#901-#1000
The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films: #901-#1000
901. (-42) Dead Silence
James Wan
AKA:
2007 / USA / 89m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Michael Fairman, Joan Heney, Bob Gunton, Laura Regan, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Judith Roberts, Keir Gilchrist
“So what makes Dead Silence more creepy and clever than the dozens of horror films that have preceded it in this decade? It comes directly from the talents of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell. The scenarios they set in motion combine logical storytelling with strong suspense filmmaking and keep us in the audience in a constant state of alert, sitting on the edge of our seat, unable to predict what is going to happen next. Wan and Whannell never retreat to the typical horror cliches to achieve their scares. There are no unnecessary shock cuts, no red herrings and no abuse of bombastic musical scoring to tell audiences when to be scared. Where so many modern horror films are utterly predictable, the Saw pictures, all written by Whannell with producer credits for Wan on Saw 2 and 3, and now Dead Silence avoid predictibility by employing great staging and scene setting. The audience is so busy covering their eyes in anticipation of the next scare, they simply don’t have time to predict what comes next.” – Sean Kernan, Smart-Popcorn
Genres: Supernatural Horror, Mystery, Gothic Horror, Evil Doll
902. (-31) Versus
Ryûhei Kitamura
AKA:
2000 / Japan / 119m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka, Kenji Matsuda, Yuichiro Arai, Minoru Matsumoto, Kazuhito Ohba, Takehiro Katayama, Ayumi Yoshihara, Shôichirô Masumoto
“All in all, “Versus” delivers on its one basic promise: action, and tons and tons of action. This movie has, for lack of a better word, style. It is obviously a low-budget film, since there are barely any special effects of the computer variety, but many of the old-fashion practicals and gallons and gallons of fake blood variety. It’s gore at its finest, and it’s quite fine, let me assure you. Gorefiends will pray their eyes don’t fail them during the viewing.” – Beyond Hollywood
Genres:
903. (+75) Antiviral
Brandon Cronenberg
AKA:
2012 / Canada / 108m / Col / Body Horror | IMDb
Caleb Landry Jones, Sarah Gadon, Lisa Berry, Douglas Smith, Nenna Abuwa, Donna Goodhand, Adam Bogen, Salvatore Antonio, Matt Watts, Dawn Greenhalgh
“If David Cronenberg is the king of body horror, Brandon would be the king of body parts. Almost the entire film is shot in an uncomfortable close-up. Shots of hands, eyes, arms, and stomachs all fill the screen. It’s as if the film is invading your personal space, like it’s the virus trying to get inside of the audience, and it works very well. Not only is it visually disturbing at times, but you begin to feel uncomfortable with it seeming to be so close. Imagine trying to have the most interesting two hour conversation of your life with someone who stands inches away from you. You wouldn’t dare leave for fear of missing something important, but you squirm the entire time.” – Will Brownridge, The Film Reel
Genres:
904. (new) El libro de piedra
Carlos Enrique Taboada
AKA: The Book of Stone
1969 / Mexico / 99m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Marga López, Joaquín Cordero, Norma Lazareno, Aldo Monti, Lucy Buj, Rafael Llamas, Ada Carrasco, Lilia Castillo, Manuel Dondé, Jorge Mateos
“The Book of Stone carries the echoes of an MR James story with its premise of ancient evil and suggested rather than depicted horror… Bit by bit the story unravels, piling on one little disturbing incident after another, till it places itself firmly in the realm of the supernatural. [The statue] ‘Hugo’ is revealed to have a sinister history and will resist all attempts made to uproot him from his pedestal. Even here, there is far more reliance on the play of light and shadow (cinematographer Ignacio Torres), and juxtaposition of circumstance than any elaborate flashy effect.” – Suresh S, Un-kvlt Site
Genres:
905. (+3) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
Adam Marcus
AKA: Friday the 13th IX
1993 / USA / 87m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Kane Hodder, Steven Williams, Steven Culp, Erin Gray, Rusty Schwimmer, Richard Gant, Leslie Jordan, Billy Green Bush
“Many faithful Friday advocates refer to this as the series’ lowest ebb and hold New Line contemptible for slaughtering their beloved franchise. On one hand they have a point. It’s unfocused, often inane, and disrespectful to its roots which could be viewed as unforgivable. Despite numerous failings and such a distinct departure from vintage Friday values, it still forms a decent double-bill with Freddy vs. Jason if you’re that way inclined… Taken on its own merits, Jason Goes To Hell is one of the easier Fridays to revisit. It’s not big, certainly not clever, and not particularly respectful of its once great heritage, but it’s 91 minutes of passable fare” – Richard Charles Stevens, Rivers of Grue
Genres:
906. (-12) The Last Exorcism
Daniel Stamm
AKA:
2010 / USA / 87m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Landry Jones, Tony Bentley, John Wright Jr., Shanna Forrestall, Justin Shafer, Carol Sutton
“The movie’s first forty-five minutes acts as a legitimately witty satire of religious fundamentalists and the now-totally-lame concept of exorcisms (“the spirit of Christ compels you … yawn”). When the stakes are raised in the final act, the audience has been utterly disarmed. And instead of winking at us and promising that it will be all right, they trust that we want to feel terror.” – Simon Miraudo, Quickflix
Genres:
907. (-41) The Night Flier
Mark Pavia
AKA:
1997 / USA / 94m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Miguel Ferrer, Julie Entwisle, Dan Monahan, Michael H. Moss, John Bennes, Beverly Skinner, Rob Wilds, Richard K. Olsen, Elizabeth McCormick, J.R. Rodriguez
“THE NIGHT FLIER stays true to the source material, while changing a few things up that actually work better in this visual medium. Even though Dees is a complete and utter tool, we can’t help ourselves enjoy watching this despicable man go through a creepy investigation that ultimately leads to a confrontation that will decide his fate. In the realm of Stephen King adaptations, THE NIGHT FLIER is great. In the world of vampire films, it’s also great. This is an underrated gem of a movie that deserves more acclaim than it gets.” – Derrick Carter, For The Love Of Celluloid
Genres:
908. (-25) Prevenge
Alice Lowe
AKA:
2016 / UK / 88m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Alice Lowe, Dan Renton Skinner, Jo Hartley, Tom Davis, Leila Hoffman, Kate Dickie, Kayvan Novak, Mike Wozniak, Tom Meeten, Marc Bessant
“The star of the show is Lowe, who is able to convey fragility, confusion and downright craziness, while being eight months pregnant in real-life. In addition to incorporating an ominous visual style to her direction that complements her wry screenplay, her performance as Ruth conveys an evident conscious clash. Her imaginary conversations with her unborn daughter shows a darker side to her psyche, but she is unable to resist the urge to kill. It hints that she is compelled by the remaining part of the love she lost, and so driven by her need for him that it blinds all sense and meaning.” – Katie Smith-Wong, Flick Feast
Genres:
909. (-39) Warm Bodies
Jonathan Levine
AKA:
2013 / USA / 98m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, John Malkovich, Cory Hardrict, Daniel Rindress-Kay, Vincent Leclerc
“Once you get past the zombie mythology issues, the script is cleverly written, and does make a lot of valid points on the lack of interconnectedness in today’s society. There is also that Romeo and Juliet parable (note the main characters names) that is wisely alluded to directly in a certain scene, rather than looming over, wanting to be noticed. Levine’s film even features notable cinematography, which is somewhat rare in a film of this ilk… the color saturates and fades as along with the film’s current emotional level. While this is an obvious choice, it certainly works here. Yes, this film has it’s issues, and a lot of its logic is hard to swallow, but its notable performances and direction strengthen its sweet, but not cloying, thesis.” – Caitlin Hughes, Film School Rejects
Genres:
910. (-45) Scream 3
Wes Craven
AKA:
2000 / USA / 116m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Liev Schreiber, Beth Toussaint, Roger Jackson, Kelly Rutherford, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Julie Janney, Richmond Arquette, Patrick Dempsey, Lynn McRee
“Whereas any old second sequel to a slasher franchise would be more than showing its age by now, “Scream 3” is that rare case in which it is not merely here to cash in on the big bucks, but was all along planned as a trilogy. One could possibly question if this is actually true, or just an excuse by the filmmakers once the original struck pay-dirt, but “Scream 3” does a fabulous job of wrapping things up and filling in the missing pieces, all the while delivering what fans have grown accustomed to: scares, snappy dialogue, believable characters, and some sort of unique spin on the otherwise cliched formula. While “Scream 2” was the most straightforward of the series, in terms of its violence and occasionally messy plot developments, “Scream 3,” like its 1996 precursor, is a multilayered funhouse of chills that does a more than sufficient job of keeping the surprising twists coming.” – Dustin Putnam, The Movie Boy
Genres:
911. (-60) Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse
Fritz Lang
AKA: The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
1933 / Germany / 122m / BW / Crime | IMDb
Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gustav Diessl, Rudolf Schündler, Oskar Höcker, Theo Lingen, Camilla Spira, Paul Henckels, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos, Hadrian Maria Netto
“What is perhaps most striking about Das Testament des Dr Mabuse is its scale and sophistication. Not only does it qualify as a masterpiece on artistic grounds (some of its imagery is the stuff of film legend), but it is by far and away the most ambitious dramatic thriller of its time, thanks to some extraordinary action sequences (which incudes one of cinema’s most imaginative car chases). Lang uses sound almost as effectively as he uses image to tell his story and create an unsettling mood of paranoia and anticipation.” – James Travers, French Film Site
Genres:
912. (-39) Nekromantik 2
Jörg Buttgereit
AKA:
1991 / Germany / 104m / Col / Exploitation | IMDb
Monika M., Mark Reeder, Lena Braun, Jörg Buttgereit, Carola Ewers, Astrid Ewerts, Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Käthe Kruse, Eva-Maria Kurz, Bernd Daktari Lorenz
“So while much of the dense narrative concentrates on mood and plot, Buttgereit certainly delivers on the gorehound’s expectations in the last reel for the sequence in which Monika literally swaps her boyfriend’s head for that of Rob’s. This outrageous scene easily surpasses Daktari Lorenz’s ‘climax’ in part one. And aside from the corpses and the blood and the grim atmospherics, Nekromantik 2, like its predecessor, so offers a touch of humour here and there, including the romance between Monika and Mark, and Mark’s work which sees him improvising sound effects and dubbing p*rn very badly into German.” – Horror News
Genres:
913. (-44) Mute Witness
Anthony Waller
AKA:
1995 / Russia / 95m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Marina Zudina, Fay Ripley, Evan Richards, Oleg Yankovskiy, Igor Volkov, Sergei Karlenkov, Alec Guinness, Aleksandr Pyatkov, Nikolai Pastukhov, Aleksandr Bureyev
