Looking for some lesser known classic horror.
July 25, 2022 6:19 PM   Subscribe

My cousin is visiting this weekend and we love to watch horror movies together! What are some good old ones we may have missed?

I'm thinking mostly in the 70s/80s period. Assume we've seen all the big ones - Exorcist, Omen, Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, Fright Night, House, etc.

For example, tonight I'm watching Lets Scare Jessica to Death, since I saw that listed on the Fanfare page, and that wouldve been perfect. Well known but I just never got around to it.

I would take suggestions on more recent ones but... we've seen SOOOOO many of the 90s/20s/10s already. So more recent ones have to be much more obscure. Nothing that wouldve played at your local megaplex.
posted by silverstatue to Media & Arts (43 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Sentinel is a must watch!
posted by cakelite at 6:20 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


If it doesn't have to be very good, The Gate came out in 1987 and was not very good.

Phantasm is another that comes to mind.
posted by wondermouse at 6:26 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


Viy (1967)
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:33 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


Non-slasher, I presume?

Phantasm
When a Stranger Calls
The Terminal Man

On my list for awhile:
Long Weekend
Possession (1981)
posted by rhizome at 6:35 PM on July 25, 2022


Cemetery Man, aka Dellamorte Dellamorte, was from 1994 but it’s an Italian movie so maybe hasn’t made your list.
posted by jameaterblues at 6:43 PM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]


More recent than the time you have requested but The Descent is an excellent horror movie with an entirely female cast.
posted by supermedusa at 6:47 PM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]


Opera, Tenebrae, or any other Dario Argento. 70's/80's Italian giallo slashers.
posted by so fucking future at 6:53 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]


Might be more thriller than horror but Night of the Hunter blew my mind. (Older than your target time frame tho)

I assume you’ve seen the original wicker man?
posted by capnsue at 7:09 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]


Best answer: You have probably seen it but if by some chance you haven't, check out House of the Devil. Made in 2009, quite good in its own right, but also quite vibey of your target time period.
posted by phunniemee at 7:27 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]


Have yourself a 70s/80s John Carpenter film festival: Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, Escape from New York, Prince of Darkness, They Live.

More recently: Color Out of Space (2019)
posted by googly at 7:42 PM on July 25, 2022 [6 favorites]


Re-Animator.
From Beyond.
posted by SPrintF at 7:57 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


Go back, back my friend... to Vincent Price.
Always worth watching.
Also, any of the black and white classics and early color horror films featuring the following actors:
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, London Chaney, Jr., Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Basil Rathbone, John Carradine.
posted by TrishaU at 8:17 PM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]


Near Dark. 1987. Co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 8:21 PM on July 25, 2022 [9 favorites]


John Carpenter’s The Thing
posted by Windopaene at 8:25 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


You 100% need to watch Phantasm (1979) if you haven't yet. I finally watched it last Halloween and was blown away by what a masterpiece of classic horror it is--and what a clear influence it is on the genre. Yes there are very silly bits but those are fun in their own right.

The original Little Shop of Horrors (1960) is a black-and-white film directed by Roger Corman and is absolutely worth watching. Much more horror than the Rick Moranis one (which is also great), but still a dark comedy.

A sideways suggestion for a great thing to watch in complement with the classic, in case you're not aware of it: The Guest (2014) is a glorious homage to horror films, most prominently Halloween III, but also just the overall vibe. Unlike a lot of the recent horror parody films, it's also just good horror--though it definitely doesn't take itself too seriously.

Also watch Halloween III if you've missed it--maybe before or as a double feature with The Guest. It's nothing like the first two movies of the franchise and is a wild ride.
posted by rhiannonstone at 8:39 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


In no particular order, some north of the border 70s & 80s genre delights:
Strange Shadows in an Empty Room, Black Christmas (1974), Cathy’s Curse, Deathdream, Rituals, Beyond the Seventh Door, My Bloody Valentine (1981), The Changeling (1980), The Gate (1987), The Pit (1981), Things (1989), Rock N' Roll Nightmare.
posted by Ashwagandha at 8:53 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


These are fun and definitely didn't play at the local theater:

Thirst (1979) - Vampires open a blood bottling plant!
Come True (2018 but feels like 1980)
All the colours of the dark (1972): London located giallo
Footprins on the moon (1975): Wonderful, surreal giallo
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 9:02 PM on July 25, 2022


Best answer: Definitely Nthing the Carpenter festival and Phantasm! Those are canonical.

