Posts Tagged ‘Terrifier 2’

13 Movie Recommendations for Spooky Season This Year

Posted: July 29, 2023 in Review, Scary Stuff
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As you are no doubt aware, we’re less than a hundred days till Halloween. With that in mind, you’re probably doing all sorts of preparations for the spooky season. This obviously includes what scary movies you’ll be watching this year.

Back in 2020, I did a recommendation list of lesser known horror films that many Followers of Fear found helpful. Why I waited three years to do another one, I don’t know, but I came up with a strong list of films you crazy horror fans might enjoy adding to your queue this year.

Keep in mind, I will be focusing mostly on lesser known horror films, as the very well-known ones don’t really need a recommendation. Chances are, you’ve probably seen the well-known ones anyway. So, since we horror nuts love finding new material, let’s get on with it!

Ghostwatch (1992)

A BBC team of journalists investigate a supposedly haunted house on Halloween night, broadcasting it live to the nation. At first, things are calm and there’s even evidence that the hauntings aren’t real. However, as the special continues, supernatural events not only begin to plague the family and journalists in the house, but in the BBC studio and in the homes of viewers.

Or at least, that’s what many people thought was happening. In reality, this special was filmed beforehand and was technically a TV movie. It even listed the name of the movie series it was part of and the name of the writer at the beginning of the special. However, many who caught the special missed this notice, and, possibly because some of the BBC’s most trusted names were part of the “investigation,” believed the events portrayed were real. The thousands of ensuing complaints, plus the death of a young man with intellectual disabilities who believed his home was haunted after watching the special, led to the BBC apologizing and never airing the special again.

That being said, Ghostwatch is available on Blu-Ray and streaming, and it is a fascinating watch. Even if you weren’t around in 1992 or have no idea who these people are, it is amazing to place yourself in the shoes of the audience and see how masterfully they were led to believe that the events portrayed were real. If you can, go check it out. I placed it at the top of this list for a reason.

Hell House LLC (2015)

Portrayed as a documentary, Hell House LLC covers the case of a haunted house attraction that, on opening night in October, resulted in the deaths of numerous guests and most of the staff. As the documentary team tries to piece together what happened from newly discovered footage, they make a terrifying discovery about the site where the tragedy occurred. Namely, not everything is what it seems there.

Honestly, this film is absolutely unsettling. The news report about the tragedy at the beginning of the film gives it a sense of realism, and the numerous strange events in the building give everything this sense of encroaching evil. The scenes with the creepy clown mannequin and the last scene in Paul’s bedroom are among the scariest I’ve seen from a found footage movie in a while, and it’s not surprising that it’s built a following. Highly recommended if you want a good, creepy found footage horror film. You can stream it for free on YouTube.

Also, there are two sequels, but they’re more about explaining things than actually scaring the crap out of you, so I’m avoiding them.

Lake Mungo (2008)

Man, there are a lot of fake documentaries this year. Must be how effective they are at seeming real. Anyway, in this Australian film, a family deals with the mysterious drowning death of their daughter and what they think might be her spirit trying to contact them. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s both a poignant story of a family dealing with grief as well as a surprising ghost story. There are moments I still play over and over when I watch this movie because they’re that good. Definitely don’t miss this one.

The Offering (2023 film)

A new addition to the growing catalog of Jewish horror, this film follows a young Jewish man and his pregnant, non-Jewish wife as they go to reconcile with the former’s heavily religious father. However, the family is being plagued by a dangerous entity, one that seeks to harm the couple’s baby. And not everyone might survive.

While somewhat uneven in scares and storytelling, it is still a tense and scary film with plenty of moments to freak you out. It’s also a very sad story about what it means to be a family and to be a parent, to grieve for loss and to take responsibility for lives other than your own. If you’re not squeamish about children and pregnant women being targeted by evil in a horror story, I highly recommend it.

Candyman (1992 and 2021)

I’m including both films here as one entry, as I think they make a great double feature if you watch them together and they just really compliment each other. Anyway, you know these films: the spirit of an African American painter who was horribly murdered by white men and became a Bloody Mary figure wreaks havoc every time someone says his name five times in the mirror.

The first film follows grad student Helen Lyle as she does research on the urban legend on the Candyman. The reboot/sequel follows a painter who discovers a variation of the legend and brings it into his art. Both lead to carnage and to the evolution of the legend. Both films are amazing pieces that have their own mood and aesthetic that are fascinating to watch. Definitely view them together if you can.

