Author: unkle lancifer

It's a Horror to Know You: Eric Eddy of TEH INTERNETS!

A special introduction: I'm sorry. My list is way too long, but I've included a crapload of links and I believe that everything on here deserves a mention.

What is the first film that ever scared you?

Since I've been watching horror films since I was a toddler, that's a difficult one to answer. I literally can't remember the first film that scared me, as my brain was not completely developed into the super-genius that I am today. I will say that the first film that truly creeped me out (that I can remember) was CANDYMAN. Tony Todd is the fucking boss and you'd better respect him. He is the consummate professional in every project he's involved in (whether it be HATCHET or STAR TREK). The trippy dream sequences of Virginia Madsen (who may or may not have been hypnotized during those scenes!), Clive Barker's blessing and a GREAT SCORE only lend to the creepiness. It was also one of the first really cerebral horror films I had seen and got me thinking… a lot… about never going to the bathroom again.

What is the last film that scared you?

Another tough call. I've been known more to get choked up during movies before getting scared. I would say the the most recent film to have a really horrifying situation that made me cringe was TRAILOR PARK OF TERROR, for some reason. Seeing someone get jerkied (AND DEEP FRIED) by SERGEANT STANK, while his pervy, sweaty zombiness is explaining to his victim what he's doing, while he's doing it and why is pretty unsettling if it would happen to be any degree close to realistic.

Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.

1. The PHANTASM series. Yes. You heard me. The whole shebang. It's an awesome ride from beginning to end and anyone who is a fan of genre-bending, zombies, sci-fi, fantasy and/or supernatural horror is welcome to come aboard. DON COSCARELLI is a true master and I don't think any of his films get the justice they deserve. The cast of these movies play off of each other in a way that you would swear that they really are family. If you haven't seen these, do yourself a favor and see them as soon as possible.

2. NIGHTBREED just reeks of pure awesomeness from beginning to end. While it is considered horror, it is more of a violent fairy tale, speaking about the evils of prejudice and intolerance. It is one of the very few horror films (a la Basket Case 2 & 3) where the real villain is humanity and it's unwillingness to accept anything that is different. Also, DAVID CRONENBERG is balls to the wall fucknut crazy in it and puts forth an exceptional(ly creepy) performance.

3. JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER has to be my third pick. This movie has gotten a lot of hate and a lot of love, but it really deserves more love. Here is a movie that isn't afraid to throw us in a bass-ackwards time warp back to the 80s when horror movies were funny and had heart to boot. A great (and funny) leading man, a great (and funny) ROBERT ENGLUND and a whole heap of practical special effects that ooze charm make this film really stand out. I love it and you should too. God help you if I find out you don't love it.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

1. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is so underrated, they didn't even get a DVD release until 2009. A lot of love and care went into the production of this film and the only reason it isn't on my main list is simply because I thought about it at the last minute. This is one of my favorite films and perhaps one of the GREATEST FILMS OF ALL TIME.

2. ANYTHING with PEOPLE MELTING.

3. A lot of STEPHEN KING MOVIES, especially the NIGHT FLIER.

4. TROLL is another one of those films that just kind of slipped under the radar. It is more of a "dark fantasy" film, rather than a horror film. Produced by CHARLES BAND, it has nice, gooey effects, some cool puppets and a stellar cast (not to mention Julia Louis-Dreyfus prancing around a forest wearing nothing but strategically placed LEAVES). On a side note, HARRY POTTER (the idea and character) was ripped off from this film (despite dispute from J.K. Rowling (a single mother in England who had never written anything before in her life), who said the idea "just came to her").

5. One of my favorite films from my childhood is THE GATE. This film has tons of heart and some truly great effects, including one of the best STOP MOTION MONSTERS to date in a film. I don't have to say anything else, you should watch this movie (and the remake being helmed by none other than Mr. BILL S. PRESTON, ESQ., ALEX WINTER).

6. GROUNDHOG DAY (just kidding).

Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.

1. I have no idea why I like HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE so much. I guess I consider the flashback sequences pretty interesting. They show the creation of the puzzle box among other things. I do wish they would have stuck more closely with the Hellraiser comic books, as they were approved by Clive Barker and much more twisted.

