HORROR CONNOISSEUR

I focus exclusively on creative and original horror movies. As a horror movie enthusiast, I've done my best to sort through and list some of the best gems I've come across over the years. This includes under-the-radar, international, indie, and big production movies that are worth your time. ‣EVERY MOVIE RECOMMENDED SO FAR (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.10"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Facebook Page Please note: I only post original content. I do not reblog other blogs or feature mega-mainstream horror franchises, e.g. Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Saw, etc.

[horrorconnoisseur]

It doesn't think. It doesn't feel. It doesn't give up.

[horrorconnoisseur]

RIP, Philippe Nahon.

He portrayed the psychotic truck driver in High Tension and had the most chilling, unnerving presence I’d seen of any slasher since Michael Myers.

[horrorconnoisseur]

LUZ

After getting into a car crash, taxi driver Luz is brought to the police station for questioning. A doctor attempts to hypnotize her and get information about the night. However, the doctor is possessed by an ancient demon that Luz summoned during her stay at a religious school back in her youth.

2019

Alright, well here's something a little different. LUZ is a German-Spanish-English-language horror film that lays out its narrative in a way that is unlike anything you've ever seen. Trust me when I say this. I think writer/director, Tilman Singer, explains this minimalist experience best: 

“LUZ is a thriller that plays with the sensory perception of the audience. I wanted to write a simple story that can only be told in a movie this way. What is complicated is how it is told, nested within diegetic flashbacks. For example, we use an additional layer of sound that adds a past reality to a present reality. The credibility of both realities is questioned at all times. The viewer attempts to answer this question of credibility and therefore has to, with sharpened senses, fully engage in image and sound.”

p.s. It’s got a great soundtrack, too! Impressive film debut...

-HC

[horrorconnoisseur]

LUZ (2019)

[horrorconnoisseur]

Really liked this short appreciation article about May.

source: shudder

[horrorconnoisseur]

Horror cinema today should take a step back.

It’s trying too hard.

Some present day movie-makers seem eager to follow what the studios have (I guess?) determined is the modern formula for ‘success’ at the box office. Paint-by-numbers-announced-scares.

Imagine a scene in a horror film that is still. 

A quiet suburban neighborhood on a cool autumn night. The soundtrack is... crickets. Not preceded by an abrupt, thunderous noise...is what is known as a jump scare. The dialogue is a conversation about the bogeyman that could literally be at the upstairs window looking down on them at that very moment.

Less is often more. There’s a sense of vulnerability, isolation, and dread that is lost when you throw in excess ‘filler’ for cheap-scares. Cheap, totally expected constant jump scares are boring. Stop. This is not what horror is. Please stop supporting these movies in theaters, you’re encouraging they make the same movie again. You know you’re walking out of there completely disappointed. Don’t kid yourself. You didn’t think The Nun or Annabelle were scary, memorable or interesting. You didn’t. Stop encouraging studios to produce this garbage.

[horrorconnoisseur]

The 2019 Results Are In

Winner: Midsommar, 44%

2nd: The Lighthouse, 13%

3rd: Ready or Not, 11%

This makes it the second year in a row that an Ari Aster film has taken the award. Hereditary won the 2018 vote. I personally think that i’ts mostly the films with the most money & distribution that continue to make top 3 every year, and that makes sense, as more people have watched them. So I may add an additional category for best under-the-radar film for next year’s vote, just to give some other deserving horror films, that perhaps could not get as much financial backing, a bit more recognition & honorary mentions.

Thank you to everyone that voted. See you next year!

[horrorconnoisseur]

DANIEL ISN’T REAL (2019)

[horrorconnoisseur]

DANIEL ISN’T REAL

Troubled college freshman Luke suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend Daniel to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him to the very edge of sanity and into a desperate struggle for control of his mind -- and his soul.

2019

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but Daniel Isn’t Real is actually quite a gem. Frankly, it left a bit of an imprint in my psyche after watching it. (Daniel was in my nightmares the first couple of nights thereafter). In much the same way Roman Polanski’s Repulsion did, Daniel Isn’t Real makes use of horror’s most effective emotional element, dread, as a way to convey what many of us can only imagine ~mental illness~ must feel like. That is...at times, lacking control over your own thoughts, visions, and actions. There are some good performances here, as well as a good drip-feed of mystery and revelations left for you to decipher along the way. Interesting one. 👌

-HC

[horrorconnoisseur]

THE BEST HORROR FILM OF 2019 Fan Vote IS HERE

It’s that time of year when we look back and decide what horror films stood out among the pack as being the best, the most memorable, and/or most original. Voting is now OPEN. Click here to see nominees. Voting ends December 28th.

