September has arrived, folks! I know, I know… us horror nerds are typically the ‘every day is Halloween’ type, but y’all cannot deny the fact that the season itself remains uniquely special. As the temperature drops here in Canada, I find myself drawn to specific subsets of the horror genre. Winter is always reserved for werewolves, however autumn has proved to be less predictable over the years. For instance, this year I cannot shake my insatiable craving for sacrilegious horror. Not typically my first choice given my affinity for cheap thrills and fast kills, this mood is atypical albeit beyond welcomed. I am currently living for a slow burn with a dreadful payoff, so I’ve taken it upon myself to compile a condensed list for those who dig flicks like The Omen (1976) and The Exorcist (1973) but have yet to delve a little deeper…

THE CHURCH (1989)

Despite binging nothing but Italian horror in my late teens, The Church was always a bit of a blindspot for me. I’d hit the play button, but lose interest unbelievably quickly given the incredulously slow pace upon inception. Y’all… I feel like a damn fool for delaying a full consumption for so long! The Church is one of the best demonic horror flicks out there to-date. I mean, the entire plot focuses on a gothic cathedral that was built upon a mass grave in which a group of folks become trapped while a gaggle of ghosts attempt to resurrect an ancient demon. This shit gets buck wild, and is the first of a few I’ll mention here that includes an uncomfortable sex scene involving the aforementioned demon. Lots of severed heads to be found, a shitload of blood is shed, beautiful aesthetics that are to be found in 99.9% of Italian horror; Don’t make the same mistake I did and put off watching this, because it is absolutely worth your time. Trust me!

POSSESSION (1981)

Speaking of demon-fucking… Possession has a plethora of notoriety surrounding it, and for good reasons. Without revealing too much as that would truly hinder the viewing experience, the film follows the psychological deterioration of a man and his wife throughout the process of their divorce. Suspicions of infidelity evolve into something far more abysmal, scenes of which can only be observed, not described. I will say that Possession harnesses the most concrete performances within the horror genre (and perhaps beyond), by both Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani – the latter of which has mentioned numerous times that she remained scarred by her experience with this film for years. With several messages herein to be analyzed, Possession is not only visually shocking, but highly intellectual and complex – especially for a film in which demon-fucking is involved.

THE EXORCIST III (1990)

This is likely a controversial take, but I truly believe that The Exorcist III is not only scarier than its predecessor, but a much more concrete film overall. I do not say this lightly either, for my love for The Exorcist (1973) cannot be understated. That being said, The Exorcist III feels further from any conceivable God than the first could ever muster. In brief summation, a police lieutenant (George C. Scott) becomes madly obsessed with the Gemini Killer (Brad Dourif) – a man responsible for a series grisly of murders spanning over the seventeen years following the possession of Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair, The Exorcist). While incarcerated, it becomes apparent that the aforementioned murderer is likely possessed by the same demon that overtook Regan nearly two decades prior. The Exorcist III features some of the most terrifying scenes in horror history, and an outstandingly convincing performance by Brad Dourif.

EVILSPEAK (1981)

In the words of Oscar the Grouch, ‘I love trash!’ – Evilspeak is undeniably the odd one out here, however I do believe that it does deserve recognition for being the incredibly fun, satanic joyride that it is. Evilspeak follows Stanley Coopersmith (Clint Howard), an outcast military cadet that resorts to summoning a demon through his computer after being relentlessly tormented by his peers. Though dated now given all the technological advances over the last four decades, Evilspeak has managed to be resilient in its impact on the horror community. Exemplifying this, Perturbator, a highly popular synth-wave project, borrowed a portion of their aesthetics from this bonkers little horror film. With these very unique aesthetics bleeding over into popular culture, revisiting Evilspeak allows for a mesmerizing viewing experience accentuated by an overabundance of decapitations. I mean, who doesn’t love decapitations?!

THE SENTINEL (1977)

I think it is a damn shame that The Sentinel isn’t heralded on the same pedestal as Rosemary’s Baby (1968) given their similarities. They both focus on apartment buildings plagued by blasphemous entities, providing zero respite given their bleak conclusions. I truthfully find myself revisiting The Sentinel more frequently, however. The story centres around a young model recently moved into an apartment in a historic, largely unoccupied apartment building. One of her only (living) neighbours is a blind priest occupying the top floor, who blankly stares forlornly out the front window seemingly at all hours of the day. She begins to develop peculiar alterations in her psyche and physicality. As she devolves, the viewer descends into a horrifying labyrinth in which horrifying sights lurk behind each and every corner. I’ve seldom felt fear in the way that The Sentinel instilled in me.

PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)

John Carpenter is my favourite director of all-time, easily. Prince of Darkness, for reasons I simply cannot fathom, remains one of his most underrated films despite arguably being one of his strongest. Once again, the evil to be found herein lies below a church – in this case an abandoned one that has a deeply mysterious, ancient canister filled with a mysterious green liquid in the basement. Naturally, a group of graduate students are sent to stay in said church while attempting to decipher a latin text describing what the canister holds. If you’re already screaming ‘nope!’, I’m right there with you – but it gets even better! The green shit turns out to be an evil force hellbent on bringing an end to civilization, and it spreads by causing the host to violently spit mucus at those uninfected. Imagine what kinda pandemic we’d be facing if this shit was the case, am I right? But I digress… If all of this wasn’t fucked up enough, various insects gang up to wreak havoc – oh, and Alice Cooper portrays a homeless man that eventually impales a helpless student with a bicycle. An absolute cinematic masterpiece, and while I have a tendency to speak in lackadaisical manner, this movie truly is terrifying – namely the recurring dream sequence. If you know, you know.

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980)

Surprise! Another Italian horror flick made the cut. City of the Living Dead is one of Lucio Fulci’s finest. The plot is simple – a clergyman commits the ultimate sin by hanging himself, in turn opening the gates of Hell. A psychic and reporter are then tasked with closing them (who else would be more fit for the job?!), while narrowly escaping death by the hands of the living dead. It really doesn’t get much more evil than that, folks! And hey, I don’t have to tell you that this shit is gory, but I’ll say it anyway – Lucio Fulci is the undisputed king of gore flicks for a reason. Furthermore, I really dug the story behind this one and as always, the score is absolutely impeccable. The third act is so haunting that it has permanently stained my brain, and for that I am thankful. Hell, one could even say I’m… blessed. I’ll see myself out now.