2. ZOMBIE STRIPPERS is just plain, downright hilarious. Yet again, ROBERT ENGLUND brings his full-on comedy chops to this one. Even the porn stars are damn funny. The outbreak starts with a soldier named "BYRDFLOUGH." I am not even kidding. It boggles the mind.

3. JASON X strikes my funny-bone for some strange reason. Starring a cast mostly consisting of Canadians known best for their work on Sci-Fi shows and films, it's just an oddball in the Friday the 13th franchise. For one, it is CLEARLY not meant to be taken seriously. It has some pretty unoriginal KILLS and a lot of the humor is pretty FORCED, but I still enjoy the hell out of it. It actually has the highest kill count of any of the films because Jason takes out a fucking SPACE STATION. Maybe I just like how that huge monster KANE HODDER portrays Jason. He's just so damn good with that body language. Another interesting tidbit is that it is the first film to be shot completely digitally in HD. Oddly enough, its cast also includes DAVID CRONENBERG and TONY TODD. Also, sadly, there isn't enough footage on YouTube, save for the whole damn movie, to get you guys the links I wanted to.

Send us to five places on the Internet!

1. Perhaps the most important link, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is a now defunct horror review site where only the worst of the worst are reviewed. It's lewd, crude, rude and features hilariously un-PC reviews. We need to get this site back, perhaps even revive it with a new cast.

2. DESTRUCTOCON: A plug for my buddy's web comic.

3. FREEKLAND: Alex Winter's greatest project to date. This movie is so stupid it's funny and so stupid it's stupid.

4. BRAWL IN THE FAMILY : A web comic for the kid in all of us. It centers around the cast of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Definitely for gamers and Nintendo fans out there, but no one else, really.

5. BADMOVIES.ORG : One of the best review sites around. I have learned about more stinkers (and awesome B-movies) from this site than anywhere else.

It was REALLY hard for me to come up with this list. A lot of thought went into it because of the sheer amount of horror movies out there. Thanks for letting me share, Kinderpals!

It's a Horror to Know You: Nancy Strickland, author of the book Landfill!

1. What is the first film that ever scared you?

Scary movies rarely got to me – such are the perks of being a horror buff's spawn. Sure, I sometimes buried my face in my hands when scenes turned gooey (Hostel; Haute Tension), but it wasn't until I watched Paranormal Activity while home alone that I found myself properly terrified. The film put me in a regressive state: I was a spooked 5-year-old again, afraid of monsters in my wardrobe and ghouls under my bed. Not caring that I was going to wake her up, I called a friend and tearfully asked her if I could come over and spend the night at her place. Had she said no, I would have roamed the empty streets until daybreak. Nine, ten, never sleep again.

2. What is the last film that scared you?

It's an oldie, but I didn't catch it until recently: The Begotten, Elias Merhige's 1990 unnerving cinematic experiment. Inspired by the book of Genesis, the film's prologue features a bandaged deity that goes into convulsions and then disembowels itself. Begotten got under my skin and made itself comfortable there.

3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.

1. The Ruins. This adaptation of Scott B. Smith's novel came and went without fanfare, but what a nasty little winner it is. The leads aren't your run-of-the-mill stock characters that make one stupid mistake after another, but resourceful and likeable pre-grads. You won't find a vampire lusting after their blood or a cannibal gnawing on their limbs here. No, these young adults are forced at gunpoint to climb atop a Mayan temple and stay put until they're, well, pushing daisies…and a whole assortment of creepy flora. It packed a real punch to witness the physical and mental deterioration of people who reminded me of my friends.

2. Rob Zombie's Halloween. Providing Michael Meyers with a background story and a flimsy motive demystifies the iconic character, true, but getting to know the chap before he embarks upon a murderous rampage DOES add to the tragedy: when adult Michael mercilessly butchers the sympathetic orderly ("I was good to you, Mikey!") it becomes obvious that "Mikey" has now become "The Shape," an impervious, unstoppable force of nature. Not too shabby either: Scout Taylor-Compton's fine turn as Laurie Strode. A real teenager playing a teenager? Stop the press! Stop iiiiiiiiit!!!

3. Cloverfield. Despite being too epic, too grotesque, and simply too big-budgeted to ever be mistaken for actual found footage, Cloverfield is still a classic of the subgenre thanks to its characters' palpable despair. I whimpered audibly when the evacuation helicopter with our heroes on board is about to crash and cameraman Hutch goes into a panic-fueled mantra ("Oh, God…Oh, Jesus…I'm so sorry…so sorry").

