By Kevin Wong on Oct 23, 2017 11:30 pm
Asuka's gonna kill you.
Out of everything that happened last night at TLC: Tables Ladders and Chairs, the most predictable outcome was that of Asuka's main roster debut match. Emma lost to the former NXT Women's Champion. But there's little shame in that; everybody loses to Asuka. She is currently undefeated in WWE singles matches; back in May 2017, she broke Goldberg's 173-win undefeated streak (Goldberg reached out on Twitter to praise her). And for anyone who's seen how hard she kicks and how utterly creepy her game face is, it's no wonder she managed it. Here are the women who have the best chance of putting Asuka down for the count. Because all streaks come to an end; just ask The Undertaker. But it won't happen anytime soon, and when it does happen, it'll be on a massive stage. Empress of Tomorrow indeed.
Nia Jax
Up until a week ago, Jax would have been one of the most likely to break the streak. She's physically dominant, and she's right on the edge of clinching gold. She's body positive on social media. She's got the bloodlines because she's The Rock's cousin. But she reportedly walked out on Raw, which--rumor has it--was due to her unhappiness with creativity. According to Randall Ortman of CagesideSeats, she wanted to be the one who fought Asuka at TLC. And WWE doesn't take well to an employee who refuses to jump when the company tells her to.
Bayley
Again, not too long ago, this would be a different conversation. Bayley was the most beloved babyface coming out of NXT. But then, the Raw writers didn't book her into anything compelling. She lost a whole lot of steam. And on top of that, she's already lost to Asuka twice. At one point, an Asuka defeat would have been a Cinderella story for Bayley. Now, it's a little too late. Bayley needs to build herself back up again before rehashing this feud.
Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross isn't on the main roster yet--she's still in NXT. But when she finally gets there, she has a small chance of dethroning the Empress. Cross stands out because she is so radically different from every other woman on the roster, what with her rope biting and unhinged body language. She already has a high profile loss against Asuka: they fought in a Last Woman Standing match this past June. But despite that loss, Cross is hardcore tough in a way that many of the other women are not. She's a dark horse pick.
Alexa Bliss
One thing this past year taught us is that fans should never underestimate Little Miss Bliss. First, she held the Smackdown women's title. Now, she's holding the Raw women's title. And how has she managed that, despite being being shorter and weighing less than everyone else on the roster? She did it by being smart. By dodging at the right time, so her opponent goes crashing into the ringpost. By picking her spots and exploiting them to the best of her ability. Unfortunately, that may not be enough to believably defeat Asuka. One hellacious kick, and Bliss will be finished. Moving on.
Sasha Banks
Banks is, aside from Asuka herself, the most talented female performer currently on the main roster. Other wrestlers have better athleticism and better technical chops, but Banks possesses masterful ring psychology. The problem is that The Boss is currently a babyface, which is not her strength. Her heel character, on the other hand, is a veritable heat magnet, and it's through that character that Banks does her best, most believable work. That version of Sasha Banks could beat Asuka. But until she turns bad, she has little to no chance.
Kairi Sane
The winner of the Mae Young Classic, Sane has made some massive waves in a short amount of time. She's already famous in her native Japan, and she has the best elbow drop in the business; she's fairly small, but she throws her whole body into the windup of the move. She's positioned herself as a future champion on NXT, and a win against Asuka would be believable under the right circumstances. The only roadblock is the time factor; Sane will be a member of NXT for the foreseeable future. And by the time she moves up to the main roster, it might be too late to go through the process of first building her name recognition, and then giving her such a prominent win.
Charlotte Flair
The true star of the women's division, Flair is the obvious, no-brainer choice to finally topple Asuka's streak. She's the most decorated out of all the women. She has the height, athleticism, and prowess to make it believable. And she's got the Flair genes, which means that the fans would accept the outcome; if Asuka loses, she needs to lose to the best. A big question mark, strangely enough, is Flair's finisher, the figure-eight leglock. Asuka would have to tap out to lose to Flair, and after the way she's been built up, it's difficult to imagine Asuka tapping out to anything. Flair's other finisher, the Natural Selection, won't get the job done either. Still, it's always a poor idea to bet against Flair. And she has some time to build up to her win (or find a suitable finisher). Flair is currently on SmackDown, and either Asuka or Flair needs to switch brands to make this dream match happen.
