Alexandra Heller-Nicholas Selects
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is an award-winning film critic and author of ten books on cult, horror and exploitation cinema, including 1000 Women in Horror, 1895 - 2018 (2020), The Giallo Canvas: Art, Excess and Horror Cinema (2021), Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study (2011/2021), Eyes Without Faces: Masks in Horror Cinema (2019), Found Footage Horror Films: Fear and the Appearance of Reality (2014), and her latest book, The Cinema Coven: Witches, Witchcraft and Women’s Filmmaking (2024).
“Raiding the Arrow archives is the cinephile equivalent of being a kid in a candy store! From classic beats to deeper cuts, I’ve primarily selected titles that tie into the subjects I’ve written about in my books, with a couple of personal favourites thrown in for good measure - enjoy, sickos!”.
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Messiah of Evil
1973 • United States • Directed by Willard Huyck
A woman arrives in a sleepy seaside town after receiving unsettling letters from her father, only to discover the town is under the influence of a strange cult that weeps tears of blood and hunger for human flesh.
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Mirror Mirror
1990 · United States · Directed by Marina Sargenti
A teenage girl begins receiving black magic power through an antique mirror that drips blood, not realizing the mirror is controlled by demonic forces.
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A Snake of June
2003 • Japan • Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto
Rinko and Shigehiko are a strange couple, who connect as human beings but not lovers. They live more like friends and lead nearly independent lives. Both seem comfortable with this coexistence until Rinko receives a package of candid photographs of her...
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Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion
1972 • Japan • Directed by Shun'ya Itô
After being used and betrayed by the detective she had fallen in love with, young Matsu is sent to a female prison full of sadistic guards and disobedient prisoners.
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The Woman
Almost a decade after Lucky McKee burst upon the indie horror scene and became a 'Master of Horror' in the making thanks to his directorial debut May, he teamed up with legendary cult author Jack Ketchum for his most shocking and brutal film to date: The Woman, an instant cause célèbre on its Sun...
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Noroi: The Curse
2005 • Japan • Directed by Koji Shiraishi
The chilling Noroi: The Curse adopts a pseudo-documentary format as an investigative reporter into paranormal phenomena is forced to confront horrors beyond his wildest imagination after learning about an ancient folkloric demon.
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Curtains
1983 • Canada • Directed by Richard Ciupka
John Vernon (CHAINED HEAT, National Lampoon's ANIMAL HOUSE) and Samantha Eggar (THE BROOD, THE EXTERMINATOR) star in this horror classic from the golden age of the slasher genre. A group of women gather for a weekend casting call at the secluded mansion...
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The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
1972 • Italy • Directed by Emilio P. Miraglia
An age-old family curse hits sisters Kitty and Franziska following the death of their grandfather Tobias. Every hundred years, so the legend goes, the bloodthirsty Red Queen returns and claims seven fresh victims. Was Tobias just the first... and are...
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The Psychic
1977 • Italy • Directed by Lucio Fulci
It's been called "amazing" (Oh, The Horror!), "classic" (The Geek Show) and "a magnificent film" (Diabolique Magazine). It remains writer/director Lucio Fulci's ultimate giallo masterpiece: Jennifer O'Neill (SCANNERS) stars as a woman tormented by violent v...
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Shock (Italian version)
1977 • Italy • Directed by Mario Bava
In a career spanning four decades and encompassing virtually every genre under the sun, Mario Bava inspired multiple generations of filmmakers, from Dario Argento to Martin Scorsese and Tim Burton. Best remembered for his gothic horror movies, for his final ...
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Lake Michigan Monster
All aboard! The combined spirits of H.P. Lovecraft, early Sam Raimi and Mystery Science Theater 3000 inhabit this action-packed tale of nautical derring-do and monster mayhem - winner of the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the 2019 Fantasia Film Festival. On the shores of Lake Mi...