4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4. On the one hand, it's the saga's scariest entry as it encourages us to start rooting for the undead child molester. On the other hand, director Renny Harlin's decision to shoot the bulk of the film in broad daylight is detrimental to the film's potential to make our skin crawl. I agree with Ben S. that Alice's journey, though never exceeding the level of a soap opera storyline, IS enjoyable – when our Final Girl makes the transition from wallflower to Warrior Woman ("Fucking A"), I uttered some approving grunts. I am woman, hear me roar!

2. The Prince of Darkness. John Carpenter's first foray into pure horror since The Fog is wonderfully bonkers. Professor Birack, whose college lectures don't make a lick of sense, asks of his middle-aged students to assist him in conducting a series of tests down at ye olde mucho spooky abandoned church. It never becomes clear what they're testing and how they're going about it, but there's a lot of expensive equipment on display – I guess that was all some people needed to laud PoD as "scientific horror." I love PoD because it never fails to make me laugh long and hard. The "this is not a dream" and "entrapped in the other-side-of-the-mirror dimension" sequences, however, are genuinely eerie.

3. Diary of the Dead. I have a love-hate relationship with this film. I love that George A. Romero's popcorn flick consists of The Death of Death, a tragic documentary by the fictional Jason Creed. I love the bit with deaf-mute farmer Samuel. I love the celebrity voice cameos. What I hate is narrator/editor Debra's early announcement that the documentary will feature incidental music "to scare [the viewer]." In the world of The Death of Death, the zombie apocalypse is a global reality. Me thinks a real disaster needn't a soundtrack to make it frightening or dramatic. Can you imagine news footage of the collapsing twin towers accompanied by a Bernard Herrmann composition? What we have here is an obvious discrepancy between Debra's intentions and those of puppet master Romero. It's Romero's Diary of the Dead, not Creed's The Death of Death that's in need of a score. I tried to rationalize Debra's editing room shenanigans by considering possible ulterior motives: her family died and came back to life right in front of her – adding music enables Debra to put some distance between herself and the images. Fictionalizing reality is something many of us are prone to in this digital era: we videotape a day at the beach and add songs and credits in Windows Movie Maker ("Nancy Film Enterprises presents ‘The Strickland Family Trip'; music: Californian Gurls by Katy Perry"). Anyway, I maintain that it's Romero who needs the scary music – his film is curiously lacking in the suspense department. But it's still loads of fun.

5. Send us to five places on the Internet!

Visual Memory. Official Stanley Kubrick site featuring rare interviews and articles. The pages devoted to The Shining are a must for self-respecting horror fans.

Despite the gods. Promotional site for an upcoming documentary chronicling the making of Jennifer Lynch's horror turkey Hisss. This could be the 21st century's Lost in La Mancha.

WKIT 100.3. Visit the website of Stephen King's radio station for horrifyingly good rock tunes.

Gorehounds. The best Dutch horror film never made: Worst Case Scenario.

Red Letter Media . Yet another site most of you already bookmarked ages ago. One day I will take you, Mike Stoklasa, to be my lawfully wedded husband.

It's a Horror to Know You: Matty from Boston!

1. What is the first film that ever scared you?

"10 to Midnight" (1983). Although now I see what a bad-ass Charles Bronson is, and Andrew Stevens certainly was dreamy back then, I didn't feel that way when I was young and witnessed the scene where the naked killer slaughters the room full of student nurses while Bronson's movie daughter is hiding. As for me, I was so petrified I couldn't change the channel. Instead, I hid behind the television set and listened to the carnage take place. I'd like to say I've become braver as an adult. I'd also like to say that I'm a supermodel. Yet neither of these are true.

2. What is the last film that scared you?

"Insidious" (2010): Holy junkpunch Batman, this movie scared me. When I'm alone in any darkened room, I imagine the scene where Barbara Hershey talks of her dream of the demon and the camera shows the outline of the creature in the corner of the little boy's room, slowly raising his arms. There's so much old-fashioned, good scare stuff in this movie. It's got excellent performances, especially the fantastic Lin Shaye, and characters that are easy to feel for. The jump scenes are outstanding and the whole film was pretty wild and unpredictable until the final reel.