Ember Moon
And lastly, we come to the woman who, if we're being honest, should have already handed Asuka her first loss. Ember Moon took Asuka to her limit twice, on two different occasions. One of those times, at NXT TakeOver Orlando, Asuka had to push the referee into the ropes in order to preserve her perfect record. The two women's second encounter at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn III was even better than the first encounter. Moon scored multiple near pinfalls on Asuka; despite walking away with the win, Asuka had never been more challenged. And it was during this match that Asuka injured herself, forcing her to vacate the NXT women's title. She then moved to Raw, undefeated, which brings us to the current day. Out of everyone on WWE's payroll, Moon deserves to beat Asuka the most, and she's the most likely to do so, eventually. She's a powerhouse in her own right and a future star in the making. But since Moon is still in NXT, this second rematch won't happen any time soon. And until then, we can look forward to the weeks and possibly months of Asuka-driven dominance to come.
By Jimmy Thang on Oct 23, 2017 08:30 pm
Trying to navigate the sea of gaming monitors is difficult, especially when they're so much display technical jargon to wade through. Adaptive refresh rate? In-plane switching? OLED? What do those terms mean? Let us break them down for you. Whether you want to play a twitch-based shooter that requires a fast response rate panel or need a display that offers accurate colors so that you can do some photo editing on the side, we'll outline what you should look out for. Table of contents: - Size and Resolution
- Ultrawide 21:9 Aspect Ratio Monitors
- Flat vs Curve
- Refresh Rate
- Adaptive Refresh Rate
- Panel Types
- HDR
- Response Time
- Ports
- Adjustable Stand and VESA Mounts
For more relevant PC guides, check out:
Size and Resolution
One of the first things you want to figure out when purchasing a monitor is the size and resolution. 1080p, 1440p, and 4K are popular resolutions. 1080p 1920x1080 is by far the most common gaming resolution today. As the name suggest, its resolution is the sum of 1920 pixels multiplied by 1080. This amounts to a combined 2,073,600 pixels. While it's popular, it's been around for a long time and is beginning to show its age. As a result, it's best suited for smaller panels, where its relatively low pixel count won't be as detrimental. We're talking monitors in the realm of 23 inches and below. 1440p 2560x1440p, also referred to as quad-high-definition (QHD), is a sweet spot for many PC gamers with mid to high-end hardware. With its 3,686,400 combined pixel count, it offers 77 percent more pixels than 1920x1080 but isn't nearly as graphically demanding as 4K. Good graphics cards to pair it with include Nvidia's GTX 1070 or AMD's RX Vega 56 and up. Its pixels makes it great for monitors in the 24-30 inch range. 4K When it comes to gaming monitors, 4K typically equates to a resolution of 3840x2160. It's also referred to as Ultra-High-Definition (UHD), made up of 8,294,400 total pixels. This is four times 1920x1080. As a result, the resolution can be very graphically demanding on GPUs. While the super-sharp resolution can mitigate jaggy aliasing issues on even the biggest 4K panels, we would generally only recommend one to gamers who own a high-end card like Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or those with two high-end graphics cards like Nvidia's GTX 1080 or AMD's RX Vega 64 running in SLI/Crossfire.
Ultrawide 21:9 Aspect Ratio Monitors
The previous monitors we mentioned all used 16:9 aspect ratios, which means they feature a width of 16 units and a height of 9. While they're really popular, ultrawide 21:9 monitors have been gaining a lot of traction in recent years. They can give you an advantage in shooters like Battlefield 1 by allowing you to more easily spot enemies in your peripheral vision with a wider field of view. Not all games take advantage of the wider aspect ratio, however. Older games may present black bars on either side of the screen. Some games like Overwatch will just crop the top and bottom, which actually inhabits your view if you play in fullscreen. Ultrawide monitors come in a variety of resolutions. The most popular ones include 2560x1080, 3440x1440, and the highest-end 3840x1600. The latter isn't as graphically demanding as 4K, but it is more taxing than the aforementioned 2560x1440p, so you'll want a beefy GPU like the GTX 1080 or RX Vega 64 to run it.