“Mute Witness has a keen sense of geography, and the camera movement is choreographed against the positions of the actors to sustain a remarkable cinematic tension. Sudina has a keen sense of her character, too, playing Billy as determined but terrified, smart but vulnerable. Her performance, along with Waller’s sure, straightforward direction, render some of the script’s more obvious implausibilities irrelevant in favor of sharp audience identification with Billy. And when the veracity of what she saw is called into question — was the ‘murder’ she witnessed really just a clever special effect? — the audience, too, is forced to reconsider its own experience of the murder on screen.” – Bryant Frazer, Deep Focus
Genres:
914. (-32) Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things
Bob Clark
AKA:
1972 / USA / 87m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Alan Ormsby, Valerie Mamches, Jeff Gillen, Anya Ormsby, Paul Cronin, Jane Daly, Roy Engleman, Robert Philip, Bruce Solomon, Alecs Baird
“Many people have written this film off as, like I mentioned above, campy, but there’s something deliberate in the tone that the director crafted for this film. He loaded the script with silly lines and inside jokes that you would traditionally hear when in close quarters with a theatrical group such as this one, yet offsets that harmless scenario with the hauntingly macabre idea of a group of kids desecrating a cemetery and then walking off with one of it’s inhabitants to just goof off with it. I think the combination is both fun and demented and I enjoy those ingredients each and every time I view this film. The characters are so off the wall and have such different personalities that you just enjoy listening to the ridiculous things that come out of their mouths. There’s enough one liners and quotable lines in this one that it’s hard to get bored and that’s not including the hauntingly vibrant soundtrack.” – Jay Shatzer, The Lucid Nightmare
Genres:
915. (-38) The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)
Tom Six
AKA:
2011 / USA / 91m / BW / Body Horror | IMDb
Laurence R. Harvey, Ashlynn Yennie, Maddi Black, Kandace Caine, Dominic Borrelli, Lucas Hansen, Lee Nicholas Harris, Dan Burman, Daniel Jude Gennis
“If you are a true fan of horror then you will appreciate what Six is doing. If you are not you may ask why put yourself through the grinder and watch something as uncomfortable and disturbing as this? Well the answer for a horror fan is that there’s something deeply satisfying about going to the dark side, to looking as what can lurk inside a person and discover that the most terrifying thing is the darkness that can lie within the human soul. It’s also a carefully constructed work of art that makes us think about how we view violence, about how we have been lulled into numbness by horror films that sanitize violence and make it palatable so that you can walk out of a Hollywood horror film and only talk about where to go to dinner. Six wants to jolt you in order to remind you that violence in films should offend you, should upset you.” – Beth Accomando, KPBS
Genres:
916. (+42) A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick
AKA:
1971 / UK / 136m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke, John Clive, Adrienne Corri, Carl Duering, Paul Farrell, Clive Francis, Michael Gover
“”A Clockwork Orange” is about the rise and fall and rise of Alex in a world that is only slightly less dreadful than he is… Yet Kubrick has chosen to fashion this as the most elegantly stylized, most classically balanced movie he has ever made–and not, I think, by accident… It seems to me that by describing horror with such elegance and beauty, Kubrick has created a very disorienting but human comedy, not warm and lovable, but a terrible sum-up of where the world is at. With all of man’s potential for divinity through love, through his art and his music, this is what it has somehow boiled down to: a civil population terrorized by hoodlums, disconnected porno art, quick solutions to social problems, with the only “hope” for the future in the vicious Alex.” – Vincent Canby, New York Times
Genres:
917. (-24) Waxwork
Anthony Hickox
AKA:
1988 / USA / 95m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Zach Galligan, Jennifer Bassey, Joe Baker, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, David Warner, Eric Brown, Clare Carey, Buckley Norris, Dana Ashbrook
“Waxwork is like a warped cross between a slasher film, featuring a group of 80s caricatures being picked off one-by-one in a strange place, and a loving homage to the classic horrors of old. Never scary in the slightest and filled with so much camp, it would make a drag queen blush, Waxwork defines the 80s comedy-horror to a tee… Nothing really makes much sense but then the film feels like a dozen films all rolled together anyway so just sit back and enjoy Waxwork, a great slice of 80s comedy-horror with a large side-order of ‘fun’ slapped into it. It’s an enjoyable cult film which is sadly hampered from total greatness by a weak plot and disappointing finale.” – Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures
Genres:
918. (-38) Bride of Re-Animator
Brian Yuzna
AKA: Re-Animator 2
1990 / USA / 96m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Claude Earl Jones, Fabiana Udenio, David Gale, Kathleen Kinmont, Mel Stewart, Irene Cagen, Michael Strasser, Mary Sheldon
“Bride of Re-Animator is among the most gleefully disgusting films of all time, a splatterfest leavened by liberal doses of macabre good humour (“My god, they’re using tools!”) that, in sort of an odd way, speaks to the inappropriateness of the whole enterprise. Moments of mordant hilarity aside, what works in the picture works extremely well (namely the old-school special effects, and Combs), and if Bride of Re-Animator lacks the intimate cohesion of the first film despite its desire to resurrect a feeling of doomed love, it at least isn’t coy about ladling out the goodies.” – Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Genres:
919. (-43) Amer
Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
AKA:
2009 / Belgium / 90m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Cassandra Forêt, Charlotte Eugène Guibeaud, Marie Bos, Bianca Maria D’Amato, Harry Cleven, Jean-Michel Vovk, Bernard Marbaix, Thomas Bonzani, François Cognard, Delphine Brual
“This is basic movie Freud, elegantly mounted. The soundtrack (footsteps, dripping taps, creaking doors, banging shutters) is ominously exaggerated. The close-ups are extreme. Colours change melodramatically to fit the shifting moods. The music is borrowed from old horror films. The dialogue is at first sparse, then non-existent. Luis Buñuel (sliced eyeballs, insects crawling out of bodies), Mario Bava and Dario Argento are affectionately alluded to. Viewers are left to create their own narratives or absorb the events into their own dreams and nightmares. This is art-house horror, a pure cinema for connoisseurs, a return to late-19th-century decadence.” – Philip French, The Guardian
Genres:
920. (-2) The Void
Jeremy Gillespie & Steven Kostanski
AKA:
2016 / Canada / 90m / Col / Body Horror | IMDb
Aaron Poole, Kenneth Welsh, Daniel Fathers, Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, Mik Byskov, Art Hindle, Stephanie Belding, James Millington, Evan Stern
“This throwback to John Carpenter/Clive Barker horror films is completely insane, horribly acted, and totally great for anybody who likes their horror served up with a side of cheese… the style of the movie, which features schlocky special effects, and both over- and under- acting, makes the whole mess work in an effective horror revival sort of way. If you hate horror films full of blood and puss where skinless doctors are bellowing devilish incantations, this one isn’t for you. If you are a fan of the recent Stranger Things and the Carpenter fare of old, this one will satisfy you.” – Bob Grimm, Reno News and Review
Genres:
921. (-26) And Soon the Darkness
Robert Fuest
AKA:
1970 / UK / 99m / Col / Mystery | IMDb
Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice, Sandor Elès, John Nettleton, Clare Kelly, Hana Maria Pravda, John Franklyn, Claude Bertrand, Jean Carmet
“Half of the film’s beauty stems from is very ability on the part of both writer and director to allow the viewer to come to these conclusions themselves: nothing is explicit, and everything is ambiguous. Thus, unlike some, equally great films which more or less make the killer’s identity known from the start by leaving EXTREMELY obvious clues (Deadly Strangers, Assault, I Start Counting, Scream And Die! and Schizo all spring to mind) lying around, Clemens, Fuest and Nation really do provide us with a brainteaser, in which ANY one of the principal protagonists could be the culprit if one gives time to stop and consider it. These subtleties are further underscored by the dialogue, which is still central to the plot but sparser than one would find in many films of the period, allowing the scenery- or rather the characters’ perception of it- to tell the tale.” – Drewe Shimon, Brit Movie
Genres:
922. (+3) The Hidden
Jack Sholder
AKA:
1987 / USA / 97m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian, Clarence Felder, Clu Gulager, Ed O’Ross, William Boyett, Richard Brooks, Larry Cedar, Katherine Cannon
“With a fantastic blend of wit and horror, The Hidden is a surprisingly overlooked flick from the ‘80s that would have gone well paired with They Live or some of Fred Dekker’s past films. There’s an absurdity to the whole thing that makes the film laughable; but then again, The Hidden might be seen in a more morbid light by our post-9/11 audiences, especially when it comes to the multiple scenes of aimless violence the alien commits. Even decades later, the film remains relatable, despite the obvious tale of fiction it presents.” – Ryne Barber, Horror News
Genres:
923. (+3) Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead
Don Coscarelli
AKA: Phantasm: Lord of the Dead
1994 / USA / 91m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Reggie Bannister, A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Gloria Lynne Henry, Kevin Connors, Cindy Ambuehl, John Davis Chandler, Brooks Gardner, Angus Scrimm, Irene Roseen
“Being a bizarre blend of such all over the place tones and incongruous concepts is par for the course when it comes to “Phantasm.” And here’s the thing about being three movies deep into the series: By this point, you either “get” the “Phantasm” films, or you don’t. Not in a logic or narrative sense, mind you. No one “gets” that, not even creator Don Coscarelli, who can’t seem to keep his own continuity consistent from one scene to the next. Rather, revisiting these misfit characters and their weird world carries a magnetic appeal that can be difficult to articulate to anyone outside its influence, no matter if the movie is mediocre.” – Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt
Genres:
924. (-39) Cam
Daniel Goldhaber
AKA:
2018 / USA / 94m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid, Imani Hakim, Michael Dempsey, Flora Diaz, Samantha Robinson, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Quei Tann
“Cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi fills the frame with a lush neon palate that is at once sexy and ominous. Sturdy assured direction from Daniel Goldhaber ensures that Cam will be a perfect mixture of style and substance, a hypnotic nightmare unfolding in a neon glow. Here’s a film that is seductive visually and stimulating intellectually, building its layers to further your unease. In what has shaped up to be a great year for horror, Cam stands near the top of the year’s best. It’s an engrossing, audacious work of horror filmmaking that pulls you in and keeps you captivated.” – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
