Desert Island DVDs - Halloween Edition

DISCLAIMER: The following opinions have been approved for all audiences to critique, celebrate or debate. No VFX Artists were harmed in the making of this article.

3D Generalist, Ian Matta (LA):

The Thing – John Carpenter

Gosh I had to think hard about what horror movie I could bring to my island and watch over and over. Nixed the idea of Myers, too much trauma. Friday the 13th is just a little too tame. But right in the sweet spot is John Carpenter’s 1982 classic “The Thing.” Kurt Russel’s performance as MacReady, the masterfully executed practical effects, and the suspenseful claustrophobic atmosphere easily make this my desert island movie of choice.

For starters Rob Bottin’s special effects work on this film is some of the most disgusting and creative art I’ve ever seen put to film. Watching someone’s chest turn into a maw of teeth and bite off an arm is an image that will be forever with me. Russell is flawless as MacReady, truly channeling the emotions of someone experiencing an unimaginable terror, forced to lead a group of men who cannot trust that the person next to them is not the creature itself. The building of paranoia and decline of emotional fortitude really keeps the heart racing until the very end.

Watch this movie with the lights out, with a close group of friends, and maybe a dog.

Recruitment Coordinator, Pip Sellick-Taylor (UK):

Cabin in The Woods - Drew Goddard

If I was stuck on a desert island with only one horror movie to keep me going, it would have to be Cabin in The Woods (2012). The perfect combination of classic horror vibes, jump scares and silliness; plus all the scary baddies you could wish for.

Mid Compositing Artist, Victor Manuel Enriquez Diaz (Montreal):

The Blob - Irvin Yeaworth

I watched this when I was around 6-7 and had my "aliens are cool" phase. Totally did not sleep for a week after watching this. Firstly, because the creature is not scary by itself so they show it from the start, it's just pink sentient Jell-O. However it can hide anywhere and the idea of it trapping you and then consuming you, slowly mutating into part of itself while you are still conscious is just horrible.

Second, the story happens in a classic American town from any other 80s film, this is not far away space or a research facility in the middle of nowhere, and the monster is real, not a magical portal or a spell, it came from an asteroid.

The full on practical effects are amazing and still hold up for the most part, particularly when the blob melts someone, the sewers and phone booth scene are marked on my mind forever. This movie cemented my love for Cosmic horror and its still a great watch, a 10/10 Spooky cats in my book!

Production Coordinator, Megan Hartey (UK):

REC - Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza / Grave Encounters - The Vicious Brothers

My scary movie choice is a tie between REC and Grave Encounters - I'm a sucker for found footage movies and I love both these movies but for totally different reasons.

REC is great, set in Spain and all filmed within one apartment block, so the story itself has to be really interesting to keep you watching.

Grave encounters is a guilty pleasure, totally dumb and ridiculous with my favourite acting from the janitor of the mental asylum who’s in the film all of 2 seconds.

Head of Marketing, Steve Holmes (UK):

Event Horizon - Paul W. S. Anderson

My head says The Shining because it's great and it's very long. My heart, however, says Event Horizon, Paul W. S. Anderson's grisly scif-i romp starring Sam Neill and Larry Fishburne. There's nothing like it really – a ship with a secret lightspeed hyperdrive vanishes just beyond Neptune then reappears seven years later and things have gone badly, badly wrong. I was shown this movie by my stepbrother when I was far too young to be watching it and it stuck with me.

No one is saying Event Horizon is more than a 6/10 movie. What I am saying is you get zero gravity eye popping, someone falling down a hole in the most painful way, Sean Pertwee being a geezer and Sam Neill yelling "DO YOU SEE?" in a way that still fills me with dread.