Favorite horrors of The Last Tavern

Today is Halloween! On this holiday, probably many of you will sit on the couch to watch or read your favorite horror movie. A few people are likely to choose monitors and games that may contribute to a heart attack. In our editorial office, we love horror in all its guises, and our editors have decided to tell you about their favorite titles!

Lake Mungo

When I first found out about Lake Mungo , I was quite skeptical about the production. The film premiered in 2008, so I did not count on stunning special effects or impressive performance, especially considering the average online ratings. However, this production encouraged me due to my favorite form of “documentary”, which gives it an authentic, criminal character. In the end, I was not disappointed, and Lake Mungo hit the list of my favorite horror movies.

The film tells the story of an ordinary family whose everyday life was disturbed by a tragic event. During the weekend together, sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer drowned by the lake, leaving her family and friends in deep sorrow. Shortly after her death, unexplained phenomena begin to happen in the Palmer’s house, and secrets hidden by the teenager begin to emerge. It also quickly turns out that the circumstances in which Alice died were more than just an accident.

What interested me the most in the film was the stylization into a documentary, which gives the production authenticity. Despite the lack of horror scenes, the film was very suspenseful. The photos and recordings shown in the film, showing paranormal phenomena, are so subtle that the viewer focuses all his attention to see the smallest details. Interestingly, the part that left the most disturbing impression was the end credits – although the movie is quite long, it’s worth it to make it through to the end! – Elżbieta Kutarska

A nightmare on Elm Street

The very thought of the prophetic counting out, repeated like a mantra by girls playing on the skipping rope, gives me shivers. The Nightmare on Wiązów Street is one of the horrors that will stay with the viewer for life and bring to mind childhood memories. Wes Craven, the slasher master , has created a timeless piece of work by exploiting the subconscious fears of the dream realm. This is one of those horror films that I often return to not only because of sentiment, but also because of the character of Freddy Krueger and the great atmosphere. It is a pity that such horror films are not created anymore and new productions are not even able to match him. The only director who has partially succeeded in this play, ironically, is the creator of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.. It shed new light on the cult series, and the painting itself became a vaguely prelude to his next, successful series – Scream . Halloween is the perfect occasion to refresh this production! – Marcin Panuś

Resident Evil 2

Refreshed editions of games are nothing new on the market. Usually, however, they are common remaster s slightly improved the visual, motor or without changing the fundamentals of the game. After all, it is quite risky, especially when you take to the workshop of well-known and popular classics, in which too much interference by the creators may be criticized by the audience. The more difficult for me not to recommend Resident Evil 2from 2019, which is one of the most interesting remakes that have been created. The original from 1998 served as a model of inspiration to build a completely new game from scratch. The isometric perspective has been abandoned in favor of a more modern camera behind the characters’ backs, and the modern RE Engine technology has reinvigorated Racoon City and helped build the incredible atmosphere of danger. This is also due to the refreshed gameplay, derived from modern shooters, but pushes the intense action to the background. The spirit of the original is still present and there is still relatively little ammunition (especially on higher difficulty levels), and the basis is the slow exploration of dangerous corners and solving numerous puzzles. What’s more, the fairly modest and somewhat outdated plot of the original has also been rebuilt.Resident Evil 2 should therefore be a great Halloween experience for people who have never dealt with the history of the virus in Racoon City before, as well as older people who can once again immerse themselves in a very different edition of the game. – Krzysztof Olszamowski

