Print media has been a staple source of info for me as a horror fan for the bulk of my life, and I continue to support it when I can. Rue Morgue Magazine remains one of my go-to publications for several reasons. One of them is their library of books they printed a few years back, the first of them being 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need To See.
First released in January 2012, the book actually collected 262 films when you include the side-bars. Each film gets a bit a love from various writers, critics, and editors, in support of their chosen film being a part of this collection. For anyone who knows me, you know I’m a sucker for making lists and completing lists suggested by others. Prime example is finally seeing every film shown in 1984’s Terror In The Aisles, including the films from the TV edit. And now I am satisfied (and honestly relieved) in reporting that I have seen all of the films in this collection!
It was a 12 year journey that involved visiting a couple questionable sites, some boutique blu-ray companies, but not once did I sail the seas of a certain bay. (Not judging if you do, Fright Fans, just a personal choice.) Of the 262 films, 190 of them were first time watches for me. It’s an incredibly eclectic selection, and I’m about to share my top 10 out of those first time watches in alphabetic order as well as where I watched them. If you want to see the entire list of 262 movies, please visit Letterboxd here: https://boxd.it/1xZZK
5150 ELM’S WAY (2009)
I had to hunt high and low to find this French-Canadian production over the years. I initially watched it in 2022 of EffedUpMovies.com (definitely an at-your-own-risk site) but now have it on blu-ray. On its face, the base premise is simple. A college student knocks on the wrong door in a picturesque neighborhood and becomes the prisoner of a killer.
But this film moves to so many levels beyond that. The nature of this killer (and his suburban family), the motives, the mental effects of captivity, and the bread crumbs that may lead to his rescue, it all builds in well-crafted layers that kept me enthralled in the film. Even as a seasoned horror fan, there were at least three genuine “Holy Shit!” moments in it for me as well.
(Still on EffedUpMovies.com or take the risk and buy the disc.)
ANGST (1983)
I believe I watched this on Shudder, but it was before I started including where I watched a film when I review it on Letterboxd. As part of HoopTober 4.0, I used it as an Austrian film for one of the six countries.
The calmness within the killer’s voice-over narrative makes a stark contrast against the brutality of his acts in this home invasion style film that is based on an actual triple murder. Pre-dating Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer by 3 years, the realism of the assaults and murders was too much for many censorship boards and faint of heart audiences. They even used pig’s blood instead of stage blood to give this more realism.
What truly caught my attention was the innovative cinematography. The majority of the scenes give you the sensation of a prototype to steady-cams and GoPro footage but with minimal stabilization. It’s not quite “shakey cam” but it gives that energy to the film, an almost manic sensation that mirrors the psychosis of K. (we never get his name). Sadly, due to the controversy, Gerald Kargl never directed again. Such a loss.
(Available on Tubi and Kanopy)
BABY BLOOD (1990)
We travel to France for this f**ked up tale of a psychotic fetus that drives its mother to kill. And the fetus may be an ancient demon that wants to be reborn into the world. Oh, and it talks to her all the time. I truly enjoyed this crazy, bloody, and darkly humorous flick. If you are curious to hear the English-dubbed version, be prepared for Gary Freakin’ Oldman as the voice of the fetus.
Long time listeners of the podcast may recall that I inflicted a “Drive-In Double Feature” of this on Jenny and Joe and paired it with 2016’s Prevenge.
(Available on Kanopy or for rental on Amazon Prime)
DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)
It’s such a joy to find films from decades ago that can still shock and surprise me, and Dead Of Night certainly did. Anthology films are one of my favorite sub-genres within horror. A British production consisting of five tales and an innovative through story, it is remembered by many for the final story with Hugo the ventriloquist’s dummy. Without it, I doubt we would have ever had Magic (1978) with Anthony Hopkins.
(Available on Kanopy and Screambox)
THE LOVED ONES (2009)
Back in the June 2012 issue of Rue Morgue magazine, this indie Australian horror film had the front cover. Even though it was initially released in 2009, I had never of it until then, and I was intrigued. Thanks to the wonderful world wide web, I found it on VOD to give it a viewing after reading the article. And now I own it on disc because to this day, Sean Byrne’s The Loved Ones easily remains one of the 50 best horror films to have come out in the last 15 years in my opinion.
Quiet little Lola asks Brent to the dance but gets politely rejected. As others have said, “What Lola wants, Lola gets.” Picture a psychotic character whose creator described as parts Carrie White, Annie Wilkes, and Veruca Salt. . .
