Im only a few seconds in and thanks so much for the shout out brother! I am so pumped to watch this because this may be my favorite sub-genre of horror and I am always on the hunt for more of these movies to watch and get immersed in!!! let's do this!!!
@@cobwebschannel that one was a fun one to do because just doing it filled me with all those cozy, creepy, immersive vibes that I love getting from horror movies lol
@@AVAPopCulture LOVE the #2 movie on your list! It was a teenage favorite, and the new 4K UHD brought the excitement & creepiness right back! Great to get the introduction to your channel as well.
@@cobwebschannel so cool how you gave credit & an introduction to another channel! That’s an awesome spirit of community-building I love seeing among UA-cam creators.
Really enjoy your channel. Your knowledge and appreciation of the genre is evident and your enthusiasm is contagious. Dead & Buried is my all-time favorite small town horror movie. Others have mentioned it. A hidden gem for me is Island of the Damned, a Spanish film about a couple vacationing on an island where all the adults have "disappeared."
The Ghost and Mr Chicken is my favorite small town movie. I love Rachel Kansas and all the residents sharing their knowledge of the murder house. It’s a comedy/horror with a home town feeling. Love Don Knotts as the chicken.
Halloween III Season of the Witch has a pretty creepy small town that is an important plot element, and there is an added layer of capitalist dread because it is a company town.
Salem's Lot is hard to beat when it comes to small town Horror. We are introduced to a lot of interesting small town characters who really enrich the movie and make it seem more believable.
Absolutely! Salem's Lot is a classic and really captures that small town inertia very well. I just hope the remake that's due to be released next month does the same. The original will be hard to beat.
Another great job, Daniel!! I was so happy to see Messiah of Evil make your list! That movie is highly underrated, in my opinion. Also, Dagon was based on Lovecraft’s story “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.” 😊
Even though I don't categorize this film as Horror but has some horror elements and is more comical, Hot Fuzz. A London cop who is forced to investigate a small English town because of the high accidental death rates soon discovers the town's reason why there are high unintentional fatalities.
Just wanted to say that I really appreciate the effort you put into these lists (and the frequency with which you upload is amazing - I don’t know how you do it!) I really appreciate how unique they are, and I always come out of them adding a few new things to my watchlist. Thanks for sharing with us!
I have been sick all week and Have been watching alot of your videos and They are great . My movie must watch/again list has grown significantly.Thank you
Great list. I grew up in a small town just west of Cherry Valley, NY, the site of a massacre in 1777. When driving along Route 20 the air seems noticably colder, as you pass through the valley. One of those creepy effects of small towns.
I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere and I used to describe it to people by saying, "Picture Huckleberry Finn meets Children of the Corn." Huck Finn would give you an idea of how people talked, and CotC because everything was surrounded by creepy corn fields on all sides.
"The Beast Within"(1982), "Brotherhood of Satan"(1971), "Dead and Buried"(1981), "Mutant" (1984), `The Haunted Palace" (1963)... You may want to check out "Dead and Buried" for small town creep factor. All of these films are small town horrors. All are very good and worth the watch. There are more, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with titles.
Actually I like WICKER MAN & MESSIAH OF EVIL almost equally. There was an animated TV special,that played between Halloween & Thanksgiving every year ,that featured the Headless Horsman. & Rip Van Winkle back in the late 60's into the 70s. If you've never seen it, a big recommend. It MAY of been called Tales of Washington Irving
Love your videos man, I recently realized that this is my second favorite sub-genre of horror and I added all of these to my watch list!(except Silver Bullet, The Wickerman, & Sleepy Hallow which I all saw and loved!) You sold me on just about every movie lol. I’m so glad I found your channel, keep up the amazing work!❤️
You can absolutely not go wrong with Silver Bullet imho, I have watched it at least 2 to 3 times a year since it came out and it never gets old. It's prolly my fav werewolf movie of all time, I even have a framed original 1985 poster from the cinema in my room. Gary Busey is also the best druncle ever...
Great selection, including a couple I haven’t seen yet! I was a bit surprised to not see DEAD & BURIED pop up, but perhaps that’s on the other fella’s list.
Dead and Buried is a great one! I just watched for the first time this year and added it to my list and he didnt want to double up the ones I put on my list, otherwise I bet Daniel would have had it on his for sure!!
@@bigron309 Dead and Buried is a great one! I just watched for the first time this year and added it to my list and he didnt want to double up the ones I put on my list, otherwise I bet Daniel would have had it on his for sure!!
@@AVAPopCultureyeah, I hadn't thought of it being in your list, but I just watched it and, sure enough, there is! I thought I'd watched yours before, but apparently not. Great lists guys! You both picked some that I've added to my watch lists!
This might be a weird recommendation considering you don't love Messiah of Evil, but I'd be really curious to hear your thoughts on Malatesta's Carnival of Blood. It's from 1973 and shares some of the vibe of Messiah of Evil but it mostly takes place at a run down amusement park. It's only 74 minutes long and worth checking out. There's an Arrow blu ray release. Great list!
That would be a great list! By the way, I sent you an email from my old podcast email address. I’m starting a classic western movie and tv series podcast called Tumbleweeds and TV Cowboys and I would love to have you on as a guest. I know you’re into old westerns but no worries at all if you can’t make time for it.
