10 Modern Horror Films With Awesome Practical Effects
Matt Molgaard
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Jeepers Creepers: Like Exists, the practical beauty of Jeepers Creepers comes – for the most part – from the titular Creeper. He’s a perfectly pieced together monstrosity that has tricks up his scaly skin and a hunger for human flesh. Director Victor Salva capitalizes on genius lighting techniques to enhance the effect of his monster, and these days most love it enough to brand it a modern day classic.
Hell Fire: There’s no doubt that Hell Fire is the “cheapest” of the pics to land on this list. It’s a micro film through and through, and for a few minutes it really feels like it. And then a sudden shift slaps viewers in the face, and some wildly spirited practical work shocks the shit right out of us. It’s doubtful that any of us are foreign to jolting genre fare, but the ambitious little pictures that pull off the unexpected still stand as welcomed surprises. Marc Fratto has a small but impressive film on his hands, and if you haven’t caught it yet, you’re missing out.
John Dies at the End: Once again Robert Kurtzman comes through to liven up the party. John Dies at the End is an awesome adaptation of the equally awesome David Wong novel of the same name. It’s packed full of strange and psychadelic imagery, including a handful of head-turning beasts put together by Kurtzman himself. Iconic horror stud Don Coscarelli directs this one, and it just so happens to be one of his finest.
Altered: Another Eduardo Sanchez production makes the list based on the simple fact that not only are the special effects awesome and hand-crafted, the movie as a whole is a genuine sleeper. It’s a damn entertaining alien/monster flick with a heap of tension, a disconcerting antagonist and even some entrails to chew on. If you’re eager to see what Sanchez can do when not focused on the found footage model, this is the selection for you.