Yeah. That’s Lola. A history of recent tragedy ties together the background characters in this production, and the links are done in mostly a subtle way instead of hammering it into your face.
In the Rue Morgue article by Stuart Andrews, this is called “Pretty In Pink meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “the horror movie we wish John Hughes had made.” If that doesn’t peak your interest, maybe you need another hole in your head.
(Available for rent on numerous streaming platforms)
MAN BITES DOG (1992)
One of my other favorite sub-genres of horror? The faux documentary or “mockumentary.” An early entire in this category, Belgium’s Man Bites Dog centers around a documentary film crew following Ben, a narcissistic, sociopathic serial killer/hitman as he goes about his life. Eventually the lines between observers and participants blur for the crew as they sink deeper into Ben’s dark world.
This one had to have had some influence on the creators of Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Full of dark humor as well as brutality, this one isn’t for everybody.
(Available on Max and The Criterion Channel)
PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER (2006)
Several years back, I saw a trailer for this and was very intrigued. I’m a sucker for a period piece, and with the casting of Allan Rickman and Dustin Hoffman, I felt it would be right in my wheelhouse. Why it took me nearly 15 years after the release to finally see it is anybody’s guess. At just under 2 1/2 hours, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer was and is worth the investment.
The story of Jean-Baptiste is tragic but not. It’s horrifying yet engrossing. The realm of the senses, or sense since it’s his incomparable olfactory abilities the story revolves around, that are displayed on screen are breathtaking at times. The dark side is on full display when Jean-Baptiste’s quest to preserve scents forever becomes an obsession through a sociopath’s filter.
(Available on Kanopy and Hoopla and to rent)
RED WHITE & BLUE (2010)
Ever wonder what it might be like if Taken was done as a low budget indie and set in Austin? Well, wonder no more!
Red White & Blue is the only American film on my list, and it probably has the lowest budget of any of them. It was another that took me nearly a decade to find online to stream, and I found it on iTunes to purchase. Now it’s available on Tubi at the time of this article, and I was so glad to share it with Jenny and Joe as part of a “Drive-In Double Feature” episode with A Horrible Way To Die (2010).
Trauma, grief, and destructive behavior are the shared threads as the lives of the three main characters become intwined. Some may question where the horror is in this one initially. Then they hit the final act that goes as dark as midnight and left me stunned on first watch.
(Available on Tubi for now)
TAXIDERMIA (2006)
Grotesque and horrifying things filmed in a visually stunning manner. This is another area of cinema that I am fascinated with and weirdly enjoy. This oddity out of Hungary is a prime example. Let me share the Letterboxd bullet on it:
“Grotesquely surreal offering charting three male generations of the same bizarre family, including a pervert who constantly seeks for new kinds of satisfaction, an obese speed eater, and a passionate embalmer.“
This movie was a trip in so many ways. Disturbingly weird, artfully filmed, and darkly comedic, I advise you to go into this one as blind as possible. It may leave you pleasantly surprised and slightly unsettled like me.
(Only streaming on Here TV at the time of this article)
WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976)
The final film of my list was also one of the hardest to track down. By luck and good timing, I found it on blu-ray on Mondo Macabro and bought three copies. My reason for that was I had already seen Narciso Ibanez Serrador’s other horror film, The House That Screamed (1976), as I was finishing the list of Edgar Wright’s 100 favorite horror films and loved it. But if I wanted to do a “Drive-In Double Feature” episode with both films for the podcast, I just had to get copies for my co-hosts, right?
Who Can Kill A Child? is a brilliant film that flips many tropes, skillfully nods to other great films of the genre, and continually builds a sense of dread while having a minimalist approach to scoring. On top of all that, the opening 7 minutes of documentary footage and narration that focus on the atrocities that have killed millions of innocent bystanders (children) in the modern era. This horror film reminds us of the true horrors within the world, and then it presents a tale of “what if they decide to not be bystanders anymore?”.
(Regretfully, this is out of print and currently not streaming anywhere)
And there it is! A personal summation of a decade of hunting up rare films because a book recommended them. If you are curious to see how the other 252 films rated for me, check the link to the Letterboxd list near the top of the article. As for my next personal viewing challenge? The rest of the “Video Nasties” I haven’t seen. Wish me luck!
The Podcast Macabre 