akirali

Can you tell I love this time of year?

In honor of this creepy song from Halloween III over the next 8 days I will give some sparkling insights into 9 of my favorite horror movies ever. Not neccisarily the "scariest" or "goriest" but these are movies that I can watch dozens of times (and in some cases have) and can never get bored. Some are pretty famous, some are obscure. Some you've read my praises of, and Some you haven't. When possible, I will accompany my entries with a video clip from the movie in question.


In the Mouth of Madness and Prince of Darkness

Everyone knows John Carpenter's most famous horror movie, Halloween. And almost everyone has at least heard of The Thing and The Fog (thanks greatly to the recent remake). But many people don't realize that he also directed two underrated and overlooked gems every bit as good (if not better than) his more famous horror movies.


In the Mouth of Madness is a very atmospheric movie, with a heavy Lovecraftian vibe. Sam Neil portrays an insurance claims investigator and cynic. He is hired by a book publisher to investigate the disappearance of their star horror writer, Sutter Cane, as well as verify their claim that he is legitimately AWOL and that they stand to loose millions. Why is one writer so popular? Well, there is a theory that his books are so good and so real, that they drive the readers insane. And what publisher wouldn't want that find of press? Sam Neil's character follows clues that lead to the fictional town of Hobb's End, where Sutter Cane's novels all take place. Finding that the town really exists is only the beginning.


The Prince of Darkness is an unusual mixture of horror and sci-fi staring John Carpenter alums Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, and Dennis Dun. Alice Cooper also appears in a cameo. A group of grad students specializing in theoretical physics and other branches of science are called by a priest to investigate a mysterious canister in a church basement. The canister begins affecting some of the homeless people in the area, possessing them and turning them into zombie-like creatures attacking the church. Eventually, the students and scientists start falling under the thrall of the powerful energy eminating from the canister. Exactly what does the mysterious canister hold? And what is the meaning of the cryptic vision from the future that some of the students are dreaming about?

Both movies are a bit on the "talky" side, but they both have interesting ideas, some great shots and amazing scores.