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Prepare to Be Scared By These 10 Sequels and Forgotten Horrors
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Don’t Forget These Five Horrors...
directed by Herk Harvey
Ever wonder where M. Night Shyamalan may have gotten inspiration for the twist ending of The Sixth Sense? Then, be sure to check out this eerie, influential cult classic that can also probably count George Romero, whose Night of the Living Dead features a similar atmosphere of dread and foreboding, among its admirers. The movie follows, Mary (Candace Hilligoss), a young woman involved in a traumatic car accident—two friends drown when her car goes off a bridge. Mary attempts to start a new life for herself as the church organist in a small town, yet she keeps seeing recurring images of a mysterious ghostly figure and is inexplicably drawn to a run-down, abandoned carnival. With its dream-like atmosphere, stark black-and-white cinematography and creepy organ music, Carnival of Souls is a surreal, underrated thriller with a shocking twist ending clearly ahead of its time.
Martin (1977)
directed by George Romero
While George Romero is perhaps best known for directing ultra-violent zombie epics, his work always raises thought-provoking questions that place him at the forefront of the horror genre. Martin, one of his lesser-known yet fascinating movies, is a modern vampire tale. The title character (John Amplas) is a troubled, disaffected 17-year-old that believes, based on a family legend, that he’s in fact an 84-year-old vampire. Yet, Martin doesn’t behave like a typical vampire: He’s immune to garlic and sunlight, and instead of fangs, he uses razor blades to drink his victims’ blood. After going to live with his elderly cousin, who strongly believes in the family vampire myth, Martin attempts to live a normal life, but his craving for blood continues to haunt him. Martin is a disturbing, utterly original take on the vampire mythos. Although there are a few creepy, violent scenes to keep horror fans satisfied, the movie is most compelling when we gain more insight into the main character. Romero seems to be saying that the suave, seductive vampires we’ve seen in movies, as played by Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, are of a past generation. The modern vampire works on a much more realistic, practical, horrifying level; even that introverted kid down the street could be one. It’s thought-provoking notions like this that make Martin such a fascinating deconstruction of the genre.
Fright Night (1985)
directed by Tom Holland
In many ways, Fright Night is the exact opposite of Martin—writer/director Tom Holland celebrates and revels in the classic vampire legend of past movies, rather than attempting to de-mystify them. The movie follows Charley (William Ragsdale), a nerdy, teenage horror movie lover who discovers his new next-door neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), is actually a vampire. Of course, no one believes Charley, so he takes the next logical step and asks washed-up actor Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), best known for his role as a vampire-killer and host of Charley’s favorite late-night horror show, to help him kill Jerry. The movie ultimately leads up to the terrifying title night, in which Charley and Peter must challenge a very real vampire. Boasting an array of cool creature effects, top-notch supporting performances from Sarandon and McDowall and equipped with a strong sense of humor, Fright Night is a massively entertaining homage to classic horror movies of the past. Unfortunately, it was forgotten in its original release amidst the slasher craze of the 1980s.
Braindead (1992)
directed by Peter Jackson
Before he became world-renowned for adapting the world of Middle Earth to the silver screen, Peter Jackson helmed several offbeat, subversive movies in his native New Zealand. Braindead (or Dead Alive as it was re-titled in the U.S.) is a wild, over-the-top gorefest concerning a shy, introverted young man whose over-protective mother is bitten by an animal while at the zoo. After becoming ill, she dies, only to return to life as a mindless zombie, killing everyone in her path, who in turn become members of the living dead as well. Taking inspiration from The Evil Dead movies, Jackson’s movie is ultra-violent (especially the infamous “lawnmower” climax), but never takes itself too seriously; all the outlandish, gory scenes are completely played for laughs. Jackson also shows an innovative touch when it comes to many of the gory special effects, which are surprisingly good given his low budget. Braindead is by far one of the funniest horror movies ever made, and while those interested in Jackson’s pre-Lord of the Rings output may be shocked by its outrageous tone, they’ll no doubt be impressed by the sheer boldness of Jackson’s goofy, gory vision.
directed by James Gunn
Screenwriter James Gunn (who wrote the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake) made his directorial debut with this darkly funny, loving homage to classic 1950s B-movies and gory creature features of the 1980s, like John Carpenter’s The Thing and David Cronenberg’s The Fly. Slither revolves around a small southern town taken over by an alien plague that starts turning residents into zombies and various other revolting monsters. Despite his multitude of influences, Gunn creates a wholly original tale, complete with truly disgusting creatures and a streak of irreverent humor, especially Nathan Fillion as the deadpan sheriff and Gregg Henry as the crass mayor. Slither wasn’t a hit at the box office, but there’s no doubt this funny, frightful flick will become a cult classic in the near future. After watching it, you’ll never be able to hear that creepy, soft-rock staple “Every Woman In The World” by Air Supply in the same way again.
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