The summer of 1999 was a hell of a good one for horror. We got The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project, Stigmata, Deep Blue Sea, The Haunting (well, maybe not The Haunting) and Lake Placid. Oh, and Stir of Echoes, of course. See, that's the sad thing about David Koepp's little masterpiece; it keeps getting forgotten amongst the better known releases of that fateful summer, but it is a little masterpiece.  The film is a perfect exercise in slow-burn tension that doesn't rely on special effects, but focuses on a compelling mystery, creepy visuals, and an old-fashioned ghost story. And it was based on a tale by the late, great Richard Matheson, which is always cause for celebration. Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Erbe hold the film together as a blue collar couple. Bacon is hypnotized by Erbe's sister, played by the always reliable Illeana Douglas, and becomes "more open minded," which puts him in touch with the spirit of a dead girl who very much want...

I really have not watched all that much gothic, British horror. That fact does not bother me at all, it's just something I've really never explored, so what better place to start than this 1973 haunted house cult movie that both borrowed from ghastly classics of the 50's, and would also influence future fright flicks down the road?

It's been a while since I've returned to the movies of my youth. And what better flick to revisit the trend than the second sequel to one of the greatest movies ever made? And it cost three extra dollars to see. The sons of police chief Brody must protect civilians at a Sea World theme park after a gigantic 35-foot shark becomes trapped in the park. On the surface, if you'll pardon the pun, this should be a shit-tacular movie. Truth is, it's an awesome piece of B-grade cinema. Sure, it can't hold a candle to the Steven Spielberg original, but that doesn't mean Jaws 3D isn't worth the watch. For one, it's got a brilliant cast including Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Louis Gossett Jr. and Lea Thompson. Oh yeah, and Manimal is in it too. Plus the late, great Richard Matheson co-wrote the script. Impressive, no? Talent aside, this is a fun, mindless romp with some cheesy 3D effects, passable suspense and a few groovy kills. It's not Shakespeare...

Along with Robert Wise 's The Haunting , this is the granddaddy of haunted house movies; a creepy and atmospheric scare flick that ranks up there with the classics. A team consisting of a physicist, his wife, a young female psychic and the only survivor of the previous visit are sent to the notorious Hell House to prove/disprove survival after death. Previous visitors have either been killed or gone mad, and it is up to the team to survive a full week in isolation, and solve the mystery of the Hell House.  First off, this movie has multiple shorts shitting moments, and that's without adjusting for inflation given that this mofo was made in 1973. That's right, The Legend of Hell House is one year younger than I am and it's scarier than me. Wanna fight about it!?!? What's awesome is that Hell House achieves its scares through atmosphere, camera and sound effects, and editing. There was no CGI in 1973, so director John Hough and screenwriter Richard Mathe...