Genres:
925. (-41) The Stand
Mick Garris
AKA: Stephen King’s The Stand
1994 / USA / 361m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Ruby Dee, Miguel Ferrer, Corin Nemec, Matt Frewer, Adam Storke, Ray Walston, Rob Lowe
“It doesn’t have anything like the usual steady, predictable rhythms of a miniseries-its scenes are of uneven lengths, and sometimes important characters disappear for hours at a time. The unexpected structure of the film-sort of an artful jumble-helps build suspense, because you realize very quickly that this movie doesn’t behave like other TV shows; anything can happen at any time. Garris also takes more care with the look of his film than most TV-movie directors-surely this is one of the prettiest scary movies ever made-and some entire scenes unfold without dialogue, a great rarity in television land.” – Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly
Genres:
926. (-14) Lik wong
Ngai Choi Lam
AKA: Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
1991 / Hong Kong / 91m / Col / Splatter | IMDb
Siu-Wong Fan, Mei Sheng Fan, Ka-Kui Ho, Yukari ôshima, Chi-leung Chan, Tetsurô Tanba, Gloria Yip, Philip Kwok, Bill Lung Biu, Yiu-Sing Cheung
“A martial arts film like no other, with characters’ fists not just making full contact with their opponents’ bodies, but actually going through them. When one person in ‘The Story of Ricky’ threatens to turn another ‘into mincemeat’ or to cut them ‘into little pieces’, their words are meant all too literally… Based on a popular Japanese manga, and released in 1991, ‘The Story of Ricky’ has the honour of being the first totally sex-free Hong Kong film to receive a Category 3 rating (equivalent to the 18 certificate here). Apart from ‘Ichi the Killer’, it is the only live-action film ever to capture the anarchic, excessive, highly stylised violence of manga… a truly visceral film that will leave you feeling battered and bruised, but strangely liberated nonetheless.” – Anton Bitel, Movie Gazette
Genres: Splatter, Prison Film, Kung fu, Black Comedy, Dystopian, Gross-Out Comedy, Body Horror, Absurdist Comedy
927. (+67) Psycho Goreman
Steven Kostanski
AKA:
2020 / Canada / 95m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Nita-Josée Hanna, Owen Myre, Matthew Ninaber, Steven Vlahos, Adam Brooks, Alexis Kara Hancey, Kristen MacCulloch, Anna Tierney, Roxine Latoya Plummer, Alex Chung
“An ode to its ’80s inspirations, PG: Psycho Goreman is packed with practical effects. Its titular terror and all of his otherworldly enemies are creatures carved from foam and clay, costumed in a clash of fantasy, sci-fi, and Power Rangers looks. The violence that PG performs on thieving humans and far-out foes results in severed limbs, bouncing decapitations, and buckets of blood. So yeah, the “PG” in the title is a joke in itself. This movie is not remotely kid-friendly, gleefully overstuffed with curse words, violence, and jolting punchlines. Then for good measure, Kostanski chucks in a musical montage starring Mimi’s pint-sized misanthropy.” – Kristy Puchko, Pajiba
Genres: Black Comedy, Science Fiction, Parody, Horror Comedy, Splatter, Cosmic Horror, Extraterrestrial, Body Horror
928. (+15) The Canal
Ivan Kavanagh
AKA:
2014 / Ireland / 92m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Rupert Evans, Steve Oram, Kelly Byrne, Hannah Hoekstra, Calum Heath, Maura Foley, Carl Shaaban, Anneke Blok, Serena Brabazon
“The Canal is a classic ghost story, one that burns slow but with might. It requires extreme patients but offers some extremely unsettling rewards. Kavanagh delivers haunting imagery mixed with stunning camerawork. As Evans’ character loses his mind, he’s being haunted by a “shadow” of an old man, one who appears in chilling nightmares and in the background of footage. Kavanagh’s film relies heavily on the atmosphere and mood to create suspense, and the constant bizarre imagery and tremendous sound design help deliver in spades. And while The Canal is brooding, it will test the patients of some viewers, and could really use a more impactful finale. Still, it’s refreshing to see a filmmaker show such restraint and put together such an old-school genre haunter.” – Brad Miska, Bloody Disgusting
Genres:
929. (+6) Nadja
Michael Almereyda
AKA:
1994 / USA / 93m / BW / Vampire | IMDb
Elina Löwensohn, Nic Ratner, Karl Geary, Peter Fonda, Martin Donovan, Jack Lotz, Galaxy Craze, David Lynch, Isabel Gillies, José Zúñiga
“Almereyda uses New York clubs as the backdrop for this vampire saga — a stroke of genius — much the way Jean Cocteau did when, in “Orphee,” he set the myth of Orpheus among a group of squabbling Left Bank poets — as a means of giving a classic story a sharp, contemporary edge. Almereyda shares some of Cocteau’s sense of film as a magic plaything. Shot in hallucinatory black-and-white by Jim Denault — who also works the Pixelvision camera used in some sequences — the film has an atmosphere that fluctuates between languid and hysterical. Visually, it’s a thrilling movie, gorgeously, hypnotically textured. Images fly in from all over—a snippet of Bela Lugosi’s Rorschach eyebrows, a few frames of a ravishing peasant girl, a grainy long shot of a skulking, caped figure — as if Almereyda had found a way of patching directly into the collective pop id.” – Hal Hinson, Washington Post
Genres:
930. (+66) Ku bei
Rob Jabbaz
AKA: The Sadness
2021 / Taiwan / 99m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Berant Zhu, Regina Lei, Ying-Ru Chen, Tzu-Chiang Wang, Emerson Tsai, Wei-Hua Lan, Ralf Chiu, Chi-Min Chou, Lue-Keng Huang, Ark Zheng
“Despite the fact that Jabbaz brings extreme terror with a surprisingly insightful topical twist, “The Sadness” is truly at its best when it’s embracing its gory nature and going haywire with geysers of thick, syrupy blood. Wisely foregoing the path more traveled by most filmmakers who prefer using digital effects, this blood-spattered beauty opts for mainly practical, resulting in some truly grimacing and over-the-top gratuity that plays sensationally on a big screen surrounded by giddy gorehounds.” – Kalyn Corrigan, SlashFilm
Genres:
931. (-39) Insidious: Chapter 2
James Wan
AKA:
2013 / USA / 106m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, Steve Coulter, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Andrew Astor, Hank Harris
“The story is told with suggestion more than with effects, and director James Wan’s mastery of sound, both soft and loud, not to mention its timing, is once again superb. Most of the effects are practical, which lends a verisimilitude to them that makes them all the scarier for the odd sort of familiarity they evoke… When the supernatural does show itself, it’s not with blaring music and jump cuts designed to make us jump. It’s just sitting there, minding its own business in a quiet corner, all the more terrifying for not being noticed, and for making us wonder what it’s going to do next. Yet nothing is more terrifying than the image of Josh, framed in a doorway, sunlight glowing behind him, streaming around him, and yet leaving him a looming darkness in the midst of it.” – Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews
Genres:
932. (new) Pamyo
Jang Jae-hyun
AKA: Exhuma
2024 / South Korea / 134m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun, Lee Do-hyun, Kim Sun-young, Yoo Hae-jin, Yoon Jung-Hoon, Jung Yun-Ha, Derek Chouinard, Hong Seo-jun, Baek Seung-chul
“The first act’s approach to folkloric horror and cleansing rituals calls to mind South Korean horror movies like The Wailing. But Jae-hyun Jang quickly shift gears, broadening the horror to also include possession, ghost induced scares, and a physical manifestation of past historical trauma in the most gonzo way. The type that will leave you cheering for “sweetfish and melon.” It’s occasionally violent and bloody, always atmospheric, and stunning in cinematography and composition. While its story is so dense that it threatens to run away from the filmmaker at moments, the extremely likable characters and a sense of horror fun ensure it never derails, right up to its thrilling finale.” – Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
Genres:
933. (+21) Stigmata
Rupert Wainwright
AKA:
1999 / USA / 103m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Pryce, Nia Long, Thomas Kopache, Rade Serbedzija, Enrico Colantoni, Dick Latessa, Portia de Rossi, Patrick Muldoon
“Stigmata is a collection of moments that speak to the rapture of religion. Not Catholicism, but the cult of personality and perhaps the cult of film as well. It’s a voyeur’s shrine–the pictures we keep of beautiful people and profound images that don’t tie into any throughline save for some feeling of engagement with the universe of the self… deeply felt and faux-profound at once and, like all great Theater of the Absurd, able to highlight the extra-textual consequence of that tension. It’s a film of its time, more explicable as a marker of a digital moment and part of a contemporary sociological conversation; it works best freed from the responsibility to make literal sense.” – Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Genres:
934. (-6) Michael Jackson: Thriller
John Landis
AKA:
1983 / USA / 13m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Michael Jackson, Ola Ray, Vincent Price, Hanala Sagal
“MTV played mostly music videos in [their] early days, but no one had yet considered the possibility of merging filmmaking and music in the way that Jackson envisioned. With co-producer Jones, Jackson enlisted John Landis… to direct what many believe remains the greatest music video ever. The video would run 14 minutes, essentially a miniature feature film that cost $800,000 to make — an astonishing figure at the time… You watched it for the brilliant music. Kids danced in front of their televisions when Mom and Dad weren’t looking, trying to capture even a fraction of Jackson’s grace and power. And through it all was that heart-stopping plot.” – Mike Celizic, TODAY Entertainment
Genres:
935. (-33) The Love Witch
Anna Biller
AKA:
2016 / USA / 120m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise, Jared Sanford, Robert Seeley, Jennifer Ingrum, Randy Evans, Clive Ashborn, Lily Holleman
“LA film-maker Anna Biller achieves an ecstasy of artificiality in this amazing retro fantasy horror, delivered with absolute conviction. It’s designed, produced, written, directed and generally auteured by Biller herself, and lit and photographed by M David Mullen – apparently without digital fabrication. The Love Witch goes beyond camp, beyond pastiche; it ignites the pulpy surfaces of its tale and produces a smoke of bad-dream sexiness and scariness. It’s a B-movie with A-grade potency. But you have to stay with it, you have to understand its absolute seriousness before getting the comedy and the satire of the transactional politics in sex.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
Genres: Satire, Supernatural Horror, Horror Comedy, Black Comedy, Crime, Erotic Thriller, Romance, Folk Horror, Gothic, Surrealism, Sex Comedy
936. (new) The First Omen
Arkasha Stevenson
AKA:
2024 / USA / 119m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson, Sonia Braga, Tawfeek Barhom, Maria Caballero, Charles Dance, Bill Nighy, Nicole Sorace, Ishtar Currie-Wilson, Andrea Arcangeli
“The most exciting thing about “The First Omen” is how Stevenson is an evident scholar of the supernatural horror genre, unmercifully playing with our perception and orchestrating an escalating sense of paranoia with ease. In that, rather than unsettling the audience with subtle, suggestive scares and overloading the story with trauma-based angles (a trap many of the recent genre outings sadly fall into), she gives us a first-rate motion picture in the old-school way: smartly agile, elegantly filmed and damn scary, with a stunning period production design and costuming, as well as touches of Neorealist mis-en-scène as immersive as they come.” – Tomris Laffly, RogerEbert.com
