If you’re under the age of 45, Halloween means something different to you than it meant to any other generation. Children disguised as ghosts and witches (along with plenty of adult zombies and superheroes) have been Trick-or-Treating for nearly a century now. The practice of going house-to-house and demanding tribute, usually in the form of candy or some sweet treat, is nothing new.

But the way Western culture thinks about Halloween, and the way the holiday is marketed, changed drastically in the late 1970s, all thanks to the craft of film producer Irwin Yablans. He provided the spark, and the money, for John Carpenter’s genre-defining Halloween films. Ten movies later, with another project in the developmental stage, it is practically impossible to think about All Hallow’s Eve in the year 2012 without invoking something of the spirit of that first gory blockbuster in 1978.

The Repackaging of Halloween

Irwin Yablans and Jamie Lee Curtis

The movie tells a simple story: on October 31st, 1963, a young boy named Michael Myers murders his older sister in a particularly grisly manner. Fifteen years later, Myers makes his escape from the psychiatric hospital where he was sentenced to for life, returning to his home to stalk and terrorize the unlucky Laurie Strode and just about all of her friends.

If you haven’t seen the film, and you call yourself a fan of horror movies, you’ll no doubt see the influence of John Carpenter’s movie on just about everything else you love. The music, the look, the mood, the dialogue, and even the framing of the story itself have become so commonplace in Hollywood that the original Halloween is a sort of Bible for scare enthusiasts. If you are a fan of the original movie, watching Yablans’ vision, as knit together by John Carpenter, is a sort of return to your roots, especially since the movie has not been released on such a big scale since 1978.

Starting on October 25th, 2012 and running all the way through to the first of November, John Carpenter's original 1978 film Halloween will be back on the big screen. Thirty-four years after it first shocked and scared moviegoers, the movie that started it all will be showing at select cinemas around the country.

The film first appeared on October 25th, 1978, and earned just under $50 million at the box office. Irwin Yablans produced Carpenter’s Halloween on a budget of less than $375,000, but the impact of Yablans’ vision is bigger than the ratio of its budget to its earnings – Halloween is not just a horror classic, it changed the way people think about the holiday and the way filmmakers and pop culture mavens celebrate what was once little more than a kiddie festival of candy and pranks.

More about Irwin Yablans

In his memoirs, Yablans talks about his youth spent listening to radio shows, audio-only narratives that didn’t have the convenience of moving pictures to grab the audience’s imagination. That early education in “the theater of the mind” is the single biggest influence on the original Halloween film series. Yablans and two other producers came up with the $325,000 it took John Carpenter to make the film that would one day earn well over $100 million internationally. In the late 70s, Carpenter’s film was by far the most successful indie film in terms of profit. But the echoes of the film in terms of character and genre archetypes are more important than dollars and cents.

So who is Irwin Yablans?

His is not a name you’ll hear often outside the conversations and blogs of hardcore horror film buffs, but Irwin Yablans did more to shape contemporary film than any of the big names of the past quarter-century. Yablans created the film series that is most often associated with the name of its director, John Carpenter.

Fast-forward to October 2012; Yablans has timed the re-release of the original film with the publication of his autobiography, The Man Who Created Halloween, to present the story of how one man’s vision changed our entire society. The book is your typical rags-to-riches story in which Yablans describes growing up poor in Brooklyn only to one day change everything about Hollywood and the traditions associated with the 31st day of October.

Without Yablans, there is no independent film of any substance in America, certainly not one that includes thousands of gory flicks built around the last day of October. It’s difficult to describe Yablans’ career as a Hollywood insider, since we’re still living in the era he created. In more ways than your average movie fan knows, we live in Yablans’ world, paying $9.50 a pop to participate in it. Hollywood now produces horror movies year-round, and they all owe something to Yablans, Carpenter, and the creative team behind Halloween. These days, the work of independent producers and filmmakers has become just another Hollywood genre: movies like Juno and Napoleon Dynamite may be as far away from the subject matter of Michael Myers and company as you can get, but the way they were made and packaged follows the model Yablans used to change film history.

