Silent Hill 2 Remake Announced at Silent Hill Transmission Event

 

Silent Hill 2 is a landmark game in the landscape of horror video games. Originally released in 2001, the game has you following a man by the name of James Sunderland as he goes to the town of Silent Hill to search for clues because he gets a mysterious letter from his wife, which is weird because… she’s dead. And you have to deal with eerie monsters and other things plaguing James’s consciousness along the way.

 

The game is phenomenal, one of the creepiest games I’ve ever played, and I highly recommend playing the Playstation 2 version of the game if you possibly can because that version of the game is the best in my opinion.

 

Two days ago, Konami announced a remake of the 2001 classic at the Silent Hill Transmission Event. They also announced three other games, which I will be talking about soon, and they announced a new Silent Hill movie which I’ve already talked about.

 

This remake of Silent Hill 2 is being headed by Bloober Team, who have developed modern horror games such as the Layers of Fear games and The Medium. I’ve only played the first Layers of Fear game so I have very limited experience with their work but going off of my experience with that game, I’m cautious about them working on this remake.

 

The Silent Hill 2 Remake is being released for Playstation 5 as a timed console exclusive and PC via Steam. There was a trailer released for the game that shows off the STUNNING visuals and if you want to see that trailer, click right here.

 

Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babiano said in a statement: “SILENT HILL 2 was the game that shaped our collective vision at Bloober Team. It's the game that started us on our adventure in game development. Now, we face an ultimate challenge. A challenge to translate our youthful memories of the ultimate game into a language that modern players can engage with, whilst at the same time crafting an experience true to the original. More than 20 years ago, a team of brilliant minds at KONAMI developed one of the most remarkable games in the history of electronic entertainment. In partnering together, KONAMI and Bloober Team will ensure that SILENT HILL 2 shines once again to set new standards for the genre and deliver an unforgettable experience for the next generation of fans. With our work, we are determined to showcase that Bloober Team is climbing the heights of what’s possible and aiming for the peak in game development. We can't wait for the moment when Players will be able to see our work.”

 

That statement, plus several original members of the dev team at Konami helping with this project gives me more hope for this project, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens with it.

 

Are you excited for this remake as well?? Have you played the original game?? If not, are you going to now that this remake has been announced?? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

 

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue.

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New Silent Hill Movie Announced at Silent Hill Transmission Event

 

Silent Hill is officially back!! Konami, one of the biggest video game developers in the world, announced five new projects in the Silent Hill franchise on Thursday. Four of them are different video games which I will talk about soon but for now, we’re talking about the fifth project that was announced at this event which is a brand-new Silent Hill Movie!!

 

Silent Hill has had two movie adaptations so far, with the first being released in 2006 and the second one, Silent Hill: Revelation being released in 2012. Both of those movies were amazing in my opinion and if you haven’t watched either one of those movies yet, you absolutely should!

 

This new Silent Hill movie project is called Return To Silent Hill, and Christophe Gans is set to direct the film. If you’re unfamiliar with Gans, he directed the original Silent Hill film from 2006 as well as 2014’s Beauty and the Beast (No not the Disney live-action adaptation, that was in 2017).

 

I’m extremely excited to see what this new movie will bring to the table for this franchise. The original film from 2006 is one of the better video game adaptations out there in my opinion, so if you brought the same guy in to direct this film, I have no doubt that this film will be done with just as much love, care and passion as the 2006 film was.

 

There was a trailer for this announcement released on the day of the event so if you want to see it for yourself, click this link right here.

 

What are your thoughts on this announcement?? Is it something that you were expecting?? Are you excited that Silent Hill is back like I am?? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

 

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue.

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A Love Letter To The Universal Monsters That'll Leave You Starving For More: Werewolf By Night Review

Werewolf  By Night is a Disney Plus Special Presentation that is a MASSIVE love letter to the olden days of the classic Universal Monster Movies of the 1930s through the 1950s.

 

The film was announced this year at D23 in August, and it got a lot of folks (myself included) interested to see how Marvel and Disney would treat this special based on a very niche series of comics.

 

The film is the story of a group of hunters who gather at the funeral of the leader of the Bloodstone family and are thrust into a deadly competition for a powerful relic called the Bloodstone. While they’re competing, however, they’re also going up against a dangerous monster, and whoever survives this deadly competition is the possessor of the Bloodstone.

 

This film can be summed up in one word: Awesome. The film uses practical effects that look absolutely stunning, from the werewolf design down to the blood and gore effects. This brilliant use of practical effects will help the film age significantly better than films that choose to use CGI effects.