3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.

(01) "Popcorn" (1991): One of my favorite slasher films, starring the always-lovable Jill Schoelen. It's got a creepy villain, great performances, likable and affable main characters, an obvious affection for the genre, and the scene where my beloved Miss Schoelen is trapped in the dark basement with only a flashlight as the killer skitters around her making noises is genuinely scary.

(02) "Prom Night 4: Deliver Us From Evil" (1992): Say what you like, but this movie owns! It's got all the slasher tropes: virginal heroine, sassy best friend, isolated location. But it also has a truly frightening and intense killer, likable characters, good performances, terrific score, exciting chase scenes, menacing phone calls, and even a horrific scene involving two of the heroine's murdered friends (watch the movie and you'll see). If you just overlook it's flaws (prom in the dead of winter, among others) and sit back and enjoy it for what it is — a throwback to 80's slashers — you'll have a swell time.

(03) "The Zero Boys" (1986): I shun the 3.6 rating this flick has on IMDB and say it's wrong, all wrong! Just like I do with the Kardashians, I will pretend it doesn't exist. How can I not love a movie where a bunch of renegade paint-ballers stumble upon a house in the woods and just make themselves at home, only to discover it belongs to torture-happy rednecks? Plus it stars the great Kelli Maroney of "Chopping Mall" and "Night of the Comet" and features a groovy 80's electronic score. I wish I could take the opening scene where the lead hero yells "Caaaayyy-seeeeeeyy!" in his best "Rambo" voice and make it my ringtone.

4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.

(01) "Demon Wind" (1990): Thanks to the late great "USA Up All Night", I discovered this craptastic classic. It's full of nonsensical scenes of monsters, really dumb college students (including 2 horribly-coiffed magicians), Dell the juiced-up mega-dillweed jock, and it's unintentionally funny. I heart this film like Lindsay Lohan hearts crack.

(02) "Doom Asylum" (1987): It's so poorly executed but so much fun, with completely ridiculous (and humorous) dialogue. There's too much to love about this movie — Tina, the lead rock band chick, and her amazing fake laugh steals the show (I want to be her for Halloween). It's got victims don't run away but stand still as the killer approaches them and basically let him kill them, the scene where the 2 would-be paramours run to each other in slow motion through a field, the heroine calling her boyfriend "Mom", and the fact that the whole movie takes place during daylight, and Kristin Davis (Charlotte from "Sex and the City") in her first role.

(03) "The Incredible Melting Man" (1977): Forget the fact that there's absolutely no explanation for the monster's motives. This film is gold! The conversation between Dr. Ted and his wife about the crackers for the soup while there's a mutated humanoid running around slaughtering people is so surreal and hilarious that this movie won over my stone-cold heart. There's a slow-motion window-crashing scene with a Rubenesque nurse, very convincing gore effects care of Rick Baker, the late great Burr DeBenning, and even with all the ineptitude going on, it's a really entertaining and enjoyable flick.

5. Send us to five places on the Internet!

(01) Bloody Disgusting.

(02) Danvers State Insane Asylum.

(03) Debbie Gibson Official.

(04) Kelli Maroney.

(05) Urban Explorers.

Thanks so much for reading, kindertrauma! I love this site and read it every day! Much love, Matty from Boston MA.

It's a Horror to Know You: Wayne Goodchild of This Sentence Is Haunted!

1. What is the first film that ever scared you?

I saw (or rather tried to watch) IT when I was 13, but couldn't quite manage it. The bit that really got me was when Pennywise is in the drain. I thought "Nope, that's enough thank you" and didn't watch the full thing until a few years later. I also remember getting freaked out by the posters and boxes for Critters and Ghoulies in my local video store when I was 6/7 years old. I used to think Ghoulies really did live in my toilet. It also didn't help that my friend claimed to have seen Critters, and that they were "like Gremlins, but can turn invisible and eat through walls". That really wasn't the sort of thing I wanted to hear.

2. What is the last film that scared you?

Probably The Last Exorcism. It manages to invoke a weirdly creepy vibe, despite being a 'documentary'.

3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.

