15 Movies For Your Halloween Horror Watchlist
Last year, I gave you some alternative picks for your Halloween viewing. This year, I’m back at it again with fifteen - count ‘em, fifteen! - movies for you to check out.
Maybe you’re a crate-digger looking for the next dusty VHS horror gem? Maybe you’re someone who prefers a comedic horror movie? Or are you craving something more recently released to tingle your spine? Well, this list has ‘em all, and then some!
As always, let us know what you think and if there’s any of your all-time favourite recommendations you’d like to send our way! Otherwise, on with the list:
Mutilations (1987)
Synopsis: A high school science teacher takes his students on a field trip to see a UFO sighting. What they didn’t expect the full on flying saucer crashed into a farm house, complete with an alien predator feeds on humans! Very quickly each student starts to get picked off one by one…
Why watch it? This low-budget regional affair (hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma) has everything you need for a seasonal pick: endearing ambition, tons of fog and flashing coloured lights, stop motion monsters, and a hefty dose of bizarre line readings. Despite being small production, this looks great too with gnarly sets and a good amount of effort put into the style department
The only thing dragging it down a peg are the two extended dialogue scenes they use to dump (sometimes useful, sometimes random) exposition on us. If that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, this might be a big hit for your next Halloween watch party. It’s surprisingly slept-upon, despite having been given a limited edition DVD from Massacre Video in 2016.
Wounds (2019)
Synopsis: Disturbing and mysterious things begin to happen to a bartender in New Orleans after he picks up a phone left behind at his bar.
Why watch it? Did you happen to skip Babak Anvari’s follow-up to Under the Shadow because you saw some lukewarm reactions online? To some degree, I understand why Wounds ended up as divisive as it was - it’s another take on toxic masculinity, rendered bluntly and draped in effective and unnerving horror but punctuated with an abrupt (though thematically essential!) ending. If you aren’t ready to buy into some silly stuff in Wounds, then sure, I can see it falling flat.
Personally, I think the vibe here is unreal and easily the most creeped out I’ve been from a mainstream horror film in years. I was willing to buy into another male anxiety movie, because Wounds wisely focuses more on how the standard horror plot pushes a man’s mask off, revealing his base shittiness and how he’ll latch on to anything–literally–to have some kind of defining trait or meaning to his worthless existence.
Grotesque (1988)
Synopsis: A gang of crazed punkers breaks into a family’s vacation home in the mountains and slaughters the entire family, except for one daughter who gets away. As the gang pursues the girl through the snow, they slowly realize that some kind of murderous creature is chasing them…
Why watch it? Watching Grotesque with a crowd is a delight. You’ll all spend a good chunk of the running time just thinking that this is a pretty entertaining movie that can’t quite decide what exactly it wants to be–is it a home invasion or a monster movie? But then, something happens that turns this movie into some kind of deranged masterpiece. Saying anything about what exactly happens in the last act of Grotesque should be illegal, because you really need to just experience it for yourself. Even knowing this much is already too much information to be honest. Get some friends together and experience it for yourself, is all I will say.
The Return of the Swamp Thing (1989)
Synopsis: The Swamp Thing returns to battle the evil Dr. Arcane, who has a new science lab full of creatures transformed by genetic mutation, and chooses Heather Locklear as his new object of affection.
Why watch it? Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing from 1982 has never really stuck out in my mind as memorable - it’s a fascinating diversion in Craven’s filmography, and it’s not bad by any stretch, just not… a movie I think about all that often. Would you have ever guessed though, that a Jim Wynorski-directed sequel to a Wes Craven movie would be way better than the Craven attempt? It’s true!
The Return of the Swamp Thing is the kind of goofy modestly budgeted b-movie that doesn't seem to get made any more; super comic book-y, lame comedy (works for me!) and over the top performances abound. If you’re looking for a really fun, silly horror-adjacent title to entertain for 90 minutes, reach for this one!
Remote Control (1988)
Synopsis: A video store clerk stumbles onto an alien plot to take over earth by brainwashing people with a bad ’50s science fiction movie. He and his friends race to stop the aliens before the tapes can be distributed world-wide.
Why watch it? Jeff Lieberman is most known for movies like his acid-freakout thriller Blue Sunshine or the backwoods slasher Just Before Dawn. His films have dabbled with humour before–Satan’s Little Helper later revisited the comedic horror genre–but Remote Control was maybe Lieberman’s first straight-up silly movie and it’s an absolute blast. Like TerrorVision by way of Videodrome for the VHS set, this bonkers and hilarious tale of a VHS from space is a magnetic slab of goofy entertainment that lands smack dab right in my comfort zone. Deserves to be more well known than it is, and likely Jeff Lieberman's best film after the aforementioned Just Before Dawn.
