Some of us might well remember a television show which ran into the mid 90s. Based on an EC comics series of the same name, Tales from the Crypt fascinated me as a child. It was perhaps also my first introduction to on-screen horror. My discerning household and parents didn’t take much of a liking towards the Ramsay Brothers, so I got acquainted with the duo much later. Then there was Aahat on Indian cable television in the mid 90s. Watching horror films also arrived with the boon of cable television. And boy, once those doors opened, there wasn’t any stopping. If you think about it, we do partake of some perverse delight in watching things that scare us to death. And perhaps, for this very reason, the horror genre is one of the most intriguing and reinventing spaces of literary and cinematic production. Now that those musings have been shared, let’s get to the business at hand. Today is All Soul’s Day, so a very Happy Halloween to you all!
I came to know about this, pardon me for saying so, crazy western festival from (any guesses) the Cryptkeeper – the resurrected dead narrator of Tales from the Crypt. But there isn’t much you can do in India when it comes to Halloween, if you aren’t attending some truant Halloween event. But that doesn’t mean you cannot be part of the time honoured tradition of scaring and getting scared on Halloween. So this Halloween, sit back, get some munchies, and prepare yourselves for some epic scares. We give you the ultimate horror movie watch list this Halloween. Just a cautionary warning from the Cryptkeeper – “Creep out of trouble, because I'll be watching.”
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Get Out (2017)
Shutter (2004)
Hereditary (2018)
Tumbaad (2018)
Ringu (1998)
Raat (1992)
Director: Ram Gopla Varma/ Language: Telegu/Hindi Wikimedia Commons
Diectors: Rahi Anil Barve and Adesh Prasad/ Language: Hindi Wikimedia Commons
Director: Hideo Nakata/ Language: Japanese Wikimedia Commons
Director: Ari Aster/ Language: English Wikimedia Commons
Director: Jordan Peele/ Language: English Wikimedia Commons
Directors: Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom/ Language: Thai Wikimedia Commons
Directors: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez/ Language: English Wikimedia Commons
Get Out is not only a fine horror movie, but also one of the most intriguing films made in recent times. The film’s disturbing narrative masterfully delineates questions of racial prejudice. A must watch.
To all horror enthusiasts – If you haven’t watched Tumbaad, you need to correct that situation immediately. This period horror film is masterfully crafted, with strong performances, beautiful camera work and a tight, gripping narrative.
It is rather disappointing that a lot of us have watched and are aware of all the Paranormal Activity films, but not a lot know about or have still watched The Blair Witch Project – the film which introduced the found-footage or recovered-footage technique.
This psychological horror drama stars Toni Collette whose performance in the film has been widely appreciated. The film is macabre, grotesque and requires a strong stomach to watch.
What can be said of a film which has become a trans-national cultural phenomenon? The film is based on the Ring novels by Kôji Suzuki.
Ram Gopla Varma’s cult Telegu-Hindi bilingual classic, with Revathy in the lead role, still gives me the jitters. The movie has it’s fair share of thrills, scares and horrors. Raat is perhaps one of the most captivating Indian horror films made in the last 30 years. Just a note, if you are a cat person, it might do you good to avoid this one.
Shutter became a worldwide phenomenon soon after it was release, prompting and English remake too. The film revolves around strange images which keep appearing in photographs and a terrible revelation.