Genres: Supernatural Horror, Mystery, Psychological Horror, Body Horror, Gothic Horror, Religious Film
937. (-41) The Sorcerers
Michael Reeves
AKA:
1967 / UK / 86m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey, Elizabeth Ercy, Ian Ogilvy, Victor Henry, Sally Sheridan, Alf Joint, Meier Tzelniker, Gerald Campion, Susan George
“”How long do you think all this can last?” asks a bored Mike at a swinging 60s happening. And this throwaway line becomes the central thread of Michael Reeves’s stunning second film The Sorcerers, the movie that would pave the way for his masterpiece Witchfinder General in 1968. While on the surface offering a seemingly carefree world of mind altering drugs, free love and promiscuous sex, Reeves instead probes deeper and suggests a darker side where moral laxity leads not to joy, but to destruction. For the characters who abandon responsibility, death is waiting.” – Tom Fallows, Classic-Horror
Genres:
938. (-14) Anna and the Apocalypse
John McPhail
AKA:
2017 / UK / 92m / Col / Musical | IMDb
Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux, Ben Wiggins, Marli Siu, Mark Benton, Paul Kaye, Ella Jarvis, Calum Cormack
“The playful spirit of “Anna and the Apocalypse” extends to its cinematography, where it swings wildly from colorful spaces like the Christmas show stage to the greyest shade of grim outside during the zombie invasion. Those visual contrasts amp up the already odd coupling of death, destruction, high kicks and high notes. In a saner movie, those two different color palettes may have looked too jarring but it works in the movie to play up the chaos—much of which takes place off-screen or in quick doctored shots of the town. What the movie lacks in budget, it makes up with spunk.” – Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com
Genres:
939. (-12) Taste of Fear
Seth Holt
AKA: Scream of Fear
1961 / UK / 81m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd, Christopher Lee, John Serret, Leonard Sachs, Anne Blake, Fred Johnson
“The best writer doesn’t get far without a great director, and Seth Holt proved to be up to the task. In these ages of computerized technology and “jump out at you scares,” the method of “slowly graduating creepiness” has all but been lost. But while modern techniques get tired very quickly (especially to us true horror fans), primal fear never gets old. And this is what Taste of Fear taps into. The scenes where the corpses appear are absolutely crap-inducing, mostly because Holt takes his sweet time in drawing you into the scene, slowly but relentlessly building the suspense. It’s the primordial Hitchcock formula at its finest, and for this reason, Taste of Fear is far more effective than most of its modern counterparts. “Jump out at you scares” have their time and place, but they are quick shots of adrenaline and moments later you are back to normal. But a director who can keep your adrenaline pumping for long stretches at a time will, by default, be much more intriguing.” – Jenn Dlugos, Classic-Horror
Genres:
940. (-25) Lights Out
David F. Sandberg
AKA:
2016 / USA / 81m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke, Maria Bello, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Andi Osho, Rolando Boyce, Maria Russell, Elizabeth Pan
“Lights Out is a completely “by the numbers” scare fest that could have gone the way of any number of popcorn time-killers that we see come and go, if they get release at all. This efficient 81 minute gem however, had the great good fortune of Sandburg’s surprisingly fresh use of almost every horror trope, risking a “been there, seen that” reaction from even casual fans of the genre. The expertise of Wan’s touch as Producer, combined with Sandburg’s unapologetic pull all the stops out delivery of a rudimentary story amounts to so very much more than that.” – Daniel McDonald, Addicted to Horror Movies
Genres:
941. (-44) Scream 4
Wes Craven
AKA:
2011 / USA / 111m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Lucy Hale, Roger Jackson, Shenae Grimes, Dane Farwell, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Aimee Teegarden, Britt Robertson, Neve Campbell, Alison Brie
“It was the interplay between genre-fueled expectation and smart storytelling that created a number of memorable set-pieces (as well as twists) in the original trilogy. However, there’s no doubt that Scream 2 and (especially) Scream 3 failed to live up to the bar set by the original… Scream 4 is without a doubt a much better film than the prior Scream sequels – offering plenty of scares, suspicion, as well as light-hearted commentary about the state of the horror genre. More than any of the previous Scream installments, this film is unapologetic about meta-references and horror-film expectations – turning audience anticipation upside down once again. There are plenty of plot holes and a number of bland performances but for the most part the actors and filmmakers deliver an enticing and intentionally cheesy diversion from the current genre staples” – Ben Kendrick, ScreenRant
Genres:
942. (new) Gojira -1.0
Takashi Yamazaki
AKA: Godzilla Minus One
2023 / Japan / 124m / Col / Monster | IMDb
Minami Hamabe, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Sakura Andô, Rikako Miura, Munetaka Aoki, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Takato Yonemoto, Michael Arias
““Godzilla Minus One” is a great film, providing entertainment and themes that engross viewers further into the experience. Yamazaki gives audiences plenty of spectacular monster action and simultaneously engages them with a humanistic story containing a powerful anti-war message that addresses the horrors of nuclear weaponry and promotes the idea of individuals supporting each other through dark times. The mesmerizing reimagining of Godzilla will satisfy long-time fans and newcomers.” – Sean Barry, Asian Movie Pulse
Genres: Kaiju, Period Drama, War, Melodrama, Disaster, Horror, Family Drama, Psychological Drama, Science Fiction
943. (new) Color Out of Space
Richard Stanley
AKA:
2019 / USA / 111m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, Elliot Knight, Tommy Chong, Brendan Meyer, Julian Hilliard, Melissa Nearman, Amanda Booth, Keith Harle
“The joy of Color Out of Space is that its madness never comes at the expense of its internal logic. Lovecraft’s cosmic insanity and Stanley’s genre sensibilities prove to be perfect bedfellows as the filmmaker elegantly stacks chaos on top of chaos, delivering grotesque shocks aplenty, riding in step with the big ideas communicated via the sci-fi elements and the boldly ambiguous conclusion. Color Out of Space is one of the most interesting additions to the horror canon in years, with Stanley flexing his genre muscles to produce something that is never anything other than distinct and idiosyncratic.” – Tom Beasley, Flickering Myth
Genres: Cosmic Horror, Body Horror, Psychological Horror, Science Fiction, Family Drama
944. (-45) I Bury the Living
Albert Band
AKA:
1958 / USA / 77m / BW / Thriller | IMDb
Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, Peggy Maurer, Howard Smith, Herbert Anderson, Robert Osterloh
“I Bury the Living is an inexpensive, stark picture, but it succeeds through its dark style and its unbending, relentless pursuit of the oddly imaginative, yet simple premise. The entire action of the movie takes place in only a few rooms and in a small portion of the cemetery. This combined with the fact that the majority of the scenes of tension take place in the small, dingy caretaker’s office intensify the picture’s claustrophobic, paranoid, almost surreal edge.” – Josh Hickman, Film Threat
Genres:
945. (-8) The Mothman Prophecies
Mark Pellington
AKA:
2002 / USA / 119m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Richard Gere, David Eigenberg, Bob Tracey, Ron Emanuel, Debra Messing, Tom Stoviak, Yvonne Erickson, Scott Nunnally, Harris Mackenzie, Will Patton
“”The Mothman Prophecies,” delves into numerous sightings that occurred in Point Pleasant in the 1960s. But director Mark (“Arlington Road”) Pellington’s stylishly eerie movie would be just as effective without this knowledge. Using shadows and strikingly designed sounds, he skillfully creates an atmosphere of otherworldly, invisible menace. Gere and Linney, both solid, dance around the edges of a romance. Alan Bates contributes a juicy cameo as a spooked-out scientist. Pellington knows, as did the 1940s master of horror Val Lewton, that what you don’t see can raise far more goose bumps than what you do.” – David Ansen, Newsweek
Genres:
946. (+3) Wake Wood
David Keating
AKA:
2009 / Ireland / 90m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle, Timothy Spall, Ella Connolly, Ruth McCabe, Brian Gleeson, Amelia Crowley, Dan Gordon, Tommy McArdle, John McArdle
“Wake Wood is the latest evidence that new-model Hammer is harking back to a less atrocity-driven style of horror, built on an accumulation of creepy atmosphere rather than the systematic subjection of disposable teenagers to gruesome ordeals – though there’s no shortage of splatter here… [Keating] directs with a merciful lack of such modern horror tropes as herky-jerky editing and overemphatic score – the soundtrack here leans towards a peculiar pagan-like percussion, echoing the equally peculiar village ritual of banging sticks together. In fact, it’s the oddness of the rituals that provides the film with its most original aspects, combining elements of blood, earth and fire with the caesarean process” – Anne Billson, The Arts Desk
Genres:
947. (-41) Willow Creek
Bobcat Goldthwait
AKA:
2013 / USA / 80m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Alexie Gilmore, Peter Jason, Bryce Johnson, Tom Yamarone
“There is a lot more to admire about WILLOW CREEK, including the fact that for the first part of the film it also basically works as a fun documentary about real-life Bigfoot fan culture. Goldthwait also clearly believes in the maxim that “less is more,” and WILLOW CREEK is over in under 80 minutes. If anything, this feels something like an over-correction from “found footage” films that go on for too long. With its funny, engaging characters, deep roots in Bigfoot mythology, effective sound design and convincing “home movie” style, WILLOW CREEK proves that with the right approach, even a “found footage” movie can be great.” – Jason Coffman, Daily Grindhouse
Genres:
948. (-43) Fiend Without a Face
Arthur Crabtree
AKA:
1958 / UK / 75m / BW / Science Fiction | IMDb
Marshall Thompson, Kynaston Reeves, Kim Parker, Stanley Maxted, Terry Kilburn, James Dyrenforth, Robert MacKenzie, Peter Madden, Gil Winfield, Michael Balfour
“Director Arthur Crabtree kept the formulaic story moving forward and the mood grimly earnest. His straight-ahead style serves the material without ruffles or flourishes, although his pacing is too leisurely through the first half. But when the monsters show at the climax, that’s when the oh-boy starts. They’re brought to life via Harryhausen-style stop-motion animation that’s better than you might expect while still maintaining a pleasurable cheese factor. Naturally, expect to whistle past gaps in plot logic (where’s all that light coming from in that sealed windowless crypt? Is dynamiting the control room to a nuclear reactor ever really a good idea?), which should be all part of the fun.” – Mark Bourne, DVD Journal
Genres:
949. (-48) Murders in the Zoo
A. Edward Sutherland
AKA:
1933 / USA / 62m / BW / Crime | IMDb
Charles Ruggles, Lionel Atwill, Gail Patrick, Randolph Scott, John Lodge, Kathleen Burke, Harry Beresford
