After a lull for many, many years, the horror anthology has made a roaring comeback and is once again a common place for the horror movie genre. Television has embraced the anthology for short form storytelling, while modern horror filmmakers have utilized the format to give a platform and exposure to indie filmmakers around the world anxious for an audience.
With new anthologies premiering this year (10/31 Part II, V/H/S/94, Fear Street, et al.), be sure to look for these five great anthology horror films deserving of a big audience and fan following.
The Willies (1990)
“The Willies” is a creepy, gross, and silly anthology that dabbles in urban legends and spins tales in the vein of “Creepshow.” With gory tales about a monster in a bathroom, and boy who tortures flies, “The Willies” is a late 1980’s treat lost in the shuffle. Considering the pedigree of actors starring in this largely forgotten horror anthology (including Sean Astin, Dana Ashbrook, James Karen, and Clu Gulager), I’m saddened that “The Willies” is still mainly just VHS fodder.
Streaming on: TubiTV
Campfire Tales (1997)
Although the slasher movie “Urban Legends” gets a lot of credit for making urban legends and folklore mainstream, “Campfire Tales” did it first. And it did it so much better. After a car crash, four high school students take refuge in a forest overnight and tell each other scary stories. Among them are twists on classic urban legends. What amounts is a creepy, sharp, and clever anthology with a slick production. I wish people talked about it more.
Terror Tract (2000)
Another great anthology lost in the shuffle, the late great John Ritter plays a real estate agent showing a couple a series of properties on a particular block. Shocking enough every house he shows them happens to have a horrifying, or violent story behind it, and as the movie progresses the lunacy is amped up. Along with some great horror segments, “Terror Tract” includes a loony climax that will keep you in stitches.
Horror Stories (2012)
The narrator of this great anthology is a kidnapped school girl who is trying to stall a serial killer from murdering her by telling him the scariest stories she knows. She tells him four truly creepy and intense tales concerning domestic frights, zombies, and a serial killer on an airplane. “Horror Stories” is a great Korean horror film, with a tight run time and some fine segments in its ammunition. I highly recommend it.
Streaming on: TubiTV, Amazon Prime Video
Chilling Visions: 5 Senses of Fear (2013)
With five tales based around the literal five senses of the human body, this horror anthology is filled with surprises, creeps, and a killer final segment based around hearing that still haunts me to this day. Fueled largely by its association with the now defunct Chiller TV cable channel, “Chilling Visions” is a great anthology worth seeking out as soon as possible.
Streaming on: TubiTV, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video