Sunday, October 21, 2012

5 great scary movies you might have missed

It's almost Halloween/Dia de los Muertos, so everyone is in the mood for some scary movies. But you've already seen The Exorcist, The Sixth Sense and The Silence of the Lambs, and everything else in the horror movie section looks lame (ex: The Devil Inside.) I admit the horror genre is kind of weak, a lot stinkers out there. So here are some suggestions for some scary movies you might have missed.

1) Lat den ratte komme in (Let the Right One In): Since this is maybe the best horror movie of the 21st century and probably the best vampire movie since The Lost Boys, perhaps you didn't miss it. This 2008 Norwegian film tells the story of a friendship between a boy and a girl, who happens to be a vampire. It's a legitimately scary movie that also has heart. Plus an unforgettable scene with cats.








2) The Thing: This 1982 John Carpenter film has it all: aliens, Antarctica, flame throwers, Wilford Brimley. It's a remake of the 1950s movie The Thing From Another World, which was adapted from the story "Who Goes There?", and later remade in 2011 as a prequel! In this movie, scientists in Antarctica stumble upon an alien life form that can change shape. Stranded in this frozen tundra they must figure out who is human and who is alien and fight to stay alive. Not exactly pee-your-pants scary but still suspenseful with some gross/campy effects.










3) Shallow Grave: I wouldn't call this a horror film, but definitely a scary movie. It's actually Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor's first movie, who later teamed up for the classic Trainspotting, and Boyle went on to do the awesome awesome 28 Days Later, plus of course Slumdog Millionaire and more recently the 2012 Olympic opening ceremonies. In this 1994 movie, three English flatmates find themselves stuck with a corpse and a load of cash. It's a familiar formula but still has some good twists and those moments that make you jump out of your seat.








4) Dead Alive: OMG this movie is just so great on so many levels. It's so very gory and disgusting and hilarious and extreme that is just has to be seen. Dead Alive is actually one of Peter Jackson's first movies. He went on to make the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. This movie is set in New Zealand and is about a young man in love with a woman, but also must compete with the love and attention from his needy old mother, who gets bitten by a disgusting rat and becomes a decaying zombie! There is a scene at a park with a baby carriage that is incredibly funny, a goofy battle between a priest and zombies, and a lawnmower scene I promise you will never forget.







5) The Descent: This is a relatively straightforward scary movie with folks running away from monsters throughout. Two aspects make it interesting: nearly all-women cast, and most of the movie takes place UNDERGROUND. It feels very claustrophobic, which adds an extra dimension of fear for those of us who don't like being in tight spaces.

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