“Murders in the Zoo is by no means a flawless horror-comedy film, bumping around between two tones with impunity and with nowhere near the grace or atmosphere as the amiable Doctor X from a few reviews back. However, Atwill and Burke make the movie’s moments of horror truly memorable set pieces and demonstrate how true human predators can operate outside cages. The rest, thankfully, will fade.” – Danny Reid, Pre-Code
Genres:
950. (-34) Tusk
Kevin Smith
AKA:
2014 / USA / 102m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Michael Parks, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment, Johnny Depp, Harley Morenstein, Ralph Garman, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Harley Quinn Smith, Lily-Rose Melody Depp
“The first two-thirds of Tusk is arguably the best film Kevin Smith has both written or directed. The dialogue feels more natural and distinctly menacing, he commands the camera like an auteur, and the performances from all involved are especially strong for this genre… If you are looking for an absurd yet original horror-comedy, Tusk mostly fills this void. The performances are all top-notch and, even though the last act spirals out of control a bit, the story is consistently engaging throughout. While this might not be Kevin Smith’s best work, it is by far the strongest direction from his storied career and all of the words I could muster would still not do the film’s story justice. Tusk demands to be seen to be believed.” – Aaron Peterson, The Hollywood Outsider
Genres:
951. (+38) Popcorn
Mark Herrier
AKA:
1991 / USA / 91m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Jill Schoelen, Tom Villard, Dee Wallace, Derek Rydall, Malcolm Danare, Elliott Hurst, Ivette Soler, Freddie Simpson, Kelly Jo Minter, Karen Lorre
“Reggae, a Zaza score, a Vincent Price-ish villain with shades of Freddy Krueger, the film is a mish-mash of several different influences and makes for quite a unique film. It may not be the scariest or goriest movie that you could choose to watch during a festive October evening, but wearing it’s love of horror films of the past on its sleeve, I can’t help but recommend it. It’s a lot like mixing a bag of M&Ms into your warm buttery popcorn. Sure, it doesn’t completely fit, but somehow makes for a delicious taste uniquely its own.” – Wes R., Oh, The Horror
Genres:
952. (-38) L’Inferno
Francesco Bertolini & Adolfo Padovan & Giuseppe de Liguoro
AKA: Dante’s Inferno
1911 / Italy / 71m / BW / Fantasy | IMDb
Salvatore Papa, Arturo Pirovano, Giuseppe de Liguoro, Pier Delle Vigne, Augusto Milla, Attilio Motta, Emilise Beretta
“Italy’s first feature-length film… [it] reportedly took in more than $2 million at the U.S. box office, and proved audiences worldwide were willing to sit through a long-form film in one shot. What may have helped keep audiences attentive was Dante’s story and risqué material that’s still quite provocative: this first film version of The Divine Comedy features partial nudity and magnificently surreal images which undoubtedly influenced future filmmakers with its vivid mise-en-scene. The film’s legendary production phase includes a nearly 3 year period, a large cast and meticulous sets, and clever optical effects which may seem charming but are quite innovative.” – Mark R. Hasan, KQEK.com
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Trick Film, Religious Film, Surrealism
953. (-49) El espejo de la bruja
Chano Urueta
AKA: The Witch’s Mirror
1962 / Mexico / 75m / Col / Gothic | IMDb
Rosa Arenas, Armando Calvo, Isabela Corona, Dina de Marco, Carlos Nieto, Alfredo Wally Barrón
“The general mood and the visual style of “The Witch’s Mirror” is probably influenced by the old Universal horror-films and legendary tales by the ones like Edgar Allan Poe, and its gothic-mood has many similarities to the films by Mario Bava from the same era. The very imaginative and clever visual tricks in the film are not necessarily that hard to achieve and are occasionally dated, but they do work very well for the movie and for the black & white cinematography. Flowers are withered for no reason, the piano is playing the favourite tune of the late Elena by itself, the wind is blowing and the mood is restless and spooky. Some optical tricks (like superimposing) are surprisingly good, and filmmakers have used their best imagination to create the illusion with the mirror, the essential object in the film. The movie has almost as much fantasy elements as it has horror, and together they create a pretty effective little flick.” – Jari Kovalainen, DVD Compare
Genres: Gothic Horror, Supernatural Horror, Melodrama
954. (new) La maldición de la Llorona
Rafael Baledón
AKA: La casa embrujada
1963 / Mexico / 80m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Rosa Arenas, Abel Salazar, Rita Macedo, Carlos López Moctezuma, Enrique Lucero, Mario Sevilla, Julissa, Roy Fletcher, Arturo Corona
“The film lasts a mere eighty minutes and, with the possible exception of a fight scene between two men that feels more at home in one of the popular lucha libre films of the time, not a moment is wasted. Though there is nothing original at all about it (in addition to its murderous title character, it has a crippled manservant and a madman in the attic), the film is so tightly constructed, the narrative moved along so propulsively, and the experience of watching it so consistently and thrillingly strange, that it rises above the also-rans to become a minor classic of its genre.” – Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
Genres:
955. (-33) Stage Fright
Jerome Sable
AKA:
2014 / Canada / 89m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Minnie Driver, Meat Loaf, Allie MacDonald, Douglas Smith, Kent Nolan, Brandon Uranowitz, Ephraim Ellis, Melanie Leishman, Thomas Alderson, James McGowan
“Funny, bloody and graced with an original musical score, this send up of the slasher genre is like Hairspray fused with Friday the 13th and TV’s Glee. The talented cast certainly get into the groove with their kooky characters, while the gore on offer might be a turn off for some (as its not strictly played for laughs). Horror fans will get a chuckle out of the film references (some very obscure), while Meat Loaf fans will get a thrill from seeing the Bat Out of the Hell legend bellow out a couple of witty toons.” – Peter Fuller, What’s on TV
Genres:
956. (new) Aterrados
Demián Rugna
AKA: Terrified
2017 / Argentina / 87m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Maximiliano Ghione, Norberto Gonzalo, Elvira Onetto, George L. Lewis, Julieta Vallina, Demián Salomón, Agustín Rittano, Natalia Señorales, Matias Rascovschi, Lorenzo Langer
“Rugna delivers on the scares and justifies the title of his latest feature. Winner of Fantastic Fest’s Best Horror Film, Terrified knows exactly how to make your skin crawl. Simply put, that is the film’s primary focus as there is minimal explanation or backstory as to what causes the horrific events on screen to emerge. Rugna serves up raw, visceral entertainment with special effects serving as the cynosure of the film while bypassing character development and plot. Part love letter to its horror movie predecessors, part uniquely crafted spooky tale, Terrified is a gory and gruesome gem that solidifies its spooky real estate within the genre we all know and love.” – Marisa Mirabel, SlashFilm
Genres: Supernatural Horror, Haunted House, Cosmic Horror, Mystery
957. (-6) The Relic
Peter Hyams
AKA:
1997 / USA / 110m / Col / Monster | IMDb
Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt, James Whitmore, Clayton Rohner, Chi Muoi Lo, Thomas Ryan, Robert Lesser, Diane Robin, Lewis Van Bergen
“On paper The Relic probably reads like the kind of movie that would be made for the Syfy channel nowadays, but with a budget rumoured to be around the forty million dollar mark this was far from a B-grade cheapie, and director Peter Hyams used Hollywood’s fat cheque books to produce a slick, atmospheric and entertaining creature feature… Some twelve years after it was released The Relic isn’t fondly remembered by too many, which is a shame as it is a reasonably smart and well acted movie that doesn’t skimp on the essentials like creature action and gore and mixes its straighter faced drama with cheesy monster mayhem and genuinely atmospheric suspense sequences almost perfectly.” – Craig Villinger, Digital Retribution
Genres:
958. (-8) We Need to Talk About Kevin
Lynne Ramsay
AKA:
2011 / UK / 112m / Col / Drama | IMDb
Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller, Jasper Newell, Rock Duer, Ashley Gerasimovich, Siobhan Fallon, Alex Manette, Kenneth Franklin, Leslie Lyles
“Tilda Swinton is the support of this film, offering a complicated look at a woman in trouble who has no idea how to deal with the problems life has dealt her. She rarely does the best thing for herself, her family and her community, but these choices are realistic. And that’s part of what’s so terrifying. The most chilling aspect of this film is how dangerous the world can be for anyone, even in the safest environments we can imagine. Even if you do everything right, tragedy can strike and do irrefutable harm to you and your loved ones. And there’s often no one to blame for this. It’s not an easy film to watch, but it’s a significant one. It will challenge your thoughts on family and humanity, and to keep ourselves vigilant, those thoughts should be challenged periodically.” – Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
Genres:
959. (-50) Absentia
Mike Flanagan
AKA:
2011 / USA / 87m / Col / Mystery | IMDb
Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, Dave Levine, Morgan Peter Brown, Justin Gordon, James Flanagan, Scott Graham, Doug Jones, Ian Gregory, Connie Ventress
“Director Flanagan is a man who almost seems aware of what he is capable of doing and what he simply can not do on-screen and it shows in what is a very artistically self-aware indie gem that works as an enduring yet complex character study and a truly harrowing horror film. “Absentia” provides so many layers of subtle characterization, gentle exposition, and gripping back story that affords just enough depth for our protagonists to earn our sympathy without seeming as if we’re being manipulated in to caring for them. And that’s thanks to the absolutely mesmerizing performances from the entire cast, all of whom bear a strong importance to the end result of Mike Flanagan’s horror film that is utterly reliant on competent performances from a cast who has to sell not only the sheer terror of this situation that grows more and more maddening with each waking hour, but in the logical sense of loss and grief at the notion that they’re losing the battle to a force of evil they can barely comprehend let alone battle.” – Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Genres:
960. (+6) Prophecy
John Frankenheimer
AKA:
1979 / USA / 102m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, Armand Assante, Richard Dysart, Victoria Racimo, George Clutesi, Tom McFadden, Evans Evans, Burke Byrnes, Mia Bendixsen
“Prophecy is a widely respected monster movie amongst those that were around during its age. Although quite forgotten about and left behind since then, Prophecy was a gritty, violent, and deadly film that packed a death punch with very vivid, nightmarish special effects (as rubber as they were). Heads are bitten off and faces shredded beyond recognition as the local residents of a mountainside forest are eaten alive by a towering and deformed, bloodthirsty and vengeful bear… Realistic, dramatically acted, and supported with graphic violence, Prophecy is not easily forgotten – forging a professional horror film from the 70’s that holds its own and stands towering amidst the sub-genre from which it spawned.” – John Marrone, Bloody Disgusting
Genres:
961. (-48) J’accuse!
