Cinematical Seven: Best Horror Movies You Haven't Seen Yet
Filed under: Horror, Cinematical Seven
Some people go to film festivals to rub elbows with fancy folks; others go to see small foreign documentaries or glitzy Hollywood product. And others go just because their boss is paying for it. (These are the most annoying people of all.) But my main focus at any film festival is the scary stuff. Doesn't matter if it's a prestigious event like Toronto / Sundance or a down-home good time like SXSW, Philly or Fantastic Fest -- my eyeballs always search for the horror flicks first ... and rare is the genre film that can avoid my attention come festival time.
All of this explains why I've seen a whole lot of horror films that haven't been released yet. Over the course of this three-part series, I hope to give you a bunch of titles (21, to be precise) that have not hit the screens (or shelves) just yet. I'm not saying they're all classics, but on the other hand ... I wouldn't be throwing crap titles in there, now would I? In no particular order, let's start with...
Inside (A l'interieur) -- It stunned me at Toronto and it wormed its way into my heart at Fantastic Fest. It's the very simple story of a very pregnant woman, a very psycho bitch and a collection of very sharp weapons. NOT for the squeamish, the pregnant, the hemophobic or wimpy, but it's definitely a flick that'll keep the fans talking for a while. (Full review here.) Arrival: All I know is that the Weinsteins own it, which means it'll probably hit DVD (under the "Dimension Extreme" label) some time early next year.
Wrong Turn 2 -- Between my positions at FEARnet and DVDTalk, I see a whole bunch of 'direct-to-video' movies -- and the sequels are usually the worst. So imagine my surprise when this flick brought me back to my giddy days of Friday 2 and Chainsaw 2! (Full review here.) It lacks the seriousness of the first Wrong Turn, but it's pretty enthusiastically gory -- and it kills off a bunch of reality show contestants. Now that's fun. Arrival: The Fox DVD arrives this Tuesday.
S&Man -- "A darkly insightful and entirely fascinating study of the most disturbing material out there ... and why we like to watch it." That's what I said about this great little flick ... about two years ago! (Rocchi's review here.) Director JT Petty has The Burrowers and Goth on the way, but this dark little doco deserves to be seen already. Arrival: Word from Mr. Petty himself is that, well, release plans are still pending.
Five Across the Eyes -- Some folks are going to call me insane for hyping this one, but despite a lot of stumbling blocks (lighting, acting and pacing among them) the flick's still rattling around in my brain a full six days after watching it. It's a micro-budget gimmick flick that delivers a basic story (five lost teenagers are stalked by a psycho), but here's the twist: The camera never once leaves the girls' mini-van. A few trims would make it even better, but I can appreciate what these newcomers cooked up for the most part. Arrival: No idea. I just saw it at Fantastic Fest last week.
Mulberry Street -- Another indie that's got some real rough edges, but just enough craftsmanship and creativity to keep you watching. It's about a viral infection that hits Manhattan and turns normal people into ravenous rat-faced monsters. And it's done with a straight face! The flick's got a gritty and sweaty sheen to it that helps to up the atmosphere, plus it's got a good deal of energy once things get crazy. The SXSW attendees seemed to dig it! Arrival: Alleged to be one of the eight "movies to die for" on this year's After Dark Horrorfest slate. Those flicks open on November 9.
Them (Ils) -- It only opened in five theaters this past August, so I'm counting this as a movie most people haven't seen yet. (Plus with its sparse story and scant running time, it makes for a fine rental.) It's a standard-yet-creepy French tale of a couple in an isolated place who are terrorized by an unknown presence. Aside from the first twelve minutes, the whole movie is basically one long and kinetic chase sequence. Curious to hear your thoughts on the ending, too. Arrival: Slowhand Releasing owns it here, so let's hope they get the DVD out there soon. Or check your favorite DVD importer.
The Girl Next Door -- Based on the novel by Jack Ketchum, which was based on some very true (and very horrific) events. Without giving anything way to those who haven't read the book (or know the facts of the case), I can tell you that it's sort of like the darkest underbelly of Stand By Me. The film is chilling and powerful, but also surprisingly engaging and faithful to both the source material and the heinous true-crime events. Plus it's got one amazingly hateful performance by veteran actress Blanche Baker, which is meant as a compliment. (Jette's review here.) Arrival: Opening in New York this week. The Anchor Bay DVD hits shelves on December 3.
Coming soon: Part 2!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-07-2007 @ 8:53PM
MCW said...
While I appreciate this article (And will definitely rent the only one here that is available soon), I just wish you'd post more in Part 2 that are actually available to rent. Just because they are out on DVD doesn't mean that I have seen them.
Otherwise, every one you mentioned sounds intriguing. Hopefully you'll be the first to report back here when they actually do come out.
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10-07-2007 @ 9:23PM
Sugarbear said...
Fair enough, but I think there are some that deserve to be mentioned. (I know, there is always dissent whnever someone makes any kind of a list, but here are a couple really great movies that you can go out and watch right now.)
Below
Great little horror movie, fantastic plot, well acted and there are even some subtle nods to the fact that they're in a movie, hilarious bits by Zach Galifianakis. No traditional "ghosts" so to speak, although there are a few times when the ghosts make an appearance, its more of a mood movie, but not in the cheasy, not at all frightening mood movies you're used to. Try it out, I bet you like it.
