To begin our adventure into the realm of horror movie marathon ideas, I thought we might start with some home-grown, maple-syrup-fed, hockey-loving horror movies from right here in the Great White North. I will be the first to admit that when I think of countries that produce the best horror movies, Canada is not the first to come to mind. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a great little marathon to be had which consists entirely of Canadian horror.
In order to meet the criteria for this marathon, each movie had to be made in Canada, had to be directed by or star a Canadian, and be produced by a Canadian company.
- Black Christmas (1974) – Possibly the least Canadian movie in this list, but undoubtedly an important movie to the genre as a whole, Black Christmas does meet the criteria listed above and also delivers as being one of the best slasher-style movies and holiday themed movies in the genre.
- Scanners (1981) – Of course it would be impossible to have a list of Canadian horror movies and not include a film by David Cronenberg. Including this cult classic gives some variety to the marathon along with some terriffic special effects.
- Videodrome (1983) – How about two movies by the king of body horror, David Cronenberg? Sure, why not? Perhaps even more memorable and more influential to the genre than Scanners, Videodrome is unique enough to stand out in any marathon.
- Ginger Snaps (2001) – Including Ginger Snaps allows us to include in this marathon a modern take on one of the traditional monsters of horror, while being far more than a token inclusion. Good story. Good performances. Good movie!
- Pontypool (2008) – A masterclass in intense, minimalist horror and an intriguing subversion within a particular subgenre, if you have not yet seen Pontypool, please check it out whether it is as part of this marathon or not.
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