Abel Gance
AKA: I Accuse
1938 / France / 104m / BW / War | IMDb
Victor Francen, Line Noro, Marie Lou, Jean-Max, Paul Amiot, Jean-Louis Barrault, Marcel Delaître, Renée Devillers, Romuald Joubé, André Nox
“This is a powerful film that leaves quite an impression. Gance told the French government that the film could be used as a recruiting tool, so they allowed him to film at the front (he captured part of the Battle of St. Mihiel) and the footage was used in the movie. He was also able to use soldiers on leave as extras in the climactic scene where the dead come back to life. Most of the men used in this scene were in the army and were tragically killed weeks later. Still, they had seen battle in the trenches of France and you can tell by the looks on their faces that they weren’t acting so much as reacting to what they had experienced.” – John Sinnott, DVD Talk
Genres:
962. (-30) Dead Calm
Phillip Noyce
AKA:
1989 / Australia / 96m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane, Rod Mullinar, Joshua Tilden, George Shevtsov, Michael Long, Lisa Collins, Paula Hudson-Brinkley, Sharon Cook
“There are elements here of an Arthur Conan Doyle short story, in which travellers stumble upon evidence of weird and terrible deeds in strange, exotic locations. Fear mounts as mystery thickens. The unknown, the unthinkable, creates a terror far worse than living reality… Phillip Noyce directs a tense thriller from the skeleton of old ideas. He is helped by Zane’s menacing performance and solid, imaginative acting from Kidman in her first starring role. John appears determined, resourceful and, as is so often the case with Neill, a little starched.” – Angus Wolfe Murray, EyeForFilm
Genres:
963. (+21) In Fabric
Peter Strickland
AKA:
2018 / UK / 118m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Sidse Babett Knudsen, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Julian Barratt, Steve Oram, Jaygann Ayeh, Zsolt Páll, Richard Bremmer, Deborah Griffin, Fatma Mohamed, Susanna Cappellaro
“That aesthetic, of cheaply printed, hyper-saturated fashion catalogs, permeates every frame of In Fabric. Seemingly set at an indeterminate point in 1970s London (or, perhaps, a London in which the 1970s never ended), the film’s production design is an expertly curated assemblage of thrift store chic, all chunky plastic and shag in deep reds, greens, and wood tones. The world is recognizably our own, but the locations, costumes, and (especially) the dialogue are exaggerated just enough to be completely alien– yet subtle enough that you may do a double-take.” – Oscar Goff, Boston Hassle
Genres:
964. (new) La llorona
Jayro Bustamante
AKA:
2019 / Guatemala / 97m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
María Mercedes Coroy, Sabrina De La Hoz, Margarita Kenéfic, Julio Diaz, María Telón, Juan Pablo Olyslager, Ayla-Elea Hurtado, Enrique Argüello, Alejandra Colom, Marvin Coroy
“Director/co-writer Jayro Bustamante deserves credit for delving into the horrors of genocide, the way the impact of it lingers across generations, and the mindset that allows those who perpetrated it to go into denial. La Llorona has a seriousness of purpose that marks it as an ambitious film. Cinematographer Nicolas Wong provides a gloomy, atmospheric look that is darkly beautiful. The effect is powerful in certain scenes, particularly the courtroom sequence where hostile onlookers loom ominously behind Enrique as he awaits his verdict.” – Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat
Genres:
965. (-46) Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Dwight H. Little
AKA:
1988 / USA / 88m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, George P. Wilbur, Michael Pataki, Beau Starr, Kathleen Kinmont, Sasha Jenson, Gene Ross, Carmen Filpi
“Director Little manages to evoke some sense of tension every so often, with Loomis’ attempts to warn police about Myers re-entering Haddonfield, while Jamie and Rachel become victim to Michael’s murderous rampage. Once again under Akkad’s presence, Michael becomes another routine masked slasher who has a knack for doling out some painful murders, and “The Return” is changes its narrative mid-way from a stalk and slash to a suspenseful mission involving Rachel’s efforts to keep Jamie alive. While it’s definitely not the best of the series, it’s an entertaining slasher film with a very good final scene that stands out among the other titles in the series.” – Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Genres:
966. (+29) The Perfection
Richard Shepard
AKA:
2018 / USA / 90m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Allison Williams, Steven Weber, Alaina Huffman, Logan Browning, Christina Jastrzembska, Glynis Davies, Doralynn Mui, Winnie Hung, Stephen Chang, Graeme Duffy
“One thing that can be said about the film, however, is that it delivers a blast of nutty grindhouse thrills. Even though it’s set in the sniffly austere world of uppercrust art snobs, the movie has no problem banging around in 42nd street gutters. There’s an utterly gratuitous sex scene, gratuitous fogged-out full frontal nudity, and even more gratuitous splashes of gore. Everything looks chic and refined, yet there’s a nasty current of cartoon viciousness coursing through its veins.” – Johnny Donaldson, Slant Magazine
Genres:
967. (-29) The Haunted Palace
Roger Corman
AKA: The Haunted Village
1963 / USA / 87m / Col / Gothic | IMDb
Vincent Price, Debra Paget, Lon Chaney Jr., Frank Maxwell, Leo Gordon, Elisha Cook Jr., John Dierkes, Milton Parsons, Cathie Merchant, Guy Wilkerson
“Though slightly toned down when compared to Corman’s gussied up Poe films, The Haunted Palace is stylistically in the same ballpark, to be sure. The baroque sets and theatrical lighting compliment the outsized performances nicely. Vincent Price, who starred in most of Corman’s films of the era, is the clear standout among this stalwart cast, chewing scenery and oozing menace in a double role. He is complimented nicely by fellow horror icon Lon Chaney Jr., who maximizes the effect of his small part as Price’s creepy caretaker. Given their presence in a story that also includes summoned monsters, mutant townsfolk, and a burning at the stake, it’s easy to get a little spooked by The Haunted Palace.” – Jeremy Heilman, Movie Martyr
Genres:
968. (-47) The Dentist
Brian Yuzna
AKA:
1996 / USA / 92m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Corbin Bernsen, Linda Hoffman, Michael Stadvec, Ken Foree, Tony Noakes, Molly Hagan, Patty Toy, Jan Hoag, Virginya Keehne, Earl Boen
“The film also has truly disturbing gore effects, the majority of which is a type that isn’t often seen in horror, mouth trauma. One of this film’s trademarks is a camera shot in which it appears the camera is inside the mouth looking at Feinstone’s work or is attached to the tool he’s using. You are right there, up close and personal, when he pulls a tooth, cuts the gums, cuts into the tongue, rips out teeth, or tries to rip a jaw open. Feinstone’s murderous mayhem, though, isn’t exclusive to oral injuries as he dispatches other people using such tactics as strangling, stabbing, and blunt force trauma to the head. The overall result is a series of truly grisly dental procedures and violent acts that are more than enough to put the viewer on edge.” – James Lasome, Best Horror Movies
Genres:
969. (-52) A Field in England
Ben Wheatley
AKA:
2013 / UK / 90m / Col / Drama | IMDb
Julian Barratt, Peter Ferdinando, Richard Glover, Ryan Pope, Reece Shearsmith, Michael Smiley, Sara Dee
“With A Field In England Wheatley and his regular writing partner (and wife) Amy Jump aren’t just outside the box – they’ve erupted way out of the storage depot… Before long we have runestones, magic-mushroom visions, much talk of alchemy and stolen manuscripts; there’s a black mirror that becomes an earth-engulfing planet and a man who’s shot dead, resurrected and killed again. All shot in moody, portentous black-and-white widescreen, bleak and beautiful, while Jim Williams’ nervy, percussive score deepens the sense of nameless foreboding. Does it work? For the most part, yes; though at times you may feel you’re being fed obscurity for obscurity’s sake… But one thing’s for sure: bracingly bold and (surely) inimitable, A Field In England is like no other movie you’ve ever seen.” – Phillip Kemp, Total Film
Genres: Period Drama, Surrealism, War, Psychological Horror, Folk Horror, Black Comedy
970. (-29) The ‘Burbs
Joe Dante
AKA:
1989 / USA / 101m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal, Henry Gibson, Brother Theodore, Courtney Gains, Gale Gordon
“The ‘Burbs may look, feel and seem like a simple movie, and the outset of things it is. It relies on out-of-the-box comedy methods like pratfalls and wacky dialogue delivery to help Dana Olsen’s well-conceived script, but it succeeds on the most basic level of taking ordinary people and putting them in an extra-ordinary situation. Just like a genre classic like Ghostbusters, The ‘Burbs is is laugh-out-loud hilarious because you can see something of yourself and the life around you in this series of very bizarre events.” – Luke Owen, Flickering Myth
Genres:
971. (new) Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
Bruce Pittman
AKA: The Haunting of Hamilton High
1987 / USA / 97m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Louis Ferreira, Lisa Schrage, Richard Monette, Terri Hawkes, Brock Simpson, Beverley Hendry, Beth Gondek, Wendell Smith
“Watching this as a kid, it provided everything we looked for in an ’80s horror film. Full frontal nudity, grotesque effects, and plenty of teenagers just looking to get wiped out. I actually forgot just how crazy this film can get, and there are some really weird and disturbing moments in it… It’s all ghosts and ghouls at first, with Mary Lou not actually showing up until a particularly gooey segment at the end, but it’s actually more effective than just throwing a random killer in there. It allows for some very creepy moments. As Vicki starts to become more haunted by Mary Lou, she begins seeing strange visions, including a moment in her bedroom with an adult size rocking horse that is disgusting in its simplicity.” – Will Brownridge, The Film Reel
Genres:
972. (-39) Thanksgiving
Eli Roth
AKA:
2023 / USA / 106m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Patrick Dempsey, Ty Olsson, Gina Gershon, Lynne Griffin, Karen Cliche, Nell Verlaque, Rick Hoffman, Derek McGrath, Katherine Trowell, Jalen Thomas Brooks
“A couple of kills feature spilled entrails, a shopping cart scalping, severed body parts, and someone salted, seasoned and roasted in an industrial oven. Other than that last one, nothing gets too over-the-top outrageous, although the tone includes several other splashes of dark comedy, such as one victim being unable to swipe open her phone due to blood smearing the screen or have it recognize her mangled face, as reminders that “Thanksgiving” isn’t meant to be gulped down with strict seriousness. It’s more of a fast food “cheat meal” for fear fans who want something flavorful that’s not necessarily nutritious.” – Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt
Genres: Slasher, Teen Movie, Satire, Splatter, Black Comedy, Horror Comedy, Whodunit
973. (-33) Juan de los muertos
Alejandro Brugués
AKA: Juan of the Dead
2011 / Spain / 92m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andros Perugorría, Andrea Duro, Jazz Vilá, Eliecer Ramírez, Blanca Rosa Blanco, Susana Pous, Antonio Dechent, Eslinda Núñez
“Cuba’s first zombie flick gives a twist of rum-soaked lime and shuffle-stepped tango to the social satire of George A Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, while also observing the post-modern metacinematic savvy of Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead. For when Brugués is not using the revenant deceased as a prism through which to affectionately lampoon half a century of Cuban history, he is either pastiching everything from the shark-on-zombie action of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie Flesh Eaters to the priest who likes to ‘kick ass for the Lord’ in Peter Jackson’s Braindead, or having his characters pose such daftly crucial genre questions as why, when it comes to the post-millennial living dead, ‘some are fast and some are slow.'” – Anton Bitel, Little White Lies
Genres:
974. (-40) Grindhouse
Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino et al.
AKA:
2007 / USA / 191m / Col / Anthology | IMDb
Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Rose McGowan, Jordan Ladd, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Quentin Tarantino
“An exuberant double feature by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, evokes the exploitation flicks that used to play, several decades ago, in moldering theaters with flypaper floors. Thus a go-go dancer’s leg goes missing during a zombie attack, and the action is occasionally interrupted by title cards that proclaim “Missing Reel.” (That touch is more affectionate than factual, since projectionists and sleazy distributors of the slasher/horror genre didn’t brag about such omissions.) Little else seems to be missing from this work of wild-eyed archaeology – not the slime or drool, spurting blood, throbbing engines, screeching tires or jeopardized women. Yet value has been added as well – the most thrilling car chase ever committed to film, a sequence that also shows, by cutting to the psychosexual chase, why fans embraced the tawdry genre in the first place.” – Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
Genres:
975. (-27) The Mask of Fu Manchu
Charles Brabin
AKA:
1932 / USA / 68m / BW / Adventure | IMDb
Boris Karloff, Lewis Stone, Karen Morley, Charles Starrett, Myrna Loy, Jean Hersholt, Lawrence Grant, David Torrence
“The Mask Of Fu Manchu is a typical MGM production, with a headlining star, a name supporting cast, and lavish production values… There is a tendency these days to think of “back then” as a more innocent time; but even a brief examination of the films of the pre-Production Code era should be enough to dispel that misguided notion. The few years between the coming of sound and the crackdown in censorship from 1934 onwards saw the release of numerous films featuring a quite staggering degree of cruelty and perversion… Where The Mask Of Fu Manchu is likely to blindside modern audiences is in the explicit sexual sadism of Fu Manchu’s daughter, Fah Lo See.” – Liz Kingsley, And You Call Yourself a Scientist!?