 

Speaking of that werewolf design it seems somewhat familiar to me. It was as if the designers took Jack Pierce’s design of The Wolfman from 1941 and mixed it with the werewolf design of Werewolf of London from 1935. Keeping the human characteristics of Jack Russell while also showing his inner beast works wonders here in this special!

 

Another thing that the film does well is the fact that it’s in black and white for about 98% of the film. This is what gives it that true callback to the days of the Universal Monster movies, and it gives the film a unique flare that Marvel projects today just don’t have anymore.

 

I’m perplexed that Marvel and Disney of all the companies in the world actually told a werewolf story that was dark and intriguing like this was. This special feels like it’s an episode of The Twilight Zone about one night in the life of Jack Russell and Elsa Bloodstone and man does it ever leave me starving for more.

 

I want to find out more about Jack and Elsa. Who they are as people, what their backgrounds are, how Jack ended up in the situation that he’s in, and much more. Marvel and Disney if you see this article, then I have one request for you. Can you please make more projects Like this?? Or hell, can you make Werewolf By Night have its own Disney Plus series?? Cause I seriously need more of this in my life.

 

The director of this short is Michael Giacchino, who you may know as a composer for various games in the 90s and early 2000s such as Gargoyles, The Lion King, the first Call of Duty game, and Call of Duty: Finest Hour as well as the first four Medal of Honor titles. That work in the gaming industry led to him getting opportunities to compose the scores for Alias and Lost.

 

This man has some seriously good directing chops too given how great this special is so I hope he gets more directing opportunities in the future! Because Michael knows EXACTLY what he’s doing and I think it would be a waste to just have him direct this special and not get a crack at anything else.

 

I also have to tip my hat to the performances in this film as the cast was very good. The two standouts however were those of Gael Garcia Bernal as Jack Russell and Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone. Both actors did a phenomenal job in their roles and I hope that they get to play those characters again in the future if Marvel does decide to do more with those two characters.

 

To wrap it up, I’ll say this. If you’re a fan of werewolves like me and you’re looking for another good werewolf flick to quench your thirst this spooky season, then you have to watch Werewolf By Night. This 53-minute special is a beautiful love letter to the Universal Monster Movie era that WILL leave you starving for more.

 

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue.

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"Magic" Remake In the Works From...Sam Raimi?!

The horror genre is no stranger to remakes, with tons of them bring released over the years. Some of these remakes have made sense, others not so much.

 

Well today another remake has been confirmed via Bloody Disgusting. A remake of the 1978 evil doll movie Magic, set to be directed by…Sam Raimi?!

 

Roy Lee, the producer of this project, let it slip during an episode of the Post Mortem with Mick Garris podcast that he is producing a new take on Magic and that Sam Raimi himself is directing!!

 

“I’ve only worked with [Sam Raimi] as a producer on films…actually…the first time I’m gonna work with him as a director is on a remake of Magic,” Roy Lee tells Mick Garris. “Which is something that we’re working on now. The Anothony Hopkins movie. We’re actually just hearing the final versions of the different takes from writers next week.”

 

“[Sam] loved the original movie and and the book written by William Goldman,” Lee adds.

 

In the original movie, which is an adaptation Goldman’s book of the same name from 1976, “A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.”

 

I’ll be completely honest with you all…until I saw the report from Bloody Disgusting, I had no clue that this movie even existed.

 

But now?? This film just jumped to the top of my watch list, and I’ll be putting out a review of it soon.

 

You can listen to the full episode of the Post Mortem podcast with this link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/roy-lee/id1204949508?i=1000580882539

Roy Lee has produced countless horror movies over the years including, but not limited to: Don’t Worry Darling, Barbarian, His House, IT, IT Chapter Two, Doctor Sleep, Blair Witch, and the upcoming Salem’s Lot remake.

 

Sam Raimi recently directed the smash hit Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness for Marvel, a horror-heavy superhero movie that brought the mastermind behind the Evil Dead Trilogy back into the horror genre.

 

And from the sounds of it, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Stay tuned for more updates on this project as they develop.

 

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue.

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Six Vampire Movies to Sink Your Teeth Into This October

 Spooky Season is here! It’s time to cozy up in your house, turn all of the lights off, and watch all of the horror movies your horror-addicted heart desires.

 

Today’s post is going to be one to help you decide which movies you should watch in the Vampire subgenre of horror. Vampires have been a staple of this genre since the 1920s with Nosferatu, and have gone through many peaks and valleys in the quality department over the years.