Flat vs Curve
Curved panels are an emerging monitor trend. Paired with an ultrawide aspect ratio, they can make you feel a little more enveloped in the action. While they're often paired with ultrawide displays, you'll sometimes also see 16:9 monitors rocking curved panels.. Most curved monitors typically offer curved angles between 21 and 31 degrees, but there are more aggressive designs that extend beyond. Deciding whether to get a curved monitor or how deep the curve should be comes down to personal preference. We suggest you try one out before you invest. Generally speaking, we'd only recommend a curved monitor when it's paired with an ultrawide panel.
Refresh Rate
When discussing monitors, hertz is a measurement used to dictate how fast a panel can draw individual frames, or "refresh," a screen. A monitor's refresh rate dictates its frame rate limit. For instance, a 60Hz panel is limited to displaying a maximum of 60 frames per second. We strongly recommend high refresh rate monitors for gaming as a result, but they do typically cost more. While most modern monitors are limited to 60Hz, fancier gaming monitors can go up to 75, 120, 144, and even 240Hz. High refresh rate monitors are great for competitive fighting games and twitch-based shooters, as they give you more frame data. You will need a powerful rig that can output these high frame rates to take advantage of them, however. 120Hz monitors and above are generally needed for 3D panels that use stereoscopic glasses, but most manufacturers have moved away from 3D as the technology hasn't gained much traction.
Adaptive Refresh Rate
While most monitors are locked to a consistent refresh rate (i.e., 60Hz or 120Hz, etc.), adaptive refresh rate displays allow your graphics card to control the refresh rate of the panel. For instance, if your gaming rig is only able to render 40 frames per second at any given time, your graphics card will lower the refresh rate of your monitor to 40Hz to match it. Similar to enabling V-Sync, this mitigates screen tearing, but without increasing input latency--V-Sync's major drawback. You essentially get the best of both worlds with an adaptive refresh rate screen. It's a feature that we really recommend. Fortunately, both AMD and Nvidia offer adaptive refresh rate solutions. On AMD's side, there is FreeSync. On Nvidia's side, there is G-Sync. You'll need to pair the monitors with each respective vendor's GPU for the adaptive refresh rate to work. G-Sync panels require an Nvidia module in the monitor, whereas FreeSync panels only require that a monitor support the DisplayPort 1.2 standard. Because G-Sync panels require a physical module, they typically cost more than their FreeSync counterparts.
Panel Types
When it comes to displays, there are two main types. Most monitors use liquid crystal display LEDs that provide fluorescent backlighting. The other type is the emerging OLED tech. LCD LED: TN TN stands for twisted nematic, and it's a popular panel that's cheap to manufacture. Its major benefit is that it offers a fast response time, which is good for gaming, but they generally have inferior viewing angles compared to their IPS equivalents. Their color accuracy also isn't as good. IPS IPS stands for in-plane switching and they are generally more expensive and superior to their TN counterparts. They offer wider viewing angles and better color accuracy than TN, which makes them great for photo and video editing. Historically, TN panels have offered noticeably faster response times, but manufacturers have been able to bring down IPS response times below five milliseconds, which is more than adequate for most gamers. As a result, it's a panel type that we recommend to most people. VA VA stands for vertical alignment. The panel type offers a better contrast ratio than IPS, which means it provides deep black levels. It also offers better color accuracy and viewing angles than TN, though it can't match IPS in either category. As it pertains to gaming, one negative aspect of VA panels is that they are known to produce undesirable ghosting effects, which are more noticeable when there's a lot of movement on screen. OLED: The emerging panel tech to watch out for is organic light emitting diode panels. These OLED screens use a transmissive display that generates its own individually backlit pixels rather than rely on backlighting provided by larger LEDs. This allows them to turn off individual pixels to achieve true black levels. The major downside to OLED panels is that they can't get as bright as their LED equivalents. While you're starting to see them on high-end TVs and smartphones, they haven't made a significant dent in the gaming monitor scene due to how new the technology is.
HDR
HDR stands for high-dynamic range, and it aims to offer a wider color gamut beyond the longstanding sRGB standard. HDR pushes a higher contrast ratio between white and black levels and generally attempts to represent colors more realistically. According to Nvidia, HDR can expand the color gamut by a factor of two, which amounts to roughly 75 percent of the visible color spectrum. There are multiple HDR standards. HDR 10 requires panels to reach 2000 nits of brightness, whereas Microsoft's spec is set at 600 nits. Like OLED, HDR is an emerging technology and is only beginning to make headway in the PC gaming monitor space.