Genres:
976. (new) Creep 2
Patrick Brice
AKA:
2017 / USA / 78m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Karan Soni, Mark Duplass, Desiree Akhavan, Kyle Field, Caveh Zahedi, Jeff Man, Patrick Brice
“Both films are portraits of a very disturbed but sardonically entertaining mind at their core. This one expands on Aaron’s psyche, his past, and hints at what happens when things don’t go his way. Akhavan brings her own intensity, and becomes just as unsettling at times, while ensuring that Aaron’s antics don’t stagnate by challenging him and the audience. Her deadpan focus brilliantly compliments Duplass’ goofy demeanor, more so as the film gets darker and darker. These characters go places that we don’t expect, and in a lesser team’s hands, it wouldn’t have worked. There is genuine talent behind these films, however, and that confidence shapes them into something unique.” – Ben Larned, Daily Dead
Genres:
977. (new) The Addams Family
Barry Sonnenfeld
AKA:
1991 / USA / 99m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Hedaya, Elizabeth Wilson, Judith Malina, Carel Struycken, Dana Ivey, Paul Benedict, Christina Ricci
“”The Addams Family” is more laughs than a casketful of whoopee cushions at a morticians’ convention. More than merely a sequel of the TV series, the film is a compendium of paterfamilias Charles Addams’s macabre drawings, a resurrection of the cartoonist’s body of work… Although the plot is flimsier than cobweb it serves well enough, thanks to the production designers’ elaborate contributions and the performers’ formidable panache. Eleven-year-old Ricci is a revelation as the morbidly fascinating Wednesday. The kid was born deadpan.” – Rita Kempley, The Washington Post
Genres:
978. (-48) Lady in a Cage
Walter Grauman
AKA:
1964 / USA / 94m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Olivia de Havilland, James Caan, Jennifer Billingsley, Rafael Campos, William Swan, Jeff Corey, Ann Sothern
“Usually lumped with the other ‘hag horror’ films after What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by virtue of the presence of golden-age screen star Olivia de Havilland, Lady in a Cage is actually an upscale version of marginal movies like The Sadist – realistic accounts of everyday atrocious crimes in the modern world. Tricked up with blatant criticisms of contemporary society, Luther Davis and Walter Grauman’s film can’t escape an essential sickness: Like its low-grade drive-in competition, it is first and foremost an exercise in sordid exploitation.” – Glenn Erickson, DVDTalk
Genres:
979. (-26) The Ghoul
T. Hayes Hunter
AKA:
1933 / UK / 77m / BW / Mystery | IMDb
Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke, Ernest Thesiger, Dorothy Hyson, Anthony Bushell, Kathleen Harrison, Harold Huth, D.A. Clarke-Smith, Ralph Richardson
“It is perhaps a happy series of accidents that led to the results here, but whatever the case, the film is richly melodramatic horror — with marvelous performances, a witty script, atmospheric direction and a surprising number of effective shocks — including a final scene for Karloff that may well be the grimmest and most startling moment in classic horror.” – Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress
Genres:
980. (-28) No One Will Save You
Brian Duffield
AKA:
2023 / USA / 93m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Kaitlyn Dever, Elizabeth Kaluev, Zack Duhame, Lauren L. Murray, Geraldine Singer, Dane Rhodes, Daniel Rigamer, Evangeline Rose, Dari Lynn Griffin, Gabrielle Bordlee
“No One Will Save You is ninety minutes of pure creative, suspenseful, and creepy fun. Duffield keeps audiences on their toes and at the edge of their seats as he pivots around expectations and delivers something terrifyingly original. The visuals, score, and sound design work together in a masterful way to keep the momentum and the intensity high. Dever’s performance outshines everything and deserves to be rewarded in every way possible. In a world of films with bloated runtimes and dialogue to match, Duffield does the exact opposite and it has paid off.” – Ashley Saunders, Ashley & Company
Genres: Alien Invasion, Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction, Home Invasion, Psychological Drama
981. (new) Pengabdi Setan
Joko Anwar
AKA: Satan’s Slaves
2017 / Indonesia / 107m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Dimas Aditya, Endy Arfian, Nasar Annuz, Arswendi Nasution, Egy Fedly, Ayu Laksmi, Fachry Albar, Asmara Abigail
“Anwar’s command of simplistic traumas is surgical and downright ruthless. The macabre awareness of James Wan meets the wild absurdity of Ben Wheatley or Can Evrenol, as to not spoil specific movie references. Twists and turns shift from blanketed apparition spooks to Rosemary’s Baby inspirations to goofball side characters and gruesome realities. A veritable piñata filled with gooey gut-punches and unbearable imagery. But you know what the best part is? It’s all sustained so sensationally well – 100-plus minutes of pure laugh-in-your-face audience torment.” – Matt Donato, SlashFilm
Genres:
982. (-46) Chopping Mall
Jim Wynorski
AKA:
1986 / USA / 77m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Kelli Maroney, Tony O’Dell, Russell Todd, Karrie Emerson, Barbara Crampton, Nick Segal, John Terlesky, Suzee Slater, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov
“So even if Chopping Mall has horrible characters played by almost uniformly poor actors; it’s still made with a seriousness of purpose and a focus missing in most of its competition. The killbots themselves are a tiny miracle of low-budget production and design, legitimately menacing all the more because they don’t seem to be off in some sci-fi wonderland, and because the puppeteers (and Wynorski, who provided their deep monotone, weirdly amusing voices) put so much little touches into their movements, giving these featureless, emotionless machines more legitimate personality than any of the humans involved. It is a ridiculous film that is above ridicule, and a film that manages to gather up seemingly every current in 1980s genre cinema into one nimble package, in short, and despite a somewhat too-long Final Girl sequence, it does this all without ever dragging. It does not talk down to us, or assume that we are idiots – it knows that it is goofy, but it does not therefore mock itself or ask to be mocked.” – Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
Genres:
983. (-3) Chakushin ari
Takashi Miike
AKA: One Missed Call
2003 / Japan / 112m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Ko Shibasaki, Shin’ichi Tsutsumi, Kazue Fukiishi, Anna Nagata, Atsushi Ida, Mariko Tsutsui, Kumiko Imai, Keiko Tomita, Kayoko Fujii, Yoshiko Noda
“At this point it’s easy to believe that the film has got itself bogged down in a mire of cliché, with no idea of where to go with its momentum. But then it pulls it all back with a series of added twists, and it eventually becomes clear that this is a different kind of beast altogether. The story keeps changing up on you until the very end, and I’m sure that when I watch this a second time I’ll spot a fair few things I missed on the first viewing. This is a good (if not quite excellent) film that cloaks its eccentricity in the hackneyed vocabulary of mainstream horror, with occasionally startling results.” – Ian Shone, Horror News
Genres:
984. (new) Paperhouse
Bernard Rose
AKA:
1988 / UK / 92m / Col / Fantasy | IMDb
Charlotte Burke, Jane Bertish, Samantha Cahill, Glenne Headly, Sarah Newbold, Gary Bleasdale, Elliott Spiers, Gemma Jones, Steven O’Donnell, Ben Cross
“The film doesn’t turn into a message movie, and this stuff can be ignored by a less perceptive viewer. Or it can be explained by the way that Anna’s loneliness manifests itself in her dreams. Her father is, at one point, introduced in her dream by a guitar stinger more suitable for a slasher movie. At first that seems like a dated misstep, until we consider how each image is part of Anna’s skewed viewpoint. Her world, encapsulated by this large, creepy, mostly empty house, in the middle of a spacious field, is the suggestion that she hasn’t lived long enough to fill in the details. As a film, Paperhouse is about Anna’s discovery of something she didn’t quite understand before- her own mortality. And she spends the entire film learning about it piece by piece.” – Adam Lippe, Examiner.com
Genres:
985. (-43) Brainscan
John Flynn
AKA:
1994 / USA / 96m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Edward Furlong, Frank Langella, T. Ryder Smith, Amy Hargreaves, James Marsh, Victor Ertmanis, David Hemblen, Vlasta Vrana, Domenico Fiore, Claire Riley
“Brainscan is an interesting and engaging film because it takes the violent images so often present in the games, movies, and music popular with teenagers today and uses them to create a moral dilemma for Michael when his violent fantasies start to become reality. Like many of his peers, Michael does not have much of a support system in the outside world, and he is devastated when his inner world becomes a gothic nightmare. Edward Furlong gives a powerful performance as Michael, providing the complexity necessary for his role to work. Sometimes he has the steely-eyed look of a serial killer as he goes through the grisly paces of the Brainscan game or defends his interest in horror movies to his school principal. On the other hand, he shows the vulnerability of a lonely teenager, awkward in social situations with girls which causes him to escape into a world of vicarious sexual desire, embarrassed by his deformity and slight lisp, horrified by what is happening to him, and retreating into his fantasy world of media when unwilling to deal with the real world.” – Chucks Connection
Genres:
986. (-55) Delicatessen
Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
AKA:
1991 / France / 99m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Pascal Benezech, Dominique Pinon, Marie-Laure Dougnac, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Karin Viard, Ticky Holgado, Anne-Marie Pisani, Boban Janevski, Mikael Todde, Edith Ker
“Set to the cadence and meanderings of a truly odd household of inmates/tenants, Delicatessen cunningly unfolds a futuristic domain of perverse gadgets and their owners who, in turn, run amok in a macabre and highly melancholy manner. Brutal machinery and fragile humanity are forever at odds, with love and devotion the only chance for survival. But can the cannibal elite of the tenement repel the attack of the subversive troglodytes? The juxtaposition of themes becomes increasingly delirious… Sure to be heralded as a masterpiece of vision and not merely a cult film, Delicatessen is so laden with humor and madness, brutality and tenderness, viewers will be left dumbstruck by the sheer style of the adventure alone.” – Roger Hurlburt, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Genres:
987. (-48) Child’s Play 3
Jack Bender
AKA:
1991 / USA / 90m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Justin Whalin, Perrey Reeves, Jeremy Sylvers, Travis Fine, Dean Jacobson, Brad Dourif, Peter Haskell, Dakin Matthews, Andrew Robinson, Burke Byrnes
“More than ever, the kills are played for a laugh at the sound of Chucky cackling. This one is much closer in tone to the sequel than to the original because the doll is fully shown and lit. He can still pull a shiver, but he’s getting harder to take seriously… If you accept to trade chills for fun, cheese and one-liners, Child’s Play 3 might meet most of your expectations. Sure, it’s the laziest in the trilogy, takes a couple of shortcuts when it needs to move its characters from one place to another, and the finale is implausibly rushed, but as long as you suspend disbelief, you should enjoy yourself. If animatronics don’t do it, the body count will.” – Steve Hutchison, Tales of Terror
Genres: Slasher, Supernatural Horror, Black Comedy, Puppetry, Evil Doll
988. (-33) Der Student von Prag
Stellan Rye & Paul Wegener
AKA: The Student of Prague
1913 / Germany / 85m / BW / Supernatural | IMDb
Paul Wegener, John Gottowt, Grete Berger, Lyda Salmonova, Lothar Körner, Fritz Weidemann, Hanns Heinz Ewers, Alexander Moissi
“One of the earliest films to leverage the camera, and film technology more generally, as means of expression in their own right (as opposed to ‘passive’ recording devices), The Student of Prague indicated a radical shift in the conception of the cinematic medium. The film brought to the screen a central motif of nineteenth-century fantastic literature, namely the figuration of the uncanny doppelganger as the embodiment of anxieties associated with the disintegration of a unified ‘self’ in a rapidly modernising world. In representing fears of psychic and social fragmentation and relating them to filmic reproduction, The Student of Prague scrutinises the uncertain status of modern subjectivity and acknowledges the cinematic medium as part of that very predicament.” – Katharina Loew, German Cinema: A Critical Filmography to 1945
