Happy Halloween!

I wish you lots of thrills, chills, pumpkins and candy! Naturally, I also wish you lots of good horror movies. After the anti-scary letdown that was The Happening, I am looking forward to seeing and reviewing The Strangers.

Here is a quick recommendation overview of some excellent and rarely seen horror films, in no particular order of spooky awesomeness:

Them (2006), dirs. David Moreau and Xavier Palud -- Primal, tense and shocking, this film is made even more engaging by its realistic subject matter and relatable characters.

Blood Trails (2006), dir. Robert Krause -- A determined heroine and an intense villain in the midst of remote and menacing locations make this atmospheric film a winner.

High Tension (2003), dir. Alexandre Aja -- Often (unfairly) maligned, this film is a creepy cinematic slaughterhouse, colored by steely dread from the first sequence to the last.

Anatomy (2000), dir. Stefan Ruzowitzky -- Combining the slasher and medical thriller sub-genres, this work is a bloody delectable horror treat.

Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971), dir. John D. Hancock -- As if created in a dream, this adventure into the human psyche weaves the supernatural into its narrative... or is it the other way around? You will have to see for yourself.

The Sender (1982), dir. Roger Christian -- A nightmarish landscape peppered by hallucinatory visions, the visceral quality of this dark tale should elevate it to higher cult status.

Campfire Tales (1997), dirs. Matt Cooper, Martin Kunert et al. -- A nice collection of urban legends, this movie contains some excellent bump-in-the-night moments.

Pulse (2001), dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa -- Forget about that slap-dash, nonsensical remake. The original is a metaphor of the most sophisticated kind, playing upon contemporary fears and critiquing the modern world. You will never look at computers, loneliness, or your own shadow for that matter, the same way again.

Hatchet (2006), dir. Adam Green -- Poking fun at everything from monster movies to teen slashers to pop culture, this is a horror-comedy hybrid that is perfect if you like to laugh while hiding behind your couch.

Someone's Watching Me! (1978), dir. John Carpenter -- Carpenter's foray into TV came right after he had already directed his slasher masterpiece Halloween. This offering is an eerie film about stalking, which Carpenter's filmmaking skills make even more frightening, if possible.

Enjoy!