One of the most prominent examples of this phenomenon in the modern horror genre is The Blair Witch Project, a film made for next-to-no-money by an unknown creative team that would eventually set records in terms of ticket sales. The model is nothing new; it parallels what Yablans and Carpenter did twenty years earlier. In the mid-1970s, Irwin Yablans saw one of John Carpenter’s earliest films at a festival in Milan and saw the potential for his own vision of Halloween on film. 1978 was the year the modern horror movie was born, and its parents were two obscure indie artists that would forever change the way popular culture treats the month of October, and the way the movie business treats horror subjects.

Yablans is a fascinating guy, a man whose IMDB profile does a particularly poor job of honoring. He did more than change the way we think about October in general. Just one example of his influence in Hollywood was his successful effort to get big studio support for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, itself an obscure propaganda film based loosely on a slightly-less obscure piece of literature. Coppola’s film is on just about everyone’s list of the most important films in cinema history, the same way most horror fans think of the John Carpenter movie being re-released this October. It’s interesting to note that Yablans didn’t even go the traditional route of publishing his memoir, choosing to use Amazon.com’s indie platform CreateSpace rather than work out a traditional book deal.

Locations & Screenings

Over 500 theaters are planning to screen the film, most of which will also run a special mini-documentary about the making of the series and its influence on the movie industry called You Can't Kill The Boogeyman: 35 Years of Halloween. Here’s a list of theaters showing the films. Notice that all fifty states are represented, including some very small markets that are generally overlooked when it comes time for a film’s second release. Halloween and the accompanying short documentary will be appearing in big urban areas and small towns alike, so that no matter if you live in Edinburg, Texas or Chicago, there’s probably a screening within an hours’ drive.

Before Michael Myers, before the film’s iconic and creepy soundtrack, and before a virtual unknown from Brooklyn teamed up with a fresh-out-of-film school director, Halloween was a kiddie holiday. The success of 1978’s Halloween changed that, adding a very adult and gory edge to what was once a silly distraction involving candy corn and toilet paper.

The success of all things creepy, from AMC’s The Walking Dead to the Twilight series, owes everything to Irwin Yablans, a few hundred thousand dollars, and a mask that put an eerily empty face on the things that go bump in the night. Thirty-four years after it first spooked the pants off audiences, Halloween is still effective, both as a model for packaging movies and as a piece of entertainment. No, Yablans and Carpenter’s movie was not the first built around a horror theme, but it was the first in a long line of movies still being produced, easily one of the most influential pieces of film art ever printed. For kids of the 80s and 90s who grew up watching VHS copies of the movie or streaming it online on their computer screens, the opportunity to see the movie in all its big-screen glory is probably the first they’ve had. The October 2012 distribution of what is widely considered the birth of the modern horror movie is the first large-scale release since 1978, a rare opportunity to experience the story of Michael Myers in the format for which it was originally intended.

by Will Roby

Watch the original Halloween movie trailer below:

Philippine Horror Films

Filipino films combine universal elements of fear with plenty of home-grown tales drawn from folklore and myth. This concoction results in a horror genre that’s rich and continually evolving, and I recommend the following works to anyone looking to explore international cinema.

• White Lady (2006) - Set on a college campus, White Lady revolves around Pearl (Pauleen Luna) a country girl who arrives in the big city to pursue an education. While much of her time is spent studying and dealing with a crowd of popular bullies, Pearl also begins having visions of a woman in white. As the haunting intensify, Pearl and the “in crowd” face supernatural perils that will lead to a horrible secret being uncovered.
• Kulimlim (2004) - Actor Robin Padilla takes on the challenge of five roles, playing a man who seeks revenge after the Satanists who raped his wife are released from prison. But revenge comes at a high price, as the spirits of these convicts wind up possessing Jake and causing him to go after his own family. Can a spiritual cure be found in time, or will these evil men have the last laugh?
• Ouija (2007) - A group of female relatives (including Judy Ann Santos, Jolina Magdangal, and Iza Calzado) gather to bury their beloved grandmother, but trouble strikes when they find an old Ouija board from their childhood. What begins as a round of innocent fun becomes serious when a deadly spirit comes calling. With time running out, the women must learn the identity of the ghost and lead it back to its grave in order to stop the killings. If you’re looking for Philippine horror films filled with lovely ladies, then you’ll want to give Ouija a try.
• Shake, Rattle & Roll (1984) - The first installment of this long-running Filipino film series debuted in 1984, and there have been a total of 12 movies released so far (with a 13th scheduled for later in the year). Each film is a horror anthology, and the earlier works tend to have a darker tone. You’ll have trouble tracking down the original, but your efforts will be well rewarded. The first tale concerns a group of friends who mess with a spirit and end up being thrown into the past to learn some shocking facts about their previous lives. The second story concerns a refrigerator possessed by a serial killer, and the third tale revolves around a rural teenager whose grandmother tasks him with eliminating vampiric creatures roaming the area.
• Patient X (2009) - When the killers of his older brother are caught after 20 years, a doctor must return to his hometown and face them. But it turns out that these murderers are actually vampire-like beings, and their presence in the town threatens the lives of everyone.