 

But no worries, I’m going to be talking about six movies today that are not only great in the quality department but are also infinitely rewatchable so you can make any one of these six (or all of them) a yearly watch for you! So without further ado, let’s get into the list, shall we??

The Lost Boys

 

I talked about this in a previous post but I still feel that The Lost Boys is a must-watch if you’re going to put on a vampire movie. This film about two brothers moving to a new city and trying to fit in while dealing with a pack of vampires is still a blast to watch. So if you’re looking for a hip vampire flick set in the 80s and infused with ALL of the style of that decade then The Lost Boys is for you.

Fright Night (1985)

 

1985 is one of the best years for film in cinema history. Back To The Future, Teen Wolf, The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, and The Return of the Living Dead are just a few examples of how wild this year was for cinema.

 

Another classic movie to come out in 1985 is Fright Night, a story of a boy named Charley Brewster, a horror junkie (hey I am too!) who starts to notice that his next-door neighbor Jerry Dandridge is acting strange. When the young 17-year-old looks further into the situation he finds out that Jerry is a vampire! And he must do everything in his power to hunt down and kill Jerry before he kills more people.

 

Fright Night is a film that wears director Tom Holland’s passion on its sleeve and it benefits from it. Tom is one of the best screenwriters and directors in Hollywood having written the screenplays for Psycho II, Class of 1984, and co-writing Child’s Play.

 

This film is yet another perfect blend of creepiness, scares, and comedy. There are moments in this film that’ll have you on the floor laughing and then there are other times where you’ll be scared out of your wits. This film gets a high recommendation from me and it should be on your October watch list this year and for many years to come.

Near Dark

 

Near Dark is a Neo-Western horror movie that was released in 1987, the same year as The Lost Boys. While this film may have been overshadowed by its vampire-infested brother, it still gets a VERY high recommendation from this horror nerd.

 

Near Dark is the story of cowboy Caleb Colton, a young man who lives in a small town and is smitten with a beautiful drifter named Mae. Just before Sunrise, Mae bites Caleb on the neck and runs off then proceeds to pick him up in an RV and explains that she just turned him into a vampire, and Caleb is forced to choose between his love for Mae or his love for his family.

 

This film perfectly makes vampires work in a western setting and is very gripping and engaging. The tension is aplenty, the music is cool, the setting is perfect for western fans, and the way the vampires work in this film is pretty unique compared to most adaptations of the titular monster.

 

If you’re a fan of Westerns and you’re looking for a vampire film in that type of setting, then Near Dark is the film for you.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

 

In the 1990s, Vampire movies were aplenty during the decade. Classics such as Interview With The Vampire, From Dusk Till Dawn, Blade, and John carpenter’s Vampires were all movies that came out during this decade alone.

 

But I’m going to be talking about a film from 1992 based on one of the most influential books ever released. That film is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, directed by legendary director Francis Ford Coppola. This film is based off of the book of the same name and is praised for its brilliant soundtrack, costume designs, makeup effects, and unique spin on the classic tale of Dracula.

 

This version of Dracula is by far the best in my eyes for how creepy it is, how awesome it looks due to the amazing cinematography, and how it portrays Dracula as more than just a big, scary vampire. If you’re looking for a version of Dracula to pop on in October for your spooky season marathon, make 1992’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula the version you choose.

Salem’s Lot

 

Gothic Horror is a cornerstone of the monster movie subgenre of horror. From as far back as Nosferatu in the 1920s, gothic horror has always been associated with monsters such as vampires or werewolves.

 

One such tale of gothic horror is Salem’s Lot. Salem’s Lot is a TV miniseries based on the book of the same name by legendary horror author Stephen King (my favorite author EVER by the way). This miniseries is directed by legendary horror director Tobe Hooper, who’s known for horror classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist.

 

This miniseries has “classic gothic horror” written all over it. It’s got the creepy atmosphere, the slow burn into an inferno of creepiness, the fantastic set design, and the stellar makeup effects that add to the horror.

 

If you can forgive the slow burn, then you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of Salem’s Lot and I highly recommend it.

30 Days of Night

 

The 2000s were ripe with Vampire movies as well. From Dracula 2000 to Underworld, to 30 Days of Night, the movie I’m talking about.

 

This film from 2007 is the story of an Alaskan town being attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of Vampires during a month-long polar night. This film is a different twist on the typical vampire formula, in the fact that the vampires themselves are fast, scary, and brutal as opposed to your typical vampires who use their mind games to sneakily prey on their victims.