Response Time
When looking for a monitor geared for gaming, it's important to get one that offers a quick response time. Response time is generally measured by how long it takes for a pixel to turn from one shade of grey to another. You'll want to look for a monitor that offers five milliseconds of latency or below. Having a high response time will make gameplay look blurry and present undesirable trailing edges. This will be particularly evident when there's a lot of movement on screen. It can also serve as a gaming disadvantage, as you'll have less time to react to in-game occurrences.
Ports
When purchasing a gaming monitor, it's a good idea to note whether its video port/s will support your graphics card. For instance, some older video cards may not offer DisplayPort connections, and some newer gaming monitors may lack HDMI inputs. DVI DVI is an older HD standard that's able to transmit video up to 1920x1200 resolution but many older DVI cables can't deliver audio. HDMI HDMI has superseded DVI and supports audio transmission. The most modern version is HDMI 2.0, which supports 4K video up to 60FPS and HDR. It also supports 21:9 aspect ratio monitors and dual video streams. HDMI 2.1 is on the horizon, however, and will increase bandwidth from 18Gbps to 48GBps. It's a forward-thinking standard that will allow for resolutions up to 10K and frame rates up to 120FPS. DisplayPort The latest DisplayPort standard is version 1.4, which enables HDR and supports 8K/60FPS and 4K/120FPS video. DisplayPort 1.4 also supports up to 32 audio channels at a 1536kHz sample rate. USB and audio jacks Some monitors offer USB ports and audio jacks. They are appreciated since they will allow you to easily connect gaming controllers, thumb drives, and headsets.
Adjustable Stand And VESA Mounts
One area that many people overlook when purchasing a monitor is the quality of its stand. A good stand will not only allow you to shift the panel up and down, but also tilt it forwards and backwards. Some monitor stands will also allow you to turn the display 90 degrees so you can get more vertical length when reading long articles. This orientation can also allow you to save desk space. It's also a good idea to look for monitors that support the VESA mounting standard. This will ensure that it's compatible with a wide array of mounts that will allow you to attach it to walls.
By Michael Higham on Oct 23, 2017 01:30 am
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 16-Core CPU - $880
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 16-Core CPU - $880
AMD's Threadripper processors are geared more towards those who rely on CPU-heavy tasks like image rendering and video encoding, but the 1950X also takes care of gaming and streaming on top since it rocks 16 cores and 32 threads. The 1950X is regarded as a great bang-for-the-buck workstation CPU and it's even cheaper with this current sale. Link to sale
Corsair Force MP500 m.2 NVMe 120GB SSD - $71 (promo code)
Corsair Force MP500 m.2 NVMe 120GB SSD - $71 (promo code)
NVMe m.2 solid-state drives are incredibly fast, but don't come cheap. However, you can pick up the MP500 from Corsair at a deep discount if you use the promo code EMCBRBK26. This drive can reach up to read speeds of 3000 MB/s and write speeds of 2400 MB/s, significantly outpacing traditional SATA SSDs. Link to sale
Toshiba P300 3TB 7200 RPM HDD - $75 (promo code)
Toshiba P300 3TB 7200 RPM HDD - $75 (promo code)
If you're looking for high-volume storage, Toshiba's P300 offers 3TB for cheap. It's a fairly standard 7200 RPM hard disk drive with a 64 MB cache size, but it's a great deal if you use the promo code EMCBRCR32. Link to sale
Gigabyte Radeon RX 580 Video Card - $280 (promo code)
Gigabyte Radeon RX 580 Video Card - $280 (promo code)
Video cards are still going for higher than MSRP, but you'll occasionally find a decent sale. Gigabyte's version of the AMD RX 580 is a great mid-range GPU that'll take care of games at 1080p with graphics settings cranked up high. This card's especially useful if you pair it with a FreeSync monitor, which will eliminate any screen tearing issues. Be sure to use the promo code EMCBRCR25. Link to sale
Fractal Design Core 1100 Mini Tower Case -$30
Fractal Design Core 1100 Mini Tower Case - $30
Cheap cases don't have to be built cheap. Fractal Design's mini tower isn't fancy, but it's sleek and functional. It might be a challenge to build into, but it'll be able to fit full-sized video cards. Link to sale
HyperX Cloud Core Headset - $60
HyperX Cloud Core Headset - $60
HyperX offers some of the better gaming headsets available and the Cloud Core is going for cheap on Amazon right now. It's built with foam ear cups with a leather-like upholstery and a flexible headband. The headset connects through a 3.5mm audio cable, which means it can be used on all the major gaming platforms. Link to sale