Philippine horror films have become increasingly popular in recent years, so expect the production quality to continue to improve along with the caliber of actors drawn to these projects. While not on the level of Japanese horror films or Korean horror films, Filipino cinema still offers plenty of thrills and chills. Most of the movies listed above may not be at your local video store, so you may need to check Amazon or a local retailer who specializes in horror (Eerie Books in Wylie, Texas, for example).

Malaysian Horror Films

Malaysia has seen an explosion in the popularity of horror movies in recent years, and much of this can be traced to the improved production quality and adherence to stories drawn from local myths and legends. Possession and exorcism play a large part in these film, and you can also expect to see witch doctors, female vampires (known as Pontianak), and plenty of rural settings.

More horror films are being turned out in Malaysia than ever before, so those looking to explore terror from a different cultural perspective are in luck. Any of the following movies will serve as a fine introduction, but keep in mind that many more Malaysian horror films are out there waiting to be enjoyed.

• Dukun (2007) - Based on a true story, this controversial Malaysian film has yet to be released in its home country. Malaysian politician Datuk Mazlan Idris wants to boost his career, and so he hires the services of a woman and her husband who claim to possess supernatural powers. The woman happens to be Mona Fandey, a popular singer in the early 1990s. But something goes wrong when it’s time for the ritual, and the body of the politician is later found hacked into pieces. While a number of events have been changed for dramatic purposes, the overall product remains a chilling look at the kind of evil and superstitious nonsense that exists in the real world.
• Fragrant Night Vampire (2004) - Written and directed by Shuhaimi Baba, this is the movie that helped spark the recent surge of Malaysian horror films. Maya Karin stars as Meriam, a murdered woman who returns from the grave as a vengeful vampire in pursuit of those responsible. A major box office success, it was followed by a sequel in 2005.
• Don’t Look Back (2007) - The highest-grossing film in Malaysia, it stars Pierre Andre as Darma, a young man dealing with the recent suicide of his fiancée (Intan Ladyana). Along with her twin sister (also Ladyana), he decides to do a little investigating and soon learns that someone horribly supernatural is going on.
• Possessed (2006) - The second feature film from director Bjarne Wong, Possessed follows two Chinese sisters (Amber Chia and transgender actress Harisu) who come to Malaysia seeking stardom. When one falls into a coma and the other goes missing, it leads to a series of chilling visions, a desperate search, and frequent encounters with an obsessive male fan.
• Chermin (2007) - Also known as Mirror, this Malaysian horror film deals with a young woman named Nasrin (Natasha Hudson). After her face is disfigured in a car crash, he falls into despair over the loss of her beauty. Then her mother discovers an antique mirror, one which allows Nasrin to see her face as it used to be. But the magic of the mirror comes with a terrible price which soon results in murder. Also starring Deanna Yusoff and Khatijah Tan.
• Congkak (2008)- A husband buys a lake bungalow in order for his family to enjoy vacations, but he doesn’t bother to see it in person. When they arrive, the wife immediately begins to feel uneasy. The fact that their daughter plays congkak (a traditional Malaysian game) with someone who’s invisible doesn’t make her feel any better. Then come illusions and possessions, and the family is forced to seek the aid of a local Islamic holy man.
• Susuk (2008) - Diana Rafar stars as Soraya, a nurse in training who begins to long for a career in the world of showbiz. When she fails to achieve her dreams of stardom, she instead turns to black magic to succeed. At the same time, we also follow Suzana (Ida Nerina), a superstar who’s been engaging in black magic for years to gain and keep her popularity. The paths of both women twist and turn until they finally intertwine in a shocking climax.

