I don't know where you are but where I am, a heat wave has begun
looming over my city. To honor these back sweat-inducing temperatures,
this week's list is all about putting audiences in the summer mood. You know
the feeling; warm and lazy, ready to lounge in a lake or by a pool and most
certainly not prepared to be attacked by a killer or alien creatures. Certain
horror movies definitely carry with it, a summery identity that can't be
shaken. This list, will *spoiler* feature classic movies at summer camps and
some modern, out-there choices (see number 10), so without further ado, here
are the top 10 movies to put you in a summer mood:
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| (imdb.com) |
Thirst is a completely
selfish pick to kick off this list. In no way is the film an amazing movie.
With flaws flying out of every aspect, Thirst is filled to the
brim with mediocrity even if it does have its worthwhile aspects (as seen
in my recent Overlook article). But, what Thirst did succeed in doing
was putting me in a summer mood. Maybe it's the retro troubled-teens-at-camp
storyline or the hot desert plateaus, or even the campy low-brow special
effects, but Thirst made me feel like barbequing. It's got none of the
glitz and glam of better horror movies and all of the overused horror tropes,
but through-and-through it was effective in keeping me entertained and
preparing me for a heat wave.
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| (imdb.com) |
Like other summer camp films that inevitably made this list
(come back tomorrow), The Final Girls features everything that makes the
summer feel like summer. Shorts, lakes and the slasher tropes of ole, But, what
makes The Final Girls worthy of being included on this list is its
conveyance of warmth and its on-the-nose comedy that propels it. Every scene of
this film is tinged with softer warm coloring and that, paired with some truly
funny moments, make it feel like a summer welcoming parade.
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| (imdb.com) |
See No Evil makes
this list for nearly identical reasons to Thirst. Entirely selfish in its
choosing, See No Evil is reminiscent of those summer mornings where
friends and I would wake up from nights of campfires and movie binges and watch
whatever half-baked horror film was on Chiller Network. See No Evil is a
relatively simplistic slasher and does offer some scarier parts as well as some
pretty ridiculous scenarios. It never attempts to exceed expectations and is a
truly easy watch. Scenes in the beginning where Kane's character visits a suburban
neighborhood additionally apply the summery feeling this movie left me. So, say
what you want, but anyone who had Chiller and watched it frequently on their
off months, would recognize this film as deserving.
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| (imdb.com) |
Zombeavers leans
heavily on camp comedy more than horror, but it's placement on this list is
nonetheless necessary. Like many summer horror films, Zombeavers takes
place at a cabin on a lake filled with young adults unaware as to what's about
to unravel before their eyes. It's the type of movie that is acknowledging bad,
but done so with such intention that it's funny. It's a warm and light-hearted
romp that'll be sure to win over genre-blend haters and horror fans alike, and
similar to The Final Girls, its ability to capitalize on a feeling of
warm is commendable.
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| (imdb.com) |
Maybe I'm simply in the mood to rewatch Wrong Turn, but
the love for it on this blog recently is definitely becoming too blatant. There
is just something so lovable about this horror movie, especially given that it
was one of my first forays into the genre, Wrong Turn is like so many
other horror films on this list; a group of friends go on vacation and meet
trouble. Simple enough? It is, and the resulting film is a pretty easy watch.
It's the type of movie that blatantly rips off other cannibal films but backs
it with enough entertainment to be watchable. Wrong Turn gets a lot of
flak, but for all its ridiculousness, it is pretty fun and sometimes even,
scary.
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