24 Days of LosMas- Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the first night I am posting Silent Night, Deadly Night 4

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990)

Dir- Brian Yuzna

An LA reporter finds herself caught up with a cult of feminists who worship Lilith, the biblical first wife of Adam before Eve replaced her. She then has to avoid certain death as the group targets her for their ceremonies and unknown purposes. Silent Night 4 is an odd entry in this franchise; there is no significant tie-in to the first three films except for a reference to a killer Santa on a television screen. However, don't let this deter you; the film is not too shabby compared to the rest of the pack. Maud Adams appeared in this film that could have easily carried itself fine if released on its laurels. There are decent special effects and some creepy critters, including Clint Howard, and you have a film worth catching on Tubi TV. 

STEM Ladies of Horror and Sci Fi Movies

Here is a collection of actresses who portray scientists and medical professionals in horror films and sci-fi movies. 

From Beyond (1986)- Barbara Crampton

Dr. Katherine McMichaels Psychiatrist

Mimic (1997)- Mira Sorvino 

Dr. Susan Tyler Entomologist 

The Relic (1997)- Penelope Ann Miller

Dr. Margo Green Evolutionary Biologist

Deep Blue Sea (1999)- Saffron Burrows 

Dr. Susan McCallister Marine Biologist/Geneticist

The Thing (2011)- Mary Elizabeth Winstead 

Dr. Kate Lloyd Paleontologist

American Mary (2012)- Katharine Isabelle 

Mary Mason Medical Student

Prometheus (2012)- Noomi Rapace 

Dr. Elizabeth Shaw Archaeologist

Raw (2016)- Garance Marillier 

Justine Veterinary School Student 

Under the Shadow (2016)- Narges Rashidi 

Shideh Former Medical Student

Annihilation (2018)- Jennifer Jason Leigh, Natalie Portman, Tuva Novotny, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez

Dr. Ventress Psychologist

Lena Biologist

Cassie Sheppard Geomorphologist

Josie Radek Physicist

Anya Thorensen Paramedic

Happy Death Day 2 U (2019)- Sarah Yarkin 

Dre Morgan Physics/Engineering Student

Sputnik (2020)- Oksana Akinshina

Dr. Tatyana Klimova Psychiatrist

The Superdeep (2020)- Milena Radulovic 

Dr. Anya Fedorova Epidemiologist

Underwater (2020)- Kristen Stewart 

Norah Price Mechanical Engineer 

Found Footage Collection: Alien Encounters

 

The McPherson Tape (1989)

A found-footage movie features a family having an alien encounter in their home as a family member videotapes a birthday party. Often claimed to be an actual event, the fictional movie predated The Blair Witch Project by ten years.

Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake Country (1998)

Minnesota Teen Tommy McPherson is recording his family's Thanksgiving dinner when they are interrupted by aliens. The attack on their home and the abduction of his family make up the bulk of this movie. This pseudo-documentary was a remake of the 1989 film The McPherson Tape, and when it was shown on UPN, it scared several viewers who thought it was an actual event.

Skinwalker Ranch (2013) 

A ranch owner's son disappears in the region of Utah known as Skinwalker Ranch. A team of investigators set up cameras to document the search but learn through a series of bizarre events; their lives are in danger. 

VHS 2 (2013)

One segment of this horror anthology titled Slumber Party Alien Abduction has a sleepover in a lakeside home interrupted by aliens who wish to kidnap the people in their house. A terrifying horror short, Slumber Party Alien Abduction, effectively uses the isolated setting and loud noises to scare the audience. 

Alien Abduction (2014)

A found footage film features an autistic preteen who records an encounter with aliens while his family is on a camping trip. Alien Abduction directer Matty Beckerman used local stories of mysterious lights and abductions as inspiration for his film.  

Hanger 10 (2014)

Inspired by the 1980 Rendlesham Forest Incident, Hanger 10 has three metal detecting enthusiasts getting lost in the forest and encountering terrifying events related to ongoing UFO activity. Hanger 10 is the only movie on the list that does not take place in the United States.

Area 51 (2015) 

A trio of friends plans on sneaking into Area 51 to find evidence of ufos, only to find something even more shocking. Written and directed by Oren Peli, who is best known for Paranormal Activity. 