Awesome list! I love small town horror flicks about as much as city-based horror. They are a perfect contrast to each other. You mentioned in your # 1 choice (not spoil it for others) how bright and colorful it is. I'd love to hear your take on daylight horror movies. I find horror movies that can remain creepy during the daytime fascinating.
Pretty good list. A funny and strange thing about "City of the Dead" is that one might think it should be called City of the Night because as the person is driving there and the fog thickens and it's dark and never seems to get light again. It's like you drive into a thick woods that gets so thick, it blocks out the daylight and it feels like even the outside is inside. Make any sense?
Messiah of Evil feels Lovecraftian, as you put it, because the director cited Lovecraft's tales of cosmic horror, such as "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", as influences on the film's themes and tone.
Great list! Eye of the Devil , Incubus, and Deadly Blessing. Quatermass and the Pit , though set in London, has a small town feels to it as well. Subbed!
The Disney "Legend of Sleepy Hollow", is a more faithful adaptation, but I also love the Tim Burton version. I have both in my DVD collection. Two other films I enjoy featuring creepy small towns are "Silent Hill"(2006) and "Nothing But Trouble"(1991).
Love that you recognize Messiah Of Evil which is maybe my all-time choice (well, maybe other than Halloween taken in the context of when it came out) for a Punches-Above-Its-Weight movie. I'm a Lovecraft Fanatic and its on my shortest list of Best Lovecraftian Horrors. And, I agree, this is not based on one particular Lovecraft story but it it has super-strong The Shadow Over Innsmouth shoutouts and vibes.
AWESOME VIDEO man! great way to start my day with a couple movies from an awesome sub-genre that is maybe my favorite corner of horror that I havent seen! I realized when I made my list that I could have made a whole 10 film small town list of Stephen King movies and another list of just Carpenter movies -they are the best at it. I pre-ordered that whole new big set with thh black box and vinyl record of Villiage of the Damned from SF - I can't wait to watch that in 4k! and I am a big Carpenter fan too man! You sold me on The Devonsville Terror, I had been on the fence about it...
Village of the Damned was my first horror movie in 1960- I was a little over 2 years old and was supposed to be asleep at the drive-in, but being the little night owl, I watched it. Don't remember much of it but it was the start of my love of horror movies.
Scary Stories was pretty awful. Compared to other "kids horror" it just felt like another one of those soulless modern day remakes/adaptations. (These people never capture the feeling of the time and places they're trying to represent either. It always feels like some weird 2024 version of the 80s or 90s where they have some really modern day looking kids wearing "retro" clothes they bought off of Amazon, making sure to play D&D or Atari and wink at you, and it all just feels super cheesy and fake.)
@@infasis Agree 100% about how they can't recapture the 80s/90s..you said it perfectly. It always drives me nuts and I find movies like that unwatchable. I think if you lived the 80s/90s, it's a lot harder to tolerate those fake-azz attempts to re-create those days!
Kept waiting to see Dead and Buried on the list (might be on your boy's list. Checking that out next). But the plot of Messiah of Evil seems really similar. Another great list!
@cobwebschannel I understand that. The normalcy of the town is what drives the protagonist to feel alien. There's something wrong with the visitor, not the actual town. It's the inverse of the rest of your list.
I love 'Messiah of Evil'! I stumbled upon this flick one night with no idea what I was in for. Dread is definitely the word to describe this flick. Horror movies don't usually stay with me, but I had a hard time shaking this one off. One town/film not on your list that deserves to be is the fictional town of 'Potter's Bluff' from 'Dead and Buried' (1981)
Fun fact, in the beginning of Messiah of Evil, the guy that is running and "meets" the little girl is Walter Hill the Dir of The Warriors and several other outstanding films! Messiah had fantastic atmosphere and cinematography. Loved it! Own the blu-ray. Great list! I need to check out The Wicker Man!!! Saw the remake back in the day at the theater. THIS looks to be much better! Also, I'd like to mention Dead & Buried (1981) think it would fit perfectly in your list! A favorite of mine for sure 😎👍 edit - Oh just realized that AVA Pop Culture had Dead & Buried on his list.
In the Mouth of Madness was partially filmed in my town in the 1990s. My friend and I were extras in the movie. I've seen it, but I couldn't find myself in it!
A Full Moon film that came out in the '90s titled "Netherworld"; not a great film, but very atmospheric, with some great jazz music. It is a modern Gothic set in a small town in the Louisiana swamps. And, though not the stereotypical small town, "The She Creature" (1956), a film with a terrific idea that suffers from dull execution, does have a certain atmosphere imbued by its setting of a small, upscale resort village.
I've only ever known Horror Hotel by that name, never knew it had a MUCH MORE FITTING title of City of the Dead! When I clicked on this video, it was the first movie to pop into my head. Such a creepy movie and definitely worth a watch!
This was a really interesting list, and some movies that I might not have thought about watching. I'll have to check some of them out, like The Wicker Man. I love Sleepy Hollow (and the Disney version), and at first didn't want to watch it because I'm so fond of the story, and the Disney version. But I'm glad that I did. Silver Bullet is one of my October watches every year, and I thought that Megan Follows did a great job as Jane. As frustrated as she was with her brother, she loved him, and more importantly, believed him. And that is a great t-shirt!
