It’s my favourite time of the year! The time when spooks and witches run wild. Also the time when horror writers love to tell ghost stories. So here for you is a free story – a macabre tale of a haunted truck that causes havoc for a married couple. Note: This story would probably have a PG-13 rating.
I call this sixteen-wheel terror, “The Minotaur!”
Enjoy!
The Minotaur by Eric Ian Steele
It’s almost that time of the season again… Hallowe’en is like Christmas for horror writers. Are you looking for some great horror movies to watch and scare the life right out of you? Great. But before you reach for that Stephen King DVD or watch “Halloween” for the zillionth time, you might want to check out these top 20 alternative horror movies that are (almost) just as great!
Some of these are obscure, some of them are lesser known titles by horror masters like John Carpenter and George A Romero. But they all share one thing in common. These are great films!
Elvis and JFK vs The Mummy in “Bubba Ho-Tep”!
20. Bubba Ho-Tep (2006)
Elvis is alive and well and living in a nursing home, along with JFK, whose brain has been put in the body of an old black man. Cue an undead Egyptian mummy that is picking off the other residents one by one. Yes, this is a real movie. Worth it for Bruce Campbell’s Evil Presley impersonation alone.
19. The Innkeepers (2011)
Ti West follows up his masterful homage to 1970s slasher films, “The House of the Devil”, with this slick, scary supernatural tale about two bored, postmodern clerks looking after a haunted hotel. Scooby Doo it ain’t.
18. It Follows (2014)
A terrific modern horror film about a ghost that… follows. To say any more would be to spoil the plot. Guaranteed to completely ruin any teenage date.
17. House! (1986)
Fantastic, rubbery horror/comedy with William Katt (“The Greatest American Hero”) at his most likeable. A horror writer moves into a haunted house. What else do you need to know? With Norm from “Cheers”!
16. Martin (1976)
George A Romero is of course best known for zombie films. Here’s his vampire film. Or is it? John Amplas is excellent as the young man who may or may not be a bloodsucker in this disturbing, realistically told tale.
15. Black Sabbath (1963)
Mario Bava is not a name that is widely known. But it should be. This atmospheric, Technicolor Italian masterpiece features three scary stories and is introduced by none other than Boris Karloff!
A gorgeous, full-colour apparition in Black Sabbath!
14. April Fool’s Day (1986)
Great, fun 80s slasher movie that is a cut above the rest. Features great set pieces, but I promise you’ll never see the ending coming. April Fool!
13. Wolfen (1981)
Psychedelic horror featuring Albert Finney. Something is killing vagrants in New York City. The detective in charge thinks he’s investigating a werewolf. But the truth is stranger than he could have imagined. A very original horror movie.
12. Vampyr (1932)
If you thought the only old horror film worth seeing was Nosferatu, you’d be wrong. This semi-silent movie classic still has the power to chill with its surreal imagery and its depiction of vampirism as almost a mental illness.
11. Carnival of Souls (1962)
Made by a former banker with a cast composed almost entirely of friends and neighbours, this creepy ghost story has been imitated countless times. The fact that only the lead actress is a professional just adds to the unnerving quality of the movie.
Going Our Way? A bus load of ghouls in “Carnival of Souls”.
10. The Innocents (1961)
The great Deborah Kerr stars in this adaptation of a rather unsavoury tale by Henry James called “The Turn of the Screw”. That’s all you need to know about this classic creepy kid horror movie.
9. Tenebrae (1982)
Dario Argento is one of the Italian kings of slasher movies (or giallo movies as they’re called there). This is possibly his best. An American horror author in Italy finds that someone is killing people using his novels for inspiration. The identity of the killer will keep you guessing right up until the very end.
8. Lord of Illusions (1995)
Clive Barker’s follow up to Hellraiser is less well know but equally atmospheric. Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap) is great as down-on-his-luck supernatural Private eye Harry D-Amour, investigating a very hellish cult.
7. Silver Bullet (1985)
Here is the obligatory Stephen King movie. But this is a less famous gem, starring Corey Haim and Gary Busey and based on King’s illustrated novella “Cycle of the Werewolf”. It grabs you from the start and never lets you go.
6. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Carpenter didn’t direct this sequel. But the image of kids in pumpkin masks that suddenly start to decompose will haunt me for the rest of my days. And what’s with those indestructible bodyguards?
Jesus, this is creepy. That pumpkin mask from “Halloween III”!
5. Near Dark (1987)
Kathryn Bigelow’s excellent vampire road movie never says the V-word once. Beautiful photography and a classic Tangerine Dream score make this possibly the best cult horror film of the 1980s.
