• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

underappreciated horror movies

Status
Not open for further replies.
This one's probably more 'bad' than 'under-appreciated', but I enjoyed it nonetheless and think others would too if only they'd heard of it;

CF-AltPoster.jpg
 
Here are some great underappreciated films:


Blood on Satan's Claw

Witchfinder General

Bio-zombie

Blood For Dracula

Island of Death

The Eternal Evil of Asia

The Seventh Curse

Freezer

Alucarda

The Day of the Beast

Freaks

The Whip and the Body

Short Night of Glass Dolls

Edit: adding Tesis to the list
 
Glass Joe said:
Really? I guess I assumed they were like the standard horror sequels so I never even thought to check them out. Phantasm II just hit my watch list, thanks!

Each Phantasm sequel is different in tone from the previous one and all are worth watching. Hopefully part five will be made one day.

Unlike Count, I remember preferring part 3 to part 2 but I haven't watched them in a while so my opinion may change if I watched them again...
 
Dead Alive / Braindead (aka Peter Jackson's best movie)

braindead-dvd-cover.jpg


It's a cult classic, but I really think it would be more highly regarded if more people were aware of its existence.
 
Every now and then I marathon watch all the Phantasm movies thinking that this time they'll make some sort of sense. Alas...

I also think the horror label is too broad. Martyrs for example is a great movie (wtf ending) but though I did confess a morbid curiosity with where it was leading, I didn't find it scary.

I really need to watch Prince of Darkness again. I saw that when I was like 10. Gave me nightmares and made me afraid of mirrors lol.

KernelPanic said:
1408poster.jpg


Both were pretty good IMHO (1st is more of a thriller suspense .. been a while).


I loved the ending.

Has anyone seen Vanishing on 7th Street? I kind of liked it, though I found the rationale for what was happening a little hinky.
 
Cactus said:
Dead Alive / Braindead (aka Peter Jackson's best movie)

http://www.best-horror-movies.com/images/braindead-dvd-cover.jpg[IMG]

It's a cult classic, but I really think it would be more highly regarded if more people were aware of its existence.[/QUOTE]

Funniest thing about the Jackson early works are the countless copies you can find at used-DVD shops. Just imagine the scene that follows when a dummy buys DEAD ALIVE or BAD TASTE for the family, just because the cover says "from the director of LOTR!"
 
Some of his horror stuff is apparent in the lotr trilogy (most notably 1) just like that doc ock scene in spiderman 2 was straight up evil dead from raimi

I loved the first half of Martyrs but I sorta lost interest after that.
 
Discotheque said:
Some of his horror stuff is apparent in the lotr trilogy (most notably 1) just like that doc ock scene in spiderman 2 was straight up evil dead from raimi

I loved the first half of Martyrs but I sorta lost interest after that.


If you didn't finish Martyrs, you missed out. It's very "WTF did I just watch?"
 
Count Dookkake said:
Funniest thing about the Jackson early works are the countless copies you can find at used-DVD shops. Just imagine the scene that follows when a dummy buys DEAD ALIVE or BAD TASTE for the family, just because the cover says "from the director of LOTR!"

Heh. I could see that happening with MEET THE FEEBLES too.

It's really too bad that the censored version of DEAD ALIVE seems to be more common than the unrated version in North America.
 
icarus-daedelus said:
but it's pretty horrifying, right? ;)

I also agree that it's a little too broad and maybe unfairly limits the potential audience for certain films.


And also best when knowing as little as possible going in, moreso than most.

I remember a q&a or an interview where the director recounted that he told the actress they were going to lose 20% of the audience during those scenes (you know...). I honestly think he was probably underestimating as I'm sure much more of the audience would have jumped ship there, though I love the movie myself and wouldn't change a thing. :p

Martyrs Spoilers

Am I the only one who was surprised there wasn't any kind of real sexual torture? Given what the group was trying to do... Maybe I'm too used to movies like Hostel, but I was surprised at the decision to exclude it. I wonder if it was story based, or if it was a decision to do it purely to separate Martyrs from films like Hostel.
 
To the posters that mentioned the original Black Christmas and The Burning: you're good people.

To Cosmic Bus, who sadly had to brave possible ridicule with a film people judge without actually seeing it by picking Psycho 2: you're good people, too.

