10 More Horror Movies Way Weirder Than Advertised
Crimes of the Future, Pearl, Men - you knew they were going to be weird, just not like this...
There is something undeniably thrilling about watching screaming victims face their worst fears and fight for survival without ever having to leave the relative comfort of your desk chair, train seat or foldaway futon. Indeed, horror movies allow us to face our own fears, explore the dark side of humanity, and even question our own surroundings in a safe and controlled environment.
But that doesn't mean we can be prepared for everything that comes sailing down the storm drain towards us. Some directors like to hide their twists and turns, some marketing firms like to get us sat in a paid-for seat before the really unforgivable stuff starts flowing, and in some instances, there are just certain things you can't really advertise to the general public.
But, while the likes of pretty much any picture from the New French Extremity movement fits this bill (for obvious, Martyrs-and-Irreversible-shaped reasons), you won't find any low-hanging fruit here. No, all of the films herein show why strangeness comes in many shapes and sizes, and while few of them wear their weird on their sleeve, they've all got something to hide...
10. From Dusk Till Dawn
On the surface, Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn looks like another '90s crime thriller cut from the Tarantino mould. And the fact that Quentin Tarantino himself stars in it as a literal criminal on the run doesn't help. Alas, for anyone seeking Reservoir Dogs 2, Dusk Till Dawn will be a sore disappointment.
The film tracks brothers Richie and Seth Gecko (Tarantino and, of all people, George Clooney) from their latest bank robbery through several chance encounters before they wind up at the Titty Twister bar in Mexico. All they have to do is hide out in the club until dawn, when they can meet their underworld contact and get gone for good.
Unfortunately, one thing leads to another and the brothers find themselves fighting for their lives with the club's employees - a horde of vampires.
Few films have taken more of a sharp left turn at the midpoint than this, ditching not just the crime plot but the tone and style of the picture in favour of something remarkably different - a rip-roaring, super-wacky monster movie. The marketing was mixed on this one at the time, with pre-watershed/Green Band trailers going light on the horror element. But for fans dipping into either director's oeuvre now, it is downright shocking.