YAAAAAAAAAS WICKER MAAAAAAANNN!!! We watch it every May Day 🌞🔥. Also Sleepy Hollow is my favorite Tim Burton movie, it deserves more love. I totally agree about The Headless Horseman, to! He is my favorite halloween icon 🎃
Top notch topic for horror subgenre to do a video about! Great one! Gatlin in Nebraska pretty eerie and creepy place where a horror film called Children Of The Corn (1984) played out. Dunwich in New England another creepy place where shock horror City Of The Living Dead played out..
A few more... Antlers Slither The Crazies (2010) Dark Was the Night The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Slice Savageland Mutants (1984) The Mothman Prophesies
Hi from Melbourne, Australia. The first time I watched The Wicker Man, I didn't understand it as well. But then I read the book, which is amazing & then watched it again. Got it, loved it, amazing.
This is something of a hot take, but one I enjoy is The Village. For the first half of the film, it’s a really good suspenseful atmosphere, with some interesting lore and very creepy moments. The second half’s twist definitely could have been better, but I also think that it could have worked with a bit more tinkering. I don’t feel that this movie deserves the hate it received, since it very much captures that feeling of seclusion in a small town, as well as being an outsider of sorts just by way of how you were born and the isolation of our personal traumas. Also, the creatures’ design is genuinely unsettling.
for your number 3 pick the devonsville terror looks good. all great picks. I also noticed you have slewfoot on your shelf which I found a fantastic book. i've read 4 of Brom's books now and they were all a good time tbh. Also Ronald Malfi's book called small town horror was a good time as well.
Actually, "Dagon" isn't based on the Lovecraft short story of the same name at all, it's a halfway accurate adaptation of Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth".
OMG - there's a town in Western Pennsylvania north of Pittsburgh called HOME. It is so creepy, X-Files used it as a setting for an episode. We always drove through it as carefully as possible. We didn't want to get the attention of their cops for tripping a speed-trap and getting arrested - we just knew we'd never be seen again.
Awesome list! Need to get to some of these. I'm wondering if Lucio Fulci's 1980 classic City of the Dead has anything to do with the on your list, which also has a Lovecraftian theme. Still have yet to see the Whicker Man & based on clips i've seen and other folks who've also seen Midsommar, there are similarities w/ the themes, one being the ending of Misommar where the protagonist's boyfriend gets burned alive in a ritual. LOVED Within the Mouth of Madness which is also part of Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy that includes The Thing & Prince of Darkness, three of the all-time best cosmic horror films in my opinion. ;)
Great job. Especially if you can't include the Fog. Halloween was suburban, I saw it in theaters at 14, and already loved Donald Pleasance, but fell love with John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis. As a suburban kid myself it scared the crap out of me. I also romanced about New England as I was a northern California Kid. Loved your choices, Wicker Man is complex and great! Love City of the Dead, a favorite of mine, so brutal and Lee and company are so good your really suspend disbelief to the casts talent and obvious commitment ti the project. Love your content. Don't agree 100% always, like here but your love for some I love is most facinating. You're awsome! Afmgree also on you're n7mber 10, not my favorite but just super creepy, a great first ride as you can't guess what's next. But would not be on my list. As you couldn't choose the Fog due to repetition with you're friend. You're a fun and interesting guy, and great and fun content. I just love checking in to see your choices. Love Bava, Barbara Steele, Christopher Lee, Hammer and 60's Horror. Love oldies such as 30"s and 49's horror, etc, etc. What about M with Fritz Lang and Oeter Lorre? Isn't that a small European town? Super great flick!
Yeah, In The mouth of Madness has such a vibe. I'm likely gonna actually visit a few of the filming locations here in Ontario next week en route to my destination. Halloween 3 also one of the best creepy towns with its curfew, surveillance, etc. Wicker Man is undeniable, and as few other here mentioned, Dead and Buried is great, underrated and often over looked.
I been to the town that Silent Hill is based off of. It's very creepy. The underground is on 🔥. It's been awhile, but I think the story is that during the 80s people we're working down in a mine and a fire accord and it's been burning ever since.
Awesome list! While I don't live in a small town (Los Angeles) I been to many creepy small towns before so we all can fell the vibes. Carpenter is also my favorite director and I agree Village of the Damned is underrated but the Midwich Cuckoos is fun too.
@The Cobwebs Channel I absolutely love this channel. You have reignited by long time love/hate relationship with horror. But horror I get too choose. Not all the movies I was way too young for who really took what I saw quite literally. Children of the Corn at a third grade slumber party. Or parents watching American Werewolf at night. Where I refused to go to my room bc I could still hear and imagine it just as horrific as if I had. Now I honestly want to venture into writing my own horror and perhaps a short horror film. Your channel and these lists and lil deep dives get my horror juices flowing. Just letting you know how appreciate you. Also, I had noooo idea my forever boyfriend Christopher Reeve was in a John Carpenter movie. On my Playlist.
These would be great lists to follow on Letterboxd as well to keep organized. I try to save a lot of movies you talk about on a watchlist but typically gets out of hand haha
I highly recommend "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" (1971) and "Dead & Buried" (1981), those are located in a small town too and have a thick atmosphere. Jessica mostly takes place in one house though but I don't know anyone who likes Messiah of Evil and doesn't like Jessica. Dead & Buried has much more of that eerie small town vibe.
