Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

After the failure of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), which departed from the formula, this sequel -- arguably the second best of the entire series -- brought things back on track again. Ten years after the events of the first Halloween (1978), Michael Myers is -- for some reason -- transferred to a new prison. He is, of course, picked up in the middle of the night in a rainstorm. He escapes and makes his way back to Haddonfield, hoping to find and kill his niece, Jamie (Danielle Harris), the daughter of Laurie Strode. Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) -- now with a hideous scar on his face -- pursues him all the way. read more...

Search for streaming:

• Stalked/Terrorized ▶ Yes please
• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please
• Theater of Blood ▶ Make me cringe

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

While Halloween 4 rebooted this slasher series, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers more or less dragged it back down again. It was microwaved into theaters exactly a year after the previous one, taking place exactly a year later in the storyline. It's officially the lowest-grossing film of the series (which currently stands at ten films), although it's arguable whether fans would call it the absolute worst. It still has some good things going for it. read more...

Search for streaming:

• Stalked/Terrorized ▶ Yes please
• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please
• Theater of Blood ▶ Make me cringe

Curse of Chucky (2013)

I know it's hard to believe, but this sixth movie in the Child's Play/Chucky slasher series is actually surprisingly well made. (It has an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.) Don Mancini, who wrote the screenplay for the original Child's Play (1988), takes on directing duties and brings the series back to its roots. Brad Dourif returns as the voice of the killer doll, Chucky, as well as appearing as a human in flashbacks (he used black magic to transfer his soul to the doll). Dourif's daughter Fiona takes the lead as the wheelchair-bound Nica; Chucky kills Nica's mom, bringing Nica's no-good sister (Danielle Bisutti) and her family around, hoping to potentially sell the huge family house that Nica lives in. read more...

Search for streaming:

• Stalked/Terrorized ▶ Yes please
• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please
• Theater of Blood ▶ Make me cringe

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

This was the most trying of all the Friday the 13th movies, even for die-hard fans. First up is a case of false advertising. Jason doesn't "take" Manhattan, or even get there, until the final 20 minutes of the movie. (Although, it must be said, that those final 20 minutes can be pretty cool.) Apparently, writer/director Rob Hedden actually did plan a movie that was mainly set in Manhattan, but Paramount balked and attempted to cut corners. Their efforts resulted in the second lowest-grossing film of the twelve-film series (as of 2013). read more...

Search for streaming:

• Stalked/Terrorized ▶ Yes please
• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please
• Theater of Blood ▶ Make me cringe

Creepshow (1982)

George A. Romero's horror is mainly rooted in the human condition, with human behavior, fears, needs and desires at the forefront. So it only makes sense that he would have been attracted to the old EC horror comics, with their strange moral messages at the end of every grisly tale. After an attempt to film Stephen King's "The Stand" for the big screen failed, Romero and King instead teamed up for this film, a five-story anthology inspired by and modeled after those old comics. King wrote the original screenplay, though two of the stories ("The Crate" and "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill") were originally published elsewhere. I saw Creepshow many times as a kid on cable TV, and I enjoyed it again today. read more...

Search for streaming:

• Stalked/Terrorized ▶ Yes please
• Viewed as Monsters ▶ Yes please
• Theater of Blood ▶ Make me cringe