Movies
Top Ten Underrated Horror Gems!
Tired of sifting through the horror-movie trash-bin and coming up with nothing but uninspired junk? Looking for a guide to some of the great undiscovered classics? Search no further than B-D and MySpace Horror reporter Chris Eggertsen’s list of the “Top Ten Underrated Horror Gems”! From a B&W foreign classic to an underappreciated slasher oddity; from a moody zombie film to a near-forgotten made-for-T.V. treasure, the list is filled with eclectic choices sure to whet your appetite for the macabre. Read on to check out the list, and after you’re done let us know what your own obscure favorites are!
Most horror fans have at least one little-known favorite they feel compelled to tell everyone they know to seek out, whether it be an obscure arthouse classic, a forgotten silent masterpiece, or just a fun piece of exploitation. Following is my own personal list of horror films that I feel deserve a bigger audience than they’ve so far been afforded. I tried to keep the list fairly eclectic, and I think I’ve succeeded. From a B&W foreign classic to an underappreciated slasher oddity; from a moody zombie film to a near-forgotten made-for-T.V. treasure; here are my Top Ten Underrated Horror Gems.
10. Tourist Trap (1979)
Tourist Trap is a cross between House of Wax, Carrie and Friday the 13th, and yet it stands in a class all by itself in its degree of gonzo, “should-I-laugh-or-should-I-scream” shocks.
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9. Fear (1990)
Fear is a genuinely nerve-jangling piece of work anchored by solid performances from Sheedy, Lauren Hutton (playing Cayce’s book agent) and Pruitt Taylor Vince (Identity, Constantine) as the psychic murderer who gives perhaps one of the creepiest voice-overs ever.
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8. The Brotherhood of Satan (1971)
Largely ignored on its release, The Brotherhood of Satan is by no means a perfectly-calibrated occult classic on the order of, say, Rosemary’s Baby, but taken on its own merits it’s a deft little horror film made up of quite a few authentically unnerving scenes.
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7. The Psychic aka Seven Notes in Black (1977)
Those accustomed to the “more is more” aesthetic of Lucio Fulci’s more famous films will be surprised by The Psychic‘s slow build, though it’s still filled to the brim with the excellent cinematography, deft use of color, and, well, awkward dubbing fans have come to expect from the Italian master.
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6. Bad Ronald (1974)
Don’t let its made-for-T.V. status turn you off; this is good, creepy fun and better than it has any right to be.
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5. Homicidal (1961)
Homicidal is pure go-for-broke fun, with a 45-second “Fright Meter” flashing on screen just before the climactic scene (a gimmick director William Castle used during the theatrical release to give skittish audience members a chance to run for the exits and get a refund) and a final reveal that is so insane – not to mention laughably copped from Psycho – that you can’t help but be impressed by Castle’s audacity.
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4. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie aka The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue aka Don’t Open the Window (1974)
Like the featured zombies it’s a slow-moving tale, but if you stick with it to the gory climax you’ll find a lot to appreciate.
Trailer for Remastered Blue Underground DVD:
3) Pin (1988)
Pin is a shockingly subtle, low-key horror film featuring some really nimble performances by the main cast and a truly disturbing descent into madness of the lead character.
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2) Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
Expertly directed by Audrey Rose and The Entity novelist Frank De Felitta, T.V. movie Dark Night of the Scarecrow is truly an overlooked gem in that it manages the rare feat of building believable characters and situations and then paying them off with scenes of genuine atmosphere and suspense.
Q&A with writer J.D. Feigelson following a screening at Rue Morgue Cinemacabre:
1. Onibaba (1964)
Onibaba is, quite simply, a masterful film by a master filmmaker, and all horror fans who care about quality cinema would do well to seek it out.
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This week kicked off with the release of hippo horror movie Hungry at home, and four more horror movies have arrived for at-home viewing as we head into the final weekend of June.
