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chaosvizierAye, it is All Hallow's Eve, All Souls' Day, where shadowy spirits take flight and dominate the world of mortal man. Fear and terror are the order of the present, and rational people bar their doors and protect themselves with lucky charms to stave off the supernatural assaults of the night.
What else does Halloween offer? Spooky movies, of course! Let's hit up my top ten of spooky or Halloween-themed movies, eh?
1) The most obvious reference to Halloween would be the Halloween series of slasher horror movies dating back to 1978. Although the sequels are of increasingly dubious quality, the original is one of the first of its kind, leading to all sorts of imitators and wanna-bes, including Friday the 13th. Jamie Lee Curtis starts off her film career here, as the relentlessly pursued victim of the sinister Michael Meyers. John Carpenter, one of the masters of horror movies (back then... he's kinda lost it since), created a truly creepy movie with one of the more memorable musical scores of film history. Forget all those imitation slasher flicks. Go here for the real deal.
2) On the less scary side of the movie spectrum was The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton's fascinating take on Halloween done in a claymation animatronic model style. The story follows a bizarre cast of Halloweenish characters as they accidentally combine holiday spirits with Christmas. The kidnapping of Santa Claus, "this big red lobster man", is itself worth the price of admission. It's a musical, too, and though I'm somewhat hesitant when it comes to muscal movies, the songs are decent, like an above-average Disney cartoon, but with less syrupy sweetness. Rent this; it's crazy genius.
3) Classic scary goes to The Exorcist without a shadow of a doubt. Now rereleased with additional extra-spooky footage, for your enjoyment. This movie is one of the all-time greats for really scary terrifying shit. The green projectile vomit and head-spinning cliches were both used to ultimate effect here. Demonic possession is usually very trite and underplayed in movies; not here. The viewer is left truly disturbed by Regan's transformation from nice 12-yr-old girl to... something else. This movie enforces my belief that the scariest thing on earth is creepy fucked up children. Max Von Sydow stars here, and that just plain rules. The "Tubular Bells" theme is also one of the more recognized themes in film history. Exorcist II was weak. Exorcist III was surprisingly good. Not perfect, but acceptable. Up until George C. Scott gets carried away at the end. For extra information, read the book, The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty. It's good.
4) The theatrical rerelease of Alien this weekend is no coincidence. For a science fiction movie, Alien generates quite an impressive scare factor if you haven't already seen it a few thousand times like me. H.R.Giger's disturbing style of artwork is put to impressive use in generating an unthinking, unfeeling, and nigh-unstoppable killing machine that works its way through the woefully unprepared crew of a mining ship. Sigourney Weaver makes her debut as an action star here (and later gets wasted in inferior Alien sequels, with the exception of the second), and does a good job, considering her character apparently spends the entire film wearing the MOST UNCOMFORTABLE-LOOKING PAIR OF UNDERWEAR EVER DESIGNED. Don't believe me? Watch the ending scene as she's undressing to go into hypersleep and tell me I'm wrong. I dare you.
5) Another classic scary would have to be The Amityville Horror. The book is arguably better than the movie, but the film does an excellent job of conveying some of the horrific events that supposedly took place in a very real house in Amityville, NY. How much of that is true is arguable, but the movie is frightening enough and realistic enough to make you say "hmmmm..." It's funny to watch now because they all have 70's hair. Which is scary enough in and of itself. Once again, crappy sequels mar the purity of the original. Avoid them like the plague. Except for the 3D one, because 3D is cool.
6) What was scary in the 80's, you might ask? None other than Poltergeist. The gradual buildup of supernatural occurrences in this movie become more and more pronounced, and each scene leaves an increasingly uncomfortable feeling as it climaxes in a home implosion. Among the most notable scenes are the face-peeling in the sink, the Attack of the Clown, and the spooky tree. Dominique Dunne died after filming the first movie; Oliver Robbins nearly died during the Clown shoot; Heather O'Rourke died after filming the third movie. Spooky! No, not really. Just random jabber. Don't watch the sequels; as always, they are of inferior quality to the original. Why do people even bother? Bah. Sequels, feh.
7) What's scary now? The Ring, that's what. Proving my previously mentioned point that creepy fucked up children are scary as shit, this movie demonstrates that in spades. I was genuinely creeped out by this film, and that's saying a lot, truly. It is based on the original Japanese film, Ringu, which itself is based on a book. Apparently Ringu is even creepier than the revised English version. I'll have to rent it if I ever feel the need to NOT SLEEP COMFORTABLY FOR A WEEK. The movie is not gory or bloody or violent. It's all about subtle shocks, gradual increase in tension and discomfort, until the ending hits like a punch in the gut. It's all good.
