Editorials
9 Films That Shaped Me As a Horror Fan
Hello, fellow horror fans! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ari, a relatively new contributor and critic at BD. I helped cover SXSW 2017 this year alongside Trace, but even if you haven’t had a chance to catch any of my posts here just yet (or at Dread Central, where I previously wrote for a bit), I’m glad you decided to start with this one. I feel like this will doubly serve as a nice introduction to who I am and what gets me going as a horror fan, as well as (hopefully) inspire you all to take a trip down memory lane and reflect on the genre films that ultimately made you the horror diehards you are today.
I recently had some drinks with a few other genre fans and we began sharing memories of movie scenes that terrified us at an early age, whether from straightforward horror fare or otherwise. This got me thinking about pivotal moments over the years in my horror education–times when a shocking or unsettling scene or really unforgettable movie-watching experience managed to shift or expand my tastes in the genre right then and there. As someone who is equally content taking in an atmospheric, slow-burn Satanic thriller or simply enjoying a good ol’ girl-to-bloodthirsty-beaver transformation, my taste in dark genre films tends to run the gamut these days. Like many of you though, I have gone through different stages in my lifetime as a horror fan, gravitating exclusively towards specific subgenres at certain points and adventurously exploring unfamiliar or lesser-known titles at others.
In any case, you’ll find a list of a few films below that I feel really contributed to my horror education over the years in one way or another. Not all of these may qualify as “horror” in the traditional sense (though almost all are), but each played a significant role in my appreciation for the various aspects of the genre at a given time in my life. They are listed in chronological order based on the time of my first viewing of each film, just FYI. Happy reading and be sure to let us know what films you’d put on your list!
Beetlejuice (1988, Dir. Tim Burton)
Beetlejuice was the first film I recall being ridiculously obsessed with as a child. My mother and I actually rented the VHS so many times from our town’s video store that the owner finally just gave it to us. (I still have that VHS, too!) Still, as much as I loved re-watching about 95% of the film, I had issues finishing it. While Betelgeuse’s turn as a giant snake or the Maitlands’ transformations into horrifying monsters never phased me, the final scene in which Otho’s attempted séance-turned-exorcism causes the couple to appear and begin decaying in their wedding attire scared the crap out of me. Maybe it was the super creepy stare that Geena Davis delivers right into the camera or just the overall dark atmosphere of the scene when compared to the rest of the film… whatever the case, it took quite a while for me to finally watch the film all the way through. Needless to say, I was very proud of myself when I did and found myself searching for movies with more straightforward scares after that.
Dracula (1931, Dir. Tod Browning)
I first caught Browning’s Dracula on TNT at my grandparents’ house one weekend. My grandpa had recently introduced me to the amazingness that was TNT’s MonsterVision, so in my mind the network was just about the best thing on TV. While this film didn’t actually air as part of the MonsterVision lineup that night, my viewing of it was made possible in large part thanks to TNT’s support of the genre back then and Dracula immediately became one of my early favorites. As you’ll see, I got away with watching a lot of horror films at an arguably inappropriate age, and I like to think that Browning’s classic, evenly paced approach to the well-known horror story and Lugosi’s menacing, but not outright nightmare-inducing performance was a nice way to ease me into the types of films I would soon encounter in the coming years.
Demons 2 (1986, Dir. Lamberto Bava)
Now this is where things took a turn. Right before I started school (yep, I was maybe 5), I would go to the video store with my dad and he would let me pick a few movies every weekend. I naturally hung out in the horror section and due to some very loose supervision at night and the fact that the VHS tapes at our video store were packaged in clear cases instead of their original boxes, I got away with renting and watching some rather intense titles. I remembered picking movies that had the scariest cover art, and with Demons 2 boasting a more overtly unsettling (though notably busier) design than its predecessor, I actually caught this film before I ever saw Bava’s original. Let’s just say that I was definitely not ready for it. From oozing limbs to outrageous dog-to-demon transformations, Demons 2 was the first outright gore-fest I was ever witness to and it definitely gave me a few sleepless nights. Still, it somehow only served to reinforce my love for the thrill of being scared and I thus made it a regular mission as a kid to keep upping the ante with each new movie I discovered–mostly during my weekends at Dad’s, that is.
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991, Dir. Rachel Talalay)
By the time I saw Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare in the mid-’90s at a friend’s house, I had a pretty good idea of who Freddy Krueger was: one of the most famous boogeymen in horror who stalked victims in their dreams while sporting a killer glove, dusty hat, and that sweater. He was arguably the most well-known horror villain in pop culture at the time, but given my preoccupation with “mini monster” movies like Gremlins, Critters, and Ghoulies at that age, I just hadn’t quite made my way over to the Nightmare films up to that point. Still, while Freddy’s Dead was not the most representative of the franchise, I fell in love with the series then and there. The film’s outlandish death scenes and Englund’s maniacal performance punctuated with biting humor and those killer one-liners gave me a whole new appreciation for the power of a great, iconic villain. I soon caught up on the other five films in the series (New Nightmare had not been released on home video just yet), and A Nightmare on Elm Street fast became one of my favorite horror franchises.