That’s our look at Malaysian horror films. If you saw something you liked, I urge you to go out and rent or buy a copy. The more people who see horror movies from Malaysia, the better chance that they’ll be releasing examples of the genre in the future. And if you happen to have a nearby store that specializes in horror (like Eerie Books in Wylie, Texas), you know just where to star your search.

Luxembourgian Horror Films

Bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany, Luxembourg is a highly developed nation with a strong economy and membership in organizations ranging from NATO to the European Union. But what about their film industry, specifically Luxembourgian horror films?

While horror movies from Luxembourg are often co-produced with other countries, they’ve made a surprising number of films for the genre. Many have been critically panned, but that’s not unusual for horror flicks. On the other hand, they’ve also turned out a few that have received either Oscar nominations or critical praise.

• An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) - Nowhere near as good as the original film, this comedy/horror film centers around an American tourist (Tom Everett Scott) who vacations in Paris and falls for one of the local women (Julie Delpy). She turns out to be a werewolf, of course, the child of the lead characters from An American Werewolf in London. When our dimwitted American hero gets bitten, will he be able to find a cure in time? Just don’t expect make-up effects like the Rick Baker original, as the film opts instead for a heavy dose of CGI.
• FeardotCom (2002) - Stephen Dorff stars as a police detective trying to solve a case where the victim bled from his eyes and appeared to die of fright. Several more of these deaths turn up, and our determined detective is joined by a researcher from the Department of Health (Natascha McElhone). The duo are soon plunged into a voyeuristic world of murder when it’s discovered that each victim had visited the same website. And what does it have to do with a notorious serial killer known as Alistair “The Doctor” Pratt (Stephen Dorff)? Also featuring Udo Kier and Jeffrey Combs.
• Shadow of the Vampire (2000) - Luxembourg joined together with the UK and the USA to make this Oscar-nominated project about filmmaker F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) and his obsession with making his silent vampire movie as realistic as possible. Imagine his surprise when he comes across a real bloodsucker (Willem Dafoe). A deal is struck, the real vampire agrees to play a fictional one, and the cast and crew soon begin to wither away and die. An entertaining blend of comedy and horror. Also starring Carey Elwes, Udo Kier, Eddie Izzard, and Catherine McCormack.
• In a Dark Place (2006) - Based on The Turn of the Screw from Henry James, this Luxembourg/UK film follows a recently unemployed art teacher (Leelee Sobieski) who gets a job as a nanny to a pair of young orphans. But it’s not long before weird things start happening around the mansion, and mysterious figures begin prowling the grounds. A disturbing film with themes of child abuse, suicide, and general madness.
• Calvaire (2004) - Belgium, France, and Luxembourg all participated in the making of this bizarre and incredibly disturbing tale about a traveling singer (Laurent Lucas) who suffers car trouble and is forced to stay at the closed-down inn owned by Mr. Bartel (Jackie Berroyer). Bartel is friendly enough at first, but the film’s lead slowly begins to suspect that something isn’t quite right (especially when he spies some of the locals engaging in bestiality with a calf). It only gets stranger from there, and things eventually explode into violence and heartbreak. While a description would suffice for most Luxembourgian horror films, this one must be seen to be believed.
• Humains (2009) - A team of French researchers are on their way to investigate an important discovery in the darkest corner of the Swiss Alps. They never arrive, however, as a car wreck leaves them stranded. Luckily, they manage to team up with a group of tourists. This comes in especially handy when a group of madmen begin picking them off one by one. Starring Sara Forestier and Dominique Pinon.
• Minotaur (2006) - Seven countries were involved in the production of this film drawn from Greek mythology. Every three years, eight young people from the peaceful village of Thens are captured, taken to the capital of the Minos Empire, and thrown into a giant maze to be a sacrifice to the Minotaur. But one villager (Tom Hardy) is still haunted by his true love’s sacrifice to the beast, and he decides to get himself placed in the labyrinth and kill the beast. Co-starring Tony Todd, Rutger Hauer, and Ingrid Pitt.

