FILMS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED TO SEE 666

Looking for a cool Horror movie to see on Halloween night? Well, then you’ve come to the right place! How cool is it that the 6th (or 666) edition of FILMS YOU DIDN’T KNOW… fell on Halloween? I know, right? For those of you guys and gores new to the site, here’s the rundown on how this post works…

There are several movies out there that don’t necessarily get the same recognition or promotion as others. Films that at times can be quite good. Films that are currently collecting dust in the “Favorites” aisle at your local video store. We here at THE LIST have taken it upon ourselves to bring these films to the forefront and present you, the movie going public, a list of FILMS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED TO SEE.

This time around, we are presenting you with the all horror edition to help with some spooky suggestions for your Halloween viewing pleasure. To help me out this time around, I’ve recruited the following:

Terri from GOREGIRL’S DUNGEON: The queen of gore serves up her 2nd contribution to these posts.
Andy from FANDANGO GROOVERS MOVIE BLOG: Also a repeat contributor with a unique spin for this outting.
Meredith Carter from M. CARTER AT THE MOVIES: Returns fresh off an October Horror Marathon.
Jason from INVASION OF THE B-MOVIES: The King of all things “B”.
And to kick things off, your friendly neighborhood…

KAIDERMAN:

TRICK ‘r TREAT (2007).

If Halloween (the movie) is the Miracle on 34th Street of Halloween (the holiday) then Trick ‘r Treat is easily the Christmas Story of the fall and should be watched everytime October 31st roles around to get in the mood for the spookiest of holidays. Told very much in the vein of the old Creepshow films, this little flick tells 4 intertwining stories, set at Halloween, that encompasses everything that makes Halloween great: Werewolves, Vampires, Serial Killers, Urban Legends, Ghost Stories and creepy little monsters with potato sacks on their head. Also, a good watch for people who don’t handle Horror too well.

FEAST (2005).

You guys remember that whole Project Greenlight thing where Ben Affleck and Matt Damon had a show on Bravo to give unknowns a chance to write and direct their own projects while Bravo made a TV show chronicling the entire process? Don’t feel bad… not many do. However, their last outting produced a fun film to watch starring Balthazar Getty, Henry Rollins, Jason Mewes and a smoking hot Krista Allen as, quite simply, patrons locked in a bar fending off genetically mutated animal monsters. Very tongue-in-cheek and fun to watch… spawned a few sequels as well!

ALTERED (2006).

Directed by one of the guys that brought you The Blair Witch Project, Altered is sort of like A Fire in the Sky… only different. I’ll let IMDB explain: Fifteen years ago, five men were abducted by aliens. Only four returned. Now, these same four men have managed to capture one of the creatures who killed their friend and ruined their lives. It’s time for payback but payback swings both ways. This is by no means a great movie but could be a lot of fun for a Halloween watch as they do a great job of making the aliens be very sinister in a way I’ve never seen in a film before.

FRONTIER(S) – aka: Frontière(s) (2007).

The premise is fairly standard on this one: A gang of young thieves flee Paris during the violent aftermath of a political election, only to hole up at an Inn run by cannibalistic neo-Nazis. OK… not totally standard but it is a pretty formulaic film in the sense that young 20 somethings hole up in the wrong backwoods motel and bad things happen. What makes this one stand out is the fact that nobody does gore like the French and this one is a Gorefest in every sense of the word. So, get your popcorn ready and watch the red river flow!

TERRI:

I’m entitling this trio of films DIVA LA FRANCE as all three are French horror films featuring strong female characterizations.

INSIDE – aka: À l’intérieur (2007).

Plot: A pregnant woman is terrorized the night before she is due to give birth.
A perfect mix of tension, excellent performances, and graphic gory death. Watching a very pregnant woman being terrorized is nasty enough but there are actually moments in the film where they have the audacity to show the action from the fetus point of view. Inside is not for the squeamish but if you are looking for a lively, gory horror flick this Halloween look no further!

EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1960).

Plot: An accident has left a young woman horribly scarred and forced to wear a featureless mask to hide her disfigurement.
Mesmerizing from beginning to end and one of the most striking finales ever to grace a horror film. Plus, for a flick from 1960 it even features some impressive gore! A strikingly original, atmospheric, bleak and beautiful contribution to the horror genre. A great Halloween horror flick for those looking for a classic. 
 
HIGH TENSION (2003).

