"Mum & Dad" (2008)

Sometimes, folks, the British just do it better-- especially when it comes to horror films.  Mum & Dad is a terrific indie movie about a girl who moves to England and finds herself a captive in someone's basement.  Worst of all, they have a sick sense of reality and force her to be a member of their sick, twisted, demented (have I mentioned how scary they are?) "family".  This movie truly frightens me and gives me nightmares-- if you have a weak stomach, you will soon know why.

You can watch this on Netflix instantly or you can buy Mum & Dad from Amazon.  Regardless, check out the trailer:

P.S. This is the first film of director Steven Sheil.  Here's to hoping that he makes more good flicks in the future.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974)

....and no, ladies and gents, I'm not talking about the remake with Jessica Biel, or for that matter the one with Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey.  No, no, today we are looking at the orignal The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, directed by horror rock star Tobe Hooper.  A group of teenagers/dirty hippies are traveling in a van to see their grandfather's house in Texas.  Unfortunately for them, they are soon targeted and tracked down by an isolated, malicious family that has a taste for bloodshed, and human flesh.  Literally.  While each member of the clan is frightening in their own way, the one who takes the cake is Leatherface, a large, husky man who adorns himself in his victim's skin and a chainsaw.

(Photo Credit)

You can rent this gem from Netflix, or bite the bullet and purchase it from Amazon.  Don't forget to check out the following clip below:



P.S. Even though the film states that it was based on a true story, no hippies were actually harmed in the making of this film, or in real life.  Instead, the character of Leatherface is based off of serial killer Ed Gein, who made lamp shades and masks out of his victims' flesh.  He is also stated as the inspiration behind The Silence of Lambs antagonist Jamie Gunn, as well as Psycho's Norman Bates.

P.S.S. Gunnar Hansen, the actor who played Leatherface, was actually a computer operator before auditioning for the film.  He did a wee bit of theater and thought it would be fun to be in a movie, and so he auditioned for and won the role.  Apparently, he endured a lot during filming.  For instance, the budget was so low that his character only had one shirt.  He had to film for four weeks in the hot Texas weather.  By the end of shooting, apparently no one wanted to eat lunch with him because he smelled so bad.

"Spider Baby" (1968)

Today's Horror du Jour comes courtesy from Happy and Wrong, my other blog that features a Terror Tuesday section dedicated to horror flicks.  Check out Spider Baby, a classic film from the 1960's that has inspired many horror films to date.  The Merrye family suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes them to reverse in terms of emotionality, making them into cannibalistic killers.

Please follow this and my other blog if you love all things girly-- and, uh, horror movies.  Thanks, y'all!

"Cannibal Holocaust" (1980)

Before there was The Blair Witch Project, Italian director Ruggero Deodato paved the way for all future "documentary tape found in the middle of nowhere" flicks with Cannibal Holocaust.  Horror fans across the globe know of this infamous film for several reasons: the one I just described, its notoriety among animal-rights' activists (more on that later), and mostly for its excessive amount of blood, gore, and blatant, violent sexuality.  When an anthropologist travels deep into the South American jungle to rescue a team of missing documentary filmmakers, he finds the tapes alright-- but he also finds evidence of savage, brutal behavior not from the jungle natives, but instead by the "civilized" westerners.  Cannibal Holocaust is one of those films that, if you love horror movies, you simply have to watch.  Sure, it might be old and outdated by today's standards, but how could you pass up a flick that was banned in over 50 countries, caused public and legal scandal (the director was arrested on obscenity and attempted murder charges-- wowsers!), and made grown men/actors cry?  You just can't....

(Photo Credit)

Rent Cannibal Holocaust from Netflix, or simply buy a DVD copy from Amazon.  This definitely isn't the most pleasant movie to watch, but it is a definite historical look not only on the past of horror films, but of filmmaking in general.  In the meantime, check out the trailer:



P.S. Director Ruggero Deodato had a hard time after making this film.  Italy thought that Cannibal Holocaust was a snuff film, and arrested him for attempted murder and obscenity.  He had to prove in court that all of the violence was staged in his film.  He later remarked that he regretted everything about the film.

P.S.S. This is rumored to be the most-banned movie in the world.  This is at least partially due to the fact that animals were, unfortunately, ruthlessly slaughtered on camera, including monkeys, turtles, and pigs. Apparently, the actors nearly had nervous break-downs after having to perform the scenes.  Needless to say, when you see the disclaimer, "No animals were harmed in the making of this film," odds are you have this movie to thank for that.