October/Halloween/Horror Recommendations

El Duda · 05-10-2016 3:00pm #1

Its October which means Halloween is fast approaching, so I've decided to watch through all the horror films I've bought over the years but not got round to watching.

I'm looking to compile a list which is a mix of essential horror and lesser known greats. Any input is much appreciated.

So far on my watch list...

Films I own on blu-ray/DVD but haven't watched yet;

The Devils Backbone
Salems Lot
Videodrome
Candyman
Evil dead trilogy
Confessions (horror?)
Ichi the Killer
Shrooms

Recommendations from over the years;

The Brood
You're Next
Possession
Audition
Purge 2

p to the e · 05-10-2016 4:32pm

Over the last few days I've taken down titles that I hadn't heard about but sounded interesting or that I knew but hadn't gotten around to watching and have gotten favourable reviews. I plan to watch these over the next month or so.

Mothman Prophecies
Frailty
Session 9
The Orphanage
Creep (2014)
Hush
The Witch
VHS

reubenreuben · 10-10-2016 3:14pm

p to the e wrote: »

Over the last few days I've taken down titles that I hadn't heard about but sounded interesting or that I knew but hadn't gotten around to watching and have gotten favourable reviews. I plan to watch these over the next month or so.
Mothman Prophecies

Frailty

Session 9

The Orphanage

Creep (2014)

Hush

The Witch

VHS

The orphanage is very unnerving.

smurf492 · 11-10-2016 11:39pm

Puppet master and phantasm series...

Fysh · 13-10-2016 8:33pm

Some nice choices there - if you enjoy Confessions, I imagine you'd like Audition (very slow-burning but worth it). If you want nightmarishly deranged Japanese horror, check out Tetsuo: The Iron Man or Gozu. If you prefer something a bit more fun, try Happiness of the Katakuris (a family drama musical...with zombies! And more) or Versus (yakuzas vs zombies).

If you like The Witch, check out Berberian Sound Studio, The Babadook or Under The Shadow (recently out at the cinema). I also have a soft spot for Rob Zombie's Lords of Salem, though it's not anywhere near as good as the other films.

At this time of year, it's almost a contractual obligation to have some Carpenter goodness - Halloween and The Thing being the obvious choices, although I also have a soft spot for The Fog.

If you want some body horror in the vein of The Fly, David Cronenberg's son Brandon directed a very good, creepy effort by the name of Antiviral a few years back. Excision and American Mary are also both very good.

If you fancy a vampire film with a twist, there have been a number of good recent offerings - Thirst (Korean), Byzantium, Only Lovers Left Alive, and A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (though the last one is arguably almost more of a western than a horror film).

If you want some horror-comedy, you could check out Ash vs the Evil Dead (the second series is currently airing and the first series is out now), Severance, Idle Hands, Cabin In The Woods, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil or What We Do In The Shadows.

If you want weird psychological horror, you could try Yellowbrickroad, Pontypool, Dogtooth, It Follows or The Circle.

run_Forrest_run · 13-10-2016 8:40pm

The Witch - loved it

run_Forrest_run · 13-10-2016 8:41pm

not a horror film as such but Under the Skin would go down well for this time of year too.

Catcher7791 · 13-10-2016 11:30pm

If you're in Dublin over the Bank Holiday weekend this month,there's a horror festival worth checking out ifi.ie/horrorthon

BuyersRemorse · 14-10-2016 11:47am

Watched a South Korean film called The Wailing. I'm not usually given to hyperbole, but I believe that in years to come this will be regarded as an all time classic. Already planning a rewatch.

p to the e · 14-10-2016 11:52am

As someone mentioned above "Under The Skin" is a genuinely creepy film in the same vein as "The Witch", which I watched recently. So if you like one you should probably like the other. It really sticks with you and you'll not forget it in a hurry.

I have "Berberian Sound Studio" on my list but haven't gotten around to it but looking forward to it.

Another film I found to have a real Gothic horror feel to it was "Anti Christ". Lars Von Trier isn't everyone's cup of tea but I found this film to be one of his good ones.

El Duda · 01-10-2018 1:23pm

Adding 'Creepshow' to this years list

Isn't there a re-release available somewhere?

correction · 01-10-2018 2:56pm

A film I don't see mentioned much that I love is The Guest. If you like synth horror you'll dig it.

