Working for the weekend…am I right?! Everybody loves a good vacation, sandy beaches, freshly powdered slopes, or a stroll through a quaint historical village, but what do you do when a homicidal monster ruins everything!? This week’s Staff Picks shine some light on a few vacation-themed flicks.
HoneyMoon
Set in a remote cabin located near a lake in the woods, Honeymoon is simple enough (at first). A romantic getaway of a newlywed couple in seclusion and wilderness. Until some weird stuff starts happening. Throw in a couple of locals to spice things up, and this movie goes into some places I never would have imagined. It builds tension and is genuinely creepy, and the performances are top-notch. Bonus points if you go camping and watch this in the middle of the woods late at night.
-Jacob Sever
Dead Snow
A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students in Dead Snow, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.
I watched this one back in the day on accident, some friends had put it on in the background at a party. I’m so glad they did because I would have never considered it on the trailer or plot alone. Dead Snow is a fantastic blend of humor and horror. This is an obvious choice for any Zombie-genre fans, but if you love a good teen-slasher, this one’s for you too.
-Lona Zhao
Motel Hell
You’re tired. Eyes fuzzy from following the backroad snaking lines. You need to pull over and get some rest, but the only place for miles is a little motel called Motel Hello…how bad could it be? You really only want to get some rest and get back on the road to take full advantage of your holiday weekend. Well, turns out the owners of this country motel have other plans. Chainsaws and dysfunctional families are nothing new to 80s’ horror, but much like the sausages Farmer Vincent cooks up, Motel Hell squeezes the reclaimed meat and scraps left behind by other, more expensive, recipes into delicious, budget-friendly, junk food.
-Danny West
Baghead
Baghead is an early Duplass Brothers production in which four washed-up actors retreat to the woods to write their next big film. The story gets a little too real when they find themselves stalked by the very subject of their spooky new script. This cabin/woods horror is an indie gem with a lot of heart. It is also the perfect example of a weekend getaway spiraling wildly out of control.
-Felicia Schembari