8) Once again, John Carpenter pops up on this list, because in his heyday he produced some impressively scary films. Here again in the sci-fi/horror category is The Thing. Not the 50's version, mind you. That doesn't count. Based on a short story by John Campbell entitled "Who Goes There?", The Thing takes place in Antarctica and has a scientific survey team engage in battle with a shapeshifting alien creature that can "infect" others to replicate itself. Carpenter goes to town with some truly off-the- wall creature effects. Kurt Russell is... well, come on, it's Kurt Russell. He is all good. So is Wilford Brimley, the Quaker Oatmeal guy. Rent this movie. If only because it's one of the few on this list that didn't generate a sequel, remake, alteration, or what not.
9) Although not really scary, I'm going to include Ghostbusters on this list as one of the best supernaturally-themed movies ever made. This one had it all- a wee bit of spookiness, a big chunk of comedy, Rick Moranis, the above-mentioned Sigourney Weaver, and a shitload of marshmallow cream. I don't think I can count the number of times I've seen this movie. It's always funny. I need say nothing more! No, strike that, I will say something more. This movie did inspire the best Saturday morning 80's cartoon ever, "The Real Ghostbusters", which was a well-written and directed continuation of the Ghostbusters and their supernatural escapades in New York. Under the helm of the brilliant J. Michael Straczynski, this cartoon appealed to both juvenile and mature audiences, and was actually quite scary in some episodes. It was incredibly well-done, and I wish they'd release all the episodes on DVD or something.
10) There's a slew of other horror/scary/creepy movies out there, but I don't have time or space to list them all. I'll just mention a few worthy contenders here: Rosemary's Baby, The Serpent And The Rainbow, A Nightmare On Elm Street (just the first one, mind you), Ten Little Indians, Ghost Story, The Blair Witch Project, An American Werewolf In London, The Shining, Pet Sematery, and Angel Heart. There are more that I'm forgetting; it happens. Start renting! Enjoy! Fear!
What else does Halloween offer? Spooky movies, of course! Let's hit up my top ten of spooky or Halloween-themed movies, eh?
1) The most obvious reference to Halloween would be the Halloween series of slasher horror movies dating back to 1978. Although the sequels are of increasingly dubious quality, the original is one of the first of its kind, leading to all sorts of imitators and wanna-bes, including Friday the 13th. Jamie Lee Curtis starts off her film career here, as the relentlessly pursued victim of the sinister Michael Meyers. John Carpenter, one of the masters of horror movies (back then... he's kinda lost it since), created a truly creepy movie with one of the more memorable musical scores of film history. Forget all those imitation slasher flicks. Go here for the real deal.
2) On the less scary side of the movie spectrum was The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton's fascinating take on Halloween done in a claymation animatronic model style. The story follows a bizarre cast of Halloweenish characters as they accidentally combine holiday spirits with Christmas. The kidnapping of Santa Claus, "this big red lobster man", is itself worth the price of admission. It's a musical, too, and though I'm somewhat hesitant when it comes to muscal movies, the songs are decent, like an above-average Disney cartoon, but with less syrupy sweetness. Rent this; it's crazy genius.
3) Classic scary goes to The Exorcist without a shadow of a doubt. Now rereleased with additional extra-spooky footage, for your enjoyment. This movie is one of the all-time greats for really scary terrifying shit. The green projectile vomit and head-spinning cliches were both used to ultimate effect here. Demonic possession is usually very trite and underplayed in movies; not here. The viewer is left truly disturbed by Regan's transformation from nice 12-yr-old girl to... something else. This movie enforces my belief that the scariest thing on earth is creepy fucked up children. Max Von Sydow stars here, and that just plain rules. The "Tubular Bells" theme is also one of the more recognized themes in film history. Exorcist II was weak. Exorcist III was surprisingly good. Not perfect, but acceptable. Up until George C. Scott gets carried away at the end. For extra information, read the book, The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty. It's good.
4) The theatrical rerelease of Alien this weekend is no coincidence. For a science fiction movie, Alien generates quite an impressive scare factor if you haven't already seen it a few thousand times like me. H.R.Giger's disturbing style of artwork is put to impressive use in generating an unthinking, unfeeling, and nigh-unstoppable killing machine that works its way through the woefully unprepared crew of a mining ship. Sigourney Weaver makes her debut as an action star here (and later gets wasted in inferior Alien sequels, with the exception of the second), and does a good job, considering her character apparently spends the entire film wearing the MOST UNCOMFORTABLE-LOOKING PAIR OF UNDERWEAR EVER DESIGNED. Don't believe me? Watch the ending scene as she's undressing to go into hypersleep and tell me I'm wrong. I dare you.