The Innkeepers (2011)

Ti West has made a name for himself as a director of horror films, and this artsy piece is definitely one not to miss. Set at the very real (and allegedly very haunted) Yankee Pedlar Inn in Torrington, Connecticut, it follows two employees running the hotel and trying to document its alleged hauntings during the hotel’s last weekend of operations.

A slow burn of a horror movie, it has some terrifying imagery and scares that make you want to rewatch the scares just to see how they do it. It also makes you want to find out more about the inn and maybe visit it yourself. Or is that just me? Well, if it is, this is a fun and creepy ghost story that you would probably enjoy as part of your horror movie marathon. Especially if you need a break from the more pee-your-pants horror films.

Terrifier (2016)

Two girls going out for fun on Halloween night come across Art the Clown, a silent, psychotic murderer with a penchant for humor in his torture.

That’s it. That’s the movie. But what a movie it is! A splatterpunk slasher that does not shy away from showing the blood and guts and gore, it’s elevated above a Saw knockoff by Art, whose enigmatic nature and almost humorous approach to life and death make him almost mesmerizing to watch. For people who aren’t into gore and violence for violence sake, I would avoid this one. But if you are at all curious, I would at least check it out. Just don’t blame me if the hacksaw scene turns you off.

Terrifier 2 (2022)

Art’s back, and he’s out for more blood. Only this time, he’s on a collision path with a high schooler who seems to have a strange, almost psychic connection to Art. And when they meet, it’ll be a battle of good vs. evil for the ages.

When this film came out, there were reports of people fainting or throwing up in the theaters during shows of Terrifier 2. Honestly, I can believe it. There are some seriously sick scenes, especially in the first half of the film. However. it’s also a fascinating story of two siblings dealing with grief and growing up, finding themselves and learning to be strong and adults in the face of pure evil. It’s a tough film to get through, but I’m honestly glad I sat down and watched it. And I hope that when Part 3 comes out, I can actually see it in theaters.

Scream VI (2023)

The latest and probably the most brutal entry in the Scream franchise takes us to New York City, where a new Ghostface killer goes after the Carpenter siblings and their friends. And you would think being in a crowded city, rather than in a small town, a college campus or on a movie set would help. But really, no matter where you are, Ghostface is going to come for you.

While I’m not a big fan of the final twist, I thought the film was well done. The action and tension are master class, and the film’s story continues to bring the mystery and guessing game we’ve come to expect from the Scream movies. I say check it out if you’re looking for a good modern slasher.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)

Our final fake documentary, The Poughkeepsie Tapes presents itself as a true crime documentary of a serial killer who films his kills on VHS tapes.

And God, does this film feel real! Between not shying away from the violence and psychological terror of its subject matter, as well as its masterful use of amateur actors to play “expert witnesses,” it’s almost too easy to believe in this film. Even if you don’t, it’s one of the scariest films I’ve seen in a while. If you’re going in, good luck. You’re going to need it.

The Uninvited (1944)

Our only classic film on this list, The Uninvited follows two siblings who purchase a seaside house in England, only to find out that ghosts are haunting the house. And that these ghosts have a connection to a local girl named Stella, who is obsessed with the house.

Honestly, it’s a very fun film and has held up very well since its release. While I’m not sure modern audiences would find it spooky, there’s some great storytelling and atmosphere in the movie that makes it very entertaining to watch. If you’re looking to ease yourself or someone else into spooky season and all the horror out there, this is a good film to go with.

The Changeling (1980)

A grieving widower moves into an old house after losing his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. He soon discovers the house is haunted by a powerful entity, and this spirit won’t be held back by a little thing like death.

While some things about this film haven’t aged well, others are just as terrifying as they were in 1980. Anyone who has seen the sequences with the red ball, the séance, or the wheelchair know what I’m talking about. It gets even scarier when you find out the film was based on things the writer supposedly experienced while renting a haunted house a few years prior. Definitely worth including in your spooky season rotation.

Talk to Me (2023)

The only entry on this list that’s still in theaters, it follows several teens who play a game with an embalmed hand trapped in plaster. When you hold it like giving a handshake and say “Talk to me,” it allows you to communicate and even become briefly possessed by the dead. However, one night playing the game takes things to a scary new extreme, and these kids learn what happens when you play with fire.

