Horror 2026 Countdown: The People Under the Stairs (1991)

The People Under the Stairs (1991), dir. Wes Craven, Alive Films

Wes Craven does an urban fairy tale. A rare sentence to be true, but  this delightful little romp has enough edge to keep you on your toes.

Horror 2026 Countdown: Escape from L.A. (1996)

Escape from L.A. (1996), dir. John Carpenter, Paramount Pictures/Rysher Entertainment 

I gave some serious thoughts to simply cutting and pasting my Escape from New York review, but no, you folks deserve original content. 

Horror 2026 Countdown: The Second Civil War (1997)

The Second Civil War (1997), dir. Joe Dante, Baltimore Pictures/HBO Pictures 

Boy, either this aged extremely well or not at all.

Horror 2026 Countdown: The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), dir. Roger Corman, the Filmgroup/Santa Clara Productions

Roger Corman had already earned a reputation for cranking films fast, but how fast could he go? After finishing a Bucket of Blood early, Corman and the crew shot another film with the same set in about forty-eight hours. 

Horror 2026 Countdown: The Spirit is Willing (1967)

The Spirit is Willing (1967), dir. William Castle, William Castle Productions 

William Castle's work as a director was always workmanlike but his attempts at comedy tended to be mixed at best. 

Horror 2026 Countdown: Rope (1948)

Rope (1948), dir. Alfred Hitchcock, Transatlantic Pictures 

The Leopold and Loeb case was one of the most shocking murder trials of the 1920s, so why shouldn't Hitchcock tackle it?

Horror 2026 Countdown: The Great Buddha Arrival (1934)

The Great Buddha Arrival (1934), dir. Yoshiro Edamasa, Giant Buddha Movie Factory

We end our lookback at giant monsters with what may very well be the first giant monster from Japan, or at least the earliest one on record.