Yea, I told you!! I’d be back!!! Even though that’s one of the more extreme death cries of Horror Movie history, I still returned, as alive as I’ll ever be and ready to take you on yet another journey of under appreciated horror!! Hopefully you took my previous article under consideration when making your midnight movie plans during the past few days but fear not, you still have a  week to dive head first into your bloody holiday with not one list, but two lists of potential blood soaked material! I’m back to bring you, the reader, what you deserve this Halloween!! And that’s more misery, macabre and mayhem! And this time, I’m not seeking the soft portion of the genre; I’m going to the more extreme. The legendary fright films sure to make you scream with fear and whisper with anticipation. If atmosphere is what you crave, well, I’m here to feed your need to never sleep again! I’ve swam through my collection of elegant, goose-bump inducing horror to bring you my top movies guaranteed to scare you this Halloween!!! Just keep reminding yourself, “It’s only a movie.”

 

 

THE DESCENT (2005)

Plot Summary: A thrill-seeker goes on vacation to go hiking and cave diving with her best friends one year following the tragic loss of her husband and daughter. With a lack of supplies, they struggle to survive underground after their entrance to one of the caves is buried by a tremor. While trying to find their way out of their own burial, they encounter something much more worse than what they could’ve ever imagined.

Why you should watch:

This is by far the scariest theater experience I’ve ever sat through. The Descent is a land mark within the genre and serves as a “How-To” guide on how to bait and switch it’s audience. Neil Marshall is a genius at creating a claustrophobic atmosphere and with the movie being set almost entirely underground, the film sets the tone for such an uneasy feeling of dread, you almost feel yourself being trapped within the cave yourself.  There are no laughs, there are no breaks for the audience and there really is no escape for the amount hell you are about to witness. If you are looking for an edge of your seat death ride this Halloween, than look no further than “The Descent!”

MARTYRS (2008)

Plot Summary: Fifteen years after a horrifying experience of abduction and prolonged torture, Lucie embarks on a bloody quest for revenge against her tormentors. Along with her childhood friend, Anna, who is also a victim of child abuse, she quickly descends, without hope, into madness and her own delusions. Anna, after further investigating the confines of the house, quickly finds herself alone and experiencing what Lucie did when she was only twelve years old

Why you should watch:

Martyrs is another excellent example of  “change of pace” movie directing. Half way through the film things never quite feel right until you’re finally punched in the face for what kind of unsettling disturbance you’re about to lay eyes on. This cinema gold mine makes you feel dirty the entire last half an hour and keeps you thinking far after the experience is over. If you have never sat through and actually experienced this film first hand, my friends, you’re missing out. Martyrs is sure to straighten your mood if only by allowing you to have the fortunate power of knowing that this is only a movie.

 

SESSION 9

Plot Summary: Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.

Why you should watch:

What can easily be described as, at least in my eyes, the best haunted house movie ever made. Session 9 is filmed inside an actual old, abandoned, decrepit mental hospital and it really works to the advantage of the director. Through every “Insidious” and “The Haunting” movie I’ve ever sat through, I keep thinking in the back of mind how Session 9 is so much better. The acting is top notch, the story reeks of awesomness and the overall sense of the film is eerie and cautious. This movie really sets the stage for how Hollywood should actually film a ghost story.

 

 

IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)

Plot Summary: After the disappearance of horror author Sutter Cane, an insurance investigator is set on a journey to help find and return the media hyped novelist but soon discovers that the impact Cane’s books have on his fans is more than inspirational.

Why you should watch:

I swear, the first time I saw this movie at the local video store I was kicked square in the junk by not only the most awesome video packaging I had ever seen, but after reading the plot on the back of the old VHS rental I just knew I had to indulge my attention into everything this movie had to offer. This movie is the epitome of what I think as actual Lovecraft fiction wrapped inside a realistic nightmare of novel coming to life and gratifying my taste for all things horror.

 

REC (2007)

Plot Summary:  A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.

