October is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “31 days of horror.” Don’t bother looking it up; it’s true. Most people take that to mean highlighting one horror movie a day, but here at FSR, we’ve taken that up a spooky notch or nine by celebrating each day with a top ten list. This article about the best classic horror movies is part of our ongoing series 31 Days of Horror Lists.
Blame it on bad English teachers or dull episodes of Masterpiece Theater, but somewhere along the way the world generally decided that “the classics” were boring. Some folks even go so far as to say they hate the classics, which, frankly, I don’t find entirely surprising, even from horror fans. Classic horror movies don’t have the same flashy editing and gory deaths you come to expect from your favorite ’80s slasher, so you write them off as being slow and stuffy, and you refocus your attention on your conspiracy theories about the Man in Black in Halloween 5.
But the differences between classic and modern horror movies are exactly why you should get excited about these older titles. Just consider all of the ways these movies managed to scare their audiences for decades. Their horror had to be more cerebral, more suggestive, focusing on a deep sense of unease that is supported by the heavily stylized design elements that the filmmakers used in order to bring their ghouls and ghosts to life. These movies couldn’t rely on the scare tactics that modern horror can, so they got clever and found inventive ways to burrow themselves deep under your skin.
Instead of giving you a “Beginners Guide” to the must-see classics you probably already know about, this selection of pre-1970s horror movies chosen by Anna Swanson, Brad Gullickson, Chris Coffel, Kieran Fisher, Meg Shields, Rob Hunter, Valerie Ettenhofer, and me exemplify just how subversive and daring classic horror has always been. Put on your reading glasses, and let’s learn a thing or two about the best classic horror movies for folks who think they won’t like the classics.
★★★★ Written & Directed by: #PeterLeeScott Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonStarring: #KieraThompson #JackVeal #FarhanBaqi Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Read moreRobert Stack Finally Solves a Mystery in ‘The Strange and Deadly Occurrence’After hearing about the death of his best friend Gerry, young Sam (Thompson, a young actress radiating with talent beyond…
In their feature directorial debut, Violation, Canadian filmmakers Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli have crafted a technically astute narrative exploration of trauma that is both visceral and meditative. Screening as part of the 2020 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, the two filmmakers – with Sims-Fewer also playing the leading role – spoke with Film Inquiry…
To impact two different generations for two completely disparate films takes a remarkable actor. Alan Arkin was that kind of actor. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonGrowing up, I watched the 1982 animated film “The Last Unicorn” obsessively, but not for the reason you might think. It was for Arkin’s voice performance…
“As you see now there’s nothin here any more.” Did you know there is a historic horse culture in Dublin, Ireland? This acclaimed short doc film Saoirse is about “some of the men who genuinely care about their horses as they struggle to keep the remnants of the culture alive.” Better description from Nowness: “Award-winning…
The fact that George Herman “Babe” Ruth, often heralded as the greatest baseball player of all time, was born in Baltimore, Maryland is no secret. However, the fact he attended a “reform school” is a little less known. Read moreA Guide to The Perfect Bong Joon-ho MarathonAt the age of seven, Ruth was sent off to live…
What a year Mads Mikkelsen is having. The charismatic Dane is fresh from the success of Thomas Vinterberg‘s festival winning Another Round – which has rumours of Oscar noms in its future – and here he is with another Danish feature, Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders of Justice. It seems going home has served Mikkelsen very…