31 Movies of Halloween Challenge
There are only 17 days until Halloween! How many movies have you watched during the 31 Movies of Halloween Challenge? This week we are talking about 1990’s horror movies. The 90’s were not kind to the genre. A lot of crud was made. So much so, it was a struggle to make this list! We succeeded, however, so check it out below.
What Made 1990’s Horror Movies So Good & Bad
The 90’s were obsessed with Vampires and Stephen King. Most of the Stephen King adaptations were utter crap. The vampire movies were hit and miss. Franchises turned into complete money grabs. Movie after movie was quickly churned out. People became tired of seeing the same old monsters, killing the same but younger teen counsellors. In essentially what was the same but less bloody setting. The creations we were once terrified of became less scary. An attempt was made to make our killers more funny with each movie. It most cases it did not work.
That being said, Hannibal Lector the soft-spoken, well-educated cannibal brought us a new kind of monster. Kevin Williamson wrote smart, 4th wall breaking horrors. Peter Jackson gave us gory B-movies until he moved into the big leagues with Lord of the Rings.
Our Must Watch List of 1990’s Horror Movies
So to help you pick movies to watch during our 31 Movies of Halloween Challenge, here is 31 films from the Nineties we’d recommend you give a try. We have sorted this list alphabetically to try and be as unbiased as possible!
1. Anaconda
Even big movie stars need to start somewhere. In Jennifer Lopez’s case, she needed to fight a giant Anaconda!
The plot: “A “National Geographic” film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who forces them along on his quest to capture the world’s largest – and deadliest – snake..”
2. Army of Darkness
What’s better than one Bruce Campbell? A whole army of mini evil Bruce Campbells. even if they are evil.
The plot: “A man is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home..”
3. Blade
Wesley Snipes best movie, next to Demolition Man. While the SFX may not hold up today, it’s a still a fun horror action movie with a great soundtrack. We love that club scene!
The plot: “A half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires..”
4. Braindead / Dead Alive
Peter Jackson makes possibly the goriest slapstick zombie comedy ever.
The plot: “A young man’s mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends, and neighbours.”
5. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
You could argue that this is style over substance. However, it’s great to see a non-campy version of Dracula on the big screen. Gary Oldman puts a tragic spin on the original Vampire which makes this worth watching.
The plot: “The centuries-old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land..”
6. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
We’ll be honest. This is almost a terrible movie. It is, however, worth watching, as it led to us getting the beloved TV show, which also featured throwbacks to this movie! Ben Affleck, Hillary Swank and Seth Green had small roles in this too.
The plot: “A flighty teenage girl learns that she is her generation’s destined battler of vampires..”
7. Candyman
We still can’t look at a mirror at Midnight and not think of saying his name 3 times.
The plot: “The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a sceptic grad student researching the monster’s myth.”
8. Cube
A claustrophobic sci-fi horror movie, filled with murder puzzles. If you like Saw you should like this!
The plot: “6 complete strangers of widely varying personality characteristics are involuntarily placed in an endless maze containing deadly traps..”
9. Event Horizon
Next, to Alien, this is the greatest horror movie set in space. Prepare to be shocked and horrified.
The plot: “A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned…with someone or something new on-board.”
10. From Dusk till Dawn
This is what happens when Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino make a vampire movie.
The plot: “Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results..”
11. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Lighter and funnier in tone than Gremlins, it features mutated versions of the little Hellions such as the Spider-Gremlin.
The plot: “The Gremlins are back, and this time, they’ve taken control of a New York media mogul’s high-tech skyscraper..”
12. I Know What You Did Last Summer
It has corny dialogue. It’s dated. But it’s still so much fun to watch a bunch of whiny teens get their comeuppance. It’s a classic reflection of the 90’s.
The plot: “Four young friends bound by a tragic accident are reunited when they find themselves being stalked by a hook-wielding maniac in their small seaside town..”
13. Idle Hands
Zombie hands and Seth Green. Just watch it.
The plot: “A teenage slacker’s right hand becomes possessed with murderous intent.”