 

There’s also a sense of realness to the film that all other films I’ve talked about don’t have. You feel like you’re in this Alaskan town with this group of people and you’re trying to survive until daybreak.

 

If you’re looking for a vampire movie that’s different from your typical vampire affair, then 30 Days of Night has you covered this October.

 

Those are six vampire movies to sink your teeth into as we gear up for spooky season in October. Did I miss any?? Do you agree with my list?? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue.

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6 Cool Upcoming Horror Video Game Releases To Quench Your Gaming Thirst

Horror is a genre that is a surefire hit in any medium of entertainment. We’re living in a time and place where horror movies are constantly topping the box office, horror television shows are dominating the streaming market, and we’re entering a second golden age of horror video games. That last one is super exciting in my eyes because I remember growing up in the age of Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Fatal Frame, and Alone in the Dark.

 

The landscape of horror gaming was mostly dominated by survival horror experiences like the games I just mentioned, but now the landscape of horror video games is a cornucopia for all kinds of gripping and engaging experiences just waiting for you to find them. Recent releases such as The Quarry and Evil Dead: The Game are just two examples of this.

 

This is why I’m here today, because I’m going to tell you about some cool horror video games that are coming out in the near future that are sure to quench your horror gaming thirst.

Resident Evil 4 Remake

 

The original Resident Evil 4 from 2005 is widely considered a 2000s classic and a bonafide masterpiece in the eyes of most gamers who have played it. The game is still just as fun to play today as it was 17 years ago (yes, it was THAT long ago…feel old yet??), so Capcom has a monumental task on their hands with remaking a game as praised as Resident Evil 4 is. But even so, it seems that Capcom is up to the task because they’re bringing back the same team that made the Resident Evil 2 remake, which was my Game of the Year for 2019.

 

And with the powerful technology of the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles at their disposal, I have faith that Capcom will do a stellar job remaking this classic game from my childhood. You can play this remake on March 24^th 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PS4.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game

 

Coming completely out of left field when it was announced at Gamescom last month, 1988’s Killer Klowns From Outer Space is getting a video game adaptation!

 

This game is set to be an asymmetrical multiplayer game akin to games like Dead By Daylight, Friday the 13^th, and Evil Dead: The Game and it also seems to be shaking up the formula of that style of game too. Typically asymmetrical multiplayer horror games are 4 vs 1, with 4 people trying to survive against 1 killer but not in this game. In Killer Klowns, there are 3 killers that will be playing the titular maniacs and they will be going up against 7 players trying to survive their onslaught, which is an experimental shake-up of this format that makes me super curious as to how it’ll feel to play.

 

Killer Klowns From Outer Space has been primed for a video game adaptation for years and I’m so glad that it’s actually happening. With the infectious theme song from the movie intact as well!! You’ll be able to play this game sometime in 2023.

The Callisto Protocol

 

Did you play Dead Space?? If so then you’ll fall in love with the Callisto Protocol, because this is a survival horror game made by Glen Schofield, one of the creators of Dead Space. The Callisto Protocol tells the story of Jacob Lee (played by Josh Duhamel) as he tries to survive a horrifying alien invasion of the prison colony Black Iron. What’s been shown so far for this game seems to be very promising, with the game giving me some brutal, dreary, and miserable vibes with its gory kills and art direction respectively. As a huge fan of the original Dead Space game and its first sequel, to say that I’m excited for The Callisto Project is an understatement and you should be excited too if you’re a fan of Dead Space 1 and 2. You can play The Callisto Protocol on December 2^nd, 2022 on PS5, Xbox Series consoles, PS4 and Xbox One.

 

(Speaking of Dead Space, the first game is getting a next-gen remake in 2023…weird timing there EA)

The Outlast Trials

 

Does anyone remember Outlast? If not, it was one of the first horror experiences of the PS4/Xbox One generation of gaming and it took the world by storm when it was released in 2014. It put players into a mysterious asylum filled to the brim with unspeakable man-made horrors and it also bridged the gap between first-person survival horror and found footage horror. Well, now fans of this franchise have a new entry to look forward to in The Outlast Trials, a spinoff game set during The Cold War.

 

The game looks like it takes heavy inspiration from both the Bioshock and Saw franchises and combines them into a mix of brutal traps and creepy atmosphere. In this game, players will take on the roles of test subjects who have to work together to survive a gauntlet of deadly traps. I’ll be honest with you since it seems like Konami isn’t looking into doing more games with the Saw license, The Outlast Trials seems like it’s the perfect game for fans of the Saw franchise that are looking to scratch that itch. As of right now, The Outlast Trials is set to release sometime this year but it may be delayed. If it is, I’ll be sure to update you all.