The exorcism of Emily Rose

I am 12, maybe 13 years old, I am staying with a friend who throws up the idea of ​​watching something terrible. He talks about a movie based on facts. I don’t want to look cowardly, so I agree with enthusiasm. It is already late at night when we start the production on the laptop, safely wrapped in a duvet; these are the exorcisms of Emily Rose. After the title character dies during the exorcism, the priest carrying it out is accused of neglect and manslaughter. The trial begins, but we learn not only about the facts or the course of paranormal events, but also follow the transformation of the lawyer defending the priest. This is not a horror film based only on the jump scare ‘s the fan behavior of some final girl. The deepening of the story means that the fear felt during the screening is not only a physical, momentary feeling, but something crawling deeper under the skin and long afterwards in your mind. To this day, I remember shuddering in the scenes of the possession. It still happens to me so far. For two weeks after the first session, I woke up at 3 am, the time of ghosts and demons. I was tightly covering myself with the duvet, as long as no slimy limb caught me. No horror before or after has caused me such long-lasting anxiety and sleep problems. Do you dare to see if the movie will work on you on Halloween? – Adrianna Michno

The shining

If a book makes me afraid to look into my own bathtub for two weeks, it must be in this top! That’s what the book version of The Shining , the most imaginative King book I have ever read , did to me . It is true that I did not put her in the freezer, like Joey Tribbiani, but I had to postpone reading for a few days to get rid of the vision of a woman in the bathtub from my head. As you can guess, it didn’t help much, but I’m finished with the book. I loved reading about Wendy Torrance, who was active and brave, about Dick’s share of the story, and Jack’s slow but relentless insanity. – Karolina Małas

American Horror Story – season 1

If any of you do not know the series, but are a fan of non-standard dark productions, you should definitely check out AHS . The first season is striking at the start with the opening itself – a terrible cluster of hideous and drastic, disturbing images and scenes. And then it only gets worse (better?). The main theme seems to be a haunted house and all its tragic stories. As time goes on, however, it becomes apparent that not only the house in this story is important, but also the people who live in it and their relationship with the unclean forces. References to real cases and murderers are also a taste. I love American Horror Story also for the music used and the character played by Evan Peters.

AHS is currently 10 seasons that can be watched in two ways: according to the time of their release or the sequence of events in the plot (I recommend both!). There are many connections between specific characters, a lot of macabre, a lot of mystery, death, blood and horror. This is definitely not a show for the faint of heart. – Jarosław Trzpis

Vampire Chronicles

Although I like horror movies, it is difficult for me to choose a work that I could watch / read / play endlessly, and I would find a lot of such books, movies and games in the following categories: fantasy, science fiction, drama. However, there are those for which I have sentiment and I defend them like a lioness against criticism, so I can probably include them among my favorites. The Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles are books I could put into this group.

The entire series consists of a dozen or so volumes, and the first, the best known, is Interview with the Vampire , which was also moderately screened. The thing with the Chronicles is that most of my friends do not understand why I like them and it is difficult to explain it to someone if that person does not like the stories themselves. Although I see the shortcomings and unequal level of individual books, vampires’ thoughts, their evolution, immortality, depressive states and philosophizing come to me. Attempts to find oneself, misunderstanding, internal conflict and grudges against God create an extensive story in which everyone who tends to reflect on life, death and everything in between will surely find something for themselves. – Katarzyna Satława

The Wailing

Korean cinema has gained enormous popularity in recent years, mainly due to the brilliant Parasite and the Netflix hit – Squid Game. Koreans can also make great horror movies, such as The Wailing from 2016. The film has a fairly banal plot, at least at first glance. We have a town where a deadly disease is raging and people are starting to go crazy. When the daughter of the main character – policeman Jong-Goo – starts to behave strangely, the man tries to solve the mystery. The production is a thematic mishmash, there are demons, possessions, monsters resembling zombies … Everyone will find something for themselves here.

