is one of the most psychologically terrifying movies.
Awww yeah, I love that movie. The acting is fantastic!!
The real horror for devs Windows Internet Explorer 9
youtube.com/watch?v=pWfvDo0jxZM
Awww man, that one is too realistic for me! 😆