Horror fans rejoice, the
Hello Darkness Horror Film Festival is here! We need no longer scour the dark depths of our local video stores for quality entertainment. The day has come to celebrate the darkest and scariest of all movie genres and present to the general viewing audience the best that recent horror has produced.
There is nothing quite like being scared to within an inch of your sanity by a film. Horror has always been one of the hardest genres to do successfully, but for some bizarre reason any hack with a camera seems to think they are capable of doing it. When done correctly it can terrify you in ways you never imagined and stay with you for days. The time has come to celebrate all that is great in the world of horror.
Starting on the 26
th of October and fittingly finishing on Halloween, the inaugural festival has chosen films that fit this year’s theme “Survival of the fittest”. To make the process easier we have chosen the highlights of the festival. Whether you like horror or not, these films are of such high quality you owe it to yourself to watch them.
Let the right one in (2008)
Plot: A fragile, anxious boy, 12-year-old Oskar is regularly bullied by his stronger classmates but never strikes back. The lonely boy's wish for a friend seems to come true when he meets Eli, also 12, who moves in next door to him with her father. A pale, serious young girl, she only comes out at night and doesn't seem affected by the freezing temperatures.
Why you should see it: Ignore the
Twilight hoopla, this is the greatest vampire film in recent memory, possibly all time. It is as beautiful and touching as a horror movie can get thanks to an amazing script and a subtlety almost unheard of in the genre. Highly recommended.
Paranormal Activity (2009)
Plot: After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.
Why you should see it: The buzz is so high with this one horror fans are morally obliged to see it. Everyone else watch the trailer and decide for yourself whether you can cope.
(You can view the
Paranormal Activity movie trailer here on TheVine).
Haute Tension (2003)
Plot: Two college friends, Marie and Alexa, encounter loads of trouble (and blood) while on vacation at Alexa’s parents’ country home when a mysterious killer invades their quiet getaway.
Why you should see it: An excellent French horror film
that
combines a great plot with unbearable suspense. A raw and brutal experience that you will not soon forget.
The Last House on the Left (2009)
Plot: Masters of horror Wes Craven and Sean Cunningham revisit their landmark film that launched Craven’s directing career and influenced decades of horror films to follow: The Last House on the Left. Bringing one of the most notorious thrillers of all time to a new generation, they produce the story that explores how far two ordinary people will go to exact revenge on the sociopaths who harmed their child.
Why you should see it: A remake that doesn’t suck for once. The movie is a very difficult one to sit through and will test even the more seasoned horror fans. There are no monsters, aliens or vampires and it is the human element that makes it so shocking.