6. Milo (1998)
Just your typical “childhood accident gone wrong, and the kids end up growing up and moving away and hoping to get on with their lives” type of film. But wait – if that happened, then what would Milo Jeeder do? Turns out he makes sure they keep up their checkups.
Milo’s father is a gynecologist who specializes in performing abortions. The film doesn’t quite show what Milo is, but it is heavily implied that he is a clone of what could have been an original stillborn baby, because the main character points out the empty jar where he would have been housed.
Though there are some bad angles where Milo is attacking these main characters, don’t think that it lessens the movie’s suspense in the slasher category because what you don’t know can’t hurt you. What you can’t see, can’t see you. But most of all, what you thought was, actually wasn’t.
Just ask Milo.
7. Rasen (1998)
This film was one that was not Americanized by the director because… well, there was a different director, and everyone seemed to hate it for that reason. “Rasen” translates to “Spiral” in English. There are English subtitles in the film, at least. But think about it for a minute.
“Ringu” was the Japanese film about a killer videotape. You all know that one, right? As you watch what you thought was a blank, ordinary videotape, you see this disturbing woman on the screen brushing her hair in the mirror. Then the camera pans over to a random well, and then all of a sudden a long-haired chick is standing there and you think “WTF did I just watch?” And before you can try to make sense of it, the screen goes black and the phone rings giving your final lifespan of seven days.
Creepy, right? Right.
You sit there thinking, well, is that it? There has to be a sequel, right? And there was. Originally, the sequel was called “Rasen,” which, translated to English is “Spiral.” The thing you need to keep in mind here is that, similar to the original “Ju-On” films, “Ringu” was an anthology film.
“Rasen” was the original sequel to “Ringu” but everyone absolutely loathed it. Possibly because it was made by a different director, had different actors, yada, yada, yada. Right? Well, after the failed viewing of “Rasen,” the director of the first film was forced to make a second sequel that you all know is “Ringu 2,” which pushed “Rasen” into non-existence and therefore was not Americanized.
“Rasen” follows the story of the cursed videotape and the vengeance of one Sadako Yamamura. The film starts immediately where the first film ends, with a pathologist friend of Ryuji’s mourning the death of him and Reiko, who were killed by Sadako. He contemplates suicide but doesn’t go through with it; he then gets a phone call from his co-workers about the autopsy he is performing on Ryuji that day, and the film goes on from there.
Despite the negative reviews from the Japanese viewing, it makes more sense than “Ringu 2,” even with the different directors.
8. Session 9 (2001)
What you would think is an ordinary asbestos cleanup job-turned-nightmare is exactly what “Session 9” is about. With each character having their own skeletons in the closet, you would think this was just another cliched film, but after a while you see what an obsession can really do.
Gordon finds recorded tapes from a session between a doctor and what seemed like a little girl with mental instabilities, but then he hears the voice of “Simon.” Let’s just say that things get really weird.
This isn’t a film you’d want to pass on, as “Session 9” keeps you hanging in there with what the audience can’t quite seem to piece together until the end.
9. Frailty (2001)
Bill Paxton directed and starred in this film with a twist ending that M. Night Shyamalan would be proud of. The film starts out with a happy Christian family who does what any normal Christian would do: Obey God and do whatever it is they are told. Well… keep reading and you’ll see what I’m getting at.
You’d think that the whole thing is crazy. The father suddenly gets a message from God to kill all the demons on Earth as the “God’s Hand” killer, and enlists his sons to help. The older boy thinks his father is just another murderer. They follow a list of names and the audience can’t see what the father sees. It’s one of those other WTF films that we can’t quite say no to and can’t figure out why we’re still watching.
10. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Every holiday has its rules. Every rule must be followed, otherwise the spirit of that holiday will be disturbed.
This is an anthology film broken up into different stories, but the characters all have one thing in common: Sam. Sam is the spirit of Halloween; his name, short for “Samhain,” makes sure the rules are heavily enforced. From jack-o-lanterns not being extinguished until midnight, to even bigger things.
Sam is this little 10-year-old sized figure with an orange costume and a burlap sack on his head. He doesn’t speak, but wields a shiv made from his broken lollipop. The film has its typical classic monsters, but what you haven’t realized is that you don’t know what’s real and what’s not until the very end. And so, my friend, make sure you follow the rules of Halloween this year, because if you don’t, Sam will come after you.
Happy Halloween.