Also defintely recommend Messiah of Evil (1973), a totally bonkers and poetic horror filmed in a small California seaside town.

Atmospheric, arty B&W horror: Carnival of Souls (1962) and Daughter of Horror (1955)

British camp (as in affected and ironic, not tents in the forest!) horror: Theater of blood (1973) and the Abominable Dr Phibes (1971) with Vincent Price
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 9:11 PM on July 25, 2022 [5 favorites]


Lon Chaney, Jr. Oh, autocorrect! You cad!
Let's add some titles while I'm here....
House of Wax, The Fly and Return of the Fly, House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, The Bat, Pit and the Pendulum, Twice-Told Tales, The Masque of the Red Death, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Dr. Phibes Rises Again

Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Black Cat
Dracula, Son of Frankenstein, Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Wolf Man, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
The Brides of Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein, Tales from the Crypt
Horror Express, The Wicker Man
Tales of Terror, The Comedy of Terrors
House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, The Howling
posted by TrishaU at 9:11 PM on July 25, 2022


I also made some suggestions in past movie Ask Mes that might work for you - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
posted by Ashwagandha at 9:14 PM on July 25, 2022


OH MY GOD phunniemee is 100% right. House of the Devil is what you are looking for. i'm so serious rn
posted by capnsue at 9:18 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


The Changeling, with George C Scott.
posted by jpeacock at 9:22 PM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]


Hammer house of horror movies would be about that vintage, I think? It was pretty cheesy at the time (to an underage me, so I'm guessing 'horror' is probably stretching a point but it would make good MST3k style watching).
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:20 PM on July 25, 2022


Y’all I assume a pair of self-described horror movie fans have seen The Thing. (Now, if you skipped In the Mouth of Madness as supposedly a lesser Carpenter movie, think again and add it to the list!)

I’ve been meaning to check out Burnt Offerings (1976), which was recommended to me as a great and influential haunted house movie that supposedly inspired Stephen King to write The Shining.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:32 PM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]


Here are some of my under-seen faves:

* Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
* Dial Help (1988 – by the director of Cannibal Holocaust, and somewhat hard to find but I think it's on YouTube)
* Night School (1981)
* White of the Eye (1987)
* Dial Code: Santa Claus (1989, a French Home Alone precursor that also goes by Deadly Games and Game Over)
posted by RubyScarlet at 10:34 PM on July 25, 2022


More:

Larry Cohen festival: It's Alive (1974), God Told Me To (1976), Q The Winged Serpent (1982)

In honor or David Warner (RIP): The Omen (1972), Nightwing (1979), Time after Time (1979)

Vampire variations: Count Yorga Vampire (1970), The Velvet Vampire (1971), Daughters Of Darkness (1971 - magical), Martin (1976), Thirst (1976), the Hunger (1983 Bowie/Deneuve/Sarandon), Nadja (1994)

Haunted houses: The Haunting (1963), The Legend of Hell House (1973), Burnt Offerings (1976), The Evil (1978), The Changeling (1980)

Totally weird and cheesy: Deafula (1976 - yes, sign language vampirism!) , Blood Freak (1974 - WereTurkey), The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed Up Zombies (1963), The Norliss Tapes (1973 - Roy Thinnes), The Psychotronic Man (1980 - psychic barber), What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon? (1983 - remix of Hideous Sun Demon), Troll 2 (1990 - obligatory)
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 11:11 PM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]


My three favorites are:
Nightmare on Elm Street. Probably the best one ever made. Also the heroine deals with the bad guy by thinking. The bathtub scene is one of the best things ever filmed. The last twenty seconds was tacked on by the studio so they could make a sequel, and it sucks.

Diabolique. I saw it in a crummy black and white print with subtitles. Still chilling.

Nomads. Not a lot of people liked this, but i thought it was amazing. The hero slowly realizes what he's dealing with, but by then it's way too late.

