Welcome to I Have to Return Some Videotapes! Each month, film buffs Rhianna Mehta and Kevin Maguire will take you through their cinematic journeys with all of their usual insight and humour, as they take advantage of covid-induced indoor time to catch up on their favourite films and explore new ones.

After accumulating a long list of horror films to watch, we spent an entire month dedicated to those films and they did not disappoint. This might be the best class of movies we have seen yet! It has been so wonderful exploring a specific genre this month, as we were able to see themes and stylistic changes in horror films over the years. From crazed psychopath killers, to vampires, to creatures from another world – we have watched them all. We have also ranked all of the horror films we watched in September, you can find our rankings on Letterboxd: Kevin’s Ranking, Rhianna’s Ranking. We hope you enjoy this month’s recommendations on what to watch, what to skip, and what you may want to give a shot.

If you would like to connect with us further on Letterboxd, please find us at rhirhi19 and Kevin_Maguire. If you want to get a sense of our taste, some of our favourites in each genre, and the way we approach film overall, be sure to check out our appearance on The Generalists.

Monthly Favourites:

Rhianna: Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976) This is truly one of the greatest horror films of all time! The film is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. It focuses on troubled teen Carrie, who is constantly bullied at school for her odd behaviour, and is harassed by her zealous mother. As she nears closer to the end of the school year and prom, she discovers that she has telekinetic abilities, which she uses to take revenge on those who have tormented her. Brian De Palma’s Carrie was actually the first film or television adaptation of Stephen King’s work! Despite the large number of adaptations that have since been released, Carrie may still remain the best Stephen King-inspired film ever created. This was my second time watching this film, and to be honest I was not expecting much, since I did not enjoy my first viewing of the film when I watched it in high school. My perception of the film could not have been more wrong – watching this a second time really astounded me. Sissy Spacek gives a truly memorable performance as the young teen who is sheltered and ostracized from the world due to her religious mother. What really struck me with this viewing was the sadness and loneliness in Carrie. Sissy Spacek did a remarkable job of acting with her eyes, and I was truly saddened by how much cruelty this young girl endured. Along with Sissy Spacek, the film also features an amazing performance by John Travolta in his film debut. The film really focuses on the female relationships Carrie builds with her mother, bullies at school, and one teacher who tries to mentor Carrie. Brian De Palma does an incredible job of showing how complex these relationships can be, especially for such a sheltered teen. De Palma’s expertise as a director can really be seen in the film’s most iconic scene, the prom scene. He masterfully escalates an evening of a lifetime, to a night of total horror and chaos. If you love horror films, do not miss this one!

Runner-up: Braindead (Peter Jackson, 1992) Braindead, also known as Dead Alive, is non-stop gorefest directed by Peter Jackson. After Lionel’s mother is bitten by a wild rat-monkey at the zoo, she transforms into a zombie. To keep things under control, Lionel tries to keep his mother locked away in their basement, but things quickly take a turn for the worse and she starts wreaking havoc. The film straddles the line between physical comedy from the likes of Charlie Chaplin and The Three Stooges, and spine tingling, gag-inducing gore similar to films directed by John Carpenter and Sam Raimi. This bizarre mash-up was one of the most interesting and entertaining watches I have seen in a long time. This film might be hard to find (we actually went old school and took a trip to a video rental store to rent the Blu-ray), but if you can seek it out, it is well worth your time.

Kevin: Tales from the Hood (Rusty Cundieff, 1995) This film is great on so many levels. The narrative is chillingly told through several short stories to three drug dealers looking to buy drugs from funeral director Mr. Simms, played by Clarence Williams III. The stories all contain supernatural elements while engaging in themes of racism, police brutality and several other key issues we are still facing today. I think the first story was my favourite, as it really set the tone for how dark and deep this movie was going to get. It centers around a black police officer witnessing several racist white cops beating a black civil rights activist. He is visited by the spirit of the activist, who asks the now-former officer to seek revenge for his death. This short story had themes of death and vengeance reminiscent of those in Hamlet. The next story is about a little boy who is abused and must conquer his enemies through art and imagination. This one is definitely the emotional touchstone of the movie. It is never easy to watch someone go through abuse, even in a movie, and this one was no exception. The story that follows also deals with abuse but on a much larger scale. It follows a racist former KKK member who is now a senator running for governor. With so many people hurt by his actions, watching him be tormented was a pleasure. He truly got what he deserved as he was the most vile person in this entire movie! We come to one final story, and this time the drug dealers are intimately involved. This one seemed a little out of place as it was the only one that did not see a victim take their revenge. With one final twist, this movie caps off as probably the best anthology film I have ever seen. The film is very well directed by Rusty Cundieff and also has some Spike Lee vibes, who was the executive producer. Several themes from Spike Lee’s films are very well represented here. I think another huge reason I really enjoy this film is because it reminds me of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes. If you enjoy those as well, you will definitely enjoy this!

Runner-up: Scream (Wes Craven, 1996), Braindead (Peter Jackson, 1992)

Least Favorite:

Rhianna: Cabin Fever (Eli Roth, 2002) This is another film that has an interesting premise, but for me just completely fell flat. A group of college students rent a cabin in the woods, and unknowingly fall victim to a flesh-eating virus from tainted water. What I found most disappointing about this film was how reductive and stereotypical the characters were. Had the characters been a little more complex or had more interesting relationships with one another, this film might have been more enjoyable. In addition, classic horror tropes are used in this film but taken to the extreme, which completely erases any sense of impending doom and instead makes the audience realize just how silly the plot of a horror film can get. For example, when the students stop at a local gas station on their way to the cabin, they are met by a strange young boy who viciously bites one of the students. This take on the classic “harbinger” trope is taken to new levels of stupidity. Despite the dull characters and bizarre use of classic tropes, this film does have some decent gore. If you enjoy watching bad movies to see how truly bad they can get – I would recommend this film, but if you are truly interested in horror movies, I would definitely skip this one.

