Unlucky 13: Twelve And One Underappreciated Horror Films
The horror genre has been a decidedly mixed bag since the first celluloid nightmares echoed with the silent screams of the golden era in masterpieces like Nosferatu and the John Barrymore version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Since then the field has grown to include a mind-boggling array of monsters, serial killers, and aliens, and even the poorest horror film usually makes a profit at the box office when comparable but more mainstream fare dies a quick, silent death. Make no mistake, there are an awful lot of bad horror films out there, and for every gem there is likely to be half a dozen bad apples. But there are a number of fright films that have actually managed to fall under the radar, movies that exemplify the better qualities of the genre and that have inexplicably failed to garner the popular or critical accalim they deserve. The following list catalogs a number of horror films this writer believes are good examples of what the genre can be at its best, even as the films listed have, for whatever reason, been unfairly underrated. Not all of the films are necessarily of classic caliber, but all of them are at least better than average movies and superior to some of the more popular but cheesier and more exploitative genre hits.
List activity
855 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
13 titles
- DirectorArthur CrabtreeStarsMarshall ThompsonTerry KilburnMichael BalfourA scientist's thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller.Largely unknown to general audiences today--despite the rare honor of a Criterion Collection dvd release--Fiend Without a Face is first-rate sci-fi/horror. The "fiend" of the title is a devilishly clever variation on the atomic monster concept, and the film pulsates with a terrific vein of suspense throughout, one which reaches the boiling point in a truly frightful climactic siege.
- DirectorQuentin LawrenceStarsForrest TuckerLaurence PayneJennifer JayneA series of decapitations on a Swiss mountainside appear to be connected to a mysterious radioactive cloud.For all that this film is undeniably a b-movie, it's A+ entertainment with quite a few thrills. The alien menace is slowly revealed and the movie relies a great deal on mystery and a beatifully desolate setting to create its eerie atmosphere, and the result is a surprisingly tense and intelligent thriller. Special effects may not hold up very well to modern audiences, but a little imagination fills in the gaps more than adequately. One of the best of the 50s sci-fi thrillers.
- DirectorJohn Llewellyn MoxeyStarsPatricia JesselDennis LotisChristopher LeeA young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft; during her stay at an eerie inn, she discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants.This is not merely an underrated film, but in fact one of the best horror films ever made. Rarely, if ever, has such an atmosphere of fog-shrouded mystery and underlying horror been so successfully manipulated. The script is literate and plays with audience expectations only to undercut them without warning. The direction is masterful, and while few of the actors are especially well-known to modern audiences (with the obvious exception of the great Christopher Lee, who is of course superb), but everyone plays their role with aplomb and it doesn't hurt that the actresses are some of the loveliest damsels in distress any 60s horror film was lucky enough to be graced with. Beyond all that, the villains in this film are truly, irredeemably, evil--they are witches, and no effort is made to make them sympathetic or otherwise Politically Correct. Traditional Christian morality is at the root of the story and plays an big part in the awesome, fiery climax. This is a scary, well-executed horror film that is not only terrifying but in some ways inspiring and life-affirming as well. A legitimate masterpiece that may well be the finest horror film of the 60s, and one of the best ever.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsPeter GravesBeverly GarlandLee Van CleefA well meaning scientist guides an alien monster to Earth from Venus, so that he can rid mankind of feelings and emotions - but only death and sorrow results.Though fondly remembered by a certain cult of loyal followers and b-movie afficianados, this is not a movie that remains widely popular in the 21st-century. A bit slow and melodramatic, the story unfolds at a fairly leisurely pace and relies heavily on dialog and quality performances from a fine cast. The monster as ultimately revealed does have a kind of unusual look, but despite being often harshly criticised I think it's a very effective creature that is quite expressive for a puppet and really does exude a sense of alien malevolence. Well-written with shades of Marlowe's Dr. Faustus at its core, this is a film that deserves a broader audience.
- DirectorEugenio MartínStarsChristopher LeePeter CushingAlberto de MendozaWhile on the Trans-Siberian Express, an anthropologist and his rival must contain the threat posed by the former's cargo: a prehistoric ape which is the host for a parasitic life-form.Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Sevales. What a cast! And while those esteemed individuals are the headliners, the rest of the performers are very good as well, while the screenplay, direction, and cinematography all combine to create a marvelously entertaining and truly scary film experience. Great suspense and while this isn't really a special effects piece, the FX that are necessary to fulfill the plot are very well done. The train-bound setting is perfectly realized, and the plot delves into some fairly deep territory for what is essentially a b-movie...but a b-movie done right on almost every level.
- DirectorStuart WalkerStarsHenry HullWarner OlandValerie HobsonAfter botanist Wilfred Glendon travels to Tibet in search of a rare flower, the Mariphasa, he returns to a London haunted by murders that can only be the work of bloodthirsty werewolves.Before Lon Chaney succumbed to the full moon in The Wolfman, Henry Hull haunted the streets of London in this little-known chiller from Universal. A complex script and quality acting from a number of performers better known for more mainstream roles combine with a very effective werewolf design to create one of the better lycanthropic films out there. Hull's make-up while in wolf mode is particularly effective, and actually quite diabolic, and to my mind the transformation scenes are actually superior to the similar scenes from the 1941 Wolfman.