Logitech G403 Wired Mouse - $49
Logitech G403 Wired Mouse - $49
Logitech's G403 works well for those who want a minimalist gaming mouse without extraneous features. Its subtle grooves fit into your hand and the large side buttons make it easy for your thumb to reach them at a moment's notice. The PMW3366 optical sensor gives the mouse pinpoint accuracy and the max 12,000 DPI offers plenty of room for tweaking sensitivity. Link to sale
Logitech G610 Orion Mechanical Keyboard - $70
Logitech G610 Orion Mechanical Keyboard - $70
The G610 is another one of Logitech's minimalist-designed peripherals. It's a mechanical keyboard equipped with the linear, non-tactile Cherry MX Red switches for smooth keystrokes. In addition, you get white LED backlighting, a volume scroll, and dedicated media keys. Link to sale
By Dan Auty on Oct 22, 2017 07:30 pm
Every decade has its share of great horror movies, and the very best have become true cinematic classics that are every bit as important as more "prestigious" films. From Bride of Frankenstein, Psycho, and Night of the Living Dead to Halloween, The Exorcist, and The Shining, these are movies which even the most casual horror fan knows, and they continue to influence the genre today. But what are the other films that true horror fans need to have seen? Everyone has their favorites, but we've gathered 22 movies that all lovers of zombies, ghosts, killers, and demons need to check out. How many have you seen?
Black Sunday (1960)
Mario Bava is the godfather of Italian horror, and one of the most influential filmmakers ever to work in the genre. Black Sunday is perhaps his finest film; a striking, dreamlike slice of gothic madness that feels very different to the movies that were being served up by better known horror flick production houses such as Hammer at that time. Black Sunday is best known for the opening scene in which Barbara Steele has a metal mask hammered onto her face, but the whole movie is a macabre must-see.
Society (1990)
There's no other horror movie quite like Society. A satire of 1980s class and privilege, it plays out like a weird, gloopy soap opera, as ex-Baywatch star Billy Warlock discovers that his privileged, status-obsessed friends and parents are in fact shape-shifting, power-mad sex mutants. Directed by Re-Animator producer Brian Yuzna, Society is funny, cheesy, disturbing, and a deeply subversive one-off.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)
The silent era threw up many great horror movies, but few have the power of Robert Wiene's masterpiece of German Expressionism. Wiene adopted a surreal, dreamlike tone for this story of an insane hypnotist who uses his power to make others commit terrible crimes. The weird set design, crazy camera angles, and shocking final twist made the film feel way of ahead of its time, and they still impress today.
Martin (1977)
In the years between his undead masterpieces Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, George Romero tried his hand at a few non-zombie movies, the best of which was this vampire classic. A disturbing tale of addiction and urban alienation, Martin took familiar vampire myths and placed them in the real world, as a lonely young man attempts to fit in with regular society while fighting an uncontrollable lust for blood.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Part of the 3D craze of the 1950s, Creature from the Black Lagoon might play out like a more typical '50s monster movie when watched today, but it still holds an eerie power. The creature is one of all the all-time great movie monsters, and the underwater sequences are still hugely impressive, as the iconic Gill-Man glides and dives through the water, stalking scientist Julie Adams, with whom he is besotted.
Re-Animator (1985)
The 1980s was the decade of comedy horror, and there are few better than Re-Animator. Stuart Gordon's adaptation of HP Lovecraft's short story features a hilariously unhinged performance from Jeffrey Combs as maverick doctor Herbert West, who is obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. Re-Animator has it all--great characters, a hilariously sharp script, wonderfully meaty make-up effects, and tons of madcap energy.
Freaks (1932)
While most infamous horror films have been endlessly copied, remade, and recycled, there is no other movie like Tod Browning's Freaks. After the success of the Bela Lugosi-starring Dracula, Browning used the leeway he had with the studio to make this tragic story of life among a family of circus freaks. At heart this is a moving family drama about outsiders, but the movie's nightmarish tone and disturbing imagery led to over 20 minutes of cuts. Sadly, the full version is lost forever, but even in its truncated form, Freaks remains one of the most notorious movies of all time.