1. Xtro. Still one of the strangest sci-fi/horrors I've ever seen. Just when you think it can't get any weirder (woman gives birth to a full-grown man) it throws something else into the mix (living toys?!).

2. The Car. I think this is maybe overlooked because, when you talk about possessed cars, a certain red Plymouth Fury springs to mind. Not only is the titular 'Car' cool-looking, but it's suitably menacing – especially considering that I don't think there's an actual reason given for why it's terrorising a small town.

3. Necronomicon. I'm a sucker for anything Lovecraft related, and this anthology film from 1993 serves up not just three of his stories (even if they're loosely adapted) but has Jeffrey Combs playing him in the wraparound segment! I find the final part ('Whispers') really disturbing. And as an honourable mention: Night of the Creeps. I know it's not obscure or anything, but a lot of my friends who are into horror (to a satisfying degree) have simply never heard of it. I know: shocking!

4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.

1. Ghost Ship. One of those films where you can see how it could be good, but is still enjoyable for what it is.

2. Man-Thing. I suppose this is technically a superhero film, but Marvel's "Swamp Thing rip-off" does a lot of things right, like having people get killed by trees growing out of them.

3. The Relic. I understand this didn't do too well at either the box office or with critics, but I really like it. You can't go wrong with giant monsters, in my book!

5. Send us to five places on the Internet! (Include the URLs!)

Dread Central – the main place I like to go to for horror news and reviews.

Cafe Doom – a super friendly forum for genre writers.

Eschatology Journal – a zine/blog of Lovecraftian fiction.

Big American Night – nothing horror related, just a really interesting travelogue-style blog!

My First Dictionary – fantastically dark word definitions dressed up as excerpts from a 1970's kids' book. I think I found Kindertrauma via this site, somehow!

It's a Horror to Know You: A.L.L.Waller!

First of all I'd like to say that finding kindertrauma was a huge step in my recognition of myself as a horror fan. It's been kind of astounding. I went back and read every single entry (and that's A LOT) over a month or so and it's been a delightful education. I throw public shout-outs your way at every opportunity because I think everybody should know what a clever, interesting, funny and insightful blog kindertrauma is.

1. What is the first film that ever scared you?

Any United Artists film opening. My older sister has recently confirmed that I wasn't scared by much as a child (except my own nightmares) but the sound… the sound! How could they have created this with any intention beyond mind-boggling terror. I still hate it…

2. What is the last film that scared you?

I just saw "Let's Scare Jessica To Death" for the first time (at Kindertrauma's recommendation, of course) and was astounded by what seemingly innocuous things I was utterly frightened by… like the close-up of the piston-like pendulum in the antique shop… I can't tell you why that was frightening but it has really stuck with me.

3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.

I'm going to put a twist on this as I'm a "horror baby" still and not so savvy yet in the canon. Here are three movies that I loved long before I began to "come out" as a horror fan. They are supposed "art" films or "classic" films well-canonized by the mainstream but, once I began to think about it, I realized I had been watching and loving these "undercover" horror movies all along!

Peeping Tom. (canonized "classic") Sure, because it's a classic they call it a thriller but as far as I'm concerned it doesn't get more horror than this. ("M" goes in this category too.) I only saw it once, many years ago, but I'm still freaking out over the ending! *shudder* In many ways a horror film about horror films…

Little Otik. ("art" film) MONSTER MASH! I got to see this on the big screen at the insistence of a friend and it just speaks to me with its horrible living wooden baby-cannibal plot. Such a delight.

The Tenant. (classic) Again, it's a "psychological thriller" & I saw it at a snobby time in my life when I would have said "I do not watch horror films." I also had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. Sure it's psychologically thrilling but it has a soul of HORROR with its bouncing decapitated heads, teeth in the walls and an ending that is one of my favorite and one of the most viscerally horrifying of all time as far as I'm concerned. I wonder, why is The Tenant considered a "thriller" and Rosemary's Baby "horror?" Rosemary's Baby didn't phase me a bit, not even a twinge of fear! You see how one could get confused about genre…

4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.

I love nothing *against* my better judgement. It's just that my better judgement can be a bit loony. Just one example:

HAUSU! I know it's completely lunatic and out of control but it's also one of my favorite films of all time and the movie that made me want to try to make movies! If you don't love it at first sight I can't justify its existence in any way but I also might not want to be your friend.