Phoenix Incident (2015)

A pseudo-documentary explains a military conspiracy involving the disappearance of four men in August of 1997 in the desert near Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix Incident is another movie that uses the 1997 Phoenix Lights UFO incident as the background for its plot. 

Phoenix Tapes '97 (2016) 

Four men are reported missing while camping in the Arizona desert in August of 1997. One of the men's fathers discovers some videos and suspects a conspiracy involving the government's role in a UFO coverup. Yet another found footage movie that involves the 1997 Phoenix Lights Incident. 

Aliens: Zone of Silence (2017)

A young woman travels to the Mexican desert to find answers after her brother disappears, investigating bizarre events involving a local legend. Unfortunately, what she learns may put her in danger as well when evidence suggests an extraterrestrial involvement. The movie's settings are the Mapimi Silent Zone in Durango, Mexico, also known as the Zona del Silencio, some local urban legends.  

Phoenix Forgotten (2017) 

Years after her brother disappeared in the desert; a young woman finds videos that give her clues to his fate but soon learns the shocking truth of what happened to him and his party. Inspired by the 1997 Phoenix Lights event, Phoenix Forgotten is one of many recent movies involving the mysterious 1997 UFO incident. 

Horror movies with Huge Twists (No Spoilers)

This post will contain no spoilers other than the movies listed below contain epic twists. 

The Other (1972)

Possession (1981)

Following (1998)

Timecrimes (2007)

Orphan (2009)

Triangle (2009)

Faults (2014) 

Goodnight Mommy (2014)

The Invitation (2015)

Pet (2016)

Terror in Woods Creek (2017)

Incident in a Ghostland (2018)

Open 24 Hours (2018) 

The Lie (2018)

US (2019)

The Hunt (2020)

24 Days of LosMas- Deathcember (2019)

I will be posting Christmas themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the last night, I am listing the 2019 anthology movie Deathcember.

Deathcember (2019)

An anthology of over 24 Christmas themed short films all showing the darker side of this holiday season. The stories are directed by an international collection of up-and-coming horror talent, including Lucky McGee, Pollyanna McIntosh, Milan Todorovic, and Annika Marx. The diverse range of stories is not always perfect, but the overall effort is produced quite well, with each segment tied together like an Advent calendar. Fans of horror will appreciate seeing horror screen queens Barbara Crampton, Tiffany Shepis, Clarke Wolfe, and many other great actors and actresses. 

24 Days of LosMas- The Lodge (2019)

I will be posting Christmas themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the twenty-third night, I am listing the 2019 isolation horror movie The Lodge.

The Lodge (2019)

A woman who escaped a dangerous cult is confronted with some truly disturbing demons of the past when she agrees to stay with her fiance's two children in his remote rural cabin during the Christmas holiday. The winter winds and isolation turn what should be a fun weekend into a nightmare as her belongings are missing, the food disappears, and there is no power. The Lodge is an isolation horror movie told the right way; the lack of outside contact and her uncertain psychosis makes for a truly terrifying story. The Lodge was directed by Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala, and stars Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Alicia Silverstone, and Richard Armitage. Lead actress Riley Keough certainly shines in the role, and The Lodge certainly benefits from her presence and ability to express her character's confusion and fears. 

24 Days of LosMas- Fatman (2020)

I will be posting Christmas themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the twenty-second night, I am listing the 2020 black comedy thriller Fatman.

Fatman (2020)

With the world changing so much, it is no wonder that Chris Cringle is feeling jaded and bitter about his yearly task. Facing budget cuts and pressure from the Government to provide gifts to all the kids, even the awful ones, Chris feels more grizzled than ever. One exceedingly terrible kid gets coal for his horrendous behavior and decides to hire an assassin to teach that 'Fatman' a lesson. "Fatman" is a dark comedy starring Mel Gibson and Walton Goggins in a story that looks like it came from the 80's movie Scrooged. The plot is absurd but played out to make the film entertaining for fans of the darkly humorous subject matter. Mel Gibson is great as the not so jolly Chris, but Walton Goggins is fun to watch as the determined assassin who never got anything but coal from Christmas.