Alan Wake 2

 

Remedy fans rejoice!! They’re FINALLY making a sequel to 2010’s smash hit, Alan Wake! That original game saw players take on the role of author Alan Wake (hey look at that, a tie-in to the game’s title!) as he travels with his wife to bright Falls, Washington, and starts to experience events from his novels coming to life around him.

 

This highly anticipate sequel is being described by Remedy’s Sam lake, the creative director of the studio and the man who has brought us classics such as Max Payne and the original Alan Wake, as Remedy’s first survival horror game ever, as opposed to being an action game with horror elements to it like the original game was. After being confirmed to be taking place in the same universe as Control, another Remedy game that is loved by fans of the studio and one I need to get back to at some point. There’s no telling how crazy this sequel to a classic game from the 2010s will get, but I and many remedy fans are excited to see where it goes.

 

The game is set to release sometime in 2023 on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles and if you want to play the original game, there’s a remaster of it for PS4, Xbox One, and PC that’s out right now.

Redfall

 

Last but certainly not least we have Redfall from Arkane Studios. This game from the masterminds of games like Dishonored, Prey 2017, and last year’s Deathloop is a co-op First-Person Shooter about warding off waves of blood-sucking vampires.

 

Set in the fictional town of Redfall, Massachusetts, Redfall is the story of said town falling prey to a vampire invasion due to a failed science experiment with players taking on the role of would-be vampire slayers trying to survive in a world that’s gone to hell.

 

Coming from a studio that’s known for their top-notch level design and weapon variety, Redfall looks poised to be more of the same but in co-op form when it releases next year. So get your garlic, your wooden stakes, and your Holy Water ready vampire fans, because Redfall sounds like it’ll be a blast to play.

 

Those are the upcoming releases in the Horror video game space that are coming up in the near future. Are you excited for any of these games?? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

 

Thank you so much for reading, and I’ll see you in the next issue.

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Films You HAVE To See When Getting Into Horror

 

The Horror genre is one of the most creative genres of film. So naturally, navigating such a creative genre is challenging when you’re just getting into it. There are so many options out there, from slashers to monster movies to, possession and religious horror, and much more.

Today I’m here to tell you about some films you should watch if you’re getting into the horror genre. I will cover multiple subgenres, talking about one movie a piece, with some honorable mentions at the end of each subgenre. With that being said, let’s get started, shall we?? These films are in no particular order.

 

Halloween (1978)

 When you talk about Horror, one of the most common subgenres that have always been brought up is the Slasher subgenre. Slasher films are one of the most simple subgenres of Horror, and they typically play out like this: a group of people gets carved up by a maniacal killer until one is the sole survivor.

The start of this genre can be attributed to films like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but in my opinion, there’s one film that I feel did this the best out of them all. That film is 1978’s Halloween, directed by John Carpenter (a man who’s seen as one of the masters of Horror). Halloween has a simple storyline, but it also has a lot of depth in its characters and its villain, Michael Myers. 

Halloween is the movie that laid out the blueprint for slasher films going forward. Without it, you may never have gotten films like Scream or Friday The 13th, or The Burning. So it’s for that reason that I say you should make Halloween (1978) your first foray into slashers.

 

 Honorable mentions include: A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Scream (series), Friday The 13th 4: The Final Chapter, Child’s Play Trilogy, and The Burning.

The Lost Boys

The Vampire subgenre is one with a rich history. From Nosferatu in the days of the silent film in the 1920s all the way to today, vampires have been a staple of the genre, and the quality of vampire films has gone through some ups and downs. 

The Lost Boys is a masterpiece from this subgenre, in my opinion. A vampire film set in the 80s with the style of the decade on full display, a soundtrack that’s one of the best in Horror, and a coming-of-age tale as well.

 

 The film centers around two brothers moving to a town named Santa Carla, a city that looks peaceful but hides something sinister. That being a group of the hippest and cool-looking vampires you’ll see in this subgenre. The vampires in this movie are also some of the creepier ones you’ll find in this subgenre, so it’s a nice balance of style and creep factor that director Joel Schumacher accomplished in this film.

There are many films I could have chosen for a vampire movie, but The Lost Boys is THE film that perfectly sums up how great the vampire subgenre is.

 

 Honorable mentions include: Fright Night (original), Dracula (1933), Near Dark, and 30 Days of Night.