Outlaw Pete · 01-10-2018 4:28pm

Not everyone's cup of cha but Iive always loved Trick or Treat.

El Duda · 01-10-2018 4:52pm

I love "The Guest" and I have Trick 'R' Treat ready to roll

ShagNastii · 01-10-2018 5:16pm

They get a lot of slack but I find James Wan horrors very enjoyable.

The movies are utterly creepy and gripping throughout but I can't for the life of me understand why they can't deliver a satifactory ending. There seems a point in all of them where the flick jumps the shark.

yerwanthere123 · 01-10-2018 10:22pm

It Follows is terrific

SimonTemplar · 02-10-2018 1:00am

The Descent is one of my favourite horror movies. Just fantastically well orchestrated horror.

Kill List is also worth a watch. Very tense and forboding atmosphere throughout.

I don't think Sinister has a good reputation but I saw it recently and thought it was a very creepy modern horror.

Peeping Tom from 1960 is a nice little precursor to slasher films but is also very much a psychlogical horror.

Let The Right One In from Sweden is a classic too. Not too keen on the US remake which is just basically a lesser duplication.

I was also recently pressed by The Invasion of The Bodysnatchers from 1978 and especially The Fly from 1986 both with Jeff Goldblum. Both have aged well.

If you're looking for a slightly less serious but more fun horror adventure, I'd recommend Joy Ride, a nice slice of popcorn entertainment and doesn't try to be anything more. It was written by JJ Abrams early in his career.

spacecoyote · 02-10-2018 8:23am

I watched Society (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098354/) recently

Late 80s, cheesy, weird stuff, but its worth sticking with purely for the physical effects in the last 15 minutes or so.

Its pretty out there & if you have a very weak stomach, it might not be for you, but if you're looking for some old-school 80s schlocky horror fun its worth a watch.

Feels like the actual message is somewhat current too with all the rich white American privilege stuff in the media these days

Liam McPoyle · 02-10-2018 9:43pm

El Duda wrote: »

Adding 'Creepshow' to this years list

Isn't there a re-release available somewhere?

Scream Factory in the US are currently working on a pimped out blu ray due for release shortly. I've one pre-ordered so looking forward to getting my hands on it, they are one of the best in terms of their output, along with Arrow and Severin.

DvB · 03-10-2018 1:38pm

An often ignored John carpenter one, Prince of Darkness is one of my personal favourites, IMO its a very underrated film.

If you want out & out gorey but fun madness, the Feast trilogy is worth a look too. I watched them back to back one night & had a ball, they're so over the top bad they're great!

gmisk · 03-10-2018 11:12pm

El Duda wrote: »

I love "The Guest" and I have Trick 'R' Treat ready to roll

Trick r treat is excellent imo

CastorTroy · 04-10-2018 1:26am

Still waiting on the sequel. May rewatch this year, along with Hocus Pocus.

BoneIdol · 04-10-2018 1:35am

Catcher7791 wrote: »

If you're in Dublin over the Bank Holiday weekend this month,there's a horror festival worth checking out ifi.ie/horrorthon

Does it still draw the worst crowd known to any event in Ireland?

gmisk · 04-10-2018 6:56am

BoneIdol wrote: »

Does it still draw the worst crowd known to any event in Ireland?

If you mean people that think they are hilarious and join in with the film and laugh wildly over absolutely nothing, put junk on all the seats to keep them....then yes it does zzz

It is also still in the IFI with its tiny seats...and with the average horrorthon attendee being let's say on the 'cuddly' side of things.. It is er cosy.

I have been going for about 10 years, but gave up last year as behaviour of crowd has gotten unbearable.

BoneIdol · 04-10-2018 10:16am

gmisk wrote: »

If you mean people that think they are hilarious and join in with the film and laugh wildly over absolutely nothing, put junk on all the seats to keep them....then yes it does zzz

It is also still in the IFI with its tiny seats...and with the average horrorthon attendee being let's say on the 'cuddly' side of things.. It is er cosy.

I have been going for about 10 years, but gave up last year as behaviour of crowd has gotten unbearable.