Why you should watch:

There are tons of movies that try and capture the “POV” of found footage horror but only one that really delivers, and that’s REC! Experiencing this movie for the first time several weeks ago, I imagined a brighter future for horror. This movie made me feel afraid of cinema again, and that was a feeling I had been longing for. There are so many films that entice you by documenting “THE SCARIEST FILM THIS YEAR” on their label or poster, but hardly ever do you feel it necessary to give it’s claim the backing, but this film delivers on all cylinders, has you clawing at your arm rest and hiding your eyes of the nastiness of bloodshed that unfolds.

 

Sublime (2007)

Plot Summary: On the day after his fortieth birthday, the family man and computer analyst George Grieves goes to the Mt. Abaddon Hospital for a routine procedure of colonoscopy with Dr. Sharazi. After the surgery, George finds that his surgery had complications because of an error. While interned, George discloses bizarre and dark secrets about the East Wing of the hospital while his wife and family have to take a decision about his fate.

Why you should watch:

A movie that combines the fear of a colonoscopy with nightmare infused visions of going under the knife of the wrong surgery combined with the compelling confusion of wondering if you’re stuck in the confines of hell. On the surface, this movie is a nightmarish mishap of going under, but read through the lines to distinguish for yourself what is the overall theme of the film. I’ve had several sit down viewings of this film and come out with a different understanding and love for “Sublime.”  There’s a deeper root of government conspiracy intertwined within it’s grasp among other notable decipherings.  Outside of all of this goodness, it also stars The Love Monkey!!!

 

Wolf Creek (2005)

Plot Summary: Stranded backpackers in remote Australia fall prey to a murderous bushman who offers to fix their car, then takes them captive.

Why you should watch:

Listen, I’ve always pictured Australia as this awesome country that I would love to someday visit, go backpacking through it’s outback territory of uncharted wilderness, mountains and deserts. Well, that was, of course until I saw this film. This film is based on actual events, loosely, but it still doesn’t make me feel any more comfortable with the idea of actual visiting this country, not to mention that the crimes have gone unsolved. Wolf Creek’s villain is one of the scariest in horror history because of his charisma and the story, although slow starting, once it picks up may have you thinking to never venture into the outback as well.

 

Sinister (2012)

Plot Summary: A true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm home movies films that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s.

Why you should watch:

Sinister, during it’s theatrical run, was mainly labeled as yet another “Haunted House” movie with a cliche plot with a “follow the trend” Hollywood big budget scare ride. However, Sinister is much more than that. A well crafted story with A + acting makes this movie one of the most underrated horror movies of 2012. The movie hits the ground running and never lets up as we, the viewer, watch 8mm tapes that explain the murders that have occurred since the early 60’s only to witness the supernatural element of this movie and it’s main mythological villain unfold. It takes a lot to scar me, and this movie did just that.

 

Frontier(s) (2007)

Plot Summary: A gang of young thieves flee Paris during the violent aftermath of a political election, only to hole up at an Inn run by Neo-Nazis.

Why you should watch:

There’s a very thin line between ripping off other movies and paying homage to classics within the genre. Frontier(s) is a mixture of a lot of great cinematic horror masterpieces, however, it delivers it’s respect for the genre in a very new, entertaining and horrific way. This movie has elements of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Hostel” and “High Tension” to name just a few but goes far beyond the imagination of these movies and delivers a more realistic approach of a plot within a plot nightmare. It’s change of pace is abrupt and when things go terribly wrong for these thieves,  you can hardly watch the aftermath.

 

The Bay (2012)

Plot Summary: Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs.

Why you should watch:

I love this film!! My own personal opinion shouldn’t really matter as a lot of gore hounds I’ve spoken to about this movie don’t really get my point of view on the subject, however, this movie chilled me to the bone, and I mean..literally stunned me and had me thinking about all things environmental for weeks after watching “The Bay.” It’s downright scary to think about how easily this movie translates to modern hysteria and is actually based on a real situation happening in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, although it completely goes overboard with it. I like movies that take shots at my conscious and make me really think about the world we live in. It has a lasting appeal that will stick with you for weeks after watching it. It voices it’s concerns about how our environment, nature and surroundings can turn on us at any given time.