Scream (1996, Dir. Wes Craven)
This was where my love of horror really took a pivotal turn. As a preteen with a strong penchant for sarcasm and a love for twist endings in stories, Scream was both a breath of fresh air and a wonderful retrospective of sorts for me when I caught it on home video in ’97. Given that my family and friends who typically didn’t love horror films really dug Scream, it notably made me excited for the possibility that horror might again become something universal that I could share with others I knew without being labeled a blood-and-guts-obsessed weirdo. Most of all though, Scream solidified my love for the slasher and Sidney Prescott quickly became my favorite final girl ever. I loved how Neve Campbell brought Kevin Williamson’s sharply-written lead to life, and Sidney also became something of an empowering figure for me at the time–particularly as an admittedly effeminate young outcast who tended to gravitate towards strong female characters in film and TV. Needless to say, my love for the genre became far more unabashed after I encountered Craven’s modern classic, and the film and its sequels have since held a very special place in my heart as my favorite horror franchise.
It’s been 75 years since The Thing From Another World first warned us to “watch the skies”, and filmgoers have done just that by showing up to multiple instances of extraterrestrial contact on the big screen. This makes sense, as a recent CBS news poll estimated that 63% of Americans believe in intelligent life on other planets, and the ongoing disclosure movement aims to raise that number with each passing day.
With Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day leaving many genre fans hungry for more alien footage (preferably of the spooky variety), today I’d like to share a list recommending six underrated alien invasion thrillers for your viewing pleasure. After all, regardless of whether or not you believe that we’re alone in the universe, it can be fun to dream about the worst-case scenario if our cosmic neighbors ever decide to visit.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be focusing on lesser-known invasion stories rather than the popular extraterrestrials of franchises like Alien and Close Encounters of the Third (or even Fourth) Kind. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own alien favorites if you think we missed a particularly thrilling movie.
While it won’t be featured in this article, I’d highly recommend checking out Dean Alioto’s UFO Abduction/The McPherson Tape if you’re up for some ufology-inspired found footage thrills.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
6. The Arrival (1996)
Not to be confused with Denis Villeneuve’s Academy Award-winning Amy Adams vehicle about learning to communicate peacefully with extraterrestrial life, David Twohy’s The Arrival is a much more straightforward (but no less entertaining) genre romp where Charlie Sheen faces a global conspiracy involving hostile alien invaders.
It’s not exactly up there with Close Encounters or even Independence Day, but Twohy’s conspiratorial thriller plays out like an exceptionally fun episode of The X-Files that I’d recommend to sci-fi/horror fans who don’t mind a little bit of wonky CGI and 90s excess alongside their alien thrills.
5. Extraterrestrial (2014)
The Vicious Brothers made a name for themselves with the success of 2011’s Grave Encounters, but that was far from the Canadian duo’s only collaboration. And while it’s not exactly a fan favorite, I always point out 2014’s Extraterrestrial as one of their most underrated projects simply because I agree with the filmmakers’ opinion that there aren’t enough ‘cool alien abduction movies’ out there.
Admittedly, the majority of the picture functions like a run-of-the-mill creature feature with paper-thin characters and familiar horror tropes, but I’d argue that the cosmically-terrifying final act elevates the experience to new and memorable heights. The movie also boasts great performances by both Michael Ironside and Emily Perkins – a combination that more than makes up for the occasionally janky CGI.
4. Alien Raiders (2008)
Director Ben Rock has gone on record lamenting how his John-Carpenter-inspired creature feature was forcefully renamed from Supermarket to the painfully obvious Alien Raiders (a change which likely resulted in many potential viewers skipping out on the experience), but the new title doesn’t change the fact that this single-location thriller is something of a hidden gem.
Taking place entirely within a supermarket, Alien Raiders tells the story of an ensemble of customers and employees who are taken hostage by a group of armed men looking for something far more dangerous than an easy payout. I won’t get into details in order to avoid spoiling the experience, but I’d highly recommend this criminally underseen flick to fans of John Carpenter and the Resident Evil games.
3. Phoenix Forgotten (2017)
You’d think that a Ridley-Scott-produced retelling of one of the most infamous real-life UFO sightings of all time would have a bigger following, but I rarely see Justin Barber’s Found Footage period piece brought up during discussions about extraterrestrial-focused horror movies.
This is a huge shame, as Phoenix Forgotten is just as spooky as it is convincing, with this well-researched dive into the Phoenix Lights incident benefiting from surprisingly believable special effects as well as an appropriately horrific finale.
2. Communion (1989)
I wouldn’t blame you for disregarding Whitley Strieber’s controversial book about his alleged close encounter as sensationalist slop, but I’d argue that Phillipe Mora’s 1989 adaptation of these events is much better than the source material. After all, the movie works as a standalone piece of speculative fiction while also benefiting from an incredible performance by the one and only Christopher Walken!
Mora’s take on Communion may not be particularly scary, but the film is still an unforgettable character study regardless of whether or not the abduction really happened. Not only that, but the flick also paved the way for plenty of future sci-fi stories where the extraterrestrial invaders aren’t as evil as they initially appear.
1. Altered (2006)
Originally envisioned as a Sam Raimi-style horror-comedy titled Probed, Eduardo Sánchez (of The Blair Witch Project fame) eventually realized that it would be much more interesting to turn the film into a serious exploration of the emotional aftermath of a traumatic abduction incident.
That’s how we got Altered, a clever inversion of the standard abduction narrative that follows a group of troubled friends as they capture and experiment on an alien in order to enact revenge for their own abduction years prior.
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