By Geno McGahee
This is the fourth year for Scared Stiff’s Halloween Picks. Four years…where does time go? Well, I want to thank all of my readers for their continued support and interest in this site and what we represent and I hope you have all enjoyed my Halloween recommendations and advice over the years.
The 2010 selections are slightly different than all of the other years because I have asked for some help from my friends. The Horror Source, a great place to rent obscure horror movies as well as popular ones of the genre has added their two cents and has put five more titles on this list of selections.
Why is this list different from others that you may see on line? You won’t find HALLOWEEN, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, or FRIDAY THE 13TH anywhere on the list. You know these movies. You would have had to live in a cave to not know that these movies exist and you already know that they are good and good for a Halloween party. Why would I suggest what you already know?!
So, we travel to the obscure horror that you may not know of. It’s a better deal for you, I think. I stumbled across a lot of these titles and was happy to find them and I want to save you the stumbling. Here they are people! Enjoy!
Before I whip it out (the list), I want to cover other Halloween topics that will also help you prepare for one of my favorite holidays.
#1 – Cheese balls over cheese doodles. I prefer balls. I don’t want a cheesy doodle in my mouth. What’s a fucking doodle?
#2 – Tell the fat girls NOT to dress in those sexy school girl costumes. I saw one once at a party and my lord, it just wasn’t right. I like a little meat on the bones, but this girl was pushing 300. Wear a Winnie the Pooh shirt like every other heavy girl!
#3 – Don’t be cheap. Buy large candy bars for the trick’r treaters. They don’t want those shitty small ones and/or smarties if you are really cheap. They may egg your house if you are too much of a tight wad. Go to BJs and pick up a couple big packs…spend 30 bucks and be the coolest prick in your neighborhood.
#4 – Wear a cuddly costume…like a big teddy bear, which will attract all of the hot chicks to come and hug you and take pictures with you. You can then claim that your lack of vision led to some accidental grabs. For those of you married, you now have a believable excuse. “I couldn’t see!”
#5 – A continuation of #4. If you opt to take my advice and dress up like a bear, you must keep control. The minute a partygoer screams “that bear has a hard on,” you lose every right to make the accidental grab claim.
So without further ado or any further talk of intentional accidental grabs, I now present the 2010 Scared Stiff/Horror Source Halloween Picks.
From Scared Stiff …
10 – THE COMEBACK (1978)
This is, by far, one of the coolest whodunit slasher films every made. Featuring Jack Jones as a teen idol preparing to start his career again and facing a murderer that appears to be an old lady with a sickle, THE COMEBACK is well written, intense, and very fun. The ending is great and you should add this gem to your Halloween selections.
9 – BURIAL GROUND (1981)
A horror movie doesn’t always have to be a learning experience. This movie features some neat looking zombies, excessive sex, and is just a fun experience from beginning to end. It isn’t a great movie, but then again, it is because you don’t it to end. The cult status that it has is well deserved and if you can get your hands on this, please do. You will have a lot of fun watching this.
8 – CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972)
Do you like THE EVIL DEAD? Well then you will probably like a similar and much stranger film in CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS. A bunch of actors dig up a body, read some nasty things from a spell book, and are soon stuck on an island full of zombies. This is my favorite zombie movie and is very creepy and odd at times. A must see.
7 – DEAD END (2003)
A dysfunctional family on an endless road trip, lost in the middle of nowhere and apparently going in circles comes face to face with evil. Very creepy atmosphere mixed with great performances all around and an aura of mystery that keeps you glued to the screen. DEAD END delivers and is a very interesting and dark flick.
6- WARLOCK MOON (1975)
A movie often compared to THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACARE, WARLOCK MOON features strangers letting the curiosity get the better of them as they enter a strange place and come across some very bad people. It’s a great movie with some twists and some creepy moments.
From “The Horror Source” …
5- THE SENTINEL (1977)
Cristina Raines stars as a woman who moves into an apartment building only to learn that the structure is guarding a gate to Hell. Featuring an all-star cast and real freaks, the film has some disturbingly creepy scenes.
4- TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (1971)
Sure, the film starts a little slowly but the flashback scenes of the Templar Knights have enough nudity and violence to keep you interested until the fun begins. The Templars return from the dead (blind, of course) and kill anything they can hear near them. You can feel the tension as people trapped inside temple ruins with the Knights try not to breath or move – fearing that they might be heard… and killed.
3- THE OTHER (1972)
When a young boy starts seeing and speaking to his dead twin brother, terrible “accidents” start happening on the family farm. Top-notch performances and a secluded setting make this one of the most suspenseful films you’ve never heard of.
2- JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981)
Simply put, this is one of the best (and most underrated) slasher flicks of all time! Jeff Lieberman’s masterpiece is full of atmosphere and suspense. It should be required viewing for any horror fan.
1- FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM (1987)
Also known as THE OFFSPRING, this anthology style film stars the great Vincent Price as the historian of a town in Tennessee. He shares four tales of murder from the town’s dark past which is shown in visually gruesome detail. The stories may seem somewhat familiar but the southern scenery and Price’s campy performance make this well worth watching.
I want to thank the good people at the Horror Source for participating in this year’s list of Halloween picks. I hope you enjoyed them and we have made your party that much better this year.
