David Hunter
A lot of my fellow peers writing for the site have looked at various horror movies in preparation for the upcoming Holiday season. They have name dropped most of the well known luminaries of the genre including Dario Argento, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and George Romero.
Most horror fans can rattle off a boatload of horror films that from the so bad it’s fun realm towards the greats that everybody and their deceased relatives have heard of: Psycho, Jaws, Halloween, Poltergeist, etc.
Credit to MadisonontheCheap.com
I thought it would be a little more fun to take a deeper look at some films that go a bit under the radar. Most horror fans who lap up the genre like Dracula suckling on a virgin’s neck wound will know these titles and some non-horror fans may even know these films. So consider this a culmination of movies that are fun but are worth doing in a Halloween Marathon that some may not even consider.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Director: Joe Dante (the man in the image above)
A lot of people know the original movie, Gremlins for its Christmas setting and creepy innovation by creating the Gremlin creatures in the first place. People may even know that there was a sequel released to the original that took place in New York.
I’ll make the argument that Gremlins 2, while not as purposefully scary as the first one, still not only offers up scares but is even a better movie on the whole than the original. It features several great cameos, is full of snark riffing on anything infomercial/pop culture that it can get its hands on, and even mocks serious moments from the original movie in an over the top and hilarious way. What really makes this film work is that it’s pretty clear after the Gremlins start showing up that this is a movie not taking itself too seriously (or maybe even seriously at all) and instead letting the director and actors have fun with the entire concept and mythology behind the creatures. It’s almost a spoof of Gremlins, with tinges of creepy scenes that remind us why Dante’s original Gremlins worked so well, but straddles the line really well of not being so over the top that it takes away from the genuine scare scenes weaved in.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Director: Michael Dougherty
I am a total sucker for anthology movies, especially horror anthologies, going back to my childhood. Give me an anthology TV series, movie, or book and I am consumed for however long it takes me to finish.
This was a while in coming and originally spun off the character of Sam created by Writer/Director Michael Dougherty for a short film that never got developed into anything more. So Dougherty ended up creating a film around four tales that all weave and twist into each other while being universally separate entities. It’s really well done and the pacing is great as it never feels like the viewer is really jumping to a different story.
The stories themselves are not necessarily scary, except maybe the one that stars the character of Sam and actor Brian Cox as Mr. Kreeg, but the stories are all fun and largely bolstered by the great casting in the movie itself. Each story has a recognizable face ranging from well known actors/actresses such as Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox to more niche known actors/actresses such as Tahmoh Penikett (from Dollhouse) and Britt McKillip (from Dead Like Me).
This is a great movie to throw on as a lighthearted, fun romp after going through two or three straight intense, scary horror classics such as: Poltergeist and Jaws or Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Alien and Aliens. It’s light on scares but very well directed with some great acting performances and every story is enjoyable to watch.
Critters (1986)
Director: Stephen Herek
This movie has one of my favorite trailers so it’s worth seeking out but I included the 30 seconds TV advertisement spot below as a teaser. If anybody knows of this title, it’s probably due to the fact that Don Keith Opper became a star of the franchise due to his role as the town’s bumbling drunk, Charlie McFadden. That or they saw too many of the really bad sequels that were an 80’s and 90’s staple (one could argue it continues to this day) where every horror film that was slightly successful had to have at least 4 sequels made.
With that said, the original stars some good actors including Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, and Terrance Mann. The film’s premise is usually pretty well remembered in that the Critters crash land on Earth and two Bounty Hunters are hot in pursuit and also land in this little town where all Hell breaks loose.
The first film does a surprisingly good job at holding off on the reveals of the creatures and using shadows and long shots to keep the Critters at bay for the viewer, helping add to the tension and creepiness of the film. The movie holds up well, largely due to decent acting jobs, but more importantly as a result of the direction by Herek. He uses the landscape and shadows to keep the mood and atmosphere going, refrains from focusing on the creatures too much at the hindrance of the somewhat thin plot, and has just enough action to keep things at an exciting pace.
The original movie is played pretty straight regarding these creatures and as a result, really stands out as a fine little horror movie from the mid 1980’s that often gets overlooked due to the bad sequels that followed. Unlike a movie such as Leprechaun, only notable for Jennifer Aniston’s debut, Critters is well worth seeking out and throwing in towards the end of a marathon.
Now let’s head onto the final horror film that I’ll be recommending.
House (1986)
Director: Steve Miner
Credit to lunchmeatvhs.com
No relation to the FOX TV series, House M.D. this little horror gem was released the same year as Critters. It stars William Katt whom plays Roger Cobb, a former Vietnam Vet turned horror novelist who is in search of his son after he disappears at his Aunt’s house. George Wendt of Cheers fame also has a memorable role as the next door neighbor.
This film is definitely the darkest of the group with a lot of Vietnam imagery leading up to a really creepy, terrifying ending sequence. This movie is very similar to another of my favorite movies, 1980’s The Changeling starring George C. Scott, in that the movie starts off with little odd things happening that gradually increase leading up to a climactic finish.
While the directing job by Steve Miner is good and the acting jobs are solid, the creature effects are what I always remember from this movie and are a credit to the Backwood Films creature effects crew and their role. The best and most memorable scenes (including one that really is funny thanks to George Wendt’s delivery) take place in Roger’s bedroom and involve a closet. The direction on these scenes are done really well and help up the tension with the tried and true tactic of forcing the viewer to wait, knowing full on what is coming, and not letting the event happen too soon or too late.
This movie is what I probably would call a good closing movie for a marathon if you can find it available. It’s creepy, scary, and surprisingly an effective Haunted House movie that doesn’t rely on ghosts but instead other supernatural creatures while having enough of a story that serves as the focus rather than to be a backdrop to the creatures themselves.
Hope some of these choices crack a marathon or two and a Happy Halloween!
Credit to Nerdist.com for feature image
