10/31/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #31 – Trick ‘r Treat.

In years past, I’ve always picked one of my all time scary favorites for the Halloween selection. In 2010, I picked Martyrs (the most disturbing movie ever made.) In 2011, I picked John Carpenter’s Halloween (um, duh.) In 2012, I picked Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (still one of the best hooks ever.) …

10/30/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #30 – The Canal.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the festival rounds or the independent horror circles, you’ve definitely heard of today’s pick, hailing from Ireland. The Canal is one of those movies that has been the subject of a lot of horror talk in 2014. And I’m here to say that it’s for good reason. After …

10/29/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #29 – Saw.

Yep, Saw. Deal with it. In honor of its 10th anniversary today, and thus it being rereleased in theaters, I had to put Saw on this list. I know a lot of people can’t stand this movie because of its uber-violence. Hell, it even helped usher in a legion of copycat “torture porn” films, which …

10/28/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #28 – The House on Sorority Row.

Here’s another gem from the 80’s. Sorry, I just can’t help myself; I effing love this decade. And once again, The House on Sorority Row is pitch-perfect 80’s. Like most of these wonderful slashers, this flick once again features a bevy of lovely ladies being stalked by a mysterious killer, taking them out in interesting …

10/27/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #27 – Alien3.

I’m here to give this long underrated sci-fi horror sequel some love. Before Seven, The Game, Fight Club, or his latest hit Gone Girl, David Fincher’s debut feature was this dark and dirty beast of a flick. Like much of his work, this movie is desolate, dreary, and did I say dark? Well it is. …

10/25/14 & 10/26/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS #26 & #27 – The Town That Dreaded Sundown (Original, 1976) AND (Remake/Sequel, 2014).

  Okay so we’re going to have some fun this weekend. It’s not only going to be a double feature/double-your-fun weekend, but it’s also going to be a groovy study of an original thriller classic and its very meta sequel/remake hybrid. This busy pre-Halloween weekend the two movies that comprise The Town That Dreaded Sundown …

10/24/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #24 – Let’s Scare Jessica To Death.

Today’s movie is a perfect example of the early 70’s showing us exactly how to create a truly unsettling atmosphere by using the simplest techniques available. Watching Let’s Scare Jessica To Death is an unnerving experience. There’s almost no blood, most of it takes place in the broad daylight, and yet, it all just works. …

10/23/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #23 – V/H/S: Viral.

This one is polarizing. And even though it’s just being released on VOD today, it’s already had enough festival screenings to start a larger debate among the horror crowd. Well, I’m going to throw my hat into the debate right now. I saw it at Beyondfest a few weeks ago and I’m here to say …

10/22/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #22 – Phantasm II.

About this time last year I was writing about the original Phantasm, a bizarre mind trip of a movie that I freakin’ love. So I figured this year I’d throw in the sequel. Phantasm II picks up right where the first movie ended with Mike (now recast, but more on that in a bit) and …

10/21/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #21 – Maniac (2012).

Prepare yourself. Today’s an extreme one. Saying it’s NOT for everyone doesn’t give it justice. You’ve been warned. But for those looking for a truly brutal, original, and exhilarating psychological horror experience, you can’t go wrong with Maniac. Those in the horror circles know all about William Lustig’s brutal 1980 grindhouse slasher film, Maniac. But …

10/20/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #20 – Housebound.

Oh New Zealand. Please tell me you’re back in business with another batch of fantastic horror comedies. Back in the day, New Zealand gave lil’ adolescent me the gift of Peter Jackson and his amazingly disturbing films, Meet the Feebles, Bad Taste and Dead/Alive (or Brain Dead, depending on what part of the world you’re …

10/19/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #19 – Cube.

I love minimalist horror movies, especially ones with a sci-fi flair. And you don’t really get much more minimalist than Cube. Cube is basically about a group of people that wake up in a maze-like structure filled with deadly traps that need to figure out how to escape. But they also need to figure out …

10/18/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #18 – The Keep.

Okay, time to enter madness once more. Only this time it could almost be considered “high brow” madness. Oh and guess what? Shocker, it’s another film from the 80’s! Oh man, The Keep... Words can’t give this insane movie justice. First off, just know that when this film came out, this baby was almost universally …

10/17/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #17 – You’re Next.

You’re Next is a film near and dear to my heart. As many of you know, my TV show The Final Girls (yes, we’re still alive, just been in eternal “development”) focuses on the concept of the “final girl.” Most are familiar with that concept by now. In You’re Next, they use all your preconceptions …

10/16/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #16 – Sleepaway Camp.

