Horror & The Supernatural - Less Gore, More Thought
A group of genre films that are personal favorites. Some are classics, some are little known, some probably aren't very good but I liked them anyway. Not a big slasher or graphic violence fan, so not much of that here.
These are in no particular order except that the ones at the bottom of the list are horror/parody films - more fun than fright.
These are in no particular order except that the ones at the bottom of the list are horror/parody films - more fun than fright.
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- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJulie HarrisClaire BloomRichard JohnsonHill House has stood for about 90 years and appears haunted: its inhabitants have always met strange, tragic ends. Now Dr. John Markway has assembled a team of people who he thinks will prove whether or not the house is haunted.One of the best psychological ghost stories ever.
9/10 - DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.Most people are familiar with this one, so there's really not much to add.
9/10 - DirectorWerner HerzogStarsKlaus KinskiIsabelle AdjaniBruno GanzCount Dracula moves from Transylvania to Wismar, spreading the Black Plague across the land. Only a woman pure of heart can bring an end to his reign of horror.Not very scary, but a great "art film" and exceptional update of the silent classic. One of my favorite movies of any kind.
10/10 - DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.The 60's and early 70's were a time of big interest in evil and the occult. The better films from the period had a certain "feel" that really reflected the times. This and the next two on the list are good examples.
8/10 - DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsEllen BurstynMax von SydowLinda BlairWhen a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.Soooooo 1970's - and worth every minute.
8/10 - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsGregory PeckLee RemickHarvey StephensMysterious deaths surround an American ambassador. Could the child that he is raising actually be the Antichrist? The Devil's own son?Ditto. But not as good as the two above.
7/10 - DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsBelén RuedaFernando CayoRoger PríncepA woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.Spanish. Subtitled. Nice take on the haunted house/imaginary friend cliche. Pulls it off much better than most.
8/10 - DirectorHerk HarveyStarsCandace HilligossFrances FeistSidney BergerAfter a traumatic accident, a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival.Basically a long version of a 1960 "Twilight Zone" episode, but even better.
8/10 - DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsKåre HedebrantLina LeanderssonPer RagnarOskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.Really good vampire flick. Swedish. Subtitled. WAY better than the U.S. remake.
8/10 - DirectorScott DerricksonStarsEthan HawkeJuliet RylanceJames RansoneA controversial true-crime writer finds a box of Super 8 home movies in his new home, revealing that the murder case he is currently researching could be the work of an unknown serial killer whose legacy dates back to the 1960s.I obviously liked this much more than most people. It isn't just a "gotcha" horror film (though it certainly has those moments), it's also a psychological portrait of self destructive personal obsession, with the two themes running head long into each other. Also has a great final scene.
7/10 - DirectorAlan ParkerStarsMickey RourkeRobert De NiroLisa BonetA private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.Schlocky, but I liked it.
8/10 - DirectorLarry FessendenStarsLarry FessendenMeredith SnaiderAaron BeallSet in a gritty, real life New York City, alcoholic Sam meets up with a modern day succubus who marks him and controls his will. As his world unravels he slowly figures out what is happening and has to figure out what to do.Is she or isn't she? Art school film with a lot of grit.
8/10 - DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.True period piece, with all the 1960s photo cut-ins at the end.
8/10 - DirectorOz PerkinsStarsEmma RobertsKiernan ShipkaLucy BoyntonTwo girls must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.Apparently, I liked this much more than most. I found it really creepy with an almost 1970s like version of evil.
8/10 - DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.Like "The Blackcoat's Daughter", just pure evil. Even though this is an English language film, it helps to use the subtitles.
7/10 - DirectorMike FlanaganStarsKatie ParkerCourtney BellDave LevineA woman and her sister begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances, including that of her own husband.Ultra Low budget (like $70k), real people, just kinda creepy.