Dead and Buried is a great one! I just watched for the first time this year and added it to my list otherwise I bet Daniel would have had it on his for sure!!
Been to all the filming locations of the wicker. Infact been a few times even got some of the remains of wood from the stumps that are still there of the burning wicker man. Got married up there and the lady who married us gave me an actual photo of Edward Woodward having a break during filming which she took herself and very generously gave it to me as its my favourite film of all time. Even have a large wicker man tattooed on my arm
Hi Daniel! John Carpenter is my favorite director as well. His work is so easily recognized. Anyway, some of my favorite small town horror movies include Dead and Buried, Dagon, Silver Bullet, Salem's Lot (1979 tv movie), The Fog, Wicker Man, and Children of the Corn.
I love Silver Bullet (one of my October watches every year), and Salem's Lot. I watched the second half of that in a dark rec room with a bunch of other teenagers...scared the hell out of us!
Thank you for directing me here after my disappointment at not finding The Wicker Man in your top 10 Witchcraft horror films. I agree with you 100 % in placing this at number tt. There are so many excellent films in these genres that are too little known today. I also love your number 2 choice of Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow. I preferred the original Village of the Damned to Carpenter’s remake in many ways…but I also thoroughly enjoyed his version as well. He did capture the essential confusion of the townspeople at the start, and their growing unease becoming deep seated fear of the children, and their own status of being trapped. Excellent reviews as far as I have seen so far…I will be looking at more.🖤🇨🇦
Im only a few seconds in and thanks so much for the shout out brother! I am so pumped to watch this because this may be my favorite sub-genre of horror and I am always on the hunt for more of these movies to watch and get immersed in!!! let's do this!!!
You’re welcome dude, you deserve it! I really loved that video.
@@cobwebschannel that one was a fun one to do because just doing it filled me with all those cozy, creepy, immersive vibes that I love getting from horror movies lol
I love that you are so collaborative with other folx! Very cool to see!
@@AVAPopCulture LOVE the #2 movie on your list! It was a teenage favorite, and the new 4K UHD brought the excitement & creepiness right back!
Great to get the introduction to your channel as well.
@@cobwebschannel so cool how you gave credit & an introduction to another channel! That’s an awesome spirit of community-building I love seeing among UA-cam creators.
You need to include "Something Wicked This Way Comes" , "Salem's Lot", and "Dead and Burried".
Silver Bullet is one of the first horror movies I watched as a kid and it terrified me. I never hear anyone talk about it either. Such a hidden gem !
I try and give that a watch every year, I always liked that one.
Yea I have wondered why people don’t talk about it.
@@Alexinytown Me too. Just watched it.
Really enjoy your channel. Your knowledge and appreciation of the genre is evident and your enthusiasm is contagious. Dead & Buried is my all-time favorite small town horror movie. Others have mentioned it. A hidden gem for me is Island of the Damned, a Spanish film about a couple vacationing on an island where all the adults have "disappeared."
The Ghost and Mr Chicken is my favorite small town movie. I love Rachel Kansas and all the residents sharing their knowledge of the murder house. It’s a comedy/horror with a home town feeling. Love Don Knotts as the chicken.
Love this movie!!
Dead and Buried is my favorite small town creepy horror movie, it doesn't get any better than this movie.
Halloween III Season of the Witch has a pretty creepy small town that is an important plot element, and there is an added layer of capitalist dread because it is a company town.
Made for TV movie Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a gem.
Great tv movie
Salem's Lot is hard to beat when it comes to small town Horror. We are introduced to a lot of interesting small town characters who really enrich the
movie and make it seem more believable.
I totally thought of that but the original was a two part mini series so maybe why not included.
Absolutely! Salem's Lot is a classic and really captures that small town inertia very well. I just hope the remake that's due to be released next month does the same. The original will be hard to beat.
Thanks for the reply and the update on the new movie. To be honest i had given up on it being released. @josebro352
@@josebro352 The early 2005 remake with Rob Lowe really sucked.
I love The Wicker Man and Sleepy Hollow and am really happy to see them atop your list. Thanks so much for the great top 10 small-town horrors video!
Another great job, Daniel!! I was so happy to see Messiah of Evil make your list! That movie is highly underrated, in my opinion.
Also, Dagon was based on Lovecraft’s story “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.” 😊
Glad I’m not the only one who loves MoE. 😊
The Wicker Man is one of the best horror films...period! Always love your lists, Daniel! 😊
I'm going to put this out there -- Twin Peaks is some of the best small town horror (as a tv show and a film).
I’m with you on the Headless Horseman. LOVE that story. I need to get the Hudson Valley in October at some point in my life
Even though I don't categorize this film as Horror but has some horror elements and is more comical, Hot Fuzz. A London cop who is forced to investigate a small English town because of the high accidental death rates soon discovers the town's reason why there are high unintentional fatalities.
Just wanted to say that I really appreciate the effort you put into these lists (and the frequency with which you upload is amazing - I don’t know how you do it!) I really appreciate how unique they are, and I always come out of them adding a few new things to my watchlist. Thanks for sharing with us!