Cat People. Another one where the hero finds a way to deal with things, but he's never completely free. Also has the David Bowie song. (I'm talking about the 1982 remake.)
posted by AugustusCrunch at 11:13 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


Lastly: Get yourself a copy of The Psychotronic Encyclopedia by Michael Weldon, there are two editions - one for film and one for video. Essential for digging up interesting and underseen horror (and scifi and cult). Also, try to join cinemageddon.net, a community that is preserving the rare and the weird!
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 11:14 PM on July 25, 2022


Not sure where it falls on the famous/not famous list, but Jacob’s Ladder really creeped me out.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:58 AM on July 26, 2022


The 1977 version of Suspiria if you haven't already seen it.
posted by terretu at 1:03 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]


Yes, the original Suspiria! I had to sleep with the lights on after that one (I was little....).

And to make it a Jessica Harper double date, Phantom of the Paradise (1974) too.
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 1:12 AM on July 26, 2022 [2 favorites]


Seconding Possession (1981). So freaky!
posted by lloquat at 1:30 AM on July 26, 2022


Have you seen The Creeping Flesh? 1973, not actually a Hammer horror film but starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (a marker of a true classic British horror film), and it's been decades since I saw it but it's really stuck with me. A fossil of a vast hominid turns out to regenerate its tissue when water is dripped on it. Spoiler, this is not good news.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 1:31 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]


You could have a marathon with the Feast movies. They remained somewhat under the radar but the first two - Feast (2005) and Feast II: Sloppy Seconds (2008) -- are splattery and nuts. Watch the third just for fun to complete the trilogy.
posted by fregoli at 2:05 AM on July 26, 2022


Definitely Nomads, I haven't seen it since the 80s but it well creeped me out at the time. I'm so happy it's on YouTube, means I can watch it again too!

Thinking back to older films from my university class on horror films, The Birds and Psycho if you haven't already seen them - they are super well known of course but you never know! - and also Peeping Tom.

And also Don't Look Now with a very young and sometimes very over-acting Donald Sutherland. Cheesy in bits but ultimately quite horrifying, even if you know what happens.
posted by Athanassiel at 3:45 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]


"La Cabina" is a Spanish short from 1972 (while under Franco's rule). It's 30 minutes, broadcaster RTVE has uploaded it to its YouTube channel... and while it's a slow burn it's an absolute classic. No Spanish language skills needed, all done in almost pantomime. Being a bit vague, go in cold if you haven't seen it.
posted by ewan at 4:21 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]


Trilogy of Terror from 1975 with Karen Black. The chomping doll gave me nightmares as a kid!
posted by mefireader at 7:38 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]


The Blood on Satan's Claw is great early 70s British folk horror, a classic.
posted by supermedusa at 9:18 AM on July 26, 2022


You mentioned House, but are you talking about the 1986 American movie of that name, or the unrelated and ABSOLUTELY AMAZING 1977 Japanese film "House" (Hausu)? Hausu is like meeting Evil Dead's wildass uncle for the first time. It is bizarre, wild, funny and deeply deranged in ways that will leave you gobsmacked.
posted by FatherDagon at 9:36 AM on July 26, 2022 [1 favorite]


The Devil Rides Out
posted by Billiken at 11:12 AM on July 26, 2022


Response by poster: So much good stuff here! I've seen a bunch of them (The Thing, The Gate, Jacob's Ladder and The Descent are all some of my absolute favorite horror movies!) but there are many here I missed or never even heard of. Thank you, all! I think House of the Devil and Messiah of Evil are going to be the winners this weekend, but you've given me a nice long list to work off :)
posted by silverstatue at 6:40 PM on July 26, 2022


Wake In Fright is not a genre picture, but it is a tour of the kinds of horror a person can experience
Robin Redbreast - Folk horror about pregnancy and city vs. rural tensions
The Beyond - I find it actually haunting, in a way that other Italian gore films don't achieve, and some of the violence is unforgettable (in a good way!)

Messiah of Evil is great! I hope you love it.
posted by Transmissions From Vrillon at 7:10 PM on July 26, 2022


Hurray for Messiah of Evil!

The movie theater scene is amazing (check out the lighting).....

Enjoy!

And make sure to check all doors and windows afterwards ;)
posted by Bigbootay. Tay! Tay! Blam! Aargh... at 2:36 PM on July 27, 2022 [1 favorite]


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