by Zachary T. Owen
It's that time of year again—the most special time for
horrorhounds and Halloween freaks. In honor of our favorite Holiday, I'm
resurrecting Horror and Cult Movies for the Seasoned Fan (see the originals here and here). I happen to think all
of the films I've rounded up this year are worth a watch (and some worth many,
many watches) but, as each person has their own personal taste, your mileage
may vary. My original introduction is still very suiting, so here it is:
Most horror and cult fans have
seen just about everything—we tend to exhaust our favorite genre. But there is
always something out there we might have missed. The following is a list of
movies I believe to be underseen, forgotten, or if nothing else, underrated. If
you’ve seen them all, congratulations, you are a warrior. Not all of these are
what you’d call masterpieces, but each is unique in its own way. Some of them
will appeal to the open-minded movie watcher, while others can only be enjoyed
by devoted lovers of schlock and cult cinema. So, this October, when you’re
aching for something different, something neglected, or just want a few yuks,
consider this list. Without further ado—Horror and Cult Movies for the Seasoned
Fan.
The Evil Within (2017)
Okay, so this one is probably
going to gain most of its viewers because of its wild backstory. A passion
project of Andrew Getty, The Evil Within suffered a long and troubled
production, beginning its journey clear back in 2002 and, only now, two years after
Getty's death, seeing a release. The movie was largely self-financed after
Andrew Getty inherited money from his oil tycoon grandfather. In a bizarre
move—perhaps due to a simple lack of knowledge—Getty purchased most of the
equipment he needed for the film instead
of renting it, which ramped up production costs. He also developed a meth
addiction at some point (yes, really). Needless to say, the finished film is,
at times, a bit rough, but overall an enjoyable and twisted little romp. It
doesn't hurt that veteran horror actor Michael Berryman has a prominent role as
a shadowy villain, and the film has several impressive set pieces and some
mid-range to great special effects. Lead actor Frederick Koehler's performance
is also rock-solid.
WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
The WNUF
Halloween Special is an enticing blend of nostalgia and clever
wink-wink-nudge-nudge filmmaking. Billed as a “real” broadcast from the 80s of
a local news station investigating an allegedly haunted house, WNUF
manages to impress with its authenticity–the program is repeatedly interrupted
by fake commercials, some more absurd than others, but all of them tonally
dead-on for the time period. The main narrative itself is slight but involving
and amusing. The WNUF Halloween Special is the kind of movie you watch
with a group of friends on Halloween night with a couple of six-packs. My only
real criticism is the acting is all over the place. Some of the actors are
pitch-perfect, but some decidedly more amateur. This isn't usually a complaint
I have with B films, but this time around it does take away from the illusion.
Grow Up, Tony Philips (2013)
Director
Emily Hagins first came onto the horror scene at just 12 years old with her
zombie movie Pathogen, chronicled in the documentary Zombie Girl.
While the movie was, essentially, a home-video quality effort, her passion for
filmmaking at such a young age was a sure sign she wasn't just goofing with
friends. At 17, she put out the her second film, My Sucky Teen Romance.
While still a bit on the amateur side, it was an quite an improvement. Grow
Up, Tony Philips, her third movie, is her most accomplished. When I say
that, I mean it's a well-made, damn fine movie. It isn't a horror movie, but
still appropriate for the season. The titular character is a high school boy in
love with dressing up for Halloween to the point of planning his costumes
months in advance. While his hobby is innocent enough, the people around him
seem to find it juvenile and a little weird, so naturally, they ostracize him.
Tony Philips must begin his coming-of-age quest. But this time around we're
getting a story about teens growing up from the perspective of an actual
teenager (Emily was 19 while directing the movie). That just might be a movie
first.
Burning
Bright (2010)
The
title of this underseen animal-gone-amok thriller is a reference to William
Blake's famous poem “The Tyger.” That's about as literary as the film gets, but
what we do have is a sturdy thriller with competent performances, especially by
lead actress Briana Evigan, and some good chase scenes. The basic premise of Burning
Bright is this: a hurricane is fast approaching and Kelly and her autistic
younger brother Tom are trapped in their house, which has been sealed off by
their stepfather (who is so obviously the evil-stepdad archetype that nobody is
fooled). Oh, and a live tiger from the “safari zoo” he wants to build is somehow
loose in the house. It sounds silly, but it's actually pulled off well by
screenwriters Christine Coyle Johnson and Julie Prendiville Roux. Burning
Bright has commercial sensibilities so it's too bad it never really found
an audience. Bonus points: it's got a cameo by Meatloaf.
Long
Pigs (2007)
Long
Pigs is a Canadian mockumentary horror
film about two filmmakers following the exploits of a serial cannibal, somewhat
in the vein of Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and The
Last Horror Movie. The humor is bleak and deadpan (my favorite kind) and
the movie has a do-it-yourself look perfectly suited for this kind of story.
Anthony McAlistar is excellent as the cannibal and, balanced with the dark laughs,
is the right amount of subtext. Long Pigs asks some interesting
questions on morality, the human condition, and the nature of evil. A radio
host character acts as a good foil to the humor, bringing some gloom and
gravity to the story. When Long Pigs was first released on DVD the
limited edition included edible jerky prepared by Anthony McAlistar himself. I
wonder what it tasted like.
Mindwarp
(1992)
Fangoria
produced this sci-fi flick with strong elements of horror. Mindwarp was
meant to get a 1990 release but had a tumultuous production. By the time it was
distributed, two years later, there was no interest in a theatrical run.
Consequently, it went straight to video and was promptly forgotten. The movie
is a mess—but an ambitious one. Bruce Campbell and Angus Scrimm deliver great
performances, the special fx by KNB are pretty stellar, and there are some
really interesting elements in the screenplay. Mindwarp is essentially a
dystopian/post-apocalyptic narrative about a woman who leaves behind her comfy,
virtual-reality lifestyle and is thrown into the real world, a desert wasteland
filled with mutants. Along the way she meets Bruce Campbell, possibly one of
the last un-mutated humans to exist outside the complex of rich people plugged
into VR. The two of them end up in an underground lair where they are tormented
by Angus Scrimm's character, who acts as a messiah for the mutants. Mindwarp is
a little too heavy on the twists and turns. The ending left me underwhelmed,
but the movie as a whole was so entertaining that I didn't mind.
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