April Fool’s Day
Directed by Fred Walton
Written by Danilo Bach
Produced by Frank Mancuso, Jr.
Starring Deborah Foreman, Griffin O’Neal, Clayton Rohner, Jay Baker, Pat Barlow
Paramount Pictures
DVD | Instant Video
Original release dates: March 27, 1986

It only feels appropriate today to discuss one of the truly original horror films of one of the most unoriginal eras in horror history. The 1980s churned out hundreds of slasher films with disturbingly similar plots and characters. And since 1974’s Black Christmas, it felt every holiday got its own horror film; including Halloween, New Year’s Evil, and My Bloody Valentine. So it only made sense in 1986 to make another seasonal slasher: April Fool’s Day.

Directed by Fred Walton, a horror aficionado whose 1979 When a Stranger Calls contains one of the great openings in horror history, April Fool’s Day is possibly the most unique thriller of the 80s, and an inspiration for the self-referential horror films in the mid-90s. The story is about Muffy St. John (Deborah Foreman), a rich teenager who is having a birthday bash in her island mansion. The most 80s group of friends show up to ferry over for the party. There’s the stoner guy, the hot popular couple, the blonde bimbo, the jock looking to score (a hilarious post Back to the Future Biff Tannen aka Thomas F. Wilson), and of course Harvey (Jay Baker) the Michael J. Fox-esque young Republican in training.

Absentia
Netflix Streaming | Amazon Instant Video | DVD | Blu-ray
Directed by Mike Flanagan
Written by Mike Flanagan
Starring Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, Dave Levine, Justin Gordon, Morgan Peter Brown
Fallback Plan Productions
Run time: 87 minutes
Originally Released: March 3, 2011

A good buddy of mine made a passionate plea on Facebook for someone to watch a particular horror movie currently on Netflix Instant. His plea intrigued me not because of a plot description, nor because of an actor we like; but rather his comment that this horror film was completely cliche-free. In a world where even the biggest grossing horror films are filled to the brims with jump scares, musical cues, and special effects, I am fortunate to find and recommend Mike Flanagan‘s 2011 film, Absentia; or as I am now calling it, the “cure for the modern horror film.”

Every month, Netflix Instant adds a bunch of new titles to their instant streaming service, so I’m here to give you some recommendations from their new offerings in movies and television.

Some of my favorite picks this time include Marvel’s highly anticipated original series Daredevil; Kate Beckinsale’s in 2003’s Underworld; the Sundance darling The Babadook; a bunch of Leprechaun sequels; the first National Treasure film; and one of my favorite movies of all time, Hot Fuzz.

There’s plenty more titles coming in April, so below are some of my favorite picks for the month, along with descriptions, original release years, and Netflix launch dates, as well as a few notable mentions for titles leaving the streaming service this month.

Another Friday the 13th!

2015 may truly be the year of the horror fan. Last month, we looked at the Friday the 13th films in all their bloody and naked glory with 13 Best Friday The 13th Kills and 13 Things You Didn’t Know About The Friday The 13th Films. For today’s deadly day, I thought something different and perhaps more enlightening. I’ve scoured Netflix, literally perused every title in their horror section, and picked 13 films you may have missed, or perhaps never heard of. No Jason, Michael, or Freddy here. Trying to avoid popular franchises and big time money makers.

Here are 13 little-seen horror films to enjoy on Netflix this Friday on the 13th.

Every month, Netflix Instant adds a bunch of new titles to their instant streaming service, so I’m here to give you some recommendations from their new offerings in movies and television.

Some of my favorite picks include Finding Neverland, the 2004 Johnny Depp film based on the life of Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie; Parks and Rec star Aziz Ansari’s Live at Madison Square Garden; the 1998 Robin Williams film Patch Adams; and 2014’s animated feature How to Train Your Dragon 2. Also coming this month is the Netflix original series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the Tina Fey comedy starring Ellie Kemper, as well as the complete series for 3rd Rock from the Sun and A Different World.

There’s plenty more titles coming in March, so below are some of my favorite picks for the month, along with descriptions, original release years, and Netflix launch dates, as well as a few notable mentions for titles leaving the streaming service this month.