When the lights go out and the room goes quiet, Flint residents Brian Schell and Kevin Knights sit in anticipation of the evening’s horror movie selection. The music begins, the title appears and they settle in. Each scream, jump-scare, plot twist, death and mystery on screen is enjoyed and then chronicled for the benefit of thousands of horror movie aficionados across the world. Want to know what the best werewolf movie is? They have the answer. Best scary silent film? They have at least five to recommend. Foreign terror flick? Pick a country. From the era of silent horror films to today’s endless stream of media, they’ve nearly seen it all. Why do they do it? Why subject themselves to terror night after night, waking up with goosebumps and cold sweat? The answer is simple.
“We love horror movies,” Knights answers with a shrug. Since 2018, he and Schell have been known online as “The Horror Guys.” They’ve seen and reviewed more than 1,600 scary movies to date, adding five or more every week. Their website, horrorguys.com, sees over 3,000 visitors a day and their horror bulletin (weekly movie reviews) has thousands of subscribers. Each week, their reviews are supplemented by a podcast that is quickly approaching its 250th episode. Their experience and expertise have led to the publication of eight guides to horror films (such as The Horror Guys Guide to The Horror Films of Vincent Price and The Horror Guys Guide to The Horror Films of Roger Corman), 23 Horror Bulletin compilations, and two works of fiction all their own entitled, Tales to Make You Shiver.
It’s a labor of love and for both of them, it goes back as far as they can remember. “My parents used to take me to horror movies when I was around four years old,” Knights recalls. “The earliest movie I remember seeing that really got to me was “The Corpse Grinders” (1971). Some scenes from that movie just stuck with me.” Schell adds, “for me, as a kid, it was ‘The Wolf Man’ (1941). Werewolves terrified me.” Since their first taste of film fright, they’ve wanted more and when the time came as adults, they indulged – choosing movies and watching them singly or in weekend marathons, whatever time permits.
As far as movie choice, the Horror Guys are not picky. They are game to watch any horror film, from the first one ever made – Georges Méiliès “House of the Devil” (1896) – to films made overseas, Indie films and submitted works. “Independent filmmakers often send us short films asking us for a review,” Schell explains. “We try to be honest in our critique.” Each review takes into account the context and time in which the movie is made; therefore, each movie is critiqued fairly and not just compared to today’s standards and technology. A typical review begins with a short “spoiler-free” initial reaction before jumping into the plot and final commentary.
“We tend to think of horror movies as coming from two different times: pre-John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ and post-Halloween,” says Schell. “In other words, there are those movies that came before 1978-79 and later.” The Horror Guys agree that “Halloween” changed the scary movie scene from the day it was introduced.
After so many viewings, they have a few ideas about what distinguishes a good horror movie from a bad one. “I think the main things are pretty simple,” says Knights, “a good story and characters you care about.” Schell agrees, “it’s not only about special effects or gore. Just tell me a good story with people to root for.” “Sometimes you don’t like any of the people and end up rooting for the killer or monster,” says Knights. “That can be fun, too.”
“Music and sound are also very important,” adds Schell. “In the movie ‘The Collector’ (2009), when the killer shows up on-screen, a scary, screaming sound effect happens. It sets you on edge. Without that effect, you are just watching a person walking in a herky-jerky way. It’s not as frightening.” (The Horror Guys did not particularly enjoy “The Collector” but did acknowledge a few interesting things about it.)
It’s not only about special effects or gore. Just tell me a good story with people to root for.
Brian Schell
The Horror Guys are open to any sort of horror movie but do have their favorites. The works of John Carpenter, Roger Corman and David Cronenberg stand out, as does the acting of Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis and recent stars Justin Long and Jenna Ortega.
They find unknown and underrated movie gold from studios and streaming services across the world that have become high on their list, or recommendations such as “Jug Face” (2013), “What Josiah Saw” (2021), “Timecrimes” (2007), “Crimes of the Future” (2022), “Burnt Offerings” (1976), “Exorcist III” (1990) and “Basket Case” (1982), to name very few. If you consider yourself a horror movie buff, horrorguys.com is the place to go to find hidden gems you may miss otherwise and to avoid wasting an hour or so of time on a “bad” movie.
For those new to the genre or are building up the courage to jump in, The Horror Guys recommend the following movies as your foundation:
- “The Thing” (1982)
- “Halloween” (1978)
- “Alien” (1979)
- “Hellraiser” (1987)
- “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) or
“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
I think the main things are pretty simple – a good story and characters you care about.
Kevin Knights
For a family that wants to experience a few frights for this Halloween season, The Horror Guys recommend a flurry of movies separated into “Modern” and “Classic” categories.
Family Modern Horror
- “We Have a Ghost” (2023) Netflix
- “Psycho Goreman” (2020) Prime Video, Shudder
- “Goosebumps” (2015) Netflix
- “Werewolf by Night” Disney+
- “Coraline” (2009) Max
Family Classic Horror
- “Hocus Pocus” (1993) Disney+
- “Poltergeist” (1982)
- “The Witches” (1990)
- “Mad Monster Party” (1967)
- “The Comedy of Terrors” (1963) Amazon Prime
With the nearly unattainable goal of viewing every horror movie ever made, The Horror Guys release reviews, bulletins and podcasts weekly. Visit horrorguys.com for reviews, books, podcasts and more. While you are there, make sure to sign up for their bulletin … you never know what they will be watching next.