Night of the Demon (1980)
Synopsis: A professor and his students have a grisly encounter with a sasquatch-like creature that prowls the backwoods.
Why watch it? Well, If you love stilted performances, excessive use of slow motion, and seeing a guy get his dick ripped off by Bigfoot, do I have the movie for you!!
No, but seriously. This Bigfoot slasher was written and directed by filmmakers with no other credits to their names, and while this movie may have been low on budget it’s high on entertainment value for sure. Night of the Demon has what is likely the most bloodthirsty representation of Bigfoot ever, and we see them rippin’ out guts and swirlin’ them in the air, making Girl Scouts stab themselves, and much more. Gnarly!
Snatchers (2019)
Synopsis: After status-obsessed teen Sara has sex for the first time, she wakes up the next day nine months pregnant-with an alien.
Why watch it? I’m going to try and include some newer-releases in here, because pressing play on a horror-comedy from recent years has to be one of the biggest gambles you can take, movie-viewing wise. There’s just so many of them, and the ratio of gems-to-duds is just not worth it sometimes. As such, I watched Snatchers on a whim thinking it'd likely be yet another poorly executed horror-comedy, but was majorly surprised to find it's actually well acted and quite a bit of fun.
There's a few groan-worthy moments of dialogue, but it doesn't feel overly forced, the effects are charming and I laughed quite a bit. Definitely one of the better horror-comedies of this ilk in a while, though people with aversions to this kind of thing might not go for it as much as I did. It owes a lot to the movies its aping, but it works for what it's shooting for. I was charmed. Can’t ask for too much more from these kind of movies, I’d say.
The Kiss (1988)
Synopsis: Teenager Amy Halloran’s mother is killed in a car crash while going to meet her sister Felice, a top fashion model. Not long after, Amy’s father meets Felice at the graveside and invites her to move in. Amy develops a dislike of Felice, particularly after she seduces her father. She comes to believe that Felice is using African magic to kill off her friends and is now trying to possess her.
Why watch it? Carlo and I covered this for Hoser Horror, and that should be enough reason for you to check it out (and then go listen to our episode please!!) As for the movie, first off it has to be noted that this sits firmly beside Scared Stiff and The Believers on the ‘80s-horror-that-are-based-in-racist-stereotypes shelf. Pretty cringe-worthy dated stuff from that perspective. If you can bear with that for an hour, as a Canadian entry in the cheese-ball ‘80s special-effects horror movie you can do a lot worse.
Crappy stuff acknowledged, this otherwise actually kind of rules? Evil Aunt (who received the titular deadly "kiss" as a child) shows up to wreck havoc and pass on her curse to Meredith Salenger. The whole thing is caked in that ‘80s foggy-lensed film-grainy look, and feels like a mix between a big-budget horror-adventure and a sleazy erotic thriller. Not the tightest movie from a pacing perspective, but the finale gets there for sure, and the movie features a wonderfully ugly murderous cat puppet so *chef kiss* on that.
The Appointment (1981)
Synopsis: Walking through some woods a girl is seized by an unseen malevolent force. The authorities erect an iron fence around the woods. Later, another girl and her family are affected by the same force. First in their dreams, and then in more real ways…
Why watch it? Very odd, nightmare-infused British horror movie with not a whole lot of plot to grab onto, but the dread-inducing atmosphere really pulls you through. Would love to see this one remastered or re-released because you can tell a lot of work went into the cinematography, art design and soundtrack and the VHS certainly doesn't do it justice. The Appointment is one of those movies that bubbles around the internet, getting passionate recommendations but it hasn’t received that cult-gem status yet–maybe a lack of re-release is all that it needs to get the bump up? Be the first on your block to tell all your friends about it!
Doppelganger (1993)
Synopsis: A woman moves from NYC to LA after a murder, in which she is implicated. She is followed by what is apparently her evil alter-ego. She moves into a room for rent by a writer and he begins having an affair with her. But after some strange things happen, and suddenly he’s not so sure if the affair is with her or her doppelgänger.
Why watch it? Because it has dialogue like "Sounds like an open and shut case, right? WRONG! She came up with some WEIRD mumbo-jumbo alibi and got off!" shouted by a guy who comes in and explains the entire plot to the main character, who then goes on to say "You scratch my back, I'll lick your balls." The copy I watched of this was also a grimy DVD and it made this even better I think... grainy and so over-scored in the best, most pretentious way–every scene has this unreal hyper-Hitchcock strings thing going on.
Mostly, Doppelganger is just flat-out ridiculous in all the right ways. Drew Barrymore and main dude eating dinner while she brandishes the biggest knife in the world, blood showers, hilarious attempts at "erotic" sex scenes, intensely blunt expository dialogue plus lots flashes of the KNB monster that awaits you at the end of the movie. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.