4. The Fog (1980)
John Carpenter’s “other” movie. A rip-roaring ghost story with Jamie Lee Curtis and some phantom pirates. Just steer well clear of the hideous Disneyfied remake!
3. Curse of the Cat People (1944)
Subtle, sophisticated, psychological horror that perfectly captures what it’s like to be a kid when nobody believes you. This film has nothing to do with Cat People or lycanthropes of any variety. The studio simply gave the writers the title to work with!
2. Dance of the Vampires (1967)
Roman Polanski directs this beautiful Gothic horror movie, complete with castles, wolves, vampires, hunchbacks, and snow-topped mountains. It’s also a hilarious comedy! The ill-fated Sharon Tate gives this movie a poignancy that was never intended.
Who is the werewolf? Who cares? Just enjoy this great B-Movie romp!
1. The Beast Must Die (1974)
This groovy 70s werewolf movie is also a whodunnnit! In fact, you get the chance to solve the mystery for yourself while the film stops halfway through! Peter Cushing and a host of character actors are lured to a big game hunter’s isolated mansion while their host tries to figure out which one of them turns furry under the full moon. A fun time is guaranteed for all!
There you go, my pick of the best alternative horror movies to brighten up your Halloween night. Happy viewing, and don’t have nightmares!
It’s almost that time of year again, the time of year that for horror writers is like a combination of Christmas and… well, Halloween.
Of course I’m talking about Halloween. And what better way to celebrate than by watching a suitably scary movie. But what makes a great Halloween classic? My own recipe for a ghoulish treat involves some great scares, a sense of fun, a lot of comedy, some cheesy dialogue, and a good dose of escapism. These may not be the world’s scariest movies, but they among the most fun to watch, especially on the spookiest night of the year!
So without further ado or aplomb, here are my own favourite Halloween movies…
Goes without saying, really.
Dance of the Vampires aka The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
Roman Polanski’s take of two bungling vampire hunters has enough scares and laughs for everyone.
Halloween 1978
This has to be the most appropriate movie ever made for Halloween. Pumpkins and trick-or-treaters abound in John Carpenter’s superbly economical slasher movie. By the end, you’ll be afraid to turn out the lights!
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The original zombie apocalyptic thrill ride!
The Fog (1980)
Some great scares in this John Carpenter classic about ghostly pirates. Johnny Depp is nowhere to be seen.
American Werewolf in London (1981)
John Landis pumps up the scares and the laughs in this outrageous werewolf story. Terrifying and laugh out loud funny at the same time!
Stephen King wants to tell you a bedtime story… or a few.
Creepshow (1982)
Stephen King writes and acts! B-movie staples are given a fresh lease of life in this shot story compendium.
Night of the Comet (1984)
Note to self: if a particularly bright meteor shower promises a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime light show, do not watch it! Post-apocalyptic teen v zombies hijinks ensue.
Vamp (1986)
Vampire strippers. Sound familiar? But add fashion icon Grace Jones and some cheesy Eighties teens you have a recipe for a fangtastic movie. Get it? Fang-tastic? Oh, forget it.
Fright Night (1985)
Another great Eighties vampire comedy. Only the original version is actually funny. Roddy McDowell lends humour and pathos to his role as a has-been TV vampire hunter who finds the real deal living in the suburbs.
Night of the Creeps (1986)
Nobody did teen comedy better than the Eighties. Jocks getting dismembered? Check. Cheerleaders attacked by aliens? Check. Mutant alien slugs infesting people? Check… wait, what…
House (1986)
An overlooked gem starring William Katt (Greatest American Hero) as a guest in a very unwelcoming home filled with rubberized ghosts and ghouls!
Critters (1986)
Aliens make contact, and they look like prickly care bears! Great home siege movie with some very silly monsters.
The Monster Squad 1987
Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon descend upon a small American town. Who’s going to stop them? Frankenstein, that’s who!
Lost Boys (1987)
So obvious it’s barely worth a mention. But it does stand up well, even now. Coreys Haim and Feldman’s finest hour.
Evil Dead II (1987)
A retelling of the Evil Dead, but with added humour and slapstick. It’s like watching a live-action cartoon. You can almost forget this is a movie about cannibalistic, soul-stealing demons.
They’re coming to get you… erm… Barbara.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
A light, family film but not without its share of thrills. Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker (yes, that one) star as hopeless witches out to rule the world on Halloween!
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Always good after a few beers. Most employed store staff can relate to Simon Pegg’s eponymous hero, who is distinctly unimpressed that his day is being ruined by a zombie invasion.
So there you have it, my tops picks for an entertaining night in front of the TV this Halloween. Let me know if you agree or if I missed anything. And happy screaming!
ERIC IAN STEELE 