Night of the Living Dead

George A. Romero’s zombie flick from 1968 remains a staple of the zombie subgenre. I chose this film specifically because it showcases what you can do on a tight budget, and it’s one of the earliest horror movies to be used as a vehicle for social commentary.

 

 The budget for this film was 114,000 dollars, which is ridiculous considering how good the film looks. The zombies' effects look great, and the storytelling is top-notch. The social commentary is also great in the movie as it uses the zombies to shine a light on social ills such as racism. It also sets up an excellent point of equilibrium from the start for you as the viewer. The film sets the town up to be read as Anywhere, USA, which shows you as the viewer that this is NOT a foreign land, but it’s happening right in your backyard.

 

 It also functions to utilize your expectations of this world regarding things like race, gender, and politics against you in what’s known as the disruption phase. It also sets up a point that a break between the past and the present is imminent right in the opening scene of the film. Not to mention the fact that this film is THE film that birthed the zombie genre in the first place.

 

 These reasons and many more are why I think that Night of the Living Dead should be your first foray into zombie movies.

Honorable mentions include: The Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead(original and remake), 28 Days Later, Day of the Dead, and The Crazies.

 

 An American Werewolf In London

The werewolf subgenre of Horror is the red-headed step-child compared to every other subgenre. Everyone usually overlooks it, no matter how great some of the films in this subgenre may be.

The best of this subgenre by far is An American Werewolf In London. Making its way to theaters in 1981 (the same year as The Howling), An American Werewolf In London came in and put werewolves back on the map after the Universal Monster Movie Era.

This film has it all: great characters, equally great storytelling, stellar special effects, and plenty of scares to go around. The special effects, made by effects legend Rick Baker, would win the first Oscar ever for Special Makeup Effects. They are one of the picture-perfect examples of how great practical effects are compared to CGI effects.

This film is also a perfect blueprint for combining comedy and horror. The Horror is this film is built beautifully, not relying on jump scares to scare you but instead it builds tension in its atmosphere and uses that tension and atmosphere to scare you.

If you watch a werewolf movie, make sure that An American Werewolf In London is at the top of your watch list.

Honorable mentions include: The Howling, Dog Soldiers, Ginger Snaps, Bad Moon, and The Cursed (2022).

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s The Thing from 1982 is a film that is a picture-perfect example of how to build tension in a Horror movie. This story of a group of scientists on a base in Antarctica dealing with an alien being that can assimilate anyone it wants is one of the scariest horror movies I have ever seen.

This is because The Thing has some of THE scariest and most effective practical effects I have ever seen. Made by effects legend Rob Bottin, an understudy of fellow legend Rick Baker, the effects of The Thing have aged like a fine wine. They still look as realistic and frightening today as they did 40 years ago in 1982.

The film also does a stellar job of building tension with its sense of atmosphere and how the characters interact with each other throughout the film. The way this film portrays isolation and the feeling of loneliness in a stressful situation is displayed with pure brilliance by Mr. Carpenter.  

It still blows my mind that this film didn’t do as well as it should have back in the day and that it nearly ended John Carpenter’s career because it should’ve been hailed as a horror classic long before.

Those reasons are why I say you should watch The Thing. It’s a great Sci-Fi/Horror film, and you should give it a watch if you want to see a showcase in tension building and isolation.

Psycho (1960)

The final film I want to suggest is Psycho. This film from 1960 is a master class in how to build suspense throughout a film from the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock.

The film is often shown in film schools across the country, and rightfully so because this story of a woman committing a crime and then laying low at what seems to be a peaceful motel only to find something sinister instead is a perfect showcase for character-building in a script and suspense.

You have Marion Crane, a typical hardworking American girl who decides to steal some money her boss gave her to put in a safe and flee out of her city. Throughout the film, you see Marion experience a wide variety of emotions, and you share them too because you’re wondering, “is she going to get caught?” or “Is she going to get away with this?”.

You also get introduced to one of Horror’s icons, Norman Bates. A character who starts out as a shy, meek character but throughout the film develops into one of the creepiest characters in all of Horror, with more layers to his personality than a fresh onion.

Those reasons and more are why I say you should give Psycho a watch. It’s a great classic film that stands the test of time 62 years later.

Those are the films I believe you should see if you’re getting into the horror genre. Do you agree with me?? Do you disagree?? Did I perhaps miss any that you feel should have been mentioned?? Be sure to let me know in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading this issue, and I’ll see you in the next one. 

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