5. Send us to five places on the Internet!

Well, I'm so new at this that I only know what kindertrauma and my few horror-happy friends tell me. That means I only have one place to send you that you haven't already sent me:

Brains Are Delicious: The VHS Era of Horror.

This is the first episode of a brand new podcast series called Brains Are Delicious & it features the Phantasm saga. It's their first one and they're still finding their sea legs but overall it's just hilarious and smart and true. They're going to be focussing on the VHS era of horror and I'm REALLY looking forward to the next one!

It's a Horror to Know You: Will of Too Much Horror Fiction!

1. What is the first book that ever scared you?

Some forgotten book on various supernatural creatures, and it convinced me that somewhere in Transylvania there really was a vampire named Count Dracula who lived in a crumbling castle… I didn't understand the difference between "nonfiction" and fiction yet. My parents had to talk me out of it. Alas. When I was 13, the actual Stoker novel gave me the shudders, when Harker sees Dracula climbing out of one of his castle windows, face down, with his cape spread out around him.

2. What is the last book that scared you?

There were a few scenes – one a Lovecraft reference, I'm sure – in HEADHUNTER (1984), Michael Slade's police procedural/serial killer horror novel, that got the hairs on the back of my neck up, as if someone were standing just behind me…

3. Name three Horror novels that you believe are underrated.

My god, only *three*?! That's true horror! I'll try. These are three masterpieces:

1. ALL HEADS TURN AS THE HUNT GOES BY by John Farris. Farris is a real writer, which you don't find enough in the genre.

2. FINISHING TOUCHES by Thomas Tessier. A literate and erotic nightmare.

3. FALLING ANGEL by William Hjortsberg. A hardboiled detective/horror novel.

Okay, one more:

4. THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR by Anne Rivers Siddons. A unique haunted house novel written by a genteel Southern lady.

4. Name three Horror novels that you enjoy against your better judgment.

I don't know if these go against my "better judgment" but they do push some real taste boundaries.

1. INCUBUS by Ray Russell. Sleazy trashy fun – sexy or sexist? You decide!

2. THE MANITOU by Graham Masterton. Ludicrous but oh so much fun.

3. PIN by Andrew Neiderman. Rather Cronenbergian, with a sort of VC Andrews thing going on.

5. Send us to five places on the Internet!

1. L'ARRIVEE D' SYLVIA KRISTEL – All Sylvia Kristel, all the time. Delightful.

2. ACTION FIGURE OF THE DAY – What can I say, I grew up in the '70s and early '80s, I love my STAR WARS toys.

3. LOVECRAFT'S WORLDS – Just discovered this guy, he's an HPL obsessive.

4. EXISTENTIAL ENNUI – Great blog name, features lots of vintage crime fiction and UK book covers.

5. CELLULOID HIGHWAY – One of the best-written movie blogs around.

It's a Horror to Know You: Christine of Fascination with Fear!

1. What is the first film that ever scared you?

Besides Willy Wonka? With Gene Wilder in the psychedelic boat trip down the chocolate river? Okay..if not that then probably When A Stranger Calls (1979). Even Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees didn't scare me as much as that disembodied voice saying "Have you checked the children?" Ahhhh! If we're talking PRIMAL fear though, I'd have to go with Jaws. It's amazing that I even vacation every year at the shore after seeing that film.

2. What is the last film that scared you?

Absentia. I can't stress enough how much I loved this indie film from 2011. Though Lake Mungo (2008) would have to run a close second. Both are slow burning spook-fests that get under your skin. And if I'm going for a recent scare trifecta, I'd pick The Strangers (2008). I watched it home, alone, with all the lights out. Highly recommended.

3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.

Stir of Echoes – This film had the misfortune of coming out the same year as The Sixth Sense, but in many ways, this is the superior film. Far creepier than Bruce and Haley, Kevin Bacon takes hypnotism and the horrors of crossing into another plane to a new level.

The Machinist – Perhaps not straight-up horror, but terribly unnerving nonetheless. Just knowing Christian Bale lost over 60 pounds for the role…that should say a lot. It waivers sometimes with a convoluted plot, but it's a real mind-fuck of a film.