8/10 - DirectorMike FlanaganStarsKaren GillanBrenton ThwaitesKatee SackhoffA recently released inmate from a mental asylum learns from his sister that the murders he was convicted of committing were actually orchestrated by a supernatural entity, the Lasser Glass mirror.Solid. The constant time shifting and overlapping is really effective. Same director as Absentia (didn't know that until after I'd watched this). Apparently someone else liked that one enough to give him an actual movie budget this time.
7/10
Since this original post Flanagan has gone on to create The Haunting of Hill House & the Haunting of Bly Manor - He's now hit the big time. - DirectorWolf RillaStarsGeorge SandersBarbara ShelleyMartin StephensIn the English village of Midwich, the blonde-haired, glowing-eyed children of uncertain paternity prove to have frightening powers.Classic British version. Also the best version.
7/10 - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.Like The Sixth Sense, everyone's seen this but I had to include it on the list. Classic.
8/10 - DirectorBill PaxtonStarsBill PaxtonMatthew McConaugheyPowers BootheA mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to destroy people who were in fact "demons."I'm not sure whether this really belongs on this list, but it's truly disturbing.
7/10 - DirectorE. Elias MerhigeStarsJohn MalkovichWillem DafoeUdo KierThe filming of Nosferatu (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.Both an homage parody of Nosferatu and a great vampire flick in it's own right. Highly recommended.
8/10 - DirectorHideo NakataStarsNanako MatsushimaMiki NakataniYûko TakeuchiA reporter and her ex-husband investigate a cursed video tape that is rumored to kill the viewer seven days after watching it.Japanese, subtitled. The next few are Asian horror. Different feel and different "rules". Ringu is probably the most well known of the bunch, but also the one I liked the least (still good).
7/10 - DirectorJee-woon KimStarsLim Soo-jungYum Jung-ahKim Kap-suAfter being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.Korean, subtitled. Slow burner that pays off. Not much gore, keeps the "jump scares" to a minimum, and at the end makes you want to go back and watch it again to see all the specific ways the Director sets up the conclusion throughout the film. Not for the short attention span crowd.
8/10 - DirectorSong Il-gonStarsKam Woo-seongJung SuhKang Kyung-hunA recently widowed TV producer is drawn to an isolated cabin in a mysterious woods.Korean, subtitled. Interesting to follow, with a very "foreign" feel.
7/10 - DirectorBanjong PisanthanakunParkpoom WongpoomStarsAnanda EveringhamNatthaweeranuch ThongmeeAchita SikamanaA young photographer and his girlfriend discover mysterious shadows in their photographs after a tragic accident. They soon learn that you can not escape your past.Thai flick with that Japanese ghost feel. Subtitled. Much better than the U.S. remake.
7/10 - DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsJun KunimuraHwang Jung-minKwak Do-wonSoon after a stranger arrives in a little village, a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman, drawn into the incident, is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.Korean, subtitled. This film wanders in a lot of different directions, most of them good - you have to get past the first half hour or so. The ending is great.
8/10 - DirectorEdgar WrightStarsSimon PeggNick FrostKate AshfieldThe uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.This is just SO good.
9/10 - DirectorWes CravenStarsNeve CampbellCourteney CoxDavid ArquetteA year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.One of the earlier "send up" movies; it also happened to be OK.
7/10 - DirectorDrew GoddardStarsKristen ConnollyChris HemsworthAnna HutchisonFive college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.Has some priceless scenes and an unexpected ending.
8/10 - DirectorAdam WingardStarsSharni VinsonJoe SwanbergAJ BowenWhen the Davison family comes under attack during their wedding anniversary getaway, the gang of mysterious killers soon learns that one of the victims harbors a secret talent for fighting back.Dark tongue in cheek take on home invasion movies. Another one that I liked more than I probably should have.
8/10 - DirectorScott GlossermanStarsNathan BaeselAngela GoethalsZelda RubinsteinThe next great killer and psychopath has given a documentary film crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the quiet town of Glen Echo.Who knew? Documentaries are always so educational.
7/10