Johnnie Alward

As a fervent, fevered fan of the macabre, I’ve had a lot of people ask me just what the heck it is that I see in horror movies. In short? It’s everything.

Fear is our oldest and most primal emotion. It’s the damp, worm-ridden underside of the human condition that motivates every single action we take. Don’t believe me? Let me put things into perspective.

We try our best to eat healthy because we’re afraid of getting cancer. We brush our teeth and comb our hair in the morning because we’re petrified of the world around us recoiling in disgust. If you’re a student reading this, chances are you’re enrolled in school because you’re afraid of spending the rest of your life flipping burgers. If you’re a professor, you’re probably here so you can afford to buy said burgers for your family. You’re afraid of what would happen if you couldn’t.

We’re also afraid of silly things. Spiders. Clowns. That ever-present, omniscient boogeyman. Things that are wholly subjective. Inexplicable. Regardless of your particular poison, though, one thing is certain – fear is universal. That’s why when a horror movie is good – when it really manages to worm its way under your skin – it’s more powerful and potent than a hundred weepy dramas or romantic comedies. It’s filmmaking at its purest.

Of course, Hollywood’s actions would lead you to believe otherwise. In the past decade, we’ve been drowning in a riptide of cinematic vomit – a dizzying daisy chain of remakes, rip-offs, prequels and sequels.

But you don’t care about those. You want to get into some real horror flicks, right? I sure hope so, ‘cause some of the bad boys I’m about to list are not for the faint of heart.

Rule #1: Stay Away From Hollywood

When remakes are produced with care and talent, we get David Cronenberg’s The Fly or John Carpenter’s The Thing. Most of the time, though, you get Prom Night or Black Christmas or Sorority Row. Are there any fans of the original Black Christmas that were frothing at the mouth for a remake? Didn’t think so. Don’t insult your target audience by crapping on their favourites.

Rule #2: Look Overseas

And I’m not just talking about Japan. Most of my favourite horror flicks from the past few years have been exports. Sometimes it’s exciting to see different perspectives of well-worn tropes. The Swedes breathed new life into an (un)dead genre with Let the Right One In and France produced one of the most harrowing, white-knuckled movie experiences I’ve EVER had with 2007’s Inside. It’ll make your jaw drop.

Rule #3: Dig Up The Past

I recently compiled a list of my twenty-five favourite horror flicks in honour of Halloween and posted it online for my friends. Twenty of them were made before 1990. Don’t be afraid to stray from the “New Releases” wall – sometimes there’s nothing fresher than a classic cut.

And now, here are five lesser-known horror flicks you need to see before dying:

5) Videodrome (1983)

4) The Wicker Man (1973)

3) Suspiria (1977)

2) Eyes Without a Face (1960)

1) Night of the Hunter (1955)

Happy Halloween!

Your anonymous comment may be printed in The Ontarion's print publication.