Be honest: you had no idea that Luxembourgian horror films were so varied, did you? Well, now that you know, be sure to give a few of them a try. If you don’t know where to start looking, check and see if your city or town carries a book or video store. If you live in the North Texas area, there’s always Eerie Books to consider.

Swiss Horror Films

When you think of Switzerland, you probably envision watches, cheese, chocolate, loud bells, and plenty of leggy blondes. But there’s more going on beneath the calm surface than you might imagine, and these Swiss horror films reveal a distinctly different side to the neutral nation.

From method actors getting lost in their roles to families of neo-Nazis abducting travelers to help further the bloodlines of the “master race,” the films included on this list will both terrify and surprise you. Horror movies from Switzerland don’t get as much press as their Hollywood counterparts, but the end products are just as entertaining.

• Sennentuntschi (2010) - Based on a legend that’s commonly known throughout the mountains of Europe, Sennentuntschi deals with herdsmen in the Alps who construct straw women to help them pass the lonely hours of the summer grazing season. But as you might expect from a horror film, the straw ladies are none-too-happy about being taken advantage of by their creators, so they come to life and seek revenge. A bizarre film that mixes in an interesting piece of European folklore.
• Method (2004) - A collaborative effort between Switzerland, the USA, the UK, and Romania, this film stars Elizabeth Hurley as a method actress who lands the role of Belle Gunness, a 19th century serial killer who lured men back to her farmhouse with the promise of marriage before dispatching them. As filming begins and the actress is forced to work with her ex-boyfriend (Jeremy Sisto), bodies start piling up. Has she gotten too involved in the role, or is a supernatural force at work?
• Frontier(s) (2007) - One of my favorite Swiss horror films (co-produced by France), Frontier(s) begins with riots in Paris following the election of a conservative political candidate. A group of young thieves take advantage of the chaos, pulling off a robbery and then heading for the countryside. But they stop at the wrong inn, as it turns out to be run by a Nazi and his brood of twisted children. The thieves are methodically hunted down and slaughtered, with the lone female of the group targeted for a life as nothing more than breeding stock. Violent and disturbing throughout, it received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, which derailed the plans to have it be one of the 8 Films to Die For at Horrorfest 2007.
• Jack the Ripper (1976) - A Swiss-German co-production, this film is directed by legendary horror icon Jesus Franco and stars the volatile German actor Klaus Kinski as none other than Jack the Ripper. Kinski, as one would expect, veers between somber introspection and utter mania, but he manages to make his Jack a compelling and complex character in the process. If you’re interested in the famous London murders, this film comes highly recommended.
• Benny’s Video (1992) - Director Michael Haneke (Funny Games) know how to make personal and disturbing films, and Benny’s Video is no exception. Arno Frisch stars as Benny, a teen obsessed with life as it’s seen through the lens of a video camera. This leads him to make his own snuff film, an act which forces his upper-middle-class parents to make some hard choices about the fate of their son. Fans of the killer in No Country for Old Men may get a real kick, as Benny’s weapon of choice (a captive bolt pistol) is the same. A co-production between Austria and Switzerland.
• Humains (2009) - A co-production between Switzerland, France, and Luxembourg, Humains revolves around a group of French researchers who head into the Swiss Alps to investigate an important discovery. But when a car wreck leaves them stranded in the mountains, they’ll need to team up with a group of tourists in order to survive the madman who’s stalking them. Starring Dominique Pinon, Sara Forestier, Philippe Nahon.

That wraps up our look at Swiss horror films, at least for the time being. If you like your horror set against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains, be sure to give one or more of these a try. Start by checking a local horror retailer like Eerie Books, as they may have what you’re looking for. If not, then there are always options such as Amazon or Netflix.

South African Horror Films

The cinema of South Africa has turned out some quality films over the years, although many of these tend to be co-productions with other nations. The same holds true for South African horror films, but this also allows for a deeper exploration of the genre and a more diverse field of vision.

In the following list, we’ll take a look at some South African horror movies that you may want to put into your Netflix queue. From critically-maligned movies about Dracula in space, to the return of Corey Feldman, these horror flicks are a diverse and frequently terrifying lot.

