10 Lesser Known Horror Movies To Scare You On Halloween

With Halloween quickly approaching, here's ten lesser known horror films to help ya get in the mood. One is listed in each horror subgenre. I didnt include any vampires, zombies or witches-- since they've been mentioned many times before. Have recommendations of your own? Please let me know in the comments below.

Revenge
"The Last House On The Left"- There are two movies with this title-- Wes Craven's 1972 original (this was his first film) and a 1999 remake. The original was banned in many countries (including the UK and Australia) due to it's graphic violence. I would recommend watching both films. There are significant differences between the two (which I wont give away here). Criticism: I dont understand why the scenes with the two police officers was added in the earlier film. This really took the audience away from the main story. You have a torture porn movie that has some slapstick comedy scenes throw in the middle? Very strange.

Why I Like It- Instead of employing the typical "final girl" trope, "Last House" leaves it to the parents to seek revenge-- and boy do they ever.

Where Can I Watch It? The 2009 version is currently available on HBO. The 1972 version is available on Amazon Prime for a fee.

Found Footage
"Hell House LLC"- I'm typically not a fan of found footage movies but I enjoyed "Hell House LLC". The story is of five friends working together to open a haunted house. Of course, things dont go as expected.

Why I Like It- Most of this movie is set inside an old hotel (which makes it even spookier). Pay special attention to what's happening in the background. Several spirits appear while the protagonist is speaking to the camera. Too bad he didnt notice and got the hell out of there while he could.

Where Can I Watch It? The film is currently available on Amazon Prime.

Survival & Home Invasion
"The Strangers: Prey At Night"- This sequel to "The Strangers" was released some ten years after the original. I gotta say, I like the sequel better. It moves from a claustrophobic house to a deserted mobile home park. The new family is also more sympathetic than the couple from Movie 1.

Why I Like It- There are several great fight scenes-- including a knife fight in a pool and a girl being chased by a flaming truck. The randomness of the acts adds to the chills. There's really no reason why the trio is trying to kill this family-- other than they're just there.

Where Can I Watch It? Currently available on Amazon Prime.

Haunted House
"The Haunting"- With all the fanfare about NetFlix's excellent "The Haunting Of Hill House", check out the two earlier movies based on Shirley Jackson's book. The first is from 1963 and stars Julie Harris and Claire Bloom. The second is from 1999 and stars Lili Taylor, Liam Neeson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. This is not to be confused with "The House on Haunted Hill". The 1959 version stars Vincent Price. The 1999 version stars Geoffrey Rush and Famke Jenssen. All these similar titles are hard to keep up with.

Why I LIke It- It's interesting to see what aspects of the book each of the three adaptations chooses to highlight. And yes, the NetFlix series is very different but I'm still loving it.

Where Can I Watch It? Currently available on Amazon Prime (for a fee).

Movie Monsters
"The Host"- This 2006 Korean film from Bon Joon-ho is well worth a watch. A menacing monster grabs a little girl (with his giant tail no less). Her family must put aside their differences to save her. "The Host" is a bit campy at times but that makes it all the more loveable.

Why I Like It- It's a hard to explain the movie's monster but wait till you see it terrorize innocent picnicers. It's part fish, part monkey, part bat, part I-don't-know-what. And it's also one of the most delightful monsters in cinema history IMHO.

Where Can I Watch It? Currently available on Hulu and Amazon Prime (for a fee). "The Host" is in Korean with English subtitles.

Paranormal
"The Haunting In Connecticut"- The Campbell family must move closer to where there son is getting cancer treatments. Too bad the only house available in their price range turns out to be an old mortuary. Uh oh. There is a sequel (Georgia) and a third (Long Island) in the works. See also a documentary about the supposed "true happenings" here

Why I Like It- Virginia Madsen and the rest of the cast really sell it as a terrorized family. The basement scenes are particularly haunting.

Where Can I Watch It? Currently available on Hulu and Amazon Prime.

Slasher
"Sleepaway Camp"- This 1983 slasher movie is often overlooked due to it's more prestigious cousin "Friday The 13th". It's still a lot of fun though and has become a cult classic. Both involves kids at summer camps. Don't waste your time on the "Sleepaway"sequels. The original is by far the best.

Why I Like It- "Sleepaway Camp" has one of the most shocking endings in movies. Don't spoil it for your friends. Make them watch the film to find out for themselves.

Where Can I Watch It? Currently available on Amazon Prime.

Horror Comedy
"Tucker and Dale Vs Evil"- Don't get this 2010 movie confused with IFC's "Stan Against Evil". It is also delightfully fun but they're two different entities.

Why I Like It- "T&DvE" is reversal of the typical evil hillbilly stereotype. Dale and Tucker (Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk) are just minding their own business when a group of overzealous college kids find them. The kids are sure they're killers. Tucker and Dale are just trying to fix up their summer home (ie a run down cabin that a serial killer once owned).

Where Can I Watch It? Currently available on Hulu.

Evil Children
"Orphan"- Horror movies has no shortage of evil kids. There's Damian from "The Omen", Issac from "Children Of The Corn" and Reagan from "The Exorcist" (to name just a few). Esther from 2009's "Orphan" has a few interesting tricks up her sleeve.

Why I Like It- Esther is delightfully evil. That she tortures poor adoptive mother Vera Farmiga (of "The Conjuring" and "Bates Motel" fame) is an added bonus.

Where Can I Watch It? Currently available on Amazon Prime.

Pandemic
"[REC]"- This 2007 Spanish movie could also fit into the found footage category. It tells the story of a news crew who enters an apartment building after a mysterious illness begins to overcome the residents. There are four movies total in the franchise. There was also an American remake in 2008 called "Quarantine' (starring Jennifer Carpenter of "Dexter" fame).

Why I Like It- I'm a big fan of horror movies in which the protagonists (ie the victims) are trapped in a confined space together. It ratchets up the horror IMHO.

Where Can I Watch It?All four movies are currently on Hulu.