Fantasm Media's Alternative Top 7 Must-Watch Halloween Films

Could 2020 suck more? We don't think so. You know what else sucks? When you turn on your computer or look at your phone and see another half-ass list compiled by some goober with a a bunch of search engine top hits. We see you. Here is our attempt to right the ship, so to speak. We here at Fantasm have compiled our alternative Halloween must-see list for 2020. Alternative meaning it isn't the same tired list. Now, don't get us wrong, we ABSOLUTELY LOVE almost every one of those list films, but when every list looks the same, the right thing to do is shake it up and give a little love to some underdogs.

Our list isn't a top 10, top 20 or any of that silliness, it's a top SEVEN! Why seven? Why not! Also, there is no order or ratings system; this isn't a beauty pageant; these are films your eyes and ears deserve. OK, enough explaining, let's dive in!

Psychomania (1973) – Adult murder. Child murder. Devil worship. Incest. Suicide. Cool helmets. A frog. Hippie sing-along. Chadwell. All rated PG. What else could you POSSIBLY want in a film?

The Love Witch (2016) – Brilliant from the first frames. Filmmaker Anna Biller constructed a fully- immersive period film set in modern times, if that's even a thing. Samantha Robinson kills as Elaine, a witch looking for, well, love obviously. It's like watching an old Italian B-movie you've somehow never seen. Everything about this film, down to the vase just barely in-frame in some random scene, is perfection.

Cemetery Man (1994) – This gonzo gem gives you the goods from the word, “Go!” Graveyard sex, zombies and batshit insanity with one of the single best endings in film history.

Pieces (1983) - Lots of nudity and gore perfectly frame a classic “whodunnit” story with a soundtrack to die for. Pieces is loaded with enough chainsaw murders, pants wetting, inexplicable back alley Kung-Fu, jigsaw puzzles and sewn together corpses to delight and thrill even the most hardened of Oprah's target audience!

Mother! (2017) – The deliberate crafting of this film top-to-bottom is genius. The sound design, camera work and editing will suck you into her world even if you don't understand the rules of it. The build-up is like a train quietly leaving the station with everyone riding in their assigned seats, enjoying their morning commute sipping their coffee and finally careening screaming over a cliff as the nuclear bomb hidden onboard detonates with a masterstroke face punch ending.

The Beast Must Die (1974) – A millionaire big game hunter gathers a group of people at his home to discover who among them is a werewolf. Can you, the viewer, figure it out first? The film even offers a “Werewolf Break” as you review the clues and make your guess! This campy Amicus mystery is an absolute treasure! We'd suggest you watch this hoot of a film with friends if it weren't for the damn pandemic!

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) - A green Michael Rooker proves early on in his career that he has the chops to go places. Playing a somewhat fictionalized version of real-life killer Henry Lee Lucas, Rooker will pull you to the edge of your seat and leave you there. Or maybe in a suitcase.