The Wailing has everything I expect from a good horror film: heavy, dark and dense atmosphere with strongly palpable Asian accents, as well as a well-written plot that can surprise you several times. Most importantly, the film keeps the viewer in suspense from the very beginning and does not allow for a moment of respite. Already the first scene is an incredibly atmospheric and disturbing segment, and then it only gets better. The creators perfectly use mystery and know what strings to hit to emotionally break the audience. While watching, I genuinely felt in my stomach not only because of the constant tension, but also because of the emotional rollercoaster served by the director. I watched the movie a few years ago, and yet it is still in my head and I can certainly count it among my favorite horror films. The Wailing is a good and terrifying horror movie. It’s definitely worth a watch, especially on Halloween. – Bartosz Aniszewski

Scream

Scream is a tribute to the popular at the turn of 70 and 80 slasherów . The theme is based on a pattern. We see teenagers, drugs, sex, a deserted house and a murderer who finishes his victims one by one, and finally there is a final duel between the psychopath and the main character, usually the only virgin in a spoiled company. Over the years, series such as Friday the 13th and Halloween have lost their popularity. The Scream turned out to be the renaissance of the slashersfrom 1996. The film tells the story of the townspeople, terrorized by a psychopathic murderer and a fan of horror films. In production, we have all the elements that we know from classic slashers, but with technical innovations and, in my opinion, with actors with cover beauty. The viewer does not know until the end who is hiding behind the mask and cruelly killing the inhabitants. As befits a film of this type, the authors focused on introducing an element characteristic of a psychopath. The murderer wears a black cape and a ghost face , and the knife is his favorite tool. The film features the stars of youth productions of the 90s, such as Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore and Matthew Lillard. Screamreceived mixed reviews from film critics, however, it won the kindness of many cinema fans. The production also got a full-length and no less popular parody in the movie Scary Movie . – Kamil Sawicki

The grave trackers

Ooooh, what a good horror movie that was that I completely didn’t expect from it? Shooting in the style of Blair Witch Project, [RECa] or Paranormal Activityit totally gave him the vibe. Lance Preston is the face of a specific reality show – Grave Encounters. Together with the film crew, he visits various places to examine them for paranormal phenomena, but this is not always the whole truth, but rather special effects. One day, the team learns about an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Collingwood, where mysterious phenomena reportedly occur. They lock themselves in the building for one night to find out what is really going on there and record them on portable cameras and several placed around the facility. What they see there will change their approach forever. But will the building let them out so they can tell about it?

I’ve watched a lot of horror movies about haunts, but this one made a big impression on me. The shooting style makes the story realism and the acting is at a good level. The atmosphere is created by the location where you can find a bathtub with blood, metal, abandoned hospital beds or stained walls. The feeling of isolation is also characteristic. No sunlight can be seen, and time seems to have stopped suddenly. Crazy watches don’t help at all. The creators mix in the minds of the characters, and the atmosphere gets more and more tense with each passing minute. Throughout the film, a man keeps his fingers crossed for the characters, and not knowing if they will come out alive makes it impossible to break away. A title worth recommending and it has been released in the second part. This one, however, disappoints, although it is nice to return to a well-known facility. –Katarzyna Gnacikowska

Inkub

I could write essays about this gentleman. My beloved, Polish author of horror, who has given me a heart attack more than once and knows it very well, because I did not fail to inform him about it. He sets his books in the Suwałki Region, where there are many interesting nooks and crannies as well as scary characters. I started with Branchy , went through the Sinner , rolled through the Paradox and 87 centimeters in Spooky Christmas , I wait for Demon and love all the stories they read. Nevertheless, the Incubus made the biggest impression on me. It is possible that it was influenced by the circumstances in which I read this book. I was pregnant, but that doesn’t change the fact that the title is truly honorable. And the fact that the creator is now spending at Vesper is an additional bonus.