- DirectorEdward LudwigStarsRichard DenningMara CordayCarlos RivasVolcanic activity frees giant scorpions from the earth who wreak havoc in the rural countryside and eventually threaten Mexico City.Not widely appreciated within the genre today, this is for my money the best of all the big bug movies...including Tarantula, including Them! This is a much more exciting film than the other movies of its type, and the overgrown scorpions (and spiders, and lizards...) are monstrous indeed, with highly expressive (if not particularly realistic) and creepy countenances. Special effects are very good for the time this movie was made, and hold up well today. Mara Corday, who also starred in the aforementioned Tarantula, is particularly marvelous as the amazingly beautiful leading lady, but all the performers do a good job of keeping a straight face and turning in solid performances.
- DirectorErnest MorrisStarsLaurence PayneAdrienne CorriDermot WalshWhile called the Tell Tale Heart, the plot differs significantly from Poe's short story of the same name.Hard-to-find adaptation of the eponymous short story by Poe, and surprisingly effective on almost every count. Mimics the atmosphere of Hammer Films from the day rather successfully, and the characterizations are really oustanding. The result is characters we can't help but take an interest in, all of whom are played very well. The plot is a bit slow in unfolding, but overall a fine production that, if it isn't entirely faithful to Poe's original text, captures its spirit with great success.
- DirectorBrian ClemensStarsHorst JansonJohn CarsonShane BriantA master swordsman and former soldier and his hunchbacked assistant hunt vampires.Hammer Films are rightfully remembered by all fans of classic horror for their (usually) classy and rather literate gothic horror films, and while Captain Kronos isn't one of the most popular it is nevertheless one of the best from the Hammer stable. Horst Janson is great as the brave, undeniably noble but rather ambivalent hero while the incomparable Caroline Munro burns up the screen with her unique combination of charm and physical beauty. The film introduces some novel variations on traditional vampire lore, and the ultimate villain is a particularly threatening and unique specimen of the undead. Rarely mentioned today outside of Hammer fans, this is a strikingly original and fabulously executed contribution to vampire lore.
- DirectorJonathan LiebesmanStarsChaney KleyEmma Caulfield FordAntony BurrowsA vengeful spirit has taken the form of the Tooth Fairy to exact vengeance on the town that lynched her 150 years earlier. Her only opposition is the only child, now grown up, who has survived her before.For some reason, Darkness Falls never achieved the success it deserved either at the box office or in the home video market. IMO this is a first-rate horror movie, one that combines a chilling and believable origin for its monster and develops the story from there with inexorable, growing menace that builds to a tremendous climax. The protagonist and his girlfriend are sympathetic and hardly the kind of undeveloped cut-outs common to the genre, and the use of suggestion and shadow instills the film with the monster's presence even when she's not supposed to be around. Moreover--and this is hard to undervalue--the film has a real conclusion, and eschews the cheesy lead-in to a possible sequel that usually dooms most modern horror films. A satisfying horror film that will probably never get the respect it deserves, but everyone involved should be proud of what they accomplished.
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsBenicio Del ToroAnthony HopkinsEmily BluntUpon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten and subsequently cursed by a werewolf.Hard to see what justifies the criticism often levelled at this entry, which is a largely successful remake of the Lon Chaney original that adds a few neat twists to the original plot. This is another film that virtually oozes atmosphere, and the sumptuous manor and countryside settings draw the viewer into a veritable fairy-tale world that is as hard to resist as it is ultimately dangerous. Special effects are terrific, and the eponymous wolfman is a terrifying hybrid of man and beast. Great cast handles the well-written script just right, and there's a monster vs monster slugfest near the end that must be seen to be believed. Perhaps not quite as good as its classic progenitor, but a worthwile film in its own right.
- DirectorLew LandersStarsBoris KarloffBela LugosiLester MatthewsA brilliant surgeon with a morbid obsession for instruments of torture grows dangerously obsessed with a young socialite whose life he's saved.Though it is surely sacrilige to say so, Lugosi's performance as the psychopathic doctor in The Raven may be an even more imposing one than his immortal portrayal of Dracula, if undeniably less iconic. Boris Karloff is likewise outstanding in an empathetic role, and the set pieces and special effects are excellent for their day and still succeed in creating a palpable aura of menace.
- DirectorRobert SiodmakStarsLon Chaney Jr.Robert PaigeLouise AllbrittonWhen Katherine, a beautiful Southern girl obsessed with thoughts of eternal life, invites Count Alucard to come to her mansion in the U.S., she unleashes a Pandora's box of horror on unsuspecting relatives and neighbors.Often cited as the ugly stepchild of Universal's classic Dracula frachise, Son of Dracula is, despite some flaws, a very entertaining and well-mounted vampire film. Lon Chaney's cold, aloof manner works well as the aristocratic Count Alucard, and the story boasts some early SFX triumphs (such as Alucard turning into a bat onscreen). The climax is exciting and wraps up with a satisfying payoff. Innovative script does make a few missteps but none of them spoil what is overall a quality picture.