Another Top 10 horror films you've never heard about (2/2)

There's always some more.

France, Italy, Japan, Spain, China, Germany, India, Russia, of course the USA and Britain, ... - every nation has a film industry, and in every part of the world hidden gems of horror film are produced, and sometimes forgotten.

In no particular order, here are five more (=part two) out of another ten horror movies you've probably never heard about:

I Bury The Living (1958)

Director: Albert Band

Working at a cemetery certainly isn't for everyone. "I Bury The Living" is a simple and cheap, but incredibly well made little movie. There's not too much spectacle going on here - but what is going on is surprisingly captivating due to the clever premise, and convincing acting of the main character. There's an underlying sense of inspiration and enthusiasm in "I Bury The Living", somehow similar to "The Evil Dead" (1981), "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) and other such cult b-movies, only in a kind of minimalist way. This little psycho trip will not traumatize you for decades, but it will drag you in and give you pleasant chills like few other movies of that kind do.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051755/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Bury_the_Living

Вий (Viy) (1967)

Directors: Konstantin Yershov, Georgi Kropachyov

 

Based on the eponymous Nikolai Gogol horror novel from around 1835, this is a fantastic movie from Russia - probably the first Russian horror movie ever. The story is packed with Gogol's imagination, and spooky Russian folklore. "Viy" is a gothic movie, similar to some British Hammer studio productions, but obviously with a different background. Russia has an outstanding culture of the fine arts, and it totally shows in the film. "Viy" looks like an old painting come to life, and takes a couple of clues from drama and ballet dancing. It's partly scary, partly funny, and always perfectly executed, making it an exceptionally entertaining movie to watch.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062453/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viy_(1967_film)

 

It's Alive (1974)

Director: Larry Cohen

The tagline says you shouldn't see this film alone. Agreed - but maybe this is not a great movie for a woman expecting a child, so choose your company wisely. "It's Alive" is a dark, nasty, sad, touching, outrageous, slightly gory, and somehow hysterically grotesque low-budget shocker. It was quite a box office success when it came out, got two sequels and a remake, but is rarely seen on current best-of lists. Which is a bit surprising, because the story has actual profoundness, the casting and acting is outstanding, the "monster" couldn't be more iconic, and the way it is put on film is just brilliant. We don't wanna give you too many hints about what to expect from "It's Alive" - it's a damn fine piece of low budget filmmaking, and it's scary as hell.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071675/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_Alive_(1974_film)

Les Diaboliques (1955)

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot

 

"Les Diaboliques" was and still is highly acclaimed, often said to be the best Hitchcock movie he never made, was a box office success, got remade in 1996 in the US - and a lot of people still have never heard about it. This thriller from France goes boldly into horror territory, and has an ending you won't forget. That sounds a bit like "Psycho", which is 100 percent correct in terms of suspense, and in fact "Psycho" author Robert Bloch was a huge fan of "Les Diaboliques". But it's a very different experience - Simone Signoret's screen time alone is worth watching "Les Diaboliques", the French style and precision of the movie is just beautiful, and it has it's own original story. Briefly, it's one of the best psycho horror thrillers ever.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046911/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Diaboliques_(film)

 

Porno Holocaust (1980)

Director: Joe D'Amato

 

To finish up this list, here's the true gem among trash movie gems. There are a lot of enjoyable or maybe not so enjoyable z-movies worth a recommendation, but... well, I guess somebody just had to do it, go there, film it. The title and poster art literally say it all. It's a Joe D'Amato movie, and yes, he totally went there. The undead apparently are making efforts to reproduce. Or: is making efforts to. It's... beyond words. Mr. D'Amato certainly was a capable businessman. This is by no means a good movie, but if you're a true hardcore (no pun intended) (well - pun intended) trash horror movie geek, then you just must not miss this one.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235686/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porno_Holocaust

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Thanks for reading!

 

Click here for part 1 of this article, five more films!

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Click here for the first "Top 10 horror films you've never heard about" article

 

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