One legend, a village and an evil witch, but two eras and different stories. Welcome to Jodoziorach, a small town in the Suwałki region, where the northern lights will soon come. In a small house that has been forgotten by many, the burnt corpse of a couple is found. The village does not have a very good reputation as the locals know better not to venture there. Nowhere are there so many crimes, murders, suicides, disappearances and all kinds of violence. Rumor has it that the earth is possessed and the dead exist alongside the living, supernatural phenomena are normal, and the green light from the haunted house flashes every now and then. And all this jumble is of interest to an inexperienced district clerk who suddenly takes his own life. A policeman from Suwałki, Vytautas Česnauskis, gets the case of death. The farther into the forest, this discovers more and more disturbing facts and sees strange things. The trail leads him to investigate a case from the seventies, when a witch supposedly lived in these lands …

I don’t really like positions in which the then story is intertwined with the older one, but not this time. I approached the hedgehog a bit like a dog, but I decided to trust the author and I was not disappointed! How he grades tension, discovers new facts and keeps you in suspense is elaborated down to the smallest detail. The book is a great mare, over seven hundred pages long, and I finished it in no time. Only later it started … I don’t know what Artur Urbanowicz is doing to my head, but after each title I feel uncomfortable and as if watched. Until now, I am afraid of mirrors, thank you very much, Sinner … However, this is the best proof that the author is able to do this, and despite my horror, I am completely absorbed in it and I will recommend it all the time! – Katarzyna Gnacikowska

 

The Autopsy of Jane Doe

A horror that terrifies, delights, dazzles and keeps you in suspense until the very last second. In a small town in Virginia, the police get a call. After arriving, they discover that the whole family has been murdered, and in the basement, partially covered with sand, a young, naked woman is lying. Attempts to discover her identity are unsuccessful and ends up in the morgue as Jane Doe. There, Tony Tilden and his son Austin take care of her, and they only have night to solve the mystery. Based on logical and scientific assumptions, they go to work, and it must be added that they are considered specialists. They methodically reject false clues. Over time, they discover that logic will be useless here, and their understanding must change dramatically. They find traces of rituals, and when the truth begins to reach them, it will be too late …

A dark production that seems inconspicuous at first, and it takes off as the plot develops. Mostly, calmness, a specific quiet atmosphere prevails here, and there are really few dynamic moments for horror movies. However, it does not change the fact that the position is one of the better titles I have seen in my life, and the ending is a real gem. – Katarzyna Gnacikowska

Shadows In The Dark

Shadows in the Dark is the work of the English author Michelle Paver, born in Malawi, who began her writing career in the nineties, after the death of her father. He already has a lot of typical youth books and one of the books aimed at adults. Shadows in the Darkis a very successful horror novel because the plot is plausible. For those who are not interested in the subject, it could seem based on facts. The events revolve around a few protagonists, during an expedition to the Northern Arctic Circle, where the nights and days last much longer than in temperate climates, and there are no other people in the icy hell. The characters are on their own, and as a result of various events, one of them is left alone in this wilderness. Soon dreams, or rather nightmares begin to merge with reality, the protagonist is haunted by terrifying memories of the place where he found himself. The senses are more and more affected by frost, emptiness and loneliness. The protagonist is forced to face his fears, to face the unknown; for it turns out that he is not alone after all. Gradually discovers secrets, learns what happened in the past, what the found tools were used for, and a research trip turns into a rescue trip. The novel is a great introduction to the climate of northern wastelands, it presents well what you can feel when you are left alone, how the human psyche can act in such a situation. Everything is dressed in an intense atmosphere, it causes anxiety, with a slight flaw that only slightly spoils the perception of the whole. –Wojciech Chmiel

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Although I have often reached for horror games, and for a long time Resident Evil has been in the forefront of my favorite titles, probably no production has made such an impression on me as Amnesia: The Dark Descent . A friend showed me the game and we spent a good few hours on his computer to go through the whole scenario. Music, atmosphere, jump scares and the fact that the hero actually has no way to fight opponents, and can only run away and hide in the corners, gives you the chills. Plus the delusions that the protagonist experiences when he stays in the dark for too long. As for me, this is a real masterpiece of the genre. It was thanks to him that I started Layers of Fear or Outlast soon after. I also recommend both to everyone, but if you’re looking for something dark for Halloween, be sure to test Amnesia ! – Piotr Markiewicz