Okay, so the last few days have been more serious horror films. It’s time to break it up with something completely bizarre… zany… peculiar… oh man, there are so many other adjectives I could use here. Let’s just say Sleepaway Camp is one of those movies that kind of defies categorization and, well, all logic. …

10/15/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #15 – The Sacrament.

Every year I pick a few movies that are a different kind of “horror.” These are movies that instead of being outright in your face with scares, shocks, or gore, rather they paint a more tilted picture closer to real-life situations that hit us in a different place. They get under our skin in a …

10/14/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #14 – Black Christmas (1974).

There are officially 71 days until Christmas. But there are only 16 days until Halloween. Actually, the fact that it’s Christmas in the film is minimal, so you can watch this baby any time of the year. But trust me, Halloween is the perfect time for a viewing. The reason is, quite frankly, John Carpenter’s Halloween …

10/13/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #13 – Black Sunday (1960).

Sunday, on a Monday. Okay, so this one is another throwback, but holy hell is it required viewing for any true fan of horror. And trust me, for being released in 1960, and shot entirely in B&W, you’ll be surprised at how gruesome it is for that time period. Black Sunday, AKA Mask of Satan, …

10/11/14 & 10/12/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS #11 & #12 – DeepStar Six / Leviathan

   NOTE: I’m out of town this weekend, so similar to what I did last year, this longer “double Feature” post works for both days and will allow me ample “get the hell out of LA” time. This double feature weekend gives me the perfect opportunity to delve into two films from my childhood that …

10/10/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #10 – Stakeland.

For the most part, I’m weary of vampires. I really am. I feel like in the last decade they’ve been tapped to the umpteenth degree, and I simply need a break from them. Then along comes this under-appreciated low budget flick, Stake Land, and for 100 minutes or so, I whole-heartedly welcome vampires back into …

10/9/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #9 – Dead Silence.

Okay, watch out, it’s Jeff’s guilty pleasure time. Look, this is my list so I get to put what I want on it. I know that at its core Dead Silence is a pretty ridiculous movie. I know it’s been critically panned. I know there are logic gaps a mile wide. But guess what? I …

10/8/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #8 – The Funhouse.

In honor of American Horror Story: Freak Show premiering tonight (can’t wait!), I had to post a different little bizarre carnival ditty. And what an 80’s gem it is. The Funhouse is one of the movies I’ve always had a childhood connection to for a very specific reason. I grew up in a small town, …

10/7/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #7 – Lovely Molly.

A lot of the recommendations I’ve started with this year are more minimalist horror films. There’s a reason for that. Quite often I feel horror works better on a smaller scale. There’s something more personal and creepy about a lesser budgeted film with a condensed cast and only a few locations. It keeps the filmmakers …

10/6/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #6 – Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

Yep, I’m going there. I’m voluntarily entering the conversation into one of the most discussed and disagreed upon horror sequels out there. Halloween III: Season of the Witch is thought by many as a travesty, a wild misstep, and a complete failure. But I’m here to say NAY! It’s none of those things. In fact, …

10/5/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #5 – Tombs of the Blind Dead.

Time to wallow in some amazing 70’s Spanish Eurotrash horror. Today’s pick is dedicated to my friend Ryan Doman, who is obsessed with all kinds of 70’s horror. Tombs of the Blind Dead is one of his favorites, and if you obsess over 70’s horror, it’s easy to understand why. Many of the 70’s European …

10/4/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #4 – Resolution.

Okay, now it's time to get meta. Super psychologically meta. For the most part, Resolution is a fantastic little indie film that defies categorization. It’s got horror, mystery, and suspense elements for sure, but those tags don’t really give this bizarre mind-bender its just due. Super psychologically meta is only real category I can even …

10/3/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #3 – Banshee Chapter.

Banshee Chapter is one of those little low-budget flicks that usually gets buried in the streaming Netflix universe and never gets the audience it probably should. Like many of these types of low budget flicks, It’s definitely not perfect. There are a few story flaws here and there. But dammit, overlook those. This movie was …

10/2/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #2 – Night of the Creeps.

Oh, sweet, sweet mid-80’s. Juicy, delicious mid-80’s. How much do I love thee? I mean, the 80’s in general are a thing of bliss, but those mid-80’s, oh man… those are just the sweetest nectar of all. And Night of the Creeps is pretty much as pure of a representation of those sweet mid-80’s as …

10/1/14 – 2014 OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE RECOMMENDATION #1 – Kill List

Let’s start 2014 out with a bang – a very interesting, bizarre, haunting, and disturbing, bang. As much as I love talking about films that people know and love, most true horror fiends’ real passion comes from discovering, and thus helping others discover, amazing films that you maybe haven’t heard of. There are plenty of …