"Repulsion" (1965)

Repulsion, directed by the brilliant (yet seemingly morally-lacking) Roman Polanski, is not your typical horror film.  There are no monsters, demonic possessions, or haunted houses.  Instead, Repulsion focuses on the slow mental demise of Carole, a gorgeous manicurist living in London with her sister.  Although Carole is quite beautiful (a very young Catherine Deneuve portrayed her, after all), it is obvious something traumatic happened to her that put her on the brink of sanity.  In the psychology world, poor Carole would probably be thought of as having a thought disorder characterized by psychotic breaks-- yikes!  When Carole's sister leaves for the weekend, Carole is left alone in the apartment and slowly unravels.  She begins having hallucinations of hands grabbing at her from her walls and delusions regarding being sexually assaulted.  Oh yes-- she also leaves a raw, skinned rabbit out on the kitchen counter where it rots.  Yuck.

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While you can rent Repulsion from Netflix, you can go ahead and buy it from Amazon.  Trust me, this is one horror flick that is worthy of a place in your horror collection-- why haven't I purchased it yet?  In the meantime, check out the trailer below:



P.S. Repulsion is actually Roman Polanski's first English language film.  It is also considered to be part of his "apartment trilogy" along with Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Tenant (1976).  Right, Polanski-- how many times do directors try to pass things off as part of a "trilogy" to raise some cash?  If it's not Star Wars, it's not a trilogy in my humble opinion.

P.S.S. Many films are rumored to be based off of this classic thriller, including Black Swan, Pi, Scissors, and May.

"The Brood" (1979)

Oh, psychologists-- from the ink blot test to "re-birthing" techniques, what will they think of next?  Well, while I happen to follow cognitive-behaviorism, in The Brood an unconventional psychologist named Dr. Raglan takes this idea to the next level.  When the husband of one of his patients begins to suspect something strange a-brewin' (oh, like murderous children that emerge from his wife's psyche), he sets out to investigate what exactly is occurring.  Since this film is directed by the infamous David Cronenberg, I'll let you all guess what happens next.....

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You can rent The Brood from Netflix or you can pick up a copy from Amazon.  Regardless, make sure to watch the following trailer:



P.S. This film has received great reviews from film critics over the years.  However, director Cronenberg had to censure several scenes, especially one where the main character gives birth to an inner-child and then licks it clean.  Is it just me or is that actually not a bad thing?

"Shivers" (1975)

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Directed by David Cronenberg, Shivers, also known as They Came from Within, is a terrific film on many levels.  At the core, it is a grimy horror flick complete with naked women, parasitic worms, and gruesome orgies.  However, it also represents a deeper message-- the spread of HIV, which didn't occur until years after its release!  The story takes place in a suburban apartment building where a strain of parasitic worms are released into the pool of residents.  The worm isn't spread by air or blood, but instead by sex-- which it then commands its new hosts to do repeatedly.  Overall, it is an excellent scare, but it also is a social commentary on the consequences of free sex.  Is David Cronenberg a Republican, or just a crazed fan of creepy bathtub scenes?  You decide.

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Buy Shivers at Amazon, or rent it from Netflix.  Before you decide, check out this old-school trailer from They Came from Within....



P.S. Did you know that Shivers was made in just 15 days?  Pretty impressive, especially considering today's standards.....