The First Power (1990)
Synopsis: A dedicated L.A. police detective and a female psychic must stop a demonic serial killer who was given the powers of resurrection, teleportation and possession.
Why watch it? I love a good ‘90s cop-thriller that tosses in some supernatural bullshit. If you’re like me in that way, this one’s for you! So utterly trashy and watchable that I can't not recommend The First Power. It also gets bonus points for:
How many times demonically-possessed characters straight-up boot Lou Diamond Phillips straight in the balls, and
That part where the supernatural murderer rips out a ceiling fan, and then runs around with it while revving it up like a chainsaw, somehow. Yes, thank you, can I have some more?!
Fatal Exposure (1989)
Synopsis: The great grandson of the infamous Jack The Ripper is a photographer who murders women in bizarre ways. He photographs them and drinks their blood in order to increase his sexual potency. One day, he meets the girl of his dreams to carry on the family name, but he uses her to lure in more female models to murder and add to his collection. With the body count rising, Erica is unaware of her new boyfriend’s hobby, and soon he starts making mistakes.
Why watch it? Way back on Episode #9, Carlo and I talked about this for our Discoveries podcast. It’s about Jack Rippington (grandson of, you guessed it, Jack the Ripper) and how he kills ladies and drinks their blood (at least once he downs a pint and belches like he just slammed a coors) because his grandfather told him that's how you get to be a real man. Also he wants a son so he can "show him the magic of being A RIPPINGTON." Shot on film, edited on video, with solid gore, ridiculous dialogue and a main character who straight-up TALKS TO YOU, THE VIEWER. That’s Fatal Exposure, baby.
The Prodigy (2019)
Synopsis: A mother concerned about her young son’s disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.
Why watch it? The kind of movie I wouldn’t be surprised to hear someone skipped because it looked like whatever generic horror movie from that year’s releases. But you shouldn’t skip this one!
I myself was surprisingly into this mean little movie with its tightly wound concept that spirals into a whole 'nother place in the final act. Colour me surprised–wasn't the biggest fan of The Pact but this was my shit for sure. Works with elements that could be considered cliché for the genre (oh no, flies! kid saying vulgar/awful things!) but uses them effectively. There’s a super fine line between a trashy movie pretending like it's above the material, and one presenting trashy/exploitation style content in a classy way and I think The Prodigy nails the latter.
Also, gotta hand it to the mean-kid movie that understands viewers who were afraid of going into dark, dank basements as children aren't scared when watching kids on film do that - they find watching an adult have to follow a fearless kid into one much more effective.
Seeding of a Ghost (1983)
Synopsis: A Hong Kong taxi driver suffers after being cursed by a sorcerer he accidentally hit with his cab. After the driver’s wife is raped and killed by teenage hooligans, he pleads with the sorcerer to lift the hex and restore his wife to the land of the living. Otherworldly zombie chaos ensues.
Why watch it? This Shaw Brothers Studio distributed spells and sorcery horror/exploitation hybrid begins as a tawdry drama with plenty of gratuitous softcore-level nudity before things take a very dark turn, landing in gut-buster territory. After a pretty harrowing assault occurs, where the wife dies after falling off the roof of an abandoned mansion, the film segues into something of a crime drama.
It's when our main character remembers a chance meeting with a black magic sorcerer that the film really takes off, with the wife resurrected and begins to get her revenge from beyond the grave in a number of entertaining and disgusting ways–from worm-barfing, to brain-eating and ultimately gut-busting monster-tentacle insanity.
While those who are lead to believe that Seeding of a Ghost will be top-to-bottom pedal-to-the-metal energy may leave disappointed, it's hard not to admire the sheer level of commitment to the material here. The effects are goopy and gory, and just when you're ready to pass some that's not as crazy as I had heard judgement, it really kicks off. Patience, and the ability to get through some of the more exploitative elements of the picture, will be readily rewarded for adventurous viewers.
Special Silencers (1982)
Synopsis: Special Silencers are large red pills, obtained from a forest dwelling mystic, which aid in meditation. However, if used by the untrained they cause a huge tree to grow in the stomach, and burst its way through the skin.
Why watch it? Indonesian director Arizal is known for their wildly dangerous looking stunt-filled action/revenge flicks (see: American Hunter, Final Score, The Stabalizer.) 1982’s Special Silencers is an outlier in their filmography to some degree, functioning as a dang-nutty hybrid martial arts and gore film. Featuring Barry Prima and Eva Arnaz kickin' butt, but punctuated with gut-busting grue and a bad guy that likes to toss snakes and rats on people. This was more on my wavelength than Final Score, to be honest, which surprised me as usually I'm more of a guns, cars 'n 'splosions action movie dude. Even though this also features some pretty rough stuff, on the whole it felt more "fun" than the aforementioned revenge flick.