• Night Drive (2010) - One of the most controversial South African horror films in the history of the nation, Night Drive follows a former undercover cop who takes part in a safari tour into the heart of Africa. The group is soon hunted by animal poachers who have turned to killing humans in order to harvest their organs for witchcraft, and this band of villains is headed up by the deranged Hyena Man. As they’re stalked by witch doctors and bloodthirsty hyenas, the group must also face dangers from within. A brutal film filled with solid performances, it also manages to shine a light on a social issue in Africa that’s not often talked about (especially in the suburbs).
• Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010) - A co-production between the U.S. and South Africa, this film stars Corey Feldman as Edgar Frog, the comic-book-loving vampire hunter last seen in the 80’s classic, The Lost Boys. With his vampire-killing days long behind him, Edgar struggles to make ends meet. But just when it looks like he’ll have to sacrifice his prized comics collection, a woman shows up offering him work. The employment opportunity, of course, just so happens to involve vampires. A fun bit of nostalgia for fans of the original.
• The Bone Snatcher (2003) - Filmed in Cape Town by South African director Jason Wulfsohn, The Bone Snatcher follows a diamond mine that has a tendency to claim the life of anyone who goes inside. When a team decides to investigate, you know the body count is about to rise again. Not many horror films take place primarily in the desert, so this one holds a unique place in film history.
• Dracula 3000 (2004) - Critics blasted this adaptation of the Dracula legend set in the 31st century, but you may still want to judge for yourself. While the story and effects are suspect at times, the cast does include Casper Van Dien, Erika Eleniak, Tiny Lister, Coolio, and Udo Kier. When the crew of a space salvage ship finds the Demeter floating in space, their investigations turn up a dead crew and a cargo that’s largely comprised of coffins.
• The Mangler (1995) - Tobe Hooper heads up this American/South African co-production that’s an adaptation of the Stephen King short story from Night Shift. Robert Englund stars in this tale of a sheet-steaming and ironing machine nicknamed “The Mangler.” After a freak set of circumstances occur, the device seems to take on a malevolent personality and develop a taste for human blood.
• Surviving Evil (2009) - Billy Zane headlines this South African horror film about a group of filmmakers who journey to a isolated island in the Philippines to make a special about survival. They’ll need to put what they’ve learned to the test, as the island turns out to be home a shape-shifting creature who likes to feed on the flesh of the living. A co-production between South Africa and the UK.

That concludes our look at South African horror films. If you’d like to experience the cinema of a foreign land, be sure to start your search at local retailers like Eerie Books. If you don’t have a local retailer that specializes in horror, then there are always sites like Amazon and the like.

Indonesian Horror Films

Indonesian horror films can be a mixed bag when it comes to quality, and their cinema has been somewhat stifled over the years by political unrest and a lengthy dictatorship. But it’s not all bad news, as recent years have seen a slow emergence of the horror genre. A predominately Islamic country, Indonesia often features horror films that teach moral lessons, especially regarding religion and the dangers of turning your back on it. But despite these bouts of moralizing, Indonesian horror films are also chock-full of violence and gore, not to mention plenty of good-looking actors and actresses.

The next time you’re in the mood for something different, give one of the following titles a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

