Is This The Face Of Horror?
He looks so sweet: who knew he was the spawn of Satan?
As I share my “Horror A – Z” list for Halloween, this little follow makes his case to join the list!
Oh, and Florence Pugh does as well:
Hmm…so many pretty flowers, but Pugh looks anything but cheerful!
You know where I’m going: it’s the “M – N – O” of Shocktober, so let’s get started by watering those flowers!
“Midsommar”
Wow, nobody saw this horror masterpiece coming!
“Midsommar” is the 2019 folk horror film directed by Ari Aster, known for his unsettling and visually distinct style. It stars Florence Pugh as Dani, a young American woman grieving a family tragedy, who travels to a remote Swedish village for a midsummer festival with her emotionally distant boyfriend Christian, played by Jack Reynor, and his friends.
Here is the trailer:
As the trailer shows, the friends do NOT want Pugh there, and when they show up, things quickly go awry.
Upon their arrival, the friends discover that the seemingly peaceful Hårga community has sinister, ritualistic traditions, including ritual sacrifice and violent public ceremonies. You know, the stuff that horror films are meant to have!
As the festival progresses, the atmosphere grows increasingly unnerving, with the group of friends becoming isolated and targeted by the cult.
That’s all you need to know, but “Midsummer” builds a sense of dread and foreboding that, when it pays off, shocks! And speaking of shocks, my choice for the letter “N” created a whole new generation of zombie films!
“Night Of The Living Dead”
As I look at some of the greatest horror films of all time, you can’t discount the power of this 1968 zombie film – a low budget masterpiece directed by George Romero!
Romero broke all the rules of low-budget filmmaking when he created “Night Of The Living Dead” – a film that has inspired filmmakers and movie lovers for decades – a Halloween classic…
“Night Of The Living Dead” has grown more famous over the years, but almost never got made at all! It is a testament to the tenacity and ingenuity of Romero that he managed to get this film made! It was completed on a $114,000 budget and premiered October 1, 1968.
Here is the classic trailer:
The plot is straightforward: A shocking phenomenon has occurred: throughout the country, the dead have suddenly come back to life. A small group barricade themselves in an old farmhouse in an attempt the remain safe from these “walking dead.”
“Night of the Living Dead” is a master class in low budget filming. The script is razor sharp, the characters become clearly defined over the course of the movie, and the gore – well, let’s just say it was heavily criticized when it came out, because it was presented in a “reality” style that was shocking for its time!
The film has grown in critical stature over the years, and was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry, as a film deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
The film’s unexpected success spawned sequels, which continued the story:
“Dawn Of The Dead” was my “D” choice on the “Horror A – D” list – click here to see why!
As for the other face of horror I shared:
Hmmm, this little fella seems to be perturbed – I wonder what his story is:
“The Omen”
Well, here’s why the little guy seems upset: his father is the Devil!
In 1976, this movie shocked audiences as it told the story of a small boy who may be the spawn of Satan!
Here is the trailer:
Legendary Actor Gregory Peck gives gravitas to the horror story, and this movie is beautifully directed by Richard Donner for maximum scares – a real treat.
hope you enjoy this edition of my “Horror A – Z” series, but if you need a more interactive way to celebrate Halloween, head here!
Why not spend the night at Dracula’s Castle?
Here are the details for the most horrific party of Halloween!
I am sharing 26 films this month to celebrate Shocktober, and it all started here:
Carrie sure knows how to “light up” a party!
See who joined her on my first list of Shocktober here:
And here’s the most recent as well:
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Cult Movies, Exploitation films, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Grindhouse, Halloween, Horror films, Independent Cinema, Movies, Pop Culture, Revenge Movies
The zones is a very scary movie. I have not watched The night of the living Dead but I have heard much about it.
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i’ve seen some of these and i was terrified as you might expect !
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Midsommar has been on my list for quite a while, but I haven’t pulled the trigger and watched it yet. Your picks are so good though, I know it has to be good. I’m going to try to knock it out this week!
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If you watch it, don’t bother with the extended cut…it really doesn’t add much and really lengthens it…
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I cannot watch horror movies as I end up having nightmares! I don’t know when this started as I would watch them, and read horror books when I was in my teens. But now it is a no go for me 🙂
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Good selection as always, John. Though I may be alone in the world in thinking that ‘Midsommar’ is an awful film. Derivative in the extreme, and boringly predictable from the outset. If anyone was remotely surprised by the ending, they were not paying attention. I would sooner watch the original ‘The Wicker Man’ instead.
Best wishes, Pete. (Shared on Twitter)
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Agree Pete but wait until I get to the “W” – I will make it up to you!
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I do dearly love the movie ‘Midsommar’, but even after all these years have not found the longer director’s cut available to stream. How sorry should I be about that I haven’t gotten to see it? (assuming you have seen it). Never mind, I would still want to watch it. It would be nice if he was able to make a much longer version using a lot of unused footage, even if it was just of the scenery.
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OK, in some cases I love the Director’s Cuts – “Doctor Sleep” and “Once Upon A Time In America” great examples…in this case, no horror was added, and in a film that didn’t have a lot of it i.e. “slow burn”, it actually slowed it down a bit! I say you got the best version!
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These horror films are not a genre I appreciate….the post was an excellent look at these films…..well done….chuq
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I get that from a number of people…trying to share other stories as well but it’s Halloween month and a lot of other folks embrace it, so I go with the flow!
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