My current pick for the topic:

35.jpg


Generally doesn't get talked about a great deal when discussions on Fulci come up, and a lot of it has to do that despite some rather insane plot details (the killer randomly quacks and sounds a bit like Mickey Mouse when speaking and the motive is a bit contrived), it's fairly grounded in reality and it doesn't have the usual comic book-like feel of his other films. Its violence is detailed, explicit and genuinely disturbing, and the sexual elements match the same level of unpleasantness. It's a relentlessly bleak film that features some of Fulci's sharpest filmmaking and it offers no quarter to any of its participants. If you can stomach the sex and violence (yes, it features an eye injury and it's brutal as all get out), then it's certainly worth your time.
 
Good thread looks like I will have a busy couple of weeks looking for these films

LovingSteam said:
This was recommend to me by a GAF'er and I wholeheartedly recommend it to all of you

l_1020530_6f5dd2b0.jpg
Is it me I see a no hotlinking image?
 
Count Dookkake said:
I met him and Jeffrey Combs at a performance of NEVERMORE. Both were very nice. Got them to sign the Mondo poster for the event. Hangs above my fireplace.
that NEVERMORE performance was fucking fantastic
 
One from the retired movie thread that could be considered under-seen simply because there wasn't much a theatrical release (if at all) but you can rent it on itunes:

Cosmic Bus said:
RQwhv.jpg


The Silent House - Another tiny budget horror flick that was far more effective than I ever expected. Laura and her father are enlisted to clean up an old house in the woods that an acquaintance is looking to get rid of, and (naturally) terrible things happen during their first night there.

The entire thing is done in a single, seemingly continuous shot - I say that with some question as there are a couple of spots where cuts could've happened, but as a whole, it's edited quite well - lit only with natural light or halogen lamps, and although the steadicam style is definitely getting played-out, the visual and audio techniques used here make for a more interesting experience than most, giving a participatory element to the events.

I've got some issues with the plot, and that it shares some aspects with a popular horror movie from several years ago means that I can't really go into much detail without giving things away, but regardless, the tension and atmosphere is exceptional provided you allow yourself to get caught up in it. Fair warning: there's a lengthy additional scene after the credits that explains and/or dumbs down what went on.
 
Would this count;

Dead_Mans_Shoes_DVD.jpg


It's more of a revenge thriller film than a horror, as the protagonist is the killer, but it's fucking awesome nonetheless.

Ducarmel said:
Is it me I see a no hotlinking image?

It's not just you, someone forgot to re-host. Anyway, the film he posted was Eden Lake.
 
Volimar said:
Martyrs Spoilers

Am I the only one who was surprised there wasn't any kind of real sexual torture? Given what the group was trying to do... Maybe I'm too used to movies like Hostel, but I was surprised at the decision to exclude it. I wonder if it was story based, or if it was a decision to do it purely to separate Martyrs from films like Hostel.

I think the fact that
only women were targeted by the cult makes it about misogyny to some degree. Adding a sexual component could be redundant and would have opened the director to even more accusations of misogyny. I don't think it was intended to distance the film from Hostel as the films really have very little in common in content, intent or execution.

Ridley327 said:
To the posters that mentioned the original Black Christmas and The Burning: you're good people.

To Cosmic Bus, who sadly had to brave possible ridicule with a film people judge without actually seeing it by picking Psycho 2: you're good people, too.

My current pick for the topic:

NEW YORK RIPPER[IMG]

Generally doesn't get talked about a great deal when discussions on Fulci come up, and a lot of it has to do that despite some rather insane plot details (the killer randomly quacks and sounds a bit like Mickey Mouse when speaking and the motive is a bit contrived), it's fairly grounded in reality and it doesn't have the usual comic book-like feel of his other films. Its violence is detailed, explicit and genuinely disturbing, and the sexual elements match the same level of unpleasantness. It's a relentlessly bleak film that features some of Fulci's sharpest filmmaking and it offers no quarter to any of its participants. If you can stomach the sex and violence (yes, it features an eye injury and it's brutal as all get out), then it's certainly worth your time.[/QUOTE]

Excellent film. Truly sleazy. Worth watching, but be prepared to be sickened.

[QUOTE=sefskillz]that NEVERMORE performance was fucking fantastic[/QUOTE]

Sitting front row center, I was repeatedly spattered with Combs's spittle.

Also, it scared the shit out of me when [spoiler]he fell off the stage[/spoiler]. I looked over to Gordon to make sure it wasn't real.
 
Count Dookkake said:
Excellent film. Truly sleazy. Worth watching, but be prepared to be sickened.
I doubt its ambitions were anywhere near what either The Driller Killer or Maniac accomplished as far as depicting a psychosis surrounded by urban decay, and does NYC make for such a good setting for that kind of look and feel, but it feels like the logical conclusion of that sort of analysis.
 
