I'm going to go mull it over and try to come up with a list, but I'd be curious to see anybody else's picks.

Well, that kept me out of trouble this evening. I started just listing things, and then a theme started to appear, so I went with it. And then I had about 50 hours worth and had to make a few cuts, ahem.

• Sapphire & Steel: Assignment 2 (The Railway Station)
• 28 Days Later
• Masters of Horror: Homecoming
• High Plains Drifter
• Alien
• The House of the Devil
• The Thing
• The Fly
• Cat People
• The Shining
• Fire Walk With Me
• Angel Heart
• Drag Me to Hell
• Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

The theme is, trust no one. Including yourself. I wanted Tucker & Dale at the end as a palette-cleanser, since you actually can trust someone in it. Plus it's funny.

Hec, for spooky TV, have you seen Sapphire & Steel? When it works, it's a wonderful demonstration of how to be scary with absolutely nothing. (And sometimes it fails and is just goofy, but so it goes.) The story I listed is the most creeptastic, I think, and plus it has a pretty bleak ending which I can shoehorn into my theme if I try hard enough, so there.

Hec, for spooky TV, have you seen Sapphire & Steel? When it works, it's a wonderful demonstration of how to be scary with absolutely nothing. (And sometimes it fails and is just goofy, but so it goes.) The story I listed is the most creeptastic, I think, and plus it has a pretty bleak ending which I can shoehorn into my theme if I try hard enough, so there.

I've only seen the one ep of Sapphire and Steel. It was the second part of a two-parter or some such. For some reason I thought it was a stand-alone, and I was very impressed that they apparently trusted the audience to pick up on what was going on with minimal explanation.

Hec, for spooky TV, have you seen Sapphire & Steel?

The 70s show with Illyia Kurykakin and Patsy?

I have not, but I can go rent it at Le Video and now I'm going to go track that one down.

Excellent list, Strega!

I think High Plains Drifter is entirely defensible as a horror movie.

Which versions of The Fly and Cat People are you picking? I'm presuming Cronenburg and Lewton, but you could've gone for the Kinski Cat People.

Fire Walk With Me is (I think) wildly underrated. To me, it's so moving and tragic. I know it wasn't the wrap up that Twin Peaks fans wanted and it had lots of randomosity. But Sheryl Lee gave a courageous performance and watching her inevitable doom was wrenching.

Incidentally, it's showing at the Castro here the weekend before Halloween, on a triple bill with the Twin Peaks pilot, and the film noir Laura.

Oh, I love Angel Heart. Everything about it.

It was the second part of a two-parter or some such.

Hm, it was probably re-packaged; the show was half-hour episodes with a serial format, and then some stories were 4 episodes and some were 6 or 7. So, similar to old-school Doctor Who's format. But with even less money, if you can believe it. If I remember correctly there's one episode spent entirely on a staircase. And it almost works!

The theme is, trust no one.

I'm surprised the 70s Invasion of the Body Snatchers wasn't on your list.

::points and screeches just like Donald Sutherland::

Oh, I love Angel Heart. Everything about it.

I'd like to see your list. I know you love a good horror movie.

Hm, it was probably re-packaged; the show was half-hour episodes with a serial format, and then some stories were 4 episodes and some were 6 or 7.

No, that sounds about right. It was probably the last ep in the adventure.

The 70s show with Illyia Kurykakin and Patsy?

Per-zactly. If you get them all, I do recommend spacing them out; it's all about spoookiness and dread about what might happen, and if you watch too much in a row the effect starts to wear off. (Also, the third story/assignment gets very dopey very fast. Feel free to skip it.)

I'm presuming Cronenburg and Lewton, but you could've gone for the Kinski Cat People.

Yes, and yes. The Kinski version is amusing, and of course there's the great Bowie song, but....no.

Fire Walk With Me is (I think) wildly underrated.

Yay. I knew I needed some Lynch and I had to go with it because I feel like it's dismissed when it shouldn't be. It's so sad. And yes, Sheryl Lee. Man.

Oh, I love Angel Heart. Everything about it.

Also yay! I may have to watch that this weekend; it's been ages.

When I was listing stuff I sorta discovered that I much prefer paranoia and unease to blatant jump-scares. I loved that Edgar Wright listed Seconds, which I remember as being sort of slow and slightly odd and then had me writhing in a horrified ball at the end. I did have a few more jumpy/gorey things originally, but sacrifices had to be made. Plus I was imagining it as a real movie-marathon with people and... I probably don't want to sit in my living room with friends and make them look at Last House on the Left, y'know?

Plus I was imagining it as a real movie-marathon with people

I think that's why it's such a popular feature on AV, because the programmers are thinking about what will play at 4am and what will wake them up at 7am and how to stagger to the finish line.

It's so sad. And yes, Sheryl Lee. Man.

Her performance is totally worthy (retroactively) of Angelo Badalameti's theme for Twin Peaks. You know? It's so mournful, and in Fire Walk With Me you see why Laura's loss cuts through the whole town.

Leland Palmer's story might be the saddest part.

Did you ever read the Twin Peaks FAQ? Compiled by fans of the show it dissects the whole mythology. It lays out how pain is a kind of nourishment/currency for the Black Lodge, and that's such a horrible and compelling conceit.

Did you ever read the Twin Peaks FAQ?

That doesn't sound familiar. And I am so weirded out by that considering how many issues of Wrapped in Plastic I have. I get the concept, because garmonbozia, but wow, I am surprised at how surprised I am to hear there's still new stuff out there.

And holy crap I need to go to bed because I should be at work early tomorrow. So if there's a link I would love to see it but I shall not google until after I've slept! Bad me. notlookingnotrefreshingnotdoinganythinggoodnight