Pwaters' Month of Terror Day 9: The Descent

Hello ladies, gentlemen, and creatures lurking in the shadows!  This month, October, is a favorite among horror fans, such as myself.  My goal for the next 31 days is to share with you the scariest and best of the genre.  The films will range from old school classics to modern day gorefests (they won't be in any particular order).  So scout these movies out, grab a bag of popcorn (or a blood bag) and enjoy!

The Descent (2005)
Dir. Neil Marshall

Are you claustrophobic in any way?  If not, you will be after watching The Descent!  When I first saw this movie in theaters I was not expecting much.  The horrible movie The Cave had come out within recent memory and I think "cave horror" just didn't seem like it had any legitimacy.  Of course, the movie ended up blowing me away and I would go as far as to say it's the best english-language horror film of the 00's.  The film follows an all-female cast of cave divers, looking for a thrill by going down into dark, mysterious caverns.  Unfortunately for them, killer cave creatures dwell there so not only do they have to survive being underground, but they have to deal with bat-boy's scarier, meaner family members.

Based on the plot, you'd think it would be a regular old b-movie, but The Descent is so intense and well made you forget about that; plus the make-up design on the creatures is really well done, and they aren't fully shown until well into the movie.  I do have to say though - there are two versions of the film floating around out there: the original and the unrated cut.  Even though it's harder to find, I suggest you put the extra effort into finding the original cut because the ending is completely different and so much better.  Whichever you choose though, you'll most likely caved in with fear!