It’s October, and for the media-centric western hegemony, that means Halloween, or, in more recent parlance, “Spooktober” – a term that I kind of dislike. For a lot of people Halloween is the time to watch scary movies and advance ever further towards diabetes with fun size candies by the dozen(s).
Most people are aware of the some of the more popular horror movie franchises (Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, Halloween, etc…) and, in my opinion, they are excellent films, but they may be a little familiar (I mean, I know I have seem all of them multiple times…) so maybe this year it might be a nifty experiment to try one of the many horror movies out there that are less known, and may be totally new to you.
Anyway, presented in no particular order, with the exception of my favourite (of this list) being last, here are 11 movies to check out this Halloween Season.
Howl of the Devil
Known originally as El aullido del diablo, this flick from 1988 starts off this list as a bit of hidgepodge flick. The movie has a definite plot and story, but it is basically a vehicle to show off Paul Naschy and excellent quality makeup and prostheses.
For spook fans there are a lot of different classic monsters and ghouls that are al done well; and for the sleaze fans (which, as far as I am concerned, is an essential part of any horror movie) this one features a hooker-murdering plot, which means that there is a lot on display and some moments that might make you shiver.
tl;dr lots of boobs and great horror makeup
Crypt of Dark Secrets
Despite what the poster above and the title of the movie might hint at, 1976’s Crypt of Dark Secrets is a weird horror movie, but doesn’t have a lot to do with crypts. Another thing this movie doesn’t have a lot of is budget – it is fairly obvious that this was made with limited resources, but, despite that, it is fairly entertaining.
Like a lot of low-budget horror movies, this one decides to make up for the lake of stunning effects with a another stunning visual – lots of nudity. The story is fairly trashy and there is plenty of sleaze to go along with it.
tl;dr no-budget flick with lots of nudity on coupled with a weird story
Twins of Evil
The only thing scary about this flick from 1971 is how unabashedly straightforward and upfront it is with the nudity and sleaze. Peter Cushing may be a serious actor with real credentials, but this is not the type of movie one watches for the acting.
So, it may not be scary, but it does have a decent amount of creepiness and atmosphere, and hey, maybe someone would find it scary.
tl;dr sleaze and classic spookiness
A Night to Dismember
Forget how the title is a terrible pun, remember how great this flick is! The perfect delta between sleaze and violence, this 1983 movie is a zero-budget wild ride that veers from sex to violence at random.
It should be noted that due to the low-budget of this one, it is not for everyone, people who are in love with intense effects and top-tier production are not really going to get a kick out of this.
tl;dr sex + violence – budget = this flick
The Nail Gun Massacre
Greater than any crime depicted in this film from 1985, is that it is not more widely known. Nowadays a lot of movie makers try to recreate some idea of what they think the 1980’s were, but just make some super-contemporary movie that is nothing like the 1980’s. Not this flick, it’s from the 1980’s, and it oozes 1980’s.
Everything anyone could want in a slasher movie is here (except actual slashing, but it has nailgunning!!) – lots of violence, gore, and glorious sleaze. This one even gets special bonus points for having the box cover actual resemble what actual happens in the movie.
tl;dr nailguns, nudity, watch this movie
Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers
This entry from 1988 is probably the best known on the list (but still not very well known) and for good reason – the initial movie in the series is a bit of a cult classic with a “twist” ending that is a little too-well known.
I enjoyed the first movie, but I really enjoyed the second – it has a larger budget and is a little more ambitious in just about every way possible. There is lots of really good effects, violence, and this flick is absolutely packed with sleazy stuff for everyone.
tl;dr effects, violence, and sleaze
Deep Space
I had never even heard of this 1988 movie until it was suggested to me. It has a very sci-fi name, and it has a definite sci-fi bend to it, but it definitely falls into the horror/creature-feature realm.
Without going into too much detail, this one features a lot of nice practical effects and over-the-top violence. There is some sleazy stuff in this one with some trashy characters (including trashy narration) so it ticks all of the boxes.
tl;dr little-known monster feature
Grave Robbers
Unless you are a fan of Mexican Horror cinema, I doubt you have heard of 1989’s Ladrones de tumbas before this.
This one is clearly inspired by Indiana Jones as well as several other movies, and while it has the inspiration, it doesn’t have the budget. Despite lacking funding, the movie does have a largely coherent story and it is reasonably well-acted. The effects are a little on the light side, but they are definitely present.
tl;dr grave robbing is cool
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings
The original in this series was somewhat popular, but the 1993 sequel was less so, which is a bit of a shame, because it has everything the first one had, and more!
There is lots of the good old gore that most horror fans crave, and there is even a bit of the sleazy stuff to mix things up. If you want a moralistic plot, there are hintings at it without being too bash-you-over-the-head about it, or you can just ignore it an revel i the carnage.
tl;dr monster fucks shit up
Werewolf Woman
Have you heard of La lupa mannara from 1976? I doubt it. There are lots of female werewolf movies (Howling series, Ginger Snaps, etc) but this is a forgotten “classic” of that genre. This has some questionable-quality effects, but makes up for it without having a drop of decency.
This one has lots of violence and an abundance of sleaze, so this probably isn’t one that you want to watch with someone prudish. I found that this one was well-acted and you really feel the madness.
tl;dr werewolf titties
Mortuary
This amazing flick from 1983 really snuck up on me – I like to think that I was aware of most (if not all) great horror films of the 1980’s and 1970’s, but somehow I missed this amazing movie.
This movie really does have it all, great effects, great sleaze, and it even has Bill Paxton! This film is well-acted, well-written, and has an acceptable budget for effects. I really enjoyed it and it has earned itself a spot in my multiple viewings category.
tl;dr Bill Paxton in a great horror movie without aliens
That’s the list. I hope you found a new movie to watch from it and if not, well, that’s life.
image sources: imdb.com, cinematerial.com, amazon.com, rare-movie-collector.com
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