horror films

Move over, Michael Myers. Stand aside, Freddy Krueger. There is a new horror villain in Hollywood, and he is making Michael and Freddy look friendly by comparison. To call Art the Clown sadistic would be putting it kindly. For Art, killing is an art form.

The beginning of the movie revolves around Guy Pierce’s character going on a rant about how different kinds of people aren’t meant to live together. The villain is so cartoonishly hateable that he ends up carrying the film. On the flip side, you have Alex Pettyfer who plays Fallon, the vampire who eventually decides he will do something about the evil bigot who is tormenting the town.

Raimi’s amateurish filmmaking worked to the movie’s advantage. His do-it-yourself style of directing and special effects allowed the film to be made on a shoestring budget with the help of his friends and his brothers Ted and Ivan. Whereas filmmakers are often keenly aware of their financial limitations, Raimi never allowed his budget to get in the way of his ambition.

Adult Swim released its version of a Christmas movie, and it is as weird as one would suspect from the channel that airs Rick and Morty, The Eric Andre Show, and Smiling Friends.  Directed by Casper Kelly, Adult Swim Yule Log (aka The Fireplace) follows a couple who travels to an Airbnb for the holidays, only to discover their cabin has been double-booked by a group of stoner friends. Forced to board together, the two parties uncover a dark and mysterious presence that abides within the cabin.

A seasoned screen queen, Dourif is well cast within the role.  A physical performer, her facial expressions and ticks create a sense of dread that feels genuine. As her screen partner, Dickinson has a good on-screen chemistry with Dourif and overcomes the burden of having to deliver much of the film’s exposition monologues and does so with ease. The film features some great visual flairs and excellent use of jump scares. Lee achieves impressively scary special effects despite the low-budget nature of the film.

The following five films embrace the Halloween spirit while offering an alternative to traditional horror films. Think of these as “horror adjacent” films. They have the aesthetics of horror, mixed with other more palatable genres, laughs, and familiar storytelling that lessen the blow of the horror on screen. The list is ranked by the pleasantness of the viewing experiences, to offer non-horror fans a chance to test their comfort within the genre. All these films are available to stream and should make for an enjoyable and hopefully not too scary Halloween experience.