Pulse (2001)
Part of the wave of Japanese horror that followed the success of The Ring in the early 2000s, Pulse stands apart from the rest. It's weird, ambitious, funny, and very, very scary. While many of the individual elements might be familiar to fans of Japanese horror--long-haired ghosts, freaky children, young people being menaced by an unseen terror--director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's treatment of this material is anything but traditional. The film is a strange, surreal experience that strains the boundaries of logic and combines a persistent sense of impending doom with some truly terrifying scenes.
The Innocents (1961)
No horror list would be complete without a creepy kid movie, and there are few creepier that The Innocents. Adapted from the classic ghost story The Turn of the Screw, it's a restrained slice of gothic terror, about a governess who is employed to look after a pair of kids who she comes to believe have been possessed by ghosts. As well as the potent atmosphere, eerie sound design, and striking monochrome photography, the movie also boasts a groundbreaking electronic score.
The Beyond (1981)
He might not be as critically revered as Dario Argento or Mario Bava, but for many fans of Italian horror, Lucio Fulci is every bit as vital. The Beyond is a potent blend of zombie shocker and gothic mystery; at times it's stilted, clunky, and silly, but it also possesses an oppressive atmosphere of otherworldly strangeness and some outrageously over-the-top gore effects.
Cat People (1942)
This 1942 classic marked the first collaboration between producer Val Lewton and pioneering director Jaques Tourneur. The studio expected a horror quickie with a snappy title, but alongside the melodrama and sometimes dated acting, Lewton and Tourneur brought a level of artistry unusual for this sort of low-budget fare. The idea of cat women becoming deadly through arousal was radical for the age, and Tourneur's directorial style differed substantially from his horror contemporaries, with the use of shadows and sound creating some truly memorable sequences.
Suspiria (1977)
Legendary Italian director Dario Argento's supernatural chiller is one of the most distinctive horror movies of the 1970s. The mix of intriguing mystery, gory violence, eye-popping visuals, and an ear-splitting score made the director a favorite among horror aficionados across the world. Much of this crazy tale of ballerinas and witches might not make logical sense, but man, it looks and sounds incredible.
It Follows (2014)
Perhaps the best indie horror of the past decade, It Follows avoids many of the cliches of modern teen horror and places a group of believable kids into a terrifyingly surreal situation, evoking a constant feeling of dread without relying on lavish effects. The film has an almost fairytale-like tone, with gliding camerawork and terror that results almost entirely from scenes of people walking quickly in the direction of the main characters.
Dracula (1958)
While Bela Lugosi was the first actor to officially portray Bram Stoker's legendary vampire, for many horror fans, Christopher Lee is the definitive Drac. Hammer's first Dracula movie (retitled Horror of Dracula the US) remains one of the very best. Lee is a suave and charismatic Count, while Peter Cushing is every bit his equal as Van Helsing. It's a stylish, bloody, exciting gothic treat.
Audition (1999)
Japanese maverick Takashi Miike might be one of the most prolific directors working, and Audition is one of his very best. What starts as a quirky romantic drama about a lonely businessman looking for love ultimately turns into a terrifying, disturbing vortex of physical and psychological torment. The film takes its time to reach the horror, but when it does, it delivers one of the genre's most shattering final sequences.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
One of the most controversial horror movies of the 1980s, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a raw, unflinching look at the day-to-day life of its titular killer, as he moves from town to town, victim to victim. Anchored by a terrifying debut performance from future Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker, Henry's power comes from its stark, non-judgmental tone and matter-of-fact depiction of violence. It's still a tough watch, but it's up there with the decade's finest movies.
Black Christmas (1974)
While Halloween was the movie that started the slasher craze of the late '70s and '80s, it was predated by this seasonal Canadian shocker. A group of students are menaced at Christmas by a campus killer who torments them over a phone line. It's tense and scary, and features one of the earliest uses of the now-clichéd killer's POV shot. Director Bob Clark later made another Christmas classic, the perennial family favorite A Christmas Story, which features a lot less hacking and slashing.