I have been sick all week and Have been watching alot of your videos and They are great . My movie must watch/again list has grown significantly.Thank you
Great list. I grew up in a small town just west of Cherry Valley, NY, the site of a massacre in 1777. When driving along Route 20 the air seems noticably colder, as you pass through the valley. One of those creepy effects of small towns.
I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere and I used to describe it to people by saying, "Picture Huckleberry Finn meets Children of the Corn."
Huck Finn would give you an idea of how people talked, and CotC because everything was surrounded by creepy corn fields on all sides.
Sharon’s Springs is super creepy.
"The Beast Within"(1982), "Brotherhood of Satan"(1971), "Dead and Buried"(1981), "Mutant" (1984), `The Haunted Palace" (1963)... You may want to check out "Dead and Buried" for small town creep factor. All of these films are small town horrors. All are very good and worth the watch. There are more, but I didn't want to overwhelm you with titles.
The Beast Within and The Haunted Palace are two of my favorites.
I thought about "The Beast Within" immediately!
Oh yea, Mutant!! Excellent pick. W/ the ever-adorable Lee Montgomery ...(for part of it anyway). Great show!
I drove through several small towns on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, and refused to stop anywhere. Real creepy vibes! ❤️ from 🇨🇦
Any place where they voted in Trudeau is super creepy.
Definitely a good move! Better be safe than sorry! 😮
haha I love it! Thanks for popping in Joan.
Actually I like WICKER MAN & MESSIAH OF EVIL almost equally.
There was an animated TV special,that played between Halloween & Thanksgiving every year ,that featured the Headless Horsman. & Rip Van Winkle back in the late 60's into the 70s.
If you've never seen it, a big recommend.
It MAY of been called Tales of Washington Irving
Love your videos man, I recently realized that this is my second favorite sub-genre of horror and I added all of these to my watch list!(except Silver Bullet, The Wickerman, & Sleepy Hallow which I all saw and loved!) You sold me on just about every movie lol. I’m so glad I found your channel, keep up the amazing work!❤️
Excellent list....I live in the Chicago Loop....small towns are unnerving...so small, so quiet, so totally dark...scary.
City of the Dead is really scary! I'm glad to see its becoming more popular.
It's a classic and one of my go-to for Halloween time
Just watched it, it's good!!!
You can absolutely not go wrong with Silver Bullet imho, I have watched it at least 2 to 3 times a year since it came out and it never gets old. It's prolly my fav werewolf movie of all time, I even have a framed original 1985 poster from the cinema in my room. Gary Busey is also the best druncle ever...
Love that one
Great selection, including a couple I haven’t seen yet! I was a bit surprised to not see DEAD & BURIED pop up, but perhaps that’s on the other fella’s list.
Same. I kept waiting for it. One of my favorites
Dead and Buried is a great one! I just watched for the first time this year and added it to my list and he didnt want to double up the ones I put on my list, otherwise I bet Daniel would have had it on his for sure!!
@@bigron309 Dead and Buried is a great one! I just watched for the first time this year and added it to my list and he didnt want to double up the ones I put on my list, otherwise I bet Daniel would have had it on his for sure!!
@@AVAPopCultureyeah, I hadn't thought of it being in your list, but I just watched it and, sure enough, there is! I thought I'd watched yours before, but apparently not. Great lists guys! You both picked some that I've added to my watch lists!
@@bigron309 thank you! yeah, I made it tough on Daniel by grabbing some big ones LOL
I love the lil niche lists. 10/10 fricheks
"In the Mouth of Madness" is part of my "watch Sam Neill go crazy" movie night along with "Possession" and "Event Horizon".
"Daybreakers," too.
@@LovesRodents I haven't seen that, I'll definitely check it out!
Your lists always have some I never hear others talk about and I love! City of the Dead, Dagon, Messiah of Evil all good!
This might be a weird recommendation considering you don't love Messiah of Evil, but I'd be really curious to hear your thoughts on Malatesta's Carnival of Blood. It's from 1973 and shares some of the vibe of Messiah of Evil but it mostly takes place at a run down amusement park. It's only 74 minutes long and worth checking out. There's an Arrow blu ray release.
Great list!
I definitely want to check that movie out! One of these days I’ll do a list on carnival horror movies.
That would be a great list!
By the way, I sent you an email from my old podcast email address. I’m starting a classic western movie and tv series podcast called Tumbleweeds and TV Cowboys and I would love to have you on as a guest.
I know you’re into old westerns but no worries at all if you can’t make time for it.
Awesome list! I love small town horror flicks about as much as city-based horror. They are a perfect contrast to each other. You mentioned in your # 1 choice (not spoil it for others) how bright and colorful it is. I'd love to hear your take on daylight horror movies. I find horror movies that can remain creepy during the daytime fascinating.
Hey, thanks Maniac! That would be a cool topic video…
Pretty good list. A funny and strange thing about "City of the Dead" is that one might think it should be called City of the Night because as the person is driving there and the fog thickens and it's dark and never seems to get light again. It's like you drive into a thick woods that gets so thick, it blocks out the daylight and it feels like even the outside is inside. Make any sense?
Messiah of Evil feels Lovecraftian, as you put it, because the director cited Lovecraft's tales of cosmic horror, such as "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", as influences on the film's themes and tone.
