Sorry for the lack of special last week but you know, life gets in the way. Anyway the rules for this list is simple. I'm counting down my top underrated Halloween movies. To be considered for this list the film must have a rating under 7 on IMdB, be rated "R" in the United States and take place during Halloween or have Halloween themes (monsters, murders, etc.) On to the list!
10. Halloween (2007)
IMDb rating: 6.1
Synopsis: After being committed for 17 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, escapes from the mental institution (where he was committed as a 10 year old) and he immediately returns to Haddonfield, where he wants to find his baby sister, Laurie. Anyone who crosses his path is in mortal danger.
Why? Rob Zombie's Halloween remake was remarkable, especially considering how garbage the Halloween franchise has become. Unfortunately for Rob and Michael they made one movie too many when they did a sequel... It was awful. Never watch it.
9. Idle Hands (1999)
IMDb rating: 6.2
Synopsis: A teenage slacker's right hand becomes possessed with murderous intent.
Why? What more is there to say about Idle Hands? It's good campy fun and most of the actors (Seth Green, Jessica Alba, Elden Henson) have gone on to do bigger and better things, Devon Sawa basically was on his downturn at this point but he was still able to kick off the Final Destination series the next year and played Eminem obsessed fan Stan in the music video of the same name but unfortunately when he stopped being a cute kid/teen people stopped caring. Good thing we will always have Idle Hands.
8. Pulse (2006)
IMDb rating: 4.7
Synopsis: When their computer hacker friend accidentally channels a mysterious wireless signal, a group of co-eds rally to stop a terrifying evil from taking over the world.
Why? This was Kristen Bell's first leading role after breaking out as Veronica Mars. It's a pretty bad horror movie but seeing so many character actors I love I can't help but look fondly on it. They even spoofed it in Forgetting Sarah Marshall where Sarah Marshall (also played by Kristen Bell) is hounded for taking a shitty role in a shitty movie that made no sense to seperate herself from her immensely popular TV character.
7. My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)
IMDb rating: 5.5
Synopsis: Tom returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a homecoming, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the murders, and it seems like his old flame is the only one that believes he's innocent.
Why? I'm not sure why this movie has such a low rating... It's quite excellent but the reality is this film was one of the first non-children movies to be shot in 3D so maybe that's the problem. Either way Jensen Ackles needs more theatrical film roles as this was his last, though I guess he's pretty busy getting paid a buttload of money on Supernatural.
6. 30 Days Of Night (2007)
IMDb rating: 6.6
Synopsis: After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.
Why? I'm pretty sure this is the first horror movie I ever seen that I actually enjoyed. Maybe it was because I was finally old enough to appreciate it, or maybe it was Ben Foster's creepy turn as "The Stranger" at the beginning but seeing Josh Hartnett and friends fight a group of vampires in Alaska when it's dark for a month is just awesome.
5. Fright Night (2011)
IMDb rating: 6.4
Synopsis: A teenager suspects that his new neighbor is a vampire.
Why? R.I.P. Anton Yelchin... Charlie Bartlett and Alpha Dog aside this is my favourite Anton Yelchin performance. Colin Farrell plays his enemy quite well as the attractive yet mysterious neighbour that moonlights as a vampire. Throw in some supporting roles for David Tenant and McLovin' himself and this dark comedy can scare you as well as make you laugh.
4. Evil Dead (2013)
IMDb rating: 6.5
Synopsis: Five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.
Why? It's frightening, it's gory, it's all the fun of the original with extra helpings of fake blood and scares. Sure they may have dropped the ball on a Bruce Campbell cameo but it kept everything that was great about the original, modernized it, and then made it better. For whatever reason though some people disliked it allowing it to get on this list. But not only did it get here, it's the highest rated single film.
3. Resident Evil Franchise
IMDb rating: 6.7 (1), 6.2 (2), 6.3 (3), 5.9 (4), 5.4 (5)
Synopsis: 1 - A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident. 2 - Alice awakes in Raccoon City, only to find it has become infested with zombies and monsters. With the help of Jill Valentine and Carlos Olivera, Alice must find a way out of the city before it is destroyed by a nuclear missile. 3 - Survivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice joins the caravan and their fight against the evil Umbrella Corp. 4 - While still out to destroy the evil Umbrella Corporation, Alice joins a group of survivors living in a prison surrounded by the infected who also want to relocate to the mysterious but supposedly unharmed safe haven known only as Arcadia. 5 - Alice fights alongside a resistance movement to regain her freedom from an Umbrella Corporation testing facility.
Why? Zombies, bad ass female protagonists, practical effects, great action sequences. What else could you want? Hmmm yeah I guess a coherent plot would be nice but I mean c'mon what do you expect when the most well known director (Paul W.S. Anderson - 1, 4 and 5) is bets known for Death Race and Mortal Kombat outside of the RE films. Beggars can't be choosers folks and Resident Evil, all 5 films have been good solid popcorn flicks that most can get enjoyment from.
2. Scream 2+
IMDb rating: 6.1 (2), 5.5 (3), 6.2 (4)
Synopsis: 2 - Two years after the first series of murders, a new psychopath dons the Ghostface costume and a new string of killings begins. 3 - While Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, a new Ghostface begins to terrorize them once again. 4 - Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.
Why? The Ghostface killer is back! The success of Scream brought along a sequel which made fun of the sequels in the genre, the third did the same for trilogy films before waiting a decade and doing a reboot as #4 which as you guessed it made fun of reboots. Scream almost takes the top spot but the fall off between 1 and the sequels (except four) were too great compared to our #1 choice.
1. Underworld 2+
IMDb rating: 6.8 (2), 6.6 (3), 6.4 (4)
Synopsis: 2 - Picking up directly from the previous film, vampire warrior Selene and the half werewolf Michael hunt for clues to reveal the history of their races and the war between them. 3 - An origins story centered on the centuries-old feud between the race of aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. 4 - When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrior Selene leads the battle against humankind.
Why? Kate Beckinsale is awesome as Selene kicks ass in the name of vengeance, love and whatever else she sees fit. As a death dealer with a host of problems she always solved them by chewing bubblegum and causing pain... and she's fresh out of gum. Although the first didn't make the cut with a 7 rating on IMDb the others are almost as entertaining and deserving of the number one spot on this list.
