#MACABRO Cinema for the Best Season of the Year

By: Casandra Vicario

Well, yes, once again we're in the best season of the year, the season of Day of the Dead and Halloween, and yes, it's true that plenty of movie lists are circulating online for this season, so of course “Macabro” couldn't be left behind — here's a selection of films we can enjoy from the comfort of our bed or couch. Are you ready?

1.- FREAKS. Directed in 1932 by Tod Browning, shortly after the success of “Dracula,” this essential black-and-white film is a must for fans of fantasy cinema. It tells the story of Hans, a person with dwarfism who inherits a great fortune; Cleopatra and Hercules try to trick him out of his money. At the time of its release, it scandalized audiences and was a total box-office failure. Later on, that would change, and now it is, without a doubt, a cult classic.

2.- CARNIVAL OF SOULS. A little-known black-and-white film that's well worth watching, directed by Herk Harvey and released in 1962. It tells the story of Mary Henry, who is in a car accident and begins experiencing “strange” events — I won't spoil the ending, so you can be surprised. It was a box-office flop on release, but in 1989 it was remastered and re-released in New York, and this time, audiences loved it.

3.- THE INVISIBLE MAN. In the opinion of the writer of this piece, one of the best films in the Universal Films monster cycle. Starring Claude Rains and directed by James Whale, it tells the story of Jack Griffin, who becomes invisible through his own experiments and seeks to regain his original appearance — the tricky part being that, as a side effect of his condition, he has become aggressive and deranged. Based on the text by H.G. Wells, I can assure you you're going to have a blast.

4.- PUMPKINGHEAD. Known in Spain as “Pacto de Sangre” and in Mexico as “El Sacristán del Diablo” (yes, really!), this is also a somewhat forgotten film that's well worth watching. It stars Lance Henriksen as Ed Harley, a father seeking revenge for his son's death, who summons a creature to help him achieve his goal. Directed by Stan Winston, who was in charge of the visual effects on “Aliens.”

5.- THE THING. John Carpenter has many high-quality films to his cinematic credit besides “Halloween,” but “The Thing” — or “La Cosa del Otro Mundo,” as it's known in Spanish — is a film you, macabre readers, need to set your eyes on. In Antarctica, a group of researchers discovers that among them is an entity from space capable of replicating any life form.

6.- JEEPERS CREEPERS, by Víctor Salva, was released in 2001 and stars Justin Long in the lead role. The Jenner siblings are driving across the United States when, along the way, they spot a mysterious “man” dumping a body down a well. Realizing he's been spotted, this character begins to chase them, kicking off their worst nightmare — both the characters and the audience are guaranteed to suffer.

7.- THE RING. The Japanese original, directed by Hideo Nakata, the one that tells the story of a cursed videotape — whoever watches it gets a phone call telling them they'll die in 3 days…After the death of her niece Tomoko, a young journalist investigates the origin of this video. In 1999, it was the film that won Best Picture at the Sitges Film Festival. If you haven't seen it, now is the perfect time.

8.- MANIAC. This is a remake of the film by Brian Lusting, now starring Elijah Wood and directed by Franck Khalfoun. It tells the story of Frank, the owner of a mannequin shop who's hiding something deeply disturbing that will soon come to light. Using subjective camera work and a phenomenal performance from Elijah Wood, this film is a true gem — you're going to suffer.

9.- HAUTE TENSION. Directed by Alexandre Aja, this film takes us by the hand on a journey into madness, sadism, and extreme gore alongside Marie, a young woman who's invited to spend a few days studying at the home of her best friend's parents… and I'll bring back a review from the Chicago Sun-Times, which at the time wrote, “The philosopher Thomas Hobbes tells us that life can be poor, nasty, brutal, and short, just like this movie.”

10.- HELLRAISER. No horror movie list is complete without a Clive Barker film, so we decided to include one of his best — “Puerta al Infierno,” as it was called in Spanish. It all revolves around a “mysterious box,” a kind of Rubik's Cube, except that once you open it, beings called Cenobites appear and take you to the most extreme pain imaginable.

Now, all you need is popcorn, a blanket, and a good lamp to light up the night in case you get scared.