Genres:
989. (-18) Westworld
Michael Crichton
AKA:
1973 / USA / 88m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Norman Bartold, Alan Oppenheimer, Victoria Shaw, Dick Van Patten, Linda Gaye Scott, Steve Franken, Michael T. Mikler
“In the 1970’s, writers were still being inspired by the technology of the Disneyland theme park attractions… The machines start breaking down in a pattern that spreads like a disease, thus predicting the computer virus, but calling it a “central mechanism psychosis”. Of course, this plot device was recycled for Jurassic Park… The long final act with the unstoppable robot with infra-red vision anticipates elements of The Terminator, Predator (right down to a crucial plot point), even the robo-vision of Robocop. In fact, the American Cinematographer articles about Westworld… point out that the gunslinger’s electronic viewpoint was the first [film] sequence to use actual computer imaging” – Mark Hodgson, Black Hole DVD Reviews
Genres:
990. (new) In a Violent Nature
Chris Nash
AKA:
2024 / Canada / 94m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, Liam Leone, Charlotte Creaghan, Lea Rose Sebastianis, Sam Roulston, Alexander Oliver, Timothy Paul McCarthy
“Having said that, “In a Violent Nature” is mostly a formal exercise. What if we told a horror story not as much from the POV of the bad guy—it’s like we get to know his inner monologue—but merely trapped by his side? And Nash is careful not to make a “Hardcore Henry” version of this wherein we root for a ruthless killer. It’s not exploitative, even though it is often gross and brutal. In a sense, locking us beside the bad guy ups the tension because we can’t escape either. We’re as trapped as his victims, just hoping he doesn’t turn around.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
Genres: Slasher, Sadistic Horror, Slow Cinema, Splatter, Supernatural Horror, Postmodernism
991. (-34) The Monster
Roland West
AKA:
1925 / USA / 86m / BW / Mystery | IMDb
Lon Chaney, Gertrude Olmstead, Hallam Cooley, Johnny Arthur, Charles Sellon, Walter James, Knute Erickson, George Austin, Edward McWade, Ethel Wales
“The Monster is the precursor for the tongue-in-cheek old-dark-house-with-malevolent-horror-star-as-host movie… The Monster is an oddity in the way it uses star Chaney. Chaney’s body of work goes a considerable distance in debunking his reputation as a “horror” actor. The few horror films Chaney appeared in are more aptly described as bizarre, densely psychological melodramas. The Monster, however, could serve as a prototype for a genre celebrity in a B-movie parody… The Monster is not great cinema, its not the best West, best Chaney, or best Old Dark House movie (James Whale would deliver that seven years later), but it is silent pulp and, in the right mindset, it can take you back to the days of milk duds and acne.” – Alfred Eaker, 366 Weird Movies
Genres:
992. (-27) Tragedy Girls
Tyler MacIntyre
AKA:
2017 / USA / 98m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Brianna Hildebrand, Alexandra Shipp, Jack Quaid, Kevin Durand, Timothy V. Murphy, Katie Stottlemire, Nicky Whelan, Elise Neal, Craig Robinson, Andy Bethea
“Although it’s largely a total shit-kicker of a satire on the 21st-century teenage dream of internet stardom, the reason MacIntyre’s movie really excels is down to his foundations. Underneath this all is a film about friendship and psychopathy – the two un-moveable core ideals of the teen and slasher genres in a nutshell. The rest is all stitched in over the top, diluted with enough playful horror in-jokes and whip-smart humour to keep you laughing all the way through to the finale. And if MacIntyre’s bang-on genre chops weren’t already enough to keep the dream alive, he’s supported by two of the finest female performances in recent genre history too.” – Ben Robins, HeyUGuys
Genres:
993. (new) Lèvres de sang
Jean Rollin
AKA: Lips of Blood
1975 / France / 88m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Jean-Loup Philippe, Annie Belle, Natalie Perrey, Martine Grimaud, Catherine Castel, Marie-Pierre Castel, Hélène Maguin, Anita Berglund, Claudine Beccarie
“More linear than many of his other films in the ‘lesbian vampire’ sub-genre for which he’s so well known, Jean Rollin plays this one fairly straight at least in terms of how he tells the story. Everything happens in a fairly straight forward fashion, save for the flashback (which doesn’t upset the flow of the movie at all) and even those not well versed in the man’s work should have no problems whatsoever following this one… as much a romance as it is a horror movie (as many of his movies are), it’s an engrossing and absolutely gorgeous looking film that provides enough gratuitous nudity, lesbian vampire action and mild bloodshed to appeal to the genre enthusiast but also manages to tell a rather sad and completely interesting story at the same time.” – Ian Jane, DVD Talk
Genres:
994. (-48) 4 mosche di velluto grigio
Dario Argento
AKA: Four Flies on Grey Velvet
1971 / Italy / 104m / Col / Giallo | IMDb
Michael Brandon, Mimsy Farmer, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Bud Spencer, Aldo Bufi Landi, Calisto Calisti, Marisa Fabbri, Oreste Lionello, Fabrizio Moroni, Corrado Olmi
“The little-seen Four Flies on Grey Velvet is perhaps most remarkable for it’s unusual spiritual underpinnings and Dario Argento’s deft attention for sexual signifiers. The title of this third and final film in Argento’s “animal trilogy” is as egregious as the weird science that literalizes the eye as a photographic camera… If Argento’s signature use of a black-gloved killer is noticeably absent, this is compensated by the presence of [Michael] Brandon himself, whose striking features recall those of the giallo director’s. There isn’t much to Four Flies on Grey Velvet besides pent-up rage though much of the film’s sexual frenzy prefigures themes from Deep Red.” – Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Genres:
995. (-51) Byzantium
Neil Jordan
AKA:
2012 / UK / 118m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Saoirse Ronan, Barry Cassin, Gemma Arterton, David Heap, Warren Brown, Ruby Snape, Thure Lindhardt, Jenny Kavanagh, Glenn Doherty, Edyta Budnik
“Nearly 20 years after Interview with the Vampire, director Neil Jordan returns to the land of the living dead with Byzantium, the tale of a mother-daughter vampire duo whose 200-year history is threatened when their existence comes to light. Though much surer in tone than its predecessor, this is not quite as far from the Tom Cruise-Brad Pitt, big-budget razzle-dazzle as it would appear on the surface. While certainly made on a much smaller scale, Byzantium shares the earlier movie’s gorgeous look, signature Jordan lyrical touches and the material again focuses on the brooding nature of its central characte… this is a romantic, sensual, bloody good time of a movie for sophisticated adults.” – Richard Knight, Windy City Times
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996. (new) 36.15 code Père Noël
René Manzor
AKA: Game Over
1989 / France / 87m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Brigitte Fossey, Louis Ducreux, Patrick Floersheim, Alain Lalanne, François-Eric Gendron, Stéphane Legros, Franck Capillery, Nicole Raucher, Gédéon, Charles de Feral
“The film is bolstered by an atmospheric score from Jean-Félix Lalanne, which amplifies both the festive and foreboding elements of the story. Lalanne’s compositions shift seamlessly between childlike wonder and mounting dread, underscoring key moments with a poignancy that complements the emotional stakes. The cinematography is equally striking, with its clever use of lighting to juxtapose the cosy warmth of Christmas decor against the menacing shadows that stretch through the mansion’s labyrinthine halls. This interplay of light and darkness not only mirrors the tension between innocence and danger but also imbues the film with a fairy-tale quality—a storybook come to life, albeit with an ominous edge.” – Craig Holton, What The Craggus Saw
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997. (-50) Mi Mefakhed Mehaze’ev Hara
Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado
AKA: Big Bad Wolves
2013 / Israel / 110m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Lior Ashkenazi, Rotem Keinan, Tzahi Grad, Doval’e Glickman, Menashe Noy, Dvir Benedek, Kais Nashif, Nati Kluger, Ami Weinberg, Guy Adler
“With a revenge drama core exploded from a theme of torture, “Big Bad Wolves” finds ways to walk a careful line by avoiding exploitation and exhibiting control. Less thoughtful efforts would be more graphic with the violence, and might opt to depict the murdered child centerpiece as a bloodied corpse without its head. “Big Bad Wolves” puts the camera elsewhere. Showing a trail of gummy worms ending in pulled down panties is less direct, yet more psychologically effective at evoking horror in as demure a manner as is cinematically possible. The movie demonstrates restraint when needed, humor when wanted, and stunning imagery constantly. Above all, it delivers gripping action, divisive personalities, and memorable setpieces.” – Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt
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998. (-53) The Ghost of Frankenstein
Erle C. Kenton
AKA:
1942 / USA / 67m / BW / Monster | IMDb
Lon Chaney Jr., Cedric Hardwicke, Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, Janet Ann Gallow, Barton Yarborough, Doris Lloyd, Leyland Hodgson
“Overall Ghost of Frankenstein is a better movie than if often gets credited for. While this might be the weakest of the series (ignoring the crossover movies) it’s still a pretty good movie with solid characters and solid acting. While Lon Chaney isn’t anywhere near the level of Karloff as the Monster, Chaney still delivers an excellent take on the Monster and with a strong cast Ghost of Frankenstein is a fun B-Movie and while it may not reach the epic of heights of past Frankenstein films it does provide a fun time.” – Last Road Reviews
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999. (new) The Legend of Boggy Creek
Charles B. Pierce
AKA:
1972 / USA / 90m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Vern Stierman, Chuck Pierce Jr., William Stumpp, Willie E. Smith, Lloyd Bowen, B.R. Barrington, J.E. ‘Smokey’ Crabtree, Travis Crabtree, John P. Hixon, John W. Oates
“The Legend of Boggy Creek is a film that is discussed more often than it is watched, leading to some misconceptions about its quality. Its reputation has been marred by a series of unrelated sequels, and there is a tendency to assume the film is in the same schlocky vein as those cash-ins. Boggy Creek is a far more accomplished film than its meager budget and Pierce’s lack of experience would lead you to expect, however, and it is easy to see how it captivated audiences for many years after its release. Furthermore, The Legend of Boggy Creek appears less dated than other films from the same period, due in large to its unique subject matter. An unprecedented success of low budget filmmaking, it is a historically important film for a number of reasons, not least of which is its place near the top of the Bigfoot cinema canon.” – David Carter, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
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1000. (new) The Witches of Eastwick
George Miller
AKA:
1987 / USA / 118m / Col / Witchcraft | IMDb
Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Veronica Cartwright, Richard Jenkins, Keith Jochim, Carel Struycken, Helen Lloyd Breed, Caroline Struzik
“Nicholson is definitely dancing on the edge as the antihero of “The Witches of Eastwick,” but then so was John Updike when he wrote the risque’ 1984 best seller. Now screen writer Michael Cristofer compounds the chaos with a beguiling brew of satanic spoof, sexual bickering, monster mash and Gothic slapstick comedy. If Hawthorne were alive and well in the ‘80s and inclined to caffeine abuse, he might have penned this frantic genre-bender, with its uninhibited exploration of repression’s fruits — political and physical — with Daryl as devil’s advocate to the women’s movement.” – Rita Kempley, Washington Post
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