I echo nominations for Trick r' Treat. Such a good Halloween anthology movie.

I thought Dagon was kind of a fun movie too, although the production values were kinda chinsy at some points. Are there any other cool Lovecraftian movies on Netflix?
 
Inside (À l'intérieur) - For me, far and away the best of the French new-wave. Probably too intense for its own good, because its a really well made, well thought out little film that I don't think has been given its due respect.

Los Sin Nombre - Early Jaume Balagueró movie that is sadly underrated and underseen.

Event Horizon - I love this movie. Great cast, fantastic looking and genuinely shocking and spooky in places. Still waiting for Anderson to live up to the promise of this.

Dawn Of The Dead (Remake) - Two of the best apocalyptic zombie movies are called Dawn Of The Dead - who'd a thunk it? Seriously, underrated.
 
Man, I'll never understand the love for The New York Ripper. Outside of the funny scene where the cop describes the killer's voice over the phone as sounding like a duck, this movie was pretty unsatisfyingly sleazy waste of time for me. And I like a lot of sleazy exploitation flicks, too. Only that dark grimy feel they achieved with those public sexual encounters is remarkable to me. Maybe my most disliked of Fulci's films.

I'll go with Sergio Martino's Torso.

kyVja.jpg


This feels like Friday the 13th before Friday the 13th (it's an acknowledged inspiration for the original series) only with a much more Giallo-like sense of suspense, a choice of suspects, and loads more upfront sexuality. Only the climax disappoints a little.
 
I like horror with religious themes, thus I will recommend Lost Souls, even though I am seemingly the only person on earth who likes it.

It's not really scary but the premise is intriguing and the ending is awesome. Plus it has my on-screen girlfriend.
 
icarus-daedelus said:
I like The Beyond more but honestly I think New York Ripper is better made than any of Fulci's other films, from what I've seen.

Plus, I must confess to a weakness for movies with scenes set in subways. Is that weird?

The Beyond is my favourite Fulci film but Don't Torture a Duckling is his masterpiece in my opinion. Out of his gialli, i'd probably also rate A Lizard in a Woman's Skin and Perversion Story over New York Ripper.
 
MightyHedgehog said:
Maybe my most disliked of Fulci's films.

I've owned Manhattan Baby for over five years but have never had the courage to watch it. Everything i've read has led me to believe that it is completely worthless. My mate told me just to watch the opening and then to turn it off but I still haven't even done that yet.
 
Monster Man is pretty good. It's half road trip comedy half horror. It features a yoda impression during a sex scene.
 
Clear said:
Los Sin Nombre - Early Jaume Balagueró movie that is sadly underrated and underseen.

I dig this quite a bit, too, and it manages to hold up unlike a fair number of others in this vein.

A couple of goodies that have so far managed to go without US releases: Day of the Beast, which is more comedic horror, and Possessed, with the always enjoyable Udo Kier.

jlEtJo.png
possessed-besat.jpg
 
Another vote for Prince of Darkness. Would have been another great Lovecraftian film if you supplanted all the devil/demon stuff with Elder God lore. Still, the whole idea of Anti-God and the mirrors was pretty cool.

Vacancy was also pretty damn awesome, though I'd call it more a suspense than a horror movie.
 
Everyone has seen Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, but this one is my favorite:

f20c438232ba7b176ae5669d6197ca2f604dbb70632211ce305aa9dc7071ae216g.jpg


So much more bleak, and the black humor is always spot on. Everything about this movie is just so excellent. If Romero had the resources to do with this movie what he wanted, no one would even remember Dawn or Night; however, as it is, this movie is still fantastic and encapsulates everything this series of movies is about.
 
Bootaaay said:
This one's probably more 'bad' than 'under-appreciated', but I enjoyed it nonetheless and think others would too if only they'd heard of it;

CF-AltPoster.jpg

I fucking LOVE this movie. It was what really turned me on to the horror genre.
 
Not sure how it holds up nowadays but I watched the shit out of The kindred when I was a kid. It got my friend banned from seeing me for a while by his parents as he ran downstairs to his home to puke his guts up after one scene :lol

Disclaimer: I also really enjoyed Madman but someone saw that recently and told me it's shite. :-(
 
Cosmic Bus said:
I dig this quite a bit, too, and it manages to hold up unlike a fair number of others in this vein.

A couple of goodies that have so far managed to go without US releases: Day of the Beast, which is more comedic horror, and Possessed, with the always enjoyable Udo Kier.

jlEtJo.png
possessed-besat.jpg
I take it you frequent Scarecrow Video? The best film class I ever took was spending hours browsing their selections... :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom