When one may think of a horror movie, big blockbusters may come to mind – Jaws, The Exorcist, Scream, and so on. For others, it may be the Universal horror films – Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, and The Bride of Frankenstein. If you fall in that category, that’s not a bad thing. However, did you know that horror films, in the past as well as the present, are essentially an “indie flick?” Indeed, films like George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968), John Carpenter’s Halloween, Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity, and recently Tom Six’s The Human Centipede are independent films picked up by major film studios. What may not be considered when watching these films is the power of filmmaking. Many times films that don’t show all the blood and gore is all how they film the scene. Sometimes it’s what you don’t see that leaves you wanting to sleep with the light on…
Instead of giving you a crash course on horror film history, here’s an incomplete list of different films fitting for the season. Please note that some of these movies may not be considered the typical “spooky” movies you see in the Freddy Kruger section. The criteria followed to create this list are films that aren’t exactly 100% horror, but rather have a tendency to mess with your head by using horrific, disturbing, and/or bizarre outlets. Two wonderful places to find these horrific oddities are Atlanta’s finest rental stores, Videodrome and Movies Worth Seeing. Another place to looks that’s close to home, rather you don’t have to leave your house is Netflix. If you find yourself curious about horror films, an excellent documentary to check out is The American Nightmare. If you see your favorite missing from the list, feel free to comment.
Tastefully campy
Suspiria
Profondo Rosso
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Haunting (1963)
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Strangely erotic
Eyes Wide Shut
Shivers
Species
Videodrome
International finds that will make your spine tingle
Eyes Without a Face
Kwaidan
Irreversible
The Virgin Spring
Oldboy
Frightening psychological
Repulsion
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Peeping Tom
Oldboy
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Humorous and/or Satirical
American Psycho
Shallow Grave
Shaun of the Dead
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Comments
More! More! Great Review and outstanding list of "horror" flicks. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! I appreciate your comment and hope to have more up soon. :-)
Cheers,
The Atlanta Indie Movie Examiner
Fabulous list! LOVE the inclusion of the creepy 'Peeping Tom'
Another good one from that era is 'Carnival of Souls'
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