5) Another classic scary would have to be The Amityville Horror. The book is arguably better than the movie, but the film does an excellent job of conveying some of the horrific events that supposedly took place in a very real house in Amityville, NY. How much of that is true is arguable, but the movie is frightening enough and realistic enough to make you say "hmmmm..." It's funny to watch now because they all have 70's hair. Which is scary enough in and of itself. Once again, crappy sequels mar the purity of the original. Avoid them like the plague. Except for the 3D one, because 3D is cool.
6) What was scary in the 80's, you might ask? None other than Poltergeist. The gradual buildup of supernatural occurrences in this movie become more and more pronounced, and each scene leaves an increasingly uncomfortable feeling as it climaxes in a home implosion. Among the most notable scenes are the face-peeling in the sink, the Attack of the Clown, and the spooky tree. Dominique Dunne died after filming the first movie; Oliver Robbins nearly died during the Clown shoot; Heather O'Rourke died after filming the third movie. Spooky! No, not really. Just random jabber. Don't watch the sequels; as always, they are of inferior quality to the original. Why do people even bother? Bah. Sequels, feh.
7) What's scary now? The Ring, that's what. Proving my previously mentioned point that creepy fucked up children are scary as shit, this movie demonstrates that in spades. I was genuinely creeped out by this film, and that's saying a lot, truly. It is based on the original Japanese film, Ringu, which itself is based on a book. Apparently Ringu is even creepier than the revised English version. I'll have to rent it if I ever feel the need to NOT SLEEP COMFORTABLY FOR A WEEK. The movie is not gory or bloody or violent. It's all about subtle shocks, gradual increase in tension and discomfort, until the ending hits like a punch in the gut. It's all good.
8) Once again, John Carpenter pops up on this list, because in his heyday he produced some impressively scary films. Here again in the sci-fi/horror category is The Thing. Not the 50's version, mind you. That doesn't count. Based on a short story by John Campbell entitled "Who Goes There?", The Thing takes place in Antarctica and has a scientific survey team engage in battle with a shapeshifting alien creature that can "infect" others to replicate itself. Carpenter goes to town with some truly off-the- wall creature effects. Kurt Russell is... well, come on, it's Kurt Russell. He is all good. So is Wilford Brimley, the Quaker Oatmeal guy. Rent this movie. If only because it's one of the few on this list that didn't generate a sequel, remake, alteration, or what not.
9) Although not really scary, I'm going to include Ghostbusters on this list as one of the best supernaturally-themed movies ever made. This one had it all- a wee bit of spookiness, a big chunk of comedy, Rick Moranis, the above-mentioned Sigourney Weaver, and a shitload of marshmallow cream. I don't think I can count the number of times I've seen this movie. It's always funny. I need say nothing more! No, strike that, I will say something more. This movie did inspire the best Saturday morning 80's cartoon ever, "The Real Ghostbusters", which was a well-written and directed continuation of the Ghostbusters and their supernatural escapades in New York. Under the helm of the brilliant J. Michael Straczynski, this cartoon appealed to both juvenile and mature audiences, and was actually quite scary in some episodes. It was incredibly well-done, and I wish they'd release all the episodes on DVD or something.
10) There's a slew of other horror/scary/creepy movies out there, but I don't have time or space to list them all. I'll just mention a few worthy contenders here: Rosemary's Baby, The Serpent And The Rainbow, A Nightmare On Elm Street (just the first one, mind you), Ten Little Indians, Ghost Story, The Blair Witch Project, An American Werewolf In London, The Shining, Pet Sematery, and Angel Heart. There are more that I'm forgetting; it happens. Start renting! Enjoy! Fear!
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no subject
Date: 2003-10-31 12:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-03 08:44 am (UTC)Now it's all about the Crunchberries.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-31 01:18 pm (UTC)Once upon another time, when I was about 5, I went to summer camp and n some rainy day when we were trapped inside, a junor counselor decided to put in a movie for us to watch. He/she chose... Poltergeist. How old was I? 5. Eventually some senior counselor came in and gave the one who'd put the movie in the smackdown but still, I'll be damned if the face peeling scene isn't forever burned in my brain. I was petrified of clown dolls for ages.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-03 08:45 am (UTC)So are we all. Clowns are scary.
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Date: 2003-10-31 01:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-31 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-01 03:44 pm (UTC)Nightmare Before Xmas was one of the only movies in my entire life that I've walked out on. I watched it in it's entirety a few years later and remembered why I walked out on it.
Ghostbusters... heh. What about Scary Movie? That's a good one for Halloween. Also, Silence of the Lambs is nice and creepy. And how could you leave out Seven?
Oh, and next time you make a movie list of any sort, I better see something with subtitles on it :P
no subject
Date: 2003-11-03 08:47 am (UTC)I'll give credit to Ron Perlman for making Alien Resurrection better than Alien 3. But only a little.
Yes, I did forget Silence of the Lambs and Seven. Good creepy movies. Hannibal and Red Dragon just weren't quite the same. Although