When was the last time you checked out the horror section of your video store? Really checked it out?
If you have recently, you probably found something, er, disarming about all those fright flicks taking up space on the shelves.
You've probably never heard of most of them.
But there are certain trends that you have noticed. Like a batch of movie's titles that end with "ing." There's "The Burning," "The Nesting," "The Awakening," "The Shining."
Of course, you can't forget the movies with various body parts in their titles, like "Eyeball," "Hands of the Ripper," "Scalps" and the ever- popular "The Brain." What's next?, you ask: "The Killer Ingrown Toenail from Pluto"?
Ergh.
What's a horror fan to do, especially with Halloween just around the corner?
We suggest you look at this guide to the best horror offerings available on videocassette. It will help you separate the slashers and the schlock from the chillers and the thrillers.
Best Haunted House Movie: It's still "The Haunting," Robert Wise's 1963 adaptation of Shirley Jackson's book, "The Haunting of Hill House." Doors pound, walls talk and invisible children wail like wolves as a group of psychic researchers spend a terrifying night in a New England mansion that may be inhabited by spirits.
Best Giant Japanese Monster Movie: "Mothra,"the rip-roaring story of a giant caterpillar that spins a cocoon, turns into a giant moth and destroys some of the nicer buildings and subway stations in Japan. What really makes this movie a must-see is the appearance of the miniature twin princesses who happen to be friends of Mothra. Their screechy singing about Momma Moth is something to experience.
Best Giant American Monster Movie, at least in recent years, is "Q," a campy homage to Japanese monstermania. A winged-bird/serpent - or whatever - terrorizes New York City, attacking sunbathers and turning the police force upside down. Only sleazy ex-con Michael Moriarty knows that Big Bird is hiding in the Chrysler Building. Tacky special effects, great berserko dialogue and a manic Moriarty performance.
Best Icky Creature Movie: "Squirm," a frightening tale about worms gone wild. An electrical storm brings out the worst in these chattering, slimy critters, who happen to have deadly bicuspids. They take over a Southern town and cause all sorts of trouble. There's a classic line when the hero notifies the waitress something is in his drink: "Pardon me, but there's a worm in my egg cream," he says.