Here are the new horror movies that released on Friday, June 26, 2026!
The Halloween season can no longer be contained to the months of September and October, with “Summerween” becoming a thing in recent years. Essentially, it allows for Halloween to bleed into the warmer Summer months, and the first ever Summerween movie has arrived.
The Asylum released Summerween onto Digital outlets today.
In the film from writer/director Ryan Ebert, “On Summerween, a former circus clown escapes a mental institution to return to his abandoned mansion and hunt the teens partying there.”
Cole Chapleski, Chase Breithoff, Logan Roe, Sophia Sabol, and Clint Morrison star.
Director Ryan Ebert is the man behind a string of recent indie horrors we’ve covered, including Shark Side of the Moon, The Jolly Monkey, Jurassic Reborn, and Predator: Wastelands.
A witchy coming-of-age story from Dark Sky Films, Camp is now playing in select theaters.
Check your local listings to find a theater near you.
Camp is from writer-director Avalon Fast (Honeycomb, The Serpent’s Skin).
“Emily is the root cause of two devastating tragedies very early in her life, and she feels the weight of these accidents as though cursed. At her father’s suggestion, she takes a position at a summer camp for troubled youth to ease her guilt. When Emily arrives, she is welcomed by the other counselors, who accept her as she is and surround her with peace and forgiveness.
“As Emily begins to believe in a new kind of life, she starts to hear a voice whispering from deep in the woods — one that urges her to go home, and one that may be impossible to ignore.”
The film stars Zola Grimmer in her screen debut alongside Alice Wordsworth, Cherry Moore, Lea Rose Sebastianis (Castration Movie Part 1 & 2, In A Violent Nature), Ella Reece, Austyn Van de Kamp (This Too Shall Pass), Sophie Bawks-Smith (Honeycomb), Izza Jarvis, and Aiden Laudersmith.
Producers Tyler Perry and Jason Blum have joined forces for Peacock Original Strung.
The film is now streaming only on Peacock.
“A talented violinist takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity.”
Malcolm D. Lee (Scary Movie 5, Space Jam: A New Legacy) directs from a script written by Alan B. McElroy (Wrong Turn, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers).
Chloe Bailey (“Swarm“), Lynn Whitfield (Jaws: The Revenge), Lucien Laviscount (“Scream Queens”), Anna Diop (Us), Coco Jones (Vampires vs. the Bronx), Langley Kirkwood (“Banshee”), and Romy Woods star in Peacock’s Strung.
Produced by Diablo Cody, director Meredith Alloway’s Forbidden Fruits brought a new coven of witches to the big screen earlier this year, and it’s now streaming on Shudder.
Lola Tung (“The Summer I Turned Pretty”), Victoria Pedretti (“The Haunting of Hill House”), Alexandra Shipp (Tragedy Girls), Gabrielle Union (Breaking In), and Emma Chamberlain star in Forbidden Fruits, released by IFC and Shudder.
Free Eden employee Apple secretly runs a witchy femme cult in the basement of the mall store after hours. But when new hire Pumpkin challenges the group’s ‘girl boss’ ways, the women are forced to face their own poisons or succumb to a bloody fate.
“Forbidden Fruits grabbed me by the neck the very first time I read it,” Diablo Cody said. “It’s one of the craziest, most creative, beautifully bonkers projects I’ve ever worked on.”
Meagan Navarro writes in her review for Bloody Disgusting, “Forbidden Fruits may not necessarily forge new terrain in the teen satire space, but Alloway brings so much style and energy to her well-cast single-location stage play adaptation for the Gen Z crowd.”
The film is an adaptation of playwright Lily Houghton’s stage play Of the Women Came the Beginning of Sin and Through Her We All Die. Alloway and Houghton co-adapted.
This week’s new release roundups are presented by HUNGRY.
All aboard the swamp tour from hell – this hippo isn’t playing games…
HUNGRY is now available on Digital. Watch it now!
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