Top 5 Horror Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen

It’s officially October and who can resist watching some good horror flicks this month.  So I went ahead and put together a list for you all to cuddle up with a loved one (you can cuddle with a pet if no loved ones are available), turn off all the lights, and enjoy being scared.

So you always see top 10 lists of “Greatest horror movies of all time zomg wtfbbq sauce taste the rainbow unicorn apocalypse”, but I will not be doing that.  WHY?   Because I really like movies, and I really enjoy horror movies.  I also really hate horror movies, because there are so many craptacular horror movies.  So instead of beating the dead horse with obvious entries like Jaws, The Exorcist, The Shining, The Thing, The Ring, _____ of the Dead, Alien, or Psycho….  I’d like to take a moment of your time and recommend five excellent horror movies you probably have not seen.  These are in no specific order and I will be giving something from the five categories of; Black and white, Cult favorite, Foreign, Psychological, and Revenge.

Let the games… BEGIN!!

The first movie on my list is……

CLASSIC:  The House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Originally marketed as  B horror movie starring Vincent Price, House on Haunted Hill has become a great horror classic you need to take the time to watch.  IMDB describes it as, “Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren and his 4th wife, Annabelle, have invited 5 people to the house on Haunted Hill for a “haunted House” party. Whoever will stay in the house for one night will earn ten thousand dollars each. As the night progresses, all the guests are trapped inside the house with ghosts, murderers, and other terrors“.

A couple of the scares might feel a bit dated, but there are a few that still stand the test of time.  I’m afraid that many people go, “Oh there’s a remake, I’ll just watch that.”  But don’t.  Just don’t.  It’s bad.

The second movie on my list is…….

A CULT CLASSIC; Suspiria (1977)

Do not confuse this with Disturbia unless you want me to punch you in the teeth.

Suspiria is possibly Dario Argento’s horror masterpiece.  It’s psychotic, violent, strange, and the occult plays a large part in this.  IMDB says, “A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the staff of the school are actually a coven of witches bent on chaos and destruction.”

To me, this movie represents a great effort at organized chaos as the movie has several unclear directions, but somehow weaves a strange story together.  It sometimes feels as if Dario Argento was playing an elaborate R rated version of mousetrap with the characters lives, leading to some of the most grisly deaths in horror cinema.

I should also mention that the soundtrack for Suspiria, which is done by the Goblins, is absolutely perfect and helps bring much of the surreal cinematography to life.

The third movie to grace my list is……

Foreign; Rec (2007)

Rec is awesome.  Rec is also in Spanish, meaning there are subtitles.  Learn to read subtitles, because the American Remake (groan), Quarantine, pales in comparison to the original.  I can 100% guarantee you will like something about Rec, even if you don’t like horror that much.  So hop to it.  Go rent it.  Oh… you want a description?  Fine.

IMDB says, “REC” turns on a young TV reporter and her cameraman who cover the night shift at the local fire station. Receiving a call from an old lady trapped in her house, they reach her building to hear horrifying screams — which begin a long nightmare and a uniquely dramatic TV report.”

The camerawork is handheld, but not to the point that you will vomit from motion sickness.  In fact, since the camera itself is somewhat of a character, it adds to the emotional impact of the situation Rec puts us viewers in.  Now go watch Rec!

The fourth movie on my list is…….

Psychological; PontyPool (2008)

How to describe Pontypool…. hmmmmmm….  this is harder than I thought.  What starts off as a strange night at a radio station turns into an even stranger night at a radio station…  No.  That doesn’t quite explain it well… hmmmmmmmm….

It’s kind of a zombie flick, but definitely not one.  Even the director has made it clear that there are no “zombies” in the flick, only “conversationalists”.  Do you like your horror films to get into your head in a strange way?  What about a film that has good cinematography and acting paired with a familiar story set-up that takes a hard left off the railing and explodes in an insane way off the side of a mountain? ….Then Pontypool is for you =)

And the final movie on my list is……

A REVENGE FLICK; I Saw the Devil (2010)

I Saw the Devil is beautiful and horrifying.  Violent and graceful.  Heroic and Shameful.  You get the point.  It’s a damn good movie.  It’s also my pick for best revenge flick.

IMDB says, “When his pregnant fiancée becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge.”  What I Saw the Devil really does is take a hero and we slowly watch him become a monster for the sake of revenge.

It’s not just as simple as that though.  The man who our hero is searching for is equal parts cunning and deadly, leading to many elaborate fights between the main characters.  The set is constantly moving from one location to another, with all of the scenes having their own special place in the story and bringing our hero one step closer to becoming a villain.  Along the way the main characters will encounter people just as screwed up as they are.  Without spoiling anything, I probably won’t ever ride in a taxi cab at night again thanks to this movie.

Having already swept many award shows for lighting and cinematography, I Saw the Devil is also a treat to the eyes.

That’s it!  I hope you like these movies when you watch them this October.  Let me know what you thought of them, and share any movies you feel deserved to be on this list in the comments below.