Plot: Friends Marie and Alexa are forced to fight for their lives when a ruthless killer invades Alexa’s family home.
This intense horror film is beautifully filmed, gory and suspenseful. It is an unrelenting attack on the senses carried by an outstanding and very believable performance from its lead actress. High Tension definitely lives up to its titular promise! If you are looking for some serious suspense with your gore than you should definitely add this one to the queue.

JASON:

CATHY’S CURSE (1977).

For all I know, this is a ’70’s made-for-TV film about a girl who gets possessed by a ghost. What makes this movie stand out is the hilarious acting, the obvious fake mustache on the dude at the beginning of the movie, and the housekeeper who pretends to clean shit up.

SLUGS (1988).

I don’t even know how to describe this movie in a short paragraph. Basically, human-eating slugs take over a town, there a dude named Mike Brady, and someone doesn’t have the authorization to declare happy birthday!

POPCORN (1991).

This movie is a tribute to old 50’s horror and sci-fi films, while being an 80’s slasher flick. Some film students run a film festival by showing movies called “Mosquito!”, “The Stench”, and “The Incredible Electrified Man” and the kills in this movie are just amazing.

ANDY:

TASTE OF FEAR (1961).

 

 

All three of my choices are Hammer Horror movies from the 60s, breaking with the stereotype of Hammer they are all set in the 20th century and don’t include Hammer staples Frankenstein and Dracula (or any other vampire).  Taste of Fear  is known as Scream of Fear in America, whilst Christopher Lee considers The Devil Rides Out to be his favourite Hammer movie he has stated that this earlier film directed by Seth Holt was their best.  A fantastic thriller with just enough twists, turns and revelations in the plot to hold the viewers interest to the very end.  Aspects of the story are reminiscent of the classic French thriller Les diaboliques (1955) and there is more than a nod to Hitchcock but this is a first rate movie in its own right.  Best viewed with little or no knowledge of the plot.

 

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967).

 

 

The character Professor Bernard Quatermass originally started out in an influential British TV show in the 1950’s.   Quatermass and the Pit, known as Five Million Years to Earth in America was the final and best (but least financially successful) of the three movies to feature the character.  The story is largely the same as the original TV series about a frightening discovery made by workmen extending a London Underground station.  The movie contains aspects of horror, Sci-Fi and action, don’t expect the special effects to hold up to modern standards but it is still a great movie that has a lot to offer the horror genre.  

 

THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968).

 

 

Known as The Devil’s Bride in America, The Devil Rides Out started life out as a novel by Dennis Wheatley.  Hammer’s biggest and most bankable star Christopher Lee suggested they adapt the story into a movie and took a staring role, he has since described it as his favourite Hammer film.  Hammers best director Terrence Fisher was hired to direct and did a fine job injecting style and humour into the atmospheric horror thriller.  

Set in 1930s England the story revolves around Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) saving some young friends from a devil worshipping cult led by Charles Gray (Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever).  A great film that has aged really well and has a charm devoid in more cynical modern horror.

M. CARTER:

 

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974).

 

Before “Friday the 13th,” before “Halloween” and even before “When a Stranger Calls,” there was Robert Clark’s wholly unsettling “Black Christmas.” Hailed by fans as one of the original (if not THE original) slasher films, this scary little find of a film turns a cozy, Christmas-lit Canadian sorority house into a den of psychological terror, mayhem and murder as a prank caller’s calls turn from annoying to scary. You’ll never look at your attic — or your telephone — the same way again.

 

THE BROOD (1979).

Horror films don’t tend to contain deep, personal messages; David Cronenberg’s “The Brood,” however, is one of the few that does. Written during his own painful custody battle with his ex-wife, this disturbing horror film/thriller centers on an emotionally distraught divorcée (Samantha Eggar) who seeks the help of an unconditional therapist and begins giving birth to deformed, child-like beings that exact revenge on those who hurt her. The kid killers are scary, but it’s the message about the trauma of a family divided really lingers unpleasantly.

 

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (2009).

 

Ti West’s unbelievably tense “The House of the Devil,” a minor indie horror sensation, is not for the impatient. The film, which introduces a cash-strapped college student (Jocelin Donahue) who takes a babysitting job despite the employer’s (Tom Noonan) obvious creepiness, is slow going for a full 80 minutes — a time of complete inaction (nothing, truly, is all that happens). But West understands that the anticipation, the endless waiting, plays on our minds and forces us to do all the real long-term damage to ourselves.