HALLOWEEN MOVIES THAT DON'T SUCK, ONE DAY LATE

The Changeling (1980)

George C. Scott, having lost his wife and son to a car accident, finds himself haunted in his new home by the ghost of a young boy. Trying desperately to cope with the situation, he learns more than he ever wanted to know. A superb chiller that ensures you will never look at wheelchairs the same way again. -Ian "ProfessorClumsy" Maddison

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Michael Rooker gives the performance of his career as the titular serial killer, who goes on a rampage through a community. Maniacal, controversial, and shockingly realistic. -Matt "the" Gronke

Lord of Illusions (1995)

Easily Clive Barker's most under-rated film and, in my opinion, his best. Scott Bakula starts as a private investigator forced to use any means necessary to stop the second coming of Nix, a messiah to some and a demon to others. Dodgy '90s CGI aside, it builds a brilliant sense of unease and creepiness. -Ian "ProfessorClumsy" Maddison

Poltergeist (1982)

Nowadays, the object of fear would be a haunted iPod or something equally stupid, but if you're a child of the '80s, the one-two punch of Poltergeist and It taught you to be scared of fucking everything. Lo-fi wizardry and the right balance of all-out scares and suburban humdrummery make for an annual favorite -- plus, it beat The Ring to the fear-the-television punch by about 20 years. -Sean "bad movie knight" Hanson

Repulsion (1965)

A horror film for those whose tastes run closer to Eraserhead than Pinhead, Roman Polanski's Repulsion is a nightmare come to full cinematic fruition. Focusing on a mousy, sexually repressed woman (brilliantly played by Catherine Deneuve), Repulsion details her slow descent into madness as she withdraws from the world around her. What follows is a surreal blend of waking nightmare and a full psychotic break, with fantasies ranging from rape to murder and beyond. If there was ever a serious question about Polanski's mastery of direction, Repulsion should lay it to rest. A psychological thriller for the arthouse crowd, Repulsion will unnerve you in a way no vampire ever can. (Avoid the original DVD release and watch the Criterion Collection; the restoration is revelatory.) -Josh "ClydeUmney" Mauthe

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

An anthology horror film in the same vein as George A. Romero's Creepshow. The film's four segments are directed by John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller (respectively), and each manages to be better and more disturbing than the last. Landis' segment is infamous for all but killing his career, while Dante's remake of "It's a Good Life" plays out like a deranged, live-action cartoon. If you love Rod Serling's original TV series, but wish it were filtered through the sheen of Spielbergian Hollywood, then look no further! -Joseph "Jay Dub" Wade

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Sean "bad movie knight" Hanson is generally content to work behind the scenes as editor, with all the terrible shit these unfortunate goons have to watch. God knows why he ventured out to the multiplex this week.

Matt "the" Gronke owns every Arnold Schwarzenegger film ever made.

Ben "Slvbarek" Altenberg dreams of procuring the movie rights to Conan the Barbarian. He would produce a chronological six-hour epic with no intermission detailing his entire life. ATTN: Hollywood, hire this man!

– Sean "Keanu Grieves" Hanson and Matt "the" Gronke

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