• Macabre (2009) - Julie Estelle gives a standout performance in this movie about a group of friends who make the mistake of giving a young woman a lift home. As it turns out, the woman’s family is comprised entirely of psychopaths, and soon a life-and-death struggle is underway. The killers are notable for their calm behavior, and the blood and gore is plentiful. One of the better Indonesian horror films to come out in recent years.
• Kuntilanak (2006) - Another film starring Julie Estelle, and this time she’s a young woman who ties herself to a powerful supernatural spirit. The film’s atmosphere is creepy throughout, and those who feel there aren’t enough evil trees in cinema will be in for a treat. If you prefer ghost stories and tales of otherworldly powers over slasher flicks, then I suggest you give this one a try.
• Mystics in Bali (1981) - A reporter wants to learn more about black magic, and she’s able to track down a witch who’s willing to instruct her. But the witch has a secret agenda of her own, and soon the reporter finds herself aging at an unusual rate. The effects are done with the barest of budgets, so expect to see paper-mache, hand puppets, and even flaming basketballs used in place of sorcerous fireballs. My favorite scene involves a head detaching from its body and flying off in search of babies to gobble up. While it’s not for everyone, lovers of schlock should get a kick out of Mystics in Bali.
• The Forbidden Door (2009) - A standout film in which a henpecked sculptor discovers a series of random messages that seem to be directed specifically at him. As his wife makes his life a living hell, he endeavors to get to the bottom of these messages and the identity of who wrote them. The performances, script, and direction are all first-rate, and the unrelenting tension pays off during a couple of superior sequences of terror.
• Nail Demon (2009) - A comedy/horror film about a group of corpse hunters trying to track down a supernatural creature who’s started roaming around after a precautionary spike was removed from its head. Taking the form of a beautiful woman, this being eventually catches the eye of a guy who’s looking to get married. As he falls for and plans his nuptials with the sexy and thoroughly evil being, the corpse hunters and the man’s secretary come to his aid.
• Angkerbatu (2007) - When a Korean company shows up looking to cut down part of the Angkerbatu forest and create Asia’s largest golf course, they incur a horrible curse that threatens everyone in the area. A clever horror flick about the dangers of corporate greed and environmental carelessness.
• Satan’s Slave (1982) - A bizarre film that rips off a number of films, with Phantasm being the most obvious. After the death of their mother, a boy and his sister try to cope by visiting a psychic. But it turns out that the psychic is pure evil, and it’s not long before he worms his way into their life. Meanwhile, servants are driven to madness, and their dear mother puts in an appearance from beyond the grave. The suspense all pays off during the final act, as the undead rise up and do what dead people do best: kill the living. An Islamic morality tale that cautions against turning away from religion.
• Takut: Faces of Fear (2009) - An Indonesian horror anthology, Takut: Faces of Fear features six tales of terror and a number of promising directorial talents. The first story deals with a cat-and-mouse game between a man and an intruder. Next up is “Titisan Naya,” the tale of a young girl who’s confronted by the spirits of her ancestors. The third story follows a peeping tom and is appropriately entitled “Peeper.” A combination of horror and comedy is up next in “The List,” and that’s followed by one of the first-evenr zombie stories from Indonesia. And finally there’s “Dara,” the tale of a female chef who’s willing to go to lethal extremes to protect her prized recipes.
• Horror in Facebook (2010) - Mira (Jehann Sienna) is visiting with friends on Facebook at an Internet café, but she forgets to log out of her account when she leaves. Ferah (Chindy Anggrina) comes along, gets into Mira’s account, and posts a number of messages as a prank. The joke goes horribly awry, however, leading to multiple deaths and yet another excuse for pissed-off spirits to hang around our plane of existence. I’m amazed that an American horror film based around Facebook hasn’t come out yet. Then again, they may just wait and rip this one off.

That wraps up our look at Indonesian horror films. While many of the country’s movies suffer from a severe lack of financing, you may still be surprised by how they manage to deliver the goods in spite of this. I suggest giving at least one of these a try, as they’re completely different from what you’ll find in Western cinema.

Spanish Horror Films

Spanish cinema has been responsible for a rich and diverse selection of films over the years, and performers such as Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas have enjoyed great success both at home and abroad. While less than 20% of their yearly box office revenue is generated by domestic films, Spain continues to be a leader in international cinema. You might also be surprised at how many English-language movies are turned out each year, ranging from Christian Bale’s The Machinist to Nicole Kidman’s The Others.

While Spanish horror films aren’t well-known around the world, there are a number of examples worth watching. The following are ten of my favorites, and they range from fog-drenched ghost stories to gory slasher flicks. In short: horror movies from Spain have something to scare the pants off anyone.