I would add ‘Lair of the White Worm’ otherwise spot on. I’m a new subscriber love the content, especially the Hammer and Autumn videos!
Great list!
Eye of the Devil , Incubus, and Deadly Blessing.
Quatermass and the Pit , though set in London, has a small town feels to it as well. Subbed!
Only discovered Messiah of Evil last year. I loved it. Fun fact. The first victim in the film is 48hrs director Walter Hill.
Literally just what I needed! Great stuff man, excited to see what you post when spooky season rolls around the corner🕺
I'm loving your new Halloweeny t shirt :D
I've watched two of your lists today and watched 3 films I'd never have tried without your input, and enjoyed all 3, thanks!
The Disney "Legend of Sleepy Hollow", is a more faithful adaptation, but I also love the Tim Burton version. I have both in my DVD collection. Two other films I enjoy featuring creepy small towns are "Silent Hill"(2006) and "Nothing But Trouble"(1991).
Disney is definitely more faithful. As is the 1999 Hallmark version.
Another great video/list Daniel.. really love your reviews and content ..your enthusiasm is infectious 😊
Glad you enjoy them!
In the mouth of madness, it was shot 15 minutes away from my house. The church there is about 5 minutes from my house in north of Toronto, Canada
😊
Good topic and list. Have you done one featuring abandoned rest areas/gas stations? That'd be great!!
Love that you recognize Messiah Of Evil which is maybe my all-time choice (well, maybe other than Halloween taken in the context of when it came out) for a Punches-Above-Its-Weight movie. I'm a Lovecraft Fanatic and its on my shortest list of Best Lovecraftian Horrors. And, I agree, this is not based on one particular Lovecraft story but it it has super-strong The Shadow Over Innsmouth shoutouts and vibes.
I agree I love scary stories, it gets too much hate and deserves a sequel. There's so many stories they can use
Silver Bullet is one of my favorites! The scene with the pregnant woman scarred me as a kid
AWESOME VIDEO man! great way to start my day with a couple movies from an awesome sub-genre that is maybe my favorite corner of horror that I havent seen! I realized when I made my list that I could have made a whole 10 film small town list of Stephen King movies and another list of just Carpenter movies -they are the best at it.
I pre-ordered that whole new big set with thh black box and vinyl record of Villiage of the Damned from SF - I can't wait to watch that in 4k! and I am a big Carpenter fan too man! You sold me on The Devonsville Terror, I had been on the fence about it...
Thanks brother!!
Great video, my favourite genre and always like discover films I've not seen. Thank you! 😊
Great list Daniel, youre videos are awesome
Thank you!
Village of the Damned was my first horror movie in 1960- I was a little over 2 years old and was supposed to be asleep at the drive-in, but being the little night owl, I watched it. Don't remember much of it but it was the start of my love of horror movies.
Dead and Buried is my favorite small town horror movie.
I absolutely love Messiah of Evil
Very nice pick
The Town That Dreaded Sundown, The Mist, The Fog, The Haunted Palace, Salem’s Lot, plus many more.
I thought about The Haunted Palace too. That movie has amazing vibes.
Wild to see Scary Stories to tell in the Dark on this list, but not Dead & Buried.
Scary Stories was pretty awful. Compared to other "kids horror" it just felt like another one of those soulless modern day remakes/adaptations.
(These people never capture the feeling of the time and places they're trying to represent either. It always feels like some weird 2024 version of the 80s or 90s where they have some really modern day looking kids wearing "retro" clothes they bought off of Amazon, making sure to play D&D or Atari and wink at you, and it all just feels super cheesy and fake.)
@@infasis Agree 100% about how they can't recapture the 80s/90s..you said it perfectly. It always drives me nuts and I find movies like that unwatchable. I think if you lived the 80s/90s, it's a lot harder to tolerate those fake-azz attempts to re-create those days!
Kept waiting to see Dead and Buried on the list (might be on your boy's list. Checking that out next). But the plot of Messiah of Evil seems really similar. Another great list!
I love how often he says "cozy." :)
Good subject and interesting selections. I am surprised that 1962's "Carnival of Souls" appeared on neither your list nor AVA's list.
I love that movie, but I didn’t really felt like it had the vibe I was going for. It’s hard to explain.
@cobwebschannel I understand that. The normalcy of the town is what drives the protagonist to feel alien. There's something wrong with the visitor, not the actual town. It's the inverse of the rest of your list.
That’s a GREAT way to put it.
Very cool list. I like it.
I also recommend "Jug Face" (2013) and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (1983)
Dagon was a hidden gem for me.
Yeah, it's one of the best Lovecraft movie adaptations. Although it was inspired by The Shadow Over Innsmouth story rather than Dagon. Which is great.
Thanks for the great recommendations definitely a couple on your list that I'm going to check out.
I love 'Messiah of Evil'! I stumbled upon this flick one night with no idea what I was in for. Dread is definitely the word to describe this flick. Horror movies don't usually stay with me, but I had a hard time shaking this one off. One town/film not on your list that deserves to be is the fictional town of 'Potter's Bluff' from 'Dead and Buried' (1981)
Dagon creeped me out and Silver bullet is so fun. Grabbers is a fun small town horror/ comedy that is pretty entertaining.