Runner-up: Little Nicky (Steven Brill, 2000) I would say this is closer to an 84 minute Popeye’s commercial than it is to a film. Adam Sandler plays Nicky, the youngest of the devil’s three sons. After his father has decided to continue his reign and not give up his throne, Nicky’s stronger and more powerful brothers escape to Earth and try to create a realm for themselves. It is up to Nicky to return his brothers to Hell, and reinstate balance between good and evil. The film has some of the most irritating accents I have ever heard, and the dialogue itself is not much better. The only way I can sum up how truly awful this film is through a quote delivered by Patricia Arquette, Nicky’s love interest: “I knew growing up I wasn't much to look at, so I put my energy into making things that are pretty.” Yeah, someone thought that line was a good idea. Under no circumstance would I recommend this movie to anyone.

Kevin: The Midnight Meat Train (Ryûhei Kitamura, 2008) This movie had the potential to be a great psychological thriller, but in the end became a mediocre thriller with a horror element tacked on to the end for no real reason. Even the gory death scenes were ruined with cheap CGI that appeared to be years behind in terms of quality. I am shocked this movie did not derail Bradley Cooper’s career. He plays Leon Kaufman, a photographer who is trying to make a name for himself. He begins to push the limits of how far he is willing to go for the perfect shot. When it appears that there is a serial killer targeting the subway system for his victims, Leon will stop at nothing to capture the serial killer in the act. Vinnie Jones plays the serial killer Mahogany with his usual silent brooding badass style that he does so well but too often. Neither of the main actors really stood out and the supporting cast fell flat. This movie truly went off the rails in the final act (spoilers ahead) where it is revealed that Mahogany kills people to feed them to a race of underground monsters. The movie gives you an idea that there was something more to the story when the conductor assists Mahogany in one of the killings, but the reveal just seemed so jarring and out of place that it did not match the rest of the movie’s tone. This twist comes completely out of nowhere, and really makes no sense. It would have been fine to have some sort of conspiracy surrounding the killings, but the supernatural element was absolutely the worst possible way to go. Do yourself a favour and never watch this movie.

Runner-up: Cabin Fever (Eli Roth, 2002), The Island of Dr. Moreau (John Frankenheimer, 1996)

Biggest Surprise:

Rhianna: Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000) What an incredible Canadian horror film! Considered a cult classic, Ginger Snaps follows Ginger and her gifted sister Brigette, who live in a typical suburban town and are outcasts in their high school. One evening, after experiencing her first period, Ginger is brutally attacked in the woods by a monstrous creature resembling a werewolf. After escaping and having her wounds heal almost instantly, it becomes clear that something other than puberty is affecting Ginger. One brilliant aspect of the film was the use of transforming into a werewolf as a metaphor for women going through puberty. Both transformations include physical pain, unwanted hair, and a lot of inexplicable feelings and moods. The film uses this metaphor well to satirize the teen experience and provide dark comedy. In addition to a wonderfully weird and witty screenplay, the film includes great practical effects and makeup that really emphasize Ginger’s transition. Canadian actresses Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins play Ginger and Brigette respectively, and bring to life a truly unique take on your traditional teen horror movie. This film is interesting and fun from start to finish.

Runner-up: An American Werewolf in London (John Landis, 1981) This film was the first-ever winner of the Academy Award for Best Makeup and with good reason. This is another werewolf flick that uses comedy and the werewolf transformation as a metaphor – in this film, the werewolf serves as a metaphor for “otherness”, An American Werewolf in London is a hilarious and fascinating film. The film follows two American backpackers who are attacked in the moors of England by a werewolf. From start to finish, I was interested in how out of place the two main characters were in England, and how that feeling of otherness drew attention to them, but also created a boundary in which locals were unwilling to help them when they needed it. Overall, this is a landmark in the comedy-horror genre that should not be missed.

Kevin: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014) Originally a short film, this movie became a feature length film thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. I want to thank each and every person who contributed, as they truly helped bring a beautiful film to life. I was absolutely blown away by the simplicity of this movie. The choice of filming in black and white also added to the film’s bleakness and darker tone. Written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, this film tells the story of a woman simply known as The Girl who seems to be quiet and withdrawn, spending her time listening to music and skateboarding. Little do the other people living in the Iranian town Bad City know, she is also a vampire. When she meets a man named Arash, they both feel drawn to one another. You watch as their relationship unfolds and they struggle to navigate their feelings. While the tone is very dark, you get the sense of love and true affection between the main characters. The film does not have very much dialogue, so I was very impressed with how the actors were able to convey so much emotion and character through their actions. The lack of dialogue added so much mystery and suspense. This film definitely pulls a lot of inspiration from spaghetti westerns, which to me was a bold choice for a vampire movie, but it works so well! With so many smart choices and great inspiration, I can already tell this movie will be the catalyst for future films with similar styles. It is a film to be celebrated and I definitely recommend it for anyone who is a fan of vampires and appreciates a solid indie film.

Runner-up: Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976), Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000)

Coming Attractions:

As we move into October and gear up for Halloween, we will definitely continue our horror fest. However, in between horror films we may manage to sneak in some other genre films. We tried to create strict boundaries and only watch films that were tagged with “horror” as it’s genre, but that left plenty of thrillers, mysteries, and darker dramas by the wayside. We also have purchased advanced tickets for the highly anticipated Dune, which we are eagerly awaiting and are hoping the film lives up to the hype. We are excited to share with you all of our picks for the month of October, and until then we hope you dive as deep into horror movies as we did.