Swedish Horror Films
March 16th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Swedish Horror Films
Swedish films are often known for combining deliberate pacing with imagery of barren landscapes, and the same holds true for many Swedish horror films. But there are always exceptions to the rule, and several of the films listed below feature styles more in keeping with their Hollywood counterparts.
If you’re a fan of Ingmar Bergman or the recent Millennium Trilogy, I suggest that you give a few of these horror movies from Sweden a try. While most wouldn’t be considered high art, they do manage to provide enough…
Norwegian Horror Films
March 15th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Norwegian Horror Films
The cinema of Norway has been around for just as long as most countries, but the nation’s small size doesn’t allow for a glut of yearly releases like their Hollywood counterparts. Despite this limitation, they’ve still managed to turn out a number of award-winning motion pictures over the decades, and the growth of the horror genre has exploded in recent years.
In the following list, I’ll discuss some of my favorite Norwegian horror films. I urge you to give these selections a try, even if you normally aren’t…
Thai Horror Films
March 14th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Casual fans may only recognize Thailand as the country that produced martial arts sensation Tony Jaa, but you’d be wise to give a few Thai horror films a try. While the Thai movie industry once lagged far behind other Asian nations in terms of quality, it’s made significant progress in recent years.
The horror genre has benefited from this greatly, as advances in both funding and technology have allowed directors to create films brimming with both atmosphere and raw terror. As with many Asian nations, the ghost story is still the…
Hong Kong Horror Films
March 9th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Hong Kong Horror Films
While movies from mainland China were heavily regulated for years (and still are on occasion), the Hong Kong film industry has thrived thanks to a more open-minded approach to artistic expression. This has led to a number of innovative motion pictures, not to mention a whole slew of excellent Hong Kong horror films. If you’re up to the challenge of trying something different, I suggest you give one of the following a look:
Ebola Syndrome (1996) - A nasty little exploitation flick from Hong Kong, Ebola Syndrome…
German Horror Films
March 8th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »German Horror Films
Since they’ve helped bring us two world wars, there’s something inherently scary about Germans to begin with. I don’t mention this to point any fingers--especially considering that those days are long gone--but only to illustrate that horrifying Nazi imagery is still alive and well in the minds of people around the globe. And since they’ve supplied us with history’s all-time great villains, it’s logical to assume that German horror films have the capacity to scare audiences without even breaking a sweat. Luckily, the movies listed below aspire to…
Dutch Horror Films
March 7th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Dutch Horror Films
Just in case there’s any confusion, the word “Dutch” refers to the Netherlands, a country bordering Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. So while our article is titled “Dutch Horror Films,” it could just as well be called “Horror Movies of the Netherlands.”
The Dutch film industry is tiny compared to those of other countries, and almost all movies rely on government funding to get made. But despite this fact, documentaries from the Netherlands have long been prized, and a number of performers--including Rutger Hauer…
Chinese Horror Films
March 6th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Chinese Horror Films
While the cinema of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan can offer differ both in content and quality, this article lumps them all together in an overarching attempt to bring you some of the best Chinese horror films in recent years. So the next time you visit Amazon or log onto Netflix or GreenCine, be sure to give these foreign chillers a look. Not only will you be surprised by the production values and overall presentation, but you may also find a whole new world of cinema opened…
Canadian Horror Films
March 5th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Canadian Horror Films
Canada has provided an endless stream of performers for Hollywood, and directors ranging from James Cameron to Norman Jewison have also migrated from the Great White North to seeks their fortunes. But not everybody leaves Canada for California, resulting in a film industry that’s turned out a number of home-grown classics. This is especially true of Canadian horror films, as visionaries such as David Cronenberg have made their mark by maintaining roots in their native land.
The following list includes a number of my favorite Canadian horror films,…
British Horror Films
March 4th, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »British Horror Films
The Brits have had a major impact on the film industry dating all the way back to the Hyde Park inventor who developed the first moving pictures on celluloid. And things have only gotten better from there, with our pals across the pond giving us such cinematic geniuses as Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, David Lean, Ridley Scott, and Michael Powell.
They’ve also contributed their fair share in the realm of nightmares, with British horror films offering up everything from high-minded psychological terror to cheeky zombie spoofs. While far…
Belgian Horror Films
March 3rd, 2011 by Shane Rivers | | No Comments »Belgian Horror Films
Belgium has brought us a number of cinematic treats over the years. For starters, there’s Belgium-born action star Jean-Claude Van Damme, a master of doing the splits and grimacing in slow-motion. Then there’s the lovely Cécile de France, an actress so hot that I’m getting a little dizzy just thinking about her short hair and tight t-shirt in 2003’s High Tension. But while that insanity-driven flick was made in France, rest assured that Belgian horror films are also alive and well. Case in point…
Calvaire (2004) - Released…