A Tale of Two Sisters
This might not *really be a horror, I would call it horror. Again, no real ghosts to speak of, and this is a foreign flick (available from Tartan Asian Extreme) so there are subtitles, but the plot is amazing, the acting is all around pretty good, but it's something you can really talk about afterwards. The details of the plot are revealed at the end, but there is enough mystery left that you can ponder what really happened.
Creep
I picked this up at hollywood video in one of those 4 for 15 deals. I thought it was going to be a cheesy horror movie that would be good popcorn fun, but man, it was actually really good. It's not a door buster, but it's something you haven't really seen before, and the creature itself is pretty cool, the pace is pretty good and the mood is dark and gritty.
Dog Soldiers
I had to mention it, in case there are people who haven't seen it, I hope everyone who actually took the time to read this has seen it. If not, please do, it's probably the best toungue in cheek horror movie I've ever seen. It takes itself seriously the whole time, but knows exactly what it is. Great.
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10-07-2007 @ 9:33PM
Robert L said...
Toronto-area fans can catch "Mulberry Street" as part of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, which runs from Oct. 19-25 at The Bloor Cinema. "Mulberry Street" is the opening night gala--Friday Oct. 19 at 7 PM. Check out the complete schedule and get tix here: http://www.torontoafterdark.com/
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10-07-2007 @ 11:46PM
Aberdeen said...
Below is one of my absolute favorite movie, a true hidden gem and one of the reasons why I will always give David Twohy the benefit of the doubt. (the other being Grand Tour: Disaster In Time)
Dog Soldier is also a great flick with some fab one liners. And it's got Kevin "Journeyman" McKidd in it, another plus.
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10-08-2007 @ 9:45AM
Peter said...
Good list. I think the ending of ILS is brilliant. It bestows upon the film a lasting chill. Not to over hype it, but it may be my favorite enders in quite some time; no giant plot twist, just a subtle revelation that is guaranteed to cut through.
For anyone interested, there are a few different R2 DVDs of ILS currently available: http://xploitedcinema.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=THEM+%28ILS%29
And to throw down a list of recent movies currently readily available in the States most probably haven't seen:
Altered : Right out of the gate I dug this original take on Alien encounters from one of the minds behind the Blair Witch, love it more with each viewing.
Small Gauge Trauma : A broad collection of some of the best short films the genre has to offer. I'd say this is a most own for any horror fan.
The Last Horror Movie : The less said, the more effective it will be.
Ginger Snaps : The most entertaining horror to come out of Canada since David Cronenberg?
Unrest : Stumbles a bit, but picks itself up enough times to ultimately be the best thing to come out of the '8 Films to Die for'.
The Woods : Why any executive doubts Lucky McKee is beyond me.
Shutter : Thai twist on J-horror that should please any fan of Grudge style yurei.
Dumplings : Part of the omnibus Three.. Extremes. Directed by the unknown (to the Western world, at least) Fruit Chan and easily outshines its partner offerings by Takashi Miike and Chan-Wook Park.
As for movies I haven't actually seen yet:
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane - I almost cried when this release got delayed. The trailer makes me hurt inside with longing.
Shrooms - Oh man, the poster for this Irish trip film is amazing.
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Fritt Vilt
Mother of Tears
The Cut - Which sounds a lot like a South Korean Unrest.
The Unseeable - Horror from the vibrant eye of Wisit Sasanatieng? Sold!
Black Water - Nice looking twist on the 'ole 'wait out the sharks' plot, but with crocodiles. Probably will be a generic disappointment, but oh well.
Fermat's Room - A horror movie based around Fermat's Last Theorem has got to be good
Oh, and of course, Mutant Zombie Vampires From the Hood!
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10-08-2007 @ 11:29AM
Greg said...
Im a life long horror fan...I see everything...and A l'interieur is my new favorite horror movie, its perfect (in my opinion). I saw it 3 weeks ago and am still running it over and over in my head. It replaces Hooper's Toolbox Murders at the top of my list.
Creep is fantastic.
I saw Neighborhood Watch 2 years ago at Fantasia and it seems to have disappeared.
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10-08-2007 @ 11:45AM
Peter said...
Woah, someone actually likes Hooper's Toolbox Murders?
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10-08-2007 @ 2:17PM
kevjohn said...
Probably shouldn't contribute anything until we've seen Parts 2 & 3, or else we might be jumping the gun. But what the hay.
A DVD I saw last year that was one of the disturbing films I've ever seen was "Feed". it has a tagline of "Can you stomach it?", and I must say I couldn't. The scene with the man [bleep] his own [bleep] in a [bleep] was a bit much, even for me. I can't say it was a good movie because I didn't watch the entire thing. I could only sit through the first 30 minutes or so, and then cut it off with the intention of finishing it in the daytime. But I didn't get back around to it before it was due back at the store. http://amazon.imdb.com/title/tt0445965/
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10-08-2007 @ 4:36PM
Scott Weinberg said...
Commenters #1 and #2. I just posted a new piece covering horrors that ARE on DVD. Hope you enjoy it.
#3. Thanks for the reminder! I wanted to do a piece on Toronto After Dark.
#4 and 5. See the new article. ;)
#6. I also like Hooper's Toolbox remake, but "favorite"???? Really??? (Also I'll keep an eye out for Neighborhood Watch.)
#7. :)
#8. Good point in your first sentence. Heh. And I saw FEED at Philly Film Festival and I just HATED it. I understand that the film was created to elicit a "gut" reaction, but I was more bored and annoyed than shocked or disgusted.
Thanks for all the comments, you freaky gorehounds.
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