Great video! I love City of the Dead. It needs a 4k!
That would be awesome!
Fantastic list! A lot of my favourites there, as well, especially the top three ;)
My ideal seaside small town triple feature is Lost Boys, The Fog, and Dead & Buried.
Darkness Falls and the Town That Dreaded Sundown would fit here. Also Cherry Falls. Thorough review.
Fun fact, in the beginning of Messiah of Evil, the guy that is running and "meets" the little girl is Walter Hill the Dir of The Warriors and several other outstanding films! Messiah had fantastic atmosphere and cinematography. Loved it! Own the blu-ray. Great list! I need to check out The Wicker Man!!! Saw the remake back in the day at the theater. THIS looks to be much better!
Also, I'd like to mention Dead & Buried (1981) think it would fit perfectly in your list! A favorite of mine for sure 😎👍
edit - Oh just realized that AVA Pop Culture had Dead & Buried on his list.
In the Mouth of Madness was partially filmed in my town in the 1990s. My friend and I were extras in the movie. I've seen it, but I couldn't find myself in it!
A Full Moon film that came out in the '90s titled "Netherworld"; not a great film, but very atmospheric, with some great jazz music. It is a modern Gothic set in a small town in the Louisiana swamps. And, though not the stereotypical small town, "The She Creature" (1956), a film with a terrific idea that suffers from dull execution, does have a certain atmosphere imbued by its setting of a small, upscale resort village.
I've only ever known Horror Hotel by that name, never knew it had a MUCH MORE FITTING title of City of the Dead!
When I clicked on this video, it was the first movie to pop into my head. Such a creepy movie and definitely worth a watch!
This was a really interesting list, and some movies that I might not have thought about watching. I'll have to check some of them out, like The Wicker Man. I love Sleepy Hollow (and the Disney version), and at first didn't want to watch it because I'm so fond of the story, and the Disney version. But I'm glad that I did. Silver Bullet is one of my October watches every year, and I thought that Megan Follows did a great job as Jane. As frustrated as she was with her brother, she loved him, and more importantly, believed him. And that is a great t-shirt!
YAAAAAAAAAS WICKER MAAAAAAANNN!!! We watch it every May Day 🌞🔥. Also Sleepy Hollow is my favorite Tim Burton movie, it deserves more love. I totally agree about The Headless Horseman, to! He is my favorite halloween icon 🎃
I love how much you gave Sleepy hollow credit. My favorite horror movie of all time.
Top notch topic for horror subgenre to do a video about! Great one!
Gatlin in Nebraska pretty eerie and creepy place where a horror film called Children Of The Corn (1984) played out.
Dunwich in New England another creepy place where shock horror City Of The Living Dead played out..
A few more...
Antlers
Slither
The Crazies (2010)
Dark Was the Night
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
Slice
Savageland
Mutants (1984)
The Mothman Prophesies
I came across Mothman while preparing for this video. I didn’t check it out, but I want to.
Nice list, wonder what you would think about dark harvest, I just saw it and it had a lot of small town vibes with corn fields and a 1960s setting
Hi from Melbourne, Australia. The first time I watched The Wicker Man, I didn't understand it as well. But then I read the book, which is amazing & then watched it again. Got it, loved it, amazing.
This is something of a hot take, but one I enjoy is The Village. For the first half of the film, it’s a really good suspenseful atmosphere, with some interesting lore and very creepy moments. The second half’s twist definitely could have been better, but I also think that it could have worked with a bit more tinkering. I don’t feel that this movie deserves the hate it received, since it very much captures that feeling of seclusion in a small town, as well as being an outsider of sorts just by way of how you were born and the isolation of our personal traumas. Also, the creatures’ design is genuinely unsettling.
A+ video!
LOVE IT! Awesome genre and movie picks!
for your number 3 pick the devonsville terror looks good. all great picks. I also noticed you have slewfoot on your shelf which I found a fantastic book. i've read 4 of Brom's books now and they were all a good time tbh. Also Ronald Malfi's book called small town horror was a good time as well.
Actually, "Dagon" isn't based on the Lovecraft short story of the same name at all, it's a halfway accurate adaptation of Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth".
Another great video
OMG - there's a town in Western Pennsylvania north of Pittsburgh called HOME. It is so creepy, X-Files used it as a setting for an episode. We always drove through it as carefully as possible. We didn't want to get the attention of their cops for tripping a speed-trap and getting arrested - we just knew we'd never be seen again.
I love Pennsylvania! Now I wanna go. haha
Small Town Horror Movies are some of my all time favorite set ups! I need to check out quite a few of these!
Awesome list! Need to get to some of these. I'm wondering if Lucio Fulci's 1980 classic City of the Dead has anything to do with the on your list, which also has a Lovecraftian theme. Still have yet to see the Whicker Man & based on clips i've seen and other folks who've also seen Midsommar, there are similarities w/ the themes, one being the ending of Misommar where the protagonist's boyfriend gets burned alive in a ritual. LOVED Within the Mouth of Madness which is also part of Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy that includes The Thing & Prince of Darkness, three of the all-time best cosmic horror films in my opinion. ;)
It's hard to not give a "hat-tip" to Stepford. (The original Ira Levin book and 1975 movie.)