Inside (2007)
The late-2000s saw a wave of bloody French horror movies, including Switchblade Romance, Martyrs, and Frontier(s). Inside is argubaly the most gruesome of the lot, and while it lacks Martyrs' fearsome intelligence, the breathtaking level of inventive splatter and super-stylized gore makes it a must-see for gorehounds. Given the entire plot revolves around Beatrice Dalle trying to get an unborn baby out of her victim's belly, it's certainly not for the squeamish. But for those with a strong enough stomach, it delivers the meaty goods.
Eyes Without A Face (1960)
One of the very best horror movies to emerge from France, Eyes Without a Face was a controversial take on the mad scientist genre. Directed by former documentary-maker Georges Franju, it focuses on a scientist who kidnaps young women at night and transplants their faces onto the disfigured features of his daughter. While many critics and viewers were impressed by the movie's style and haunting atmosphere, just as many were were appalled by its dark themes and graphic scenes of surgery.
Phantasm (1979)
Don Coscarelli's mind-bending debut is a true independent effort, with few concessions made to the rules of conventional filmmaking. This small-town tale of brothers who become involved with a sinister corpse-harvesting operation was shot on weekends over the space of many months, with the script written and rewritten as it went along. And it shows, in the best possible way, in everything from the flying blood-draining metal spheres and killer grave-robbing space midgets to the iconic villainous Tall Man. This no-budget gem inspired four sequels and is also one of JJ Abrams' favourite movies; he produced the recent 4K restoration, and used the killer spheres as his inspiration for The Force Awakens' Captain Phasma.
Onibaba (1964)
Long grass has never been scarier than in this masterpiece of Japanese horror. It's a period folktale about an impoverished mother and daughter-in-law who survive by murdering soldiers and selling their possessions. That is, until the day they encounter a samurai with a cursed mask. It's the incredible atmosphere generated by film's setting--desolate swampland populated by grass tall enough to entirely disappear into--that helps build the movie's unique, terrifying power, as the women descend into madness.
The Changeling (1980)
George C. Scott stars as a grieving father who moves into a haunted house in this super creepy chiller. The Changeling is old-fashioned in the best sense of the term, taking its time to set up the story and ensuring that the audience is fully invested in the characters before delivering the horror goods. Director Peter Medak is a master at evoking maximum chills from minimal props; who would've thought that a bouncing rubber ball or a wheelchair could be so scary? The movie also features one of the most frightening seances in horror--an unnerving scene that was a clear influence on latter-day horror hits like The Conjuring and Insidious.
By Chris Pereira on Oct 22, 2017 03:54 pm
It's October, and with Halloween drawing near, Blizzard is marking the occasion with a new Overwatch seasonal event. Halloween Terror 2017 is officially underway after some leaks, and what that means is there are new skins to get your hands on--but they'll only be distributed for a limited time. As it did in 2016, Halloween Terror replaces the standard Loot Box with a special themed one. This allows you to get the exclusive Halloween Terror 2016 cosmetics in addition to more than 50 new ones. Among them are a variety of skins, including Legendary ones for Ana, McCree, Zenyatta, and Symmetra. You can check out all of the new skins currently up for grabs in the gallery above. You can obtain Loot Boxes by leveling up or purchasing them, as usual. Any items you get can be used year-round, though they're only obtainable during the event itself. In addition to simply offering new cosmetics, there's also a new way to play. 2016's Junkenstein's Revenge event has made a return; this co-op, Horde-style mode has players facing off against waves of AI-controlled enemies. A new endless option this year allows you to see just how many waves your team of four can make it through. Leaderboards will track your progress and allow players to compete for the top spot. Halloween Terror 2017 is now underway on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It runs until November 2 on all platforms. For a look at other celebrations, check out our roundup of all the in-game Halloween events and updates.
Corsair Ana
Corsair Ana
Corsair Ana
Van Helsing McCree
Van Helsing McCree
Jiangshi Mei
Jiangshi Mei
Dracula Reaper
Dracula Reaper
Dragon Symmetra
Dragon Symmetra
Dragon Symmetra
Dragon Symmetra
Viking Torbjorn
Viking Torbjorn
Viking Torbjorn
Viking Torbjorn
Viking Torbjorn
Totally '80s Zarya
Totally '80s Zarya
Cultist Zenyatta
Cultist Zenyatta
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