Looking for some underrated horror movies to watch this Halloween? Well, look no further. Here鈥檚 10 鈥渉idden gems" that the majority of people hopefully haven't seen before.
10. Season of the Witch (2011)
Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman play 14-century knights tasked with taking a suspected witch to a monastery because they believe she's been causing the black plague. I saw Season of the Witch when it first came out and I was immediately drawn in by the dark storytelling and creative cinematography. There's plenty of stunning battle scenes and some solid blood and gore, but it's the tense atmosphere throughout the 95 minute runtime that really makes this one worth watching.
9. The Monster that Challenged the World (1957)
After an earthquake in the Salton Sea unleashes prehistoric monsters, a naval officer and some scientists band together to stop them from terrorizing the California valley. I wanted to feature a 1950's monster movie this year, and this was easily my first choice. While the film's title is terrible, the actual movie is an excellent watch. The creature effects hold up quite well despite the film being made more than 60 years ago. If you're a bit of a film historian like I am, definitely check this one out. I watched it in glorious black and white, but you can probably track down a colourized version if you look hard enough.
8. Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
When a scientific expedition team sets out to locate a rare flower called the Blood Orchid in the remote jungles of Borneo, they end up running into a nest of giant snakes that have gathered for mating. I love a good old fashioned creature feature, and this sequel to the cult classic Anaconda (1997) is a surprisingly fun watch thanks to strong direction from Dwight H. Little, who manages to make the CGI snake scenes very suspenseful by not showing too much too soon.
7. Deer Camp 86 (2022)
The year is 1986 and a group of friends go off into the Michigan woods for their annual deer hunting trip. Little do they know though that an ancient spirit has awakened and is seeking vengeance. I rarely watch new releases anymore, primarily because I find the vast majority of them to be terrible, but I have to say Deer Camp 86 was a legitimately awesome movie with great dialogue, a scary killer, and some inventive practical gore effects that made it stand out amidst the usual generic crap that Hollywood produces these days.
6. Dead Heat (1988)
Treat Williams plays a cop who's killed in the line of duty while investigating a strange case of corpses coming back to life. His partner (Joe Piscopo) uses a machine to reanimate him into a zombie and together they have to solve the case before Williams' body decomposes. Dead Heat is a hilarious buddy cop movie with zombies that meshes together really well. Director Mark Goldblatt doesn't take the premise too seriously and keeps things moving at a quick pace. There's some fun moments featuring incredible practical effects, in particular the butcher shop scene that just about steals the entire film.
5. Sting of Death (1966)
Karen and her friends leave college to go visit her dad, a marine biologist who's working in the Florida Everglades, where they soon become victims of a "jellyfish" monster. William Grefe's low budget 1960's monster movie is so beyond ridiculous it has to be seen to be believed. While the script and the acting both fall into the "so bad it's good" category, Grefe's visuals are surprisingly stunning, with the Florida Everglades look absolutely incredible here. Bonus points for the end scene in the monster's underground lair, which stands out as one of the most hilariously entertaining final battles ever captured on film.
4. Iced (1989)
After heartbroken Jeff dies at a ski resort, his group of friends are invited to the opening of a posh new ski resort, only to be hunted down one after another by an old nemesis. My brother and I recently watched this very hard to find film, and I have to say we had a great time with it. Make no mistake, Iced is nothing more than a silly slasher film that's nowhere near as good as classics like Friday the 13th or Prom Night, but all the cheesy 1980's goodness in this one makes it well worth the price of admission.
3. There鈥檚 Nothing Out There (1991)
A group of friends go to a "house by the pond" for the weekend, only to be attacked by a slimy mutant alien thing that looks like a giant frog with tentacles. This movie is somewhat similar to "Scream" in that it's a self-aware horror spoof that doesn't take itself seriously at all, but it stands out on its own because it's just a well made horror comedy with fun writing and directing from Rolfe Kanefsky. Crack open some "apple ciders" and invite your friends over for this one, you'll be entertained the entire way through.
2. Deep in the Woods (2000)
A group of actors are hired to put on a play at a castle in France, only to end up being hunted by a serial killer. Deep in the Woods is a legitimately disturbing horror film with incredible visuals from first time director Lionel Delplanque, who also wrote the script. The film has a seriously creepy atmosphere permeating throughout its twisted "red riding hood" storyline, and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire runtime.
1. Husk (2011)
A group of friends end up stranded next to a desolate cornfield and decide to take shelter in a nearby farmhouse, only to quickly realize there's a supernatural scarecrow that's coming after them. Husk has excellent acting, a relentless pace, and it's packed with jump scares and blood. I can't recommend this one enough if you're looking for something seriously spooky to watch on Halloween.
Tyson Whitney is a devout fan of cinema and also the editor of the North Island Gazette in Port Hardy.