Great job. Especially if you can't include the Fog. Halloween was suburban, I saw it in theaters at 14, and already loved Donald Pleasance, but fell love with John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis. As a suburban kid myself it scared the crap out of me. I also romanced about New England as I was a northern California Kid. Loved your choices, Wicker Man is complex and great! Love City of the Dead, a favorite of mine, so brutal and Lee and company are so good your really suspend disbelief to the casts talent and obvious commitment ti the project. Love your content. Don't agree 100% always, like here but your love for some I love is most facinating. You're awsome! Afmgree also on you're n7mber 10, not my favorite but just super creepy, a great first ride as you can't guess what's next. But would not be on my list. As you couldn't choose the Fog due to repetition with you're friend. You're a fun and interesting guy, and great and fun content. I just love checking in to see your choices. Love Bava, Barbara Steele, Christopher Lee, Hammer and 60's Horror. Love oldies such as 30"s and 49's horror, etc, etc. What about M with Fritz Lang and Oeter Lorre? Isn't that a small European town? Super great flick!
Yeah, In The mouth of Madness has such a vibe. I'm likely gonna actually visit a few of the filming locations here in Ontario next week en route to my destination. Halloween 3 also one of the best creepy towns with its curfew, surveillance, etc. Wicker Man is undeniable, and as few other here mentioned, Dead and Buried is great, underrated and often over looked.
The town of Derry from the original Stephen king mini series IT
I been to the town that Silent Hill is based off of. It's very creepy. The underground is on 🔥. It's been awhile, but I think the story is that during the 80s people we're working down in a mine and a fire accord and it's been burning ever since.
Awesome list! While I don't live in a small town (Los Angeles) I been to many creepy small towns before so we all can fell the vibes. Carpenter is also my favorite director and I agree Village of the Damned is underrated but the Midwich Cuckoos is fun too.
That's the name of the book :) The only one of Wyndam's books to movie that works.
@@starscreamthecruel8026 True pardon me 😂but the book was good and there is a TV season but I have to admit that I have not seen it.
I like your channel. It’s very cozy.
I love to hear that! 🍵
@The Cobwebs Channel I absolutely love this channel. You have reignited by long time love/hate relationship with horror. But horror I get too choose. Not all the movies I was way too young for who really took what I saw quite literally. Children of the Corn at a third grade slumber party. Or parents watching American Werewolf at night. Where I refused to go to my room bc I could still hear and imagine it just as horrific as if I had. Now I honestly want to venture into writing my own horror and perhaps a short horror film. Your channel and these lists and lil deep dives get my horror juices flowing. Just letting you know how appreciate you. Also, I had noooo idea my forever boyfriend Christopher Reeve was in a John Carpenter movie. On my Playlist.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying!
These would be great lists to follow on Letterboxd as well to keep organized. I try to save a lot of movies you talk about on a watchlist but typically gets out of hand haha
I highly recommend "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" (1971) and "Dead & Buried" (1981), those are located in a small town too and have a thick atmosphere. Jessica mostly takes place in one house though but I don't know anyone who likes Messiah of Evil and doesn't like Jessica. Dead & Buried has much more of that eerie small town vibe.
Dead and Buried is a great one! I just watched for the first time this year and added it to my list otherwise I bet Daniel would have had it on his for sure!!
Those are definitely memorable horror movies.
I just saw Dead and Buried. Easily in contention for most underrated horror film of all-time.
@@k-slay4407 it is pretty damn good!
Jessica is creepy as heck! Has that 70's vibe
Been to all the filming locations of the wicker. Infact been a few times even got some of the remains of wood from the stumps that are still there of the burning wicker man. Got married up there and the lady who married us gave me an actual photo of Edward Woodward having a break during filming which she took herself and very generously gave it to me as its my favourite film of all time. Even have a large wicker man tattooed on my arm
Wow, that is incredible!!
@@cobwebschannel absolutely love your channel
Man.....Messiah Of Evil is an underrated masterpiece !!
Hi Daniel! John Carpenter is my favorite director as well. His work is so easily recognized. Anyway, some of my favorite small town horror movies include Dead and Buried, Dagon, Silver Bullet, Salem's Lot (1979 tv movie), The Fog, Wicker Man, and Children of the Corn.
Awesome choices!
I love Silver Bullet (one of my October watches every year), and Salem's Lot. I watched the second half of that in a dark rec room with a bunch of other teenagers...scared the hell out of us!
Thank you for directing me here after my disappointment at not finding The Wicker Man in your top 10 Witchcraft horror films. I agree with you 100 % in placing this at number tt. There are so many excellent films in these genres that are too little known today. I also love your number 2 choice of Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow. I preferred the original Village of the Damned to Carpenter’s remake in many ways…but I also thoroughly enjoyed his version as well. He did capture the essential confusion of the townspeople at the start, and their growing unease becoming deep seated fear of the children, and their own status of being trapped. Excellent reviews as far as I have seen so far…I will be looking at more.🖤🇨🇦
All the kids in Village Of The Damned looked like Phil Donahue.
They do, lol!
😂😂😂
Spot on!!!!! 😂😂😂 👍
😊 yes!! I've always loved small town horror movies, my favorite kind of stories!