14. In the Mouth of Madness
Sam Neill had the weird psychological horror genre in the bag in the 90’s. Team this with Event Horizon for a nice double bill.
The plot: “An insurance investigator begins discovering that the impact a horror writer’s books have on his fans is more than inspirational.”
15. Interview with the Vampire
We didn’t think Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt could pull this off. We were wrong. Vampires were big in the 90’s!
The plot: “A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger..”
16. IT
While we loved the new take on IT, this 1990 movie mini-series terrorised us as a kid. We still have nightmares of Tim Curry’s Pennywise sliding out from under our bed during a full moon!
The plot: “In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.”
17. Leprechaun
Man, this is an awful movie. But in some way, it’s so bad, that its good!
The plot: “An evil, sadistic Leprechaun goes on a killing rampage in search of his beloved pot of gold..”
18. Mimic
Guillermo del Toro gives us a movie featuring his usual brooding atmosphere. And giant insects.
The plot: “Three years ago, entomologist Dr Susan Tyler genetically created an insect to kill cockroaches carrying a virulent disease. Now, the insects are out to destroy their only predator, mankind..”
19. Misery
Before Kathy Bates was creepy in American Horror Story, she was completely unhinged as a superfan in Misery.
The plot: “After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse..”
20. Night of the Living Dead
Tom Savini updates George A Romero’s 1968 classic. A solid remake, that adds layers to the characters of Ben and Barbara. He also throws in his own brand of special bloody effects.
The plot: “The unburied dead return to life and seek human victims..”
21. Nightbreed
This is a weird movie, that’s worth watching just because of its creature effects and weirdness.
The plot: “A troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of friendly monsters are hiding from humanity. Meanwhile, a sadistic serial killer is looking for a patsy..”
22. Scream
A smart slasher movie, that combines humour with knowledge of movie cliches and horror perfectly. The opening scene is jarring.
The plot: “A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game..”
23. The Blair Witch
Marketed as being a true story, this is the film that kick-started the found footage genre.
The plot: “Three film students vanish after travelling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind..”
24. The Craft
A 90’s take on teen witches and outcasts. While not terrifying, it is a solid Halloween classic.
The plot: “A newcomer to a Catholic prep high school falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft, and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who anger them..”
25. The Faculty
This is so much fun. Good creature effects, good performances and a good story.
The plot: “Students suspect that their teachers are aliens after bizarre occurrences..”
26. The Frighteners
Peter Jackson continues his horror run with Michael J. Fox. It is a blend of supernatural, comedy and thriller.
The plot: “After a tragic car accident kills his wife, a man discovers he can communicate with the dead to con people. However, when a demonic spirit appears, he may be the only one who can stop it from killing the living and the dead..”
27. The People Under the Stairs
Partially based on a true story, this is film treads the lines of outlandish, freaky and funny.
The plot: “Two adults and a juvenile break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children. There, they must fight for their lives..”
28. The Silence of the Lambs
Not all serial killers look like monsters. In fact, they look like you and me. They are educated and charismatic. Oh and they are cannibals.
The plot: “A young FBI cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims..”
29. The Sixth Sense
The film with THAT twist. Still a fantastic must watch.
The plot: “A boy who communicates with spirits seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist..”
30. Tremors
A fantastic creature feature, with giant sandworms facing off against Kevin Bacon.
The plot: “Natives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one..”
31. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
A creepy movie that stars Freddy Krueger as Freddy Krueger. Featuring some nice visual effects and murders, it helps redeem the franchise.
The plot: “A demonic force has chosen Freddy Krueger as its portal to the real world. Can Heather Langenkamp play the part of Nancy one last time and trap the evil trying to enter our world?.”
The Challenge
This is the end of our 1990’s horror movie list. Which movies on this list will you be watching? Tell us which ones you love, hate and will flat out refuse to watch! Make sure to tell us why too. Be sure to keep us in the loop on how you are progressing through your 31 Days of Halloween Movie Challenge.