🛑 Before voting:

This vote is meant for horror fans that watch horror films regularly throughout the year. If you watched only 1 or 2, please consider watching a few of the others before casting a vote. This is not simply about crowning the biggest box office hit of the year. Thank you!

If you don’t see your personal favorite of 2019, just select ‘Other’ and submit it! These will count as well.

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Winner(s) (3rd, 2nd, and 1st place) to be announced Dec 29th 💀

[horrorconnoisseur]

SWEETHEART (2019)

[horrorconnoisseur]

SWEETHEART

Jenn has washed ashore a small tropical island and it doesn't take her long to realize she's completely alone. She must spend her days not only surviving the elements, but must also fend off the malevolent force that comes out each night.

2019

I’m a sucker for a creature-feature done right! This has my vote for best horror movie of 2019. Director/Co-Writer, J.D. Dillard, is now working on the remake of The Fly.

-HC

[horrorconnoisseur]

Hello, Tumblr horror community. 

What horror films are you watching during the month of October?

I have not come across any horror films to recommend for a while (unfortunately), so I am either being too picky or am missing out on some under-the-radar/gems/international releases this year.

I was a little disappointed by Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, which I caught just last week. And that was by far the one I was MOST looking forward to this year.

[horrorconnoisseur]

Honorable Mentions in: Ontological Mystery-Horror

What is Ontological Mystery?

“The characters are locked in a strange room, may have no idea how they got there, why they're there, or how to get out, nor do they know exactly who is behind their predicament, if anyone.

There is a restricted environment in which the characters find themselves, with the goal of mastering it, revealing its secrets, and eventually escaping" - TV Tropes (Pop-Culture Wiki)

So with this in mind, here are a few I’ve recently watched and enjoyed that fall under this category. And although flawed in one way or another, they have some genuinely unique story elements.

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1. ESCAPE ROOM (2019) Trailer

Six strangers find themselves in a maze of deadly mystery rooms and must use their wits to survive.

(The headline's actually “Five Burn Alive”, but yes, this is in fact eerily TRUE.) 

This movie is actually pretty fun. Some poor acting aside, the plot trots along at a good pace. You simply need to keep up with everything that is happening, much like the characters have to do in order to survive. It’s suspense, done well.

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 2. CIRCLE (2015) Trailer

Held captive and faced with their imminent executions, 50 strangers are forced to choose the one person among them who deserves to live.

Again, some poor performances aside...this is an interesting, anxiety-inducing “thought experiment”. How do you convince complete strangers that do not know you, or in any way CARE about you, to spare your life over their own? It’s Left vs. Center vs. Right vs. whomever or whatever has put them here in the first place.

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3. CHANNEL ZERO (Season 2): NO-END HOUSE (2017) Trailer

A college student is challenged by her friends into entering No-End House, an infamous attraction containing six different rooms, each more terrifying than the last.

In my opinion, No-End House is Channel Zero’s best stand-alone season to date. It’s exceptionally original and intense/heavy on dread. I binge-watched this 6-episode season over the course of two nights. Though a bit sappy at times, the darker content more than makes up for it. Beware the cannibals ;) 

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[horrorconnoisseur]

BLOOD VESSEL (2019)

Near the end of World War II, the survivors of a torpedoed hospital ship cling to life aboard a crowded lifeboat. With no food, water, or shelter, all seems lost – until an eerily silent German minesweeper drifts ominously towards them, giving them one last chance at survival. As our motley crew explores the ship, it becomes all too clear that some diabolical fate has befallen its German crew. The mystery only deepens when they encounter a young Romanian girl, apparently the sole survivor, who leads them to a locked room in the bowels of the vessel.

Gotta love horror on the high seas! Excited to check out the premiere of this new Aussie horror flick at Monster Fest 2019 in October.

'Tis the season!  🎃

-HC

[horrorconnoisseur]

Have you seen a movie called May? If so, what are your thoughts on the movie?

Yes, in fact it was one of the first movies I ever recommended on this blog back in 2010. I still consider Angela Bettis’ performance in May to be one of the most authentically gripping performances I’ve ever seen in a horror film. There is some real depth to that character and in the story itself, which after more than 15 years, still holds up as quite original. You could watch May for the very first time today & still not have many other films to reference and say it’s similar to.

[horrorconnoisseur]

Thank you New York Times for reminding horror fans that John Carpenter simply co-wrote Halloween. Gotta give credit where credit is due. Overlooked article

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