It's at least ten years since I've gone but that sounds about spot on alright.

gmisk · 05-10-2018 8:50pm

This year I am going to go see some Halloween films in lighthouse much more civilised.

They are showing the original Halloween cannot wait! Few others on like evil dead and Texas chainsaw

El Duda · 22-10-2018 3:56pm

I may aswell use this thread to post up my Halloween horror reviews. Starting with all the Elm Streets!

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - 8.5 / 10

Still an enjoyable classic. Love all the surrealist stuff and the dream sequences. The way the parents are written is still as intentionally infuriating as ever. The Home Alone traps at the end are a bit stupid but this still holds up really well and is very dark compared to most of the others.

Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge - 5/10

The sequel to Wes Craven's classic fails to recapture the spirit and tone of the first film. Freddy is underwritten and the film really suffers for it. The scenes with the parents were oddly entertaining and it turns out the Mother was played by Oscar nominated actress Hope Lange.

Mark Patton tries his best but is ultimately a strange choice of lead. His girlish flamboyance was apparently a deliberate choice and there is a whole subtext about repressed homosexuality that doesn't really go anywhere. The film is redeemed by the weird, surrealist sequences at the end.

Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors - 6.5/10

Possibly the best of the sequels and it features a cast with a few familiar faces in Patricia Arquette and 'Larry' Fishburne. There are some very creative set pieces and some of Kruger's finest quips. I think Wes Craven lending a hand with the screenplay is what elevates this from the other sequels.

Worth watching for Kincaid alone.

"KRUGER PUSSAY!"

Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master - 4/10

Coming off the back of the fantastic third installment 'Dream Warriors', this is a huge misstep and easily the worst of the franchise thus far.

Aside from a couple of interesting ideas, this is very flat and lacks the imagination and surrealism of its predecessors. There is some cool time loop stuff towards the end but it never really goes anywhere.The acting is consistently awful from every single cast member.

I can't believe they killed off the best character in the franchise. R.I.P Kincaid.

Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child – 5/10
Another weak Elm Street instalment where Freddy continues to descend further into parody. Fans of Scary Terry will be interested to know that this is the film in which he uses the word “Bitch” the most.
The cast is incredibly weak and the only recognisable face for me was the ‘giant turkey’ kid from the start of Jurassic Park. The only saving grace here is that it appears to pay slight homage to David Lynch at times with some Eraserhead style imagery and some bat**** death scenes.

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (Elm Street 6) – 4.25/10
There’s a reason why they decided to bill this one as the final nightmare… they had run out of ideas! Even resorting to recycling the same ending as the original. This film features yet another weak cast with Hollyoaks levels of dialogue delivery.
By this point they’re just playing the Freddy character for laughs and it quickly descends into a farce when Spencer (main bloke from Road Trip) gets sucked into Freddy’s video game. Factor in some cartoon sound FX and this is by far the stupidest Elm Street death scene bar none.
The one thing that is consistent to the franchise is the level of energy and charisma that Robert Englund brings to the role. Even when the character is being lazily treated by the writers, he still manages to sell the material.

Wes Cravens New Nightmare – 6.5/10
We Craven returns to the franchise he started and brings some much-needed fresh ideas to the table. This is his first furore into the self-referential horror pastiche that he would later use when making Scream and it certainly makes for an interesting film.
There is a scene halfway through where Wes himself appears and this was clearly a step too far and it completely takes you out of the film. Wes is also the weakest cast member who appears playing themselves.
What really works about this is that Wes brings the franchise back to the strong imagery that made Freddy such a terrifying icon in the first place; His glove. His name. His burnt face. The Rhyme. It’s just a shame that the new look they gave Freddy is so rubbery.

El Duda · 31-10-2018 9:35am

A few more...

Trick R Treat – 6/10
A series of loosely linked anthology stories which really capture the spirit of Halloween. Perhaps the separate story threads could’ve been bridged together more effectively but there is plenty of creativity on show.
The real strength of the film is the way it captures the childlike imagination that comes with the season of Halloween. Exploring myths and legends but bringing a fresh spin on things.
The film is directed by Michael Dougherty who also made the enjoyable Christmas horror/comedy Krampus and it’s nice to know there is a Trick R Treat 2 in the works.

