October has finally arrived. Autumn has finally begun to settle amongst the dying leaves, fading souls, and awakening monsters. But with school and other responsibilities consuming our time, it can be hard to get into a spooky spirit. And odds are that you've already seen Paranormal Activity and read at least one Stephen King novel.
Without further ado, here are the Top 5 most underrated horror mediums to help you get into the season of horror:
5. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Christopher Bond, 1973)
(Photo credit: All Around the Town Chicago)
From Broadway Musical Home: Sweeney Todd, whose real name is Benjamin Barker, uses his new alias to resume work in his barber shop above Mrs. Lovett’s struggling pie shop after being wrongfully sentenced to life imprisonment by the corrupt Judge Turpin. After swearing vengeance against the judge that tore his family apart, Todd and Lovett plot a unique plan that helps them both and leads them down a dangerous, thrilling path with deadly consequences.
Whether you prefer the classic Broadway production or Tim Burton's adaptation, Sweeney Todd still remains one of the most compelling horror musicals to date. There is never a dull moment throughout Todd and Lovett's gruesome journey. A fast-paced plot keeps the story spinning into new depths with every turn, especially since they have more than enough hell to give. Even the adolescent characters have tricks up their sleeve as they fight for survival in the show's twisted rendition of London. The songs prove the power of a complex orchestral composition, casting a suspenseful and despairing atmosphere. But what propels the show is a question that we've all asked ourselves at some point—how far would we be willing to go in order to avenge our loved ones?
Sweeney Todd is a 14+ show. The film adaptation of the same name is rated R.
4. Oculus (Intrepid Pictures, 2013)
(Photo credit: Indiewire)
From Intrepid Pictures: Haunted by the violent demise of their parents 10 years earlier, adult siblings Kaylie (Karen Gillan) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites) are now struggling to rebuild their relationship. Kaylie suspects that their antique mirror, known as the Lasser Glass, is behind the tragedy. The seemingly harmless reflections contain a malevolent, supernatural force that infects the mind of anyone who gazes into it. As Kaylie gets closer to the truth, the siblings become caught in the mirror's evil spell.
Oculus is arguably one of the most clever horror films released in recent years. Director and writer Mike Flanagan focuses on infusing the film's plot with suspense, mystery, and dread rather than irrational gore. In fact, one of the film's many strengths is its lack of unnecessary content. There's no rushed romance, random objectification, or laughable phenomena. Without intensive macabre and distracting material, viewers are forced to absorb Flanagan's disturbing reality until they are fully immersed in its plot. Watch alone at your own peril.
Oculus is rated R.
3. The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Classics, 1999)
From Amazon: Frequently imitated and widely influential, Howard Philips Lovecraft reinvented the horror genre in the 1920s, discarding ghosts and witches and instead envisioning mankind as a tiny outpost of dwindling sanity in a chaotic and malevolent universe. S. T. Joshi, Lovecraft's preeminent interpreter, presents a selection of the master's fiction, from the early tales of nightmares and madness such as "The Outsider" to the overpowering cosmic terror of "The Call of Cthulhu." More than just a collection of terrifying tales, this volume reveals the development of Lovecraft's mesmerizing narrative style and establishes him as a canonical- and visionary-American writer.
It's no secret that H. P. Lovecraft is a master of horror. While myth has been the primary source of scary stories for centuries, Lovecraft focuses on the distortion of reality. Each narrative is slightly askew but you'll have to read through the ending to figure out why. With eighteen of his tales in this copy, this collection of Lovecraft's features a broad array of his works. The odds of not being enthralled by at least one story are slim. Regardless of how many works you can stomach, this selection is bound to leave you feeling less alone on sprawling nights.
Lovecraft's work has no age restriction, but can contain heavy and disturbing material.
2. Sandman (DC Comics, 1998)
(Photo credit: Screen Rant)
From Neil Gaiman's website: A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for decades. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On the way, Morpheus encounters Lucifer and demons from Hell, the Justice League, and John Constantine, the Hellblazer.
Though Sandman is the mythical being of dreams, the comics thrust you into a world of bedazzling nightmares. Neil Gaiman crafts the brilliant tale alongside illustrators Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg's ethereal art. The masterful combination results in an engaging modern fairytale of the darkest sort. Worried the story is too high fantasy for your taste? Gaiman humanizes the gods and magic in a way that allows the reader to feel both as struck and at home as Morpheus when he escapes imprisonment. His unparalleled story-telling makes Sandman worthy of being deemed a new mythological tale.
The age rating for the Sandman comics is 17+.
1. Penny Dreadful (Showtime, 2013-2016)
(Photo credit: Showtime)
From Showtime: Some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. They are joined by a core of original characters in a complex, frightening new narrative. Penny Dreadful is a psychological thriller filled with dark mystery and suspense, where personal demons from the past can be stronger than vampires, evil spirits and immortal beasts.
Penny Dreadful is reminiscent of a lost Victorian novel with its careful symbolism, sophisticated plot, and multifaceted characters. The historical drama is spiked with creatures that lurk in every dingy corner--both literally and figuratively--and elements of dark fantasy. But what is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the show is its integration of characters from classic horror novels. Each character maintains a deeply recognizable personality despite the altered circumstances they are thrown into, to the point where their original works could easily pass as misconstrued biographies. Their interactions with the original characters of the series bridges the characters together in a way literary fanatics have perhaps dreamed of. Though the show was sadly cancelled this year, the three seasons make it easy to binge if you crave a good fright.
Penny Dreadful is rated TV-MA.
