Five Classic Black and White Horror Films For Halloween

1) The Beast of Yucca Flats:

They don’t get much worse than this one. A Russian nuclear physicist stumbles into an A-bomb detonation while being pursued by Soviet agents--- and turns into a vicious monster man! Luckily, Jim and Joe, the long arm of the law are on the case. Jim and Joe’s motto is “shoot first, ask questions later.” Which doesn’t bode too well for the vacationing family who gets lost in the desert after their car breaks down on the side of the rode. The absurd storyline and deadpan acting is made even worse by the fact that the film was shot without sound. The sound was then dubbed in later, so anytime someone speaks, the camera cuts away, or some obstacle blocks the audience from seeing the actor’s mouth.

2) The House On Haunted Hill:

Five strangers spend the night in a haunted house for the chance to win $10,000 in this delightfully cheesy Vincent Price film. Price is the creepy yet suave millionaire who hosts the haunted contest as a way to knock off his cheating wife (Carol Ohmart). The five unwitting contestants are thoroughly frightened by Price’s choice of party favors--- a collection of loaded handguns. Lots of bad special effects turn up, including a zombie hag that resembles a vacuum cleaner in clothes and a wig. Overall, very fun film for Halloween or anytime you’re in a horror movie mood.

3) The Brain That Wouldn’t Die:

A doctor with the personality of a block of wood is using cadaver parts in organ growth experiments in this crazy 1960s horror flick. Things get really weird when he decides to drive his fiancée up to the cabin he uses for a lab. Some reckless driving on the trip up results in a crash, and the poor woman gets decapitated. Luckily, the doctor is able to keep her head alive in a machine with lots of tubes and coils back at the lab. As the head grows more and more bitter, the scientist goes on a search for the right body to attach it to. He finally settles on a gorgeous model whose face has been tragically scarred.

4) The Killer Shrews:

Captain Sherman and his unfortunate sidekick get stuck on Shrew Island during a nasty hurricane. Turns out the hurricane is the least of their troubles. Shrew Island is inhabited by three hundred killer shrews with poisonous saliva! Sherman and the sidekick take refuge in a compound with the seductive Ingrid and her scientific father, both of whom were already living on the island. As the ravenous shrews try desperately to claw there way inside, Sherman ponders deep mysterious, such as: why does Ingrid speak with a Swedish accent if her father is a Texan?

5) The Giant Gila Monster:

A giant mutated lizard terrorizes the citizens of a tiny Texas town in this 1950s film that sports a teenager as the hero. As the lizard attacks again and again, no one can figure out why people are disappearing off the road, leaving only their crumpled automobiles as proof they were there. It’s up to the plucky teenage mechanic to save the day when the lizard makes its way to a packed out dance party. This film has more character development than the average horror flick, something that tends to slow the story down in places. Overall, though, it’s quite entertaining, with the bad lizard effects and the comically out of place songs performed by the teen hero.