Let the Right One In – 9/10
Gorgeously shot Swedish Vampire film that blends the mythology with ultra-realism. Set on a Stockholm council estate, the film centres around a lonely boy that is getting bullied at school who then befriends an estranged ‘young girl’. Their relationship is the heart of the movie, but this heart is not as warm blooded as it first appears.
As you peel back the layers you gradually discover that what seems to be blossoming young romance turns out to be devastatingly tragic. The slow pacing of the film gives the viewer time to evaluate and understand the dynamic between the main characters without resorting to lazy exposition dumps.
A lot of the film takes place at night in the snow which is the perfect backdrop for such a melancholy film. Both the Vampire and the school/family elements are dealt with tenderly and tastefully. Why they felt the need for an American remake is beyond me. A massive part of what makes the film work so well is the fact it is set in an unusual location.

The Brood – 7/10
A typically mental slice of vintage Cronenberg ‘body horror’ that explores the pseudo-science of a renegade psychiatrist played by Oliver Reed. It’s probably best to go in knowing very little as the plot unfolds nicely right through to the climax. It keeps you on edge and has a great sense of paranoia throughout.
Most of the death scenes take place in broad daylight and there is one scene in particular that was really shocking. The main thing that really stands out here is the quality of the acting. Both Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar put in superb performances despite that fact that they only worked on the film for a few days.
It doesn’t hit the heights of The Fly or Videodrome but this still has more substance and subtext than most horror films from this era.

gmisk · 31-10-2018 10:33am

El Duda wrote: »

A few more...

Trick R Treat – 6/10
A series of loosely linked anthology stories which really capture the spirit of Halloween. Perhaps the separate story threads could’ve been bridged together more effectively but there is plenty of creativity on show.
The real strength of the film is the way it captures the childlike imagination that comes with the season of Halloween. Exploring myths and legends but bringing a fresh spin on things.
The film is directed by Michael Dougherty who also made the enjoyable Christmas horror/comedy Krampus and it’s nice to know there is a Trick R Treat 2 in the works.

Let the Right One In – 9/10
Gorgeously shot Swedish Vampire film that blends the mythology with ultra-realism. Set on a Stockholm council estate, the film centres around a lonely boy that is getting bullied at school who then befriends an estranged ‘young girl’. Their relationship is the heart of the movie, but this heart is not as warm blooded as it first appears.
As you peel back the layers you gradually discover that what seems to be blossoming young romance turns out to be devastatingly tragic. The slow pacing of the film gives the viewer time to evaluate and understand the dynamic between the main characters without resorting to lazy exposition dumps.
A lot of the film takes place at night in the snow which is the perfect backdrop for such a melancholy film. Both the Vampire and the school/family elements are dealt with tenderly and tastefully. Why they felt the need for an American remake is beyond me. A massive part of what makes the film work so well is the fact it is set in an unusual location.

The Brood – 7/10
A typically mental slice of vintage Cronenberg ‘body horror’ that explores the pseudo-science of a renegade psychiatrist played by Oliver Reed. It’s probably best to go in knowing very little as the plot unfolds nicely right through to the climax. It keeps you on edge and has a great sense of paranoia throughout.
Most of the death scenes take place in broad daylight and there is one scene in particular that was really shocking. The main thing that really stands out here is the quality of the acting. Both Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar put in superb performances despite that fact that they only worked on the film for a few days.
It doesn’t hit the heights of The Fly or Videodrome but this still has more substance and subtext than most horror films from this era.

I think 6/10 for trick r treat is harsh, a great little film not widely enough seen.

CastorTroy · 31-10-2018 5:03pm

Hocus Pocus watched last night. Thinking Monster House tonight.

El Duda · 02-10-2019 8:57am

Halloween Spooky Movie time!

I have a nice stack of films to get through. I will try and post a review a day throughout October. Today I'll start with...

One Cut of the Dead – 9/10

Possibly the most fun and entertaining film of the year and certainly the smartest. It’s best to go in knowing as little as possible but I can guarantee this is the most fun you’ve had watching a Zombie film since Shaun of the Dead. Of all the films I’ve seen in recent years that demand repeat viewing, this is top of the list. Actual genius.

October/Halloween/Horror Recommendations

Comments

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year" - Charles Dickens