• Horror Rises from the Tomb (1972) - Legendary Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy pulls double duty as director and star. He’s Alaric de Marnac, a warlock who, along with his wife, is executed centuries prior in France. When a modern-day group unearths his severed head, it doesn’t take long before de Marnac is possessing others in a mad search for the rest of his body. While the dubbing is on the poor side, the presence of gore and nudity will more than compensate.
• The Night of the Werewolf (1980) - Paul Naschy writes, directs, and stars in this film about a group of lovely Spanish girls who resurrect a werewolf and the infamous Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman known for bathing in the blood of women to maintain her youthful appearance. The werewolf character, Waldemar Daninsky, would be famously played by Naschy in 11 other motion pictures.
• The Others (2001) - While it was made in Spain, this Alejandro Amenabar film is performed entirely in the English language. That didn’t stop it from winning eight Goya Awards, which are the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards. Set on the isle of Jersey just after World War II, The Others stars Nicole Kidman as Grace Stewart, a mother of two light-sensitive children living in an isolated country home. When three new creepy servants arrive on the scene, a number of odd events begin to occur. At first, Grace denies the possibility of the supernatural, but she soon realizes that a powerful otherworldly force is at work. There’s a big twist to look forward to near the film’s end, and it’s strong enough that I imagine even M. Night Shyamalan was impressed.
• Tombs of the Blind Dead (1971) - Written and directed by Amando de Ossorio, Tombs of the Blind Dead was a major success and spawned several sequels in the 1970s. Hundreds of years before the events of the film, an order of knights were accused of witchcraft and put to death, their eyes pecked out by birds on the gallows. Back in the present day, a young woman comes across their tomb and promptly gets killed by the re-awakened and blind knights. Her boyfriend starts looking into her disappearance, but he also winds up being pursued by these sword-wielding horrors who hunt entirely by sound. Blessed with a nice mix of gore and nudity, this is a classic examples of the horror films from Spain.
• REC (2007) - Remade in the United States as Quarantine, REC follows a TV reporter and her cameraman as they cover a typical night in the life of Barcelona firefighters. But when an emergency call comes from an apartment building, the news crew and the firemen soon find themselves trapped in a structure brimming with bloodthirsty tenants. The equally enjoyable sequel, REC 2, picks up right where this one leaves off.
• Vampyres (1974) - Released around the globe under a number of different titles--including Daughters of Dracula in the U.S.--Vampyres is one of the most erotic horror movies ever made, regardless of nationality. Marianne Morris and Anulka star as a pair of lesbian vampires who lack fangs and roam about freely in the daylight. Luring passing travelers to their isolated home, they drain their blood and enjoy as many sexual interludes as possible. Expect plenty of nudity and sex, as well as a healthy amount of gore.
• The Devil’s Backbone (2001) - Directed by Guillermo del Toro and set during the Spanish Civil War, The Devil’s Backbone combines a ghost story in an old orphanage with the search for a hidden cache of gold. Alternately tender and terrifying, the film takes an honest look at the horrors of war and the resulting brutality through the eyes of an innocent child, something that would later be touched upon in del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.
• Pieces (1982) - Shot in Spain and set in Boston, this multi-national production has achieved cult status thanks to buckets and buckets of gore. A killer is on the loose at a college campus, dispatching young women left and right in order to complete a deranged jigsaw puzzle of female flesh. Genre vet Christopher George stars as a cop intent on bringing the madman to justice, and the script was written by Italian filmmaker Joe D’Amato. A must-see for fans of the slasher genre.
• Night of the Seagulls (1975) - The fourth and final film in Amando de Ossorio’s Blind Dead series, Night of the Seagulls follows a doctor and his wife as they move into an isolated coastal town. The locals are less than welcoming, and the doctor eventually learns of the town’s terrifying secret: every seven years, blind knights will ride out of the sea to claim virgins to sacrifice. The heroic couple tries to save the young women, leading them to confront an ancient host of evil. While not the best of the series, it does provide a fitting end to an enjoyable franchise.
• The Blood Spattered Bride (1972) - Based on the vampire story Carmilla, this erotic tale follows a newly-married couple as they attempt to resist the temptations of an ancient vampiress (Alexandra Bastedo). The young wife (Maribel Martin) is specifically targeted, succumbing to the lesbian charms of the immortal undead. If you’re looking for a steamy example of Spanish horror films, put this one at the top of your list.

When you’re ready to give Spanish horror films a try, check out local retailers such as Eerie Books (in beautiful Wylie, Texas). If they don’t have what you’re looking for, then there are always online options such as Amazon and Netflix.