I wouldn’t call it the scariest film of the year, as others have said, and I did think the second half got slightly predictable and less scary. However, it is an enjoyable horror film, with an emphasis on emotion and storytelling over gore or special effects, and an amazing cast. If you can, get your butts to the theaters and check out Talk to Me.

So, there you go, my Followers of Fear. Thirteen horror movies for your eyeballs to gorge on this spooky season. I hope you enjoy them and let me know what you think, as well as what films you think are necessary viewing this year.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant viewing, and even more pleasant nightmares.

Writing Those Squicky Scenes

Posted: February 25, 2023 in Reflections, Scary Stuff, Writing
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For those of you who don’t know, “squicky” refers to something that is very disturbing, disgusting, and/or unpleasant. In horror, it usually refers to something out of what Stephen King calls “the gross-out factor” of horror, with lots of blood and gore and bodily fluids. Occasionally squicky scenes (or at least most of the ones I’ve encountered) also have some sexual element, though not the kind that would indicate any form of healthy sex. Squicky scenes are the ones that make readers think, “Good Lord, what’s wrong with this author?” And they make the author’s parents go, “what kind of freak did we raise that they could come up with this?”

On a personal level, I can go either way with squickiness. Sometimes, like with the Evil Dead remake in 2013, I find that’s part of the charm of the movie. And I’m looking forward to watching Terrifier 2 because its squickiness reportedly caused people to vomit and faint in the theaters (though hopefully not at the same time). But when it comes to stories like Human Centipede and its sequels, where the very concept is squicky, I run the opposite way.*

That being said, I find myself writing squicky scenes more and more in my work. There’s a scene like that in my Backrooms story “It Changes You,” and one of the stories in my upcoming collection Hannah and Other Stories has plenty of squick in it. And there’s a particular story I hope to start writing soon that will have you shuddering from the squick! It’s going to be a blast.

Why am I writing these scenes? Well, part of it is because I’ve seen other authors in the books I read writing them and that has inspired/urged me to try writing them as well. Another is that, in my continual quest to improve as a writer, I’m trying to push myself to step more and more out of my comfort zone and try things that I wouldn’t normally write. And a third part is that, when done right, those scenes make the story scarier and make the story stand out to readers.

That being said, writing those scenes isn’t easy. I’m usually thinking three things when working on a squick moment: is this too much? Is this not enough? And am I using the right words to bring out the full squicky nature of the scene? Since some of these stories haven’t released yet, I can’t be certain. You’re trying to balance several elements like word choice, time spent on a particular moment, translating that horrifying moment from your brain to the page, and how it fits into the story as a whole, among others. A single misstep and people might call you “shocking for shock’s sake” or “exploitative.”

That being said, people are going to call you that anyway. Besides Human Centipede, other films like the Saw movies or Texas Chainsaw Massacre are full of squicky moments and features. I know authors whose books are filled with squick. And you’ll find that each one has both detractors and fans. It just depends on the person, what they’re capable of stomaching, and what personally draws them to the story.

As for advice on writing squicky scenes, I don’t have much, unfortunately. Like I said, I don’t write them too often. But I do think that, unless your main thought when writing a story is, “I want readers to be shocked and grossed out and wincing with every paragraph,” only use squick when it works for the story. If it adds something to the story, great, keep it. If it doesn’t, then perhaps think about whether you should include such a scene.

This entire film is squicky and I want nothing to do with it.

Also, and while it may be stomach churning, read what others have done with squick and try to pick up what makes their takes effective. Once you do that, you can hopefully get some practice in and start creating scenes and stories that, over time, will produce the same effect those scenes produce in other readers and in you.

All that being said, if squick isn’t your thing, don’t push yourself to include it. The thing about horror, there’s a niche for everyone. You prefer things to be gory and gross and shocking, there’s something for you. You like ghosts and psychological stuff? There’s something there for you. You like cosmic beings whose very appearance causes insanity? Yep, there’s something for you.

Anyway, I just wanted to talk about these scenes I’m writing and my thoughts on them. I hope that when some of these stories with their squick-inducing moments release, they’ll be quite effective and add plenty to the story. Now, if you need me, I’m off to watch some scary movies.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Do you enjoy squicky scenes? Do you write them often? What advice do you have for writing and including them in your horror?

*Seriously, you could not pay me to watch those films. Anyone tries, I will smack them into next week and make my escape in the meantime. I’m already screwed up enough, thank you very much! Don’t need to be twisted any further.