Joy Ride (2001) – Though more of a thriller, this one is equal parts wit and tension and is certainly every motorist's greatest fear. (And that's beside the fact that you see Paul Walker's naked ass…always a plus in my book.

4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.

Terror in the Aisles (1984)- Basically a compilation of scenes from horror films, it's a look back at many of the films that started my love of horror. Hosted by Donald Pleasance and Nancy Allen, it's hokey and dated (and not even available on DVD), but it's close to my heart.

Prey (2007) – A family on vacation in Africa gets stranded in a game preserve when they go off-roading. They find out just how insanely stupid that is when they realize they are being stalked by a pride of lions. Like the (admittedly better) Rogue, but with lions instead of a giant crocodile. Superb in HD.

The Locals (2003) – A little horror film from New Zealand that no one saw, The Locals has a somewhat murky plot, fairly lame acting in parts, and low-budget effects. But it's loaded with potential, has some disturbing visuals, and is quite atmospheric. Check it out.

5. Send us to five places on the Internet!

Behind the Couch – Intelligent and perceptive reviews for the discerning horror fan.

Deadly Dolls House of Horror Nonsense – Wit and sass seep from each and every entry of this clever and entertaining blog.

The Girl Who Loves Horror – She not only loves it, she lives and breathes it. Then writes about it.

Italian Film Review – Nigel and Co. have such incredible passion for Italian horror, it makes me weep.

Paracinema – Not just a fascinating independent magazine – this excellent blog continues their astute observations of genre film.

It's a Horror to Know You: Ryne of The Moon is a Dead World!

1. What is the first film that ever scared you?

It's really a toss-up, simply because I can't remember which came first. One of the first that I remember was Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, probably when I was 5 or 6. My dad had it playing in a video store he used to own, and the only thing I know was that there was a kid locked in a jail cell and I was really, really scared of the monsters at that time. I refused to watch.

The second was Pumpkinhead 2. I was fascinated with the cover of it in the video store, since I was generally attracted to the horror genre right from the start. I begged my dad to bring it home for me so I could watch it, but when he did, my bravado faltered and I made up an excuse so I didn't have to watch.

Still haven't seen either of those movies since.

2. What is the last film that scared you?

If I'm being completely honest with myself, and not including those random jump scare moments, I'd have to say that it was Funny Games. Moreso than any other home invasion movie, that flick really got to my core because of the way Haneke is able to characterize the demented individuals who think it's fun to terrorize people. The slow, lingering shots, disturbing music, and creepy dudes have stuck with me since I first saw the movie.

3. Name three Horror movies that you believe are underrated.

1. Le notte che Evelyn usci dalla tomba (The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave) (1971). It's an often overlooked giallo film that's both heavy on atmosphere and melodrama. Perfect!

2. The Funhouse (1981). Tobe Hooper's masterpiece is considered to be The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but The Funhouse is my favorite film of his thanks to the lovable monster that inhabits the amusement park's ride.

3. The Slumber Party Massacre (1982). This could just as easily fit on the list below of the worst movies I enjoy, but The Slumber Party Massacre is a really bad slasher that does everything right – tons of boobs, blood, and ridiculous killings.

4. Name three horror movies that you enjoy against your better judgment.

1. The Langoliers This movie should never be on anyone's favorite list, but I love it despite its four hour length and really cheesy acting. I've seen it more times than I can count.

2. Dolls. I caught this film on Sci-Fi channel when I was a kid, and it was the first film that I reviewed – although it wasn't much of a review, more of a summary of the film and a couple of stray thoughts about it.

3. Halloween 4 & 5. Right after Halloween 1 & 2, these terrible entries into the series are right up there on my list of most-seen favorite flicks – I love them for no reason at all, the only way you can love them.

5. Send us to five places on the Internet!

Strange Kids Club. A great place collecting news and essays on all of your favorite toys, games, and television.

L-G-B-Terror. Evan's helped me out a ton with my Viewer Vomit posts on The Moon, and his reviews focusing on gay and lesbian themes are both funny and spot-on.

The Death Rattle. Intensely in-depth reviews, and I love the new Framewhore column.

Taliesin Meets the Vampires. Ever wondered what random movies have vampire themes in them? Check out Taliesin's Vamp or Not series.

Back Online, Back On Duty. Witty reviews and a Robocop theme? Yes, please!