It’s become something of an annual tradition with myself and a few friends that we get together on New Year’s Day, have dinner and watch some hoary old horror movie. Usually from the 70s grind-house era, but not strictly. We’ve already seen “Don’t Go Into the Basement”, “Night of the Living Dead”, and “Black Christmas.” Now I’ve been tasked with choosing Wednesday’s feature presentation.
I’ve narrowed it down to a shortlist: “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death”, “Burnt Offerings”, “It’s Alive!” or the original “The Crazies.” What’s the Teeming Millions advice? Which of these would you pick - or can you suggest anything else?
Pleased be advised that I’ve ruled out “The Exorcist” “The Omen”, “Carrie”, “Halloween” or “Friday the 13th” as these are too well known. My friends & I have seen them all several times apiece. I’d like to come up with some a bit more esoteric.
My daughter takes pride in the movies she’s never seen so I know she hasn’t seen A Clockwork Orange and maybe some year I can treat her like Alex and make her watch ALL of them!
Not strictly horror, but I have fond memories of Razorback, an Australian movie about a killer pig.
You didn’t mention Evil Dead on your familiar list. ??
Re-Animator? All I remember is the exploding head.
What’s the one with Kim Darby and the little demons?
Oh! The one with the creepy people living in the walls of an old house!!! I don’t remember any of the actors’ names or I’d look it up. Someone will know.
Suspiria is a truly great movie. A 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an awesome soundtrack by *Goblin
*I saw this at the movies in 1977 and the next night went back with everyone I could rustle up to see it again.
Out of the ones you’ve already picked, I’d go with Burnt Offerings. Karen Black is creepy in general, so it’s already got that going for it. Add in some excellent atmosphere and you all should thoroughly enjoy it. Good luck!
There’s another one – I was surprised at how much I liked it. There’s a teenage boy and girl, and a younger child (a boy, I think), and they’re hiding from the people who live in the house. (It’s not Flowers in the Attic.)
One of the kids is weird, and the adults are definitely weird, and murderous. The kids survive, IIRC.
“Bordello of Blood” is good for a laugh and a cringe.
If you want more recent, non-ironic yet still post-modern horror, a couple of recent ones I really liked were “The Cabin In The Woods” and “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.” Both are genre-busting, clever, and hilarious.
Years ago I took my son to buy a pet ferret. The sellers were two women who lived in a multi-level house with an open plan. When you walked in you went down a long set of stairs into the main room. Looking back up, mounted on the wall was this. One of the women had, I believe, designed and made it.
Not being a fan of too extreme gore, I’d suggest The Thing, 1951 or 1982 version. (But the 1951 version was actually entitled The Thing from Another World.)
