I know it's kind of a cliche to talk about seasonal movies, but isn't that kind of the point? We have them around for a reason, and that is to only watch them during a certain 1-2 month period of time. For example, if all of November and December goes by and I have not gotten around to watching Christmas Vacation or Christmas Story at least once, I really start to ask what the hell was so important that I neglected my own tradition.
As is the case with today's list. These are the thirteen movies that I try to watch at least once before All Hallow's Eve (or All Saint's Day for you Lutherans) rolls around. And yes, there will be 13 today. Again, I know it's a cliche, but isn't that all the fun of it?
13. Paranorman- This might be about as close to kid friendly as this list is going to get. And that is saying something because I remember when I saw Paranorman for the first time, my friend and I both agreed that this was not the movie to take kids too. It has that wonderful mix of creepy imagery and messed up humor that you always look for in a good halloween flick.
12. Aliens- Okay, I'm kind of cheating because there isn't really anything Halloween related in James Cameron's Aliens, it's just an awesome movie. Not to mention that it features one of the most terrifying creatures to ever come on the screen. I know that zombies and vampires are all the craze these days (and we'll get to them just wait) but I would not want to be stuck in a room with only a xenomorph, they make the raptors in Jurassic Park look lobotomized. And they don't even have eyes either!
(How can you face death in the eye when death has no fucking eyes?!)
11. Fright Night- Okay, I guess we got to vampires a little sooner than I thought. Like I said before, everybody seems to be into vampires these days, between True Blood and Underworld people really seem to be sinking their teeth into vampire stories. It's kind of a shame that the remake of Fright Night ended up getting overlooked because, like Paranorman, has that wonderful mix of creepy visuals, copious amounts of gore and twisted humor that makes it the ultimate guilty pleasure. Plus, as a whovian, I'm naturally drawn to anything with David Tenant.
10. Cabin in the Woods- As much as I love Joss Whedon now, I have to admit that I was late to the party when it came to joining his fandom. I only became a fan right before The Avengers, thanks in large part to this movie. Never before have I seen a movie that I was so excited to tell people about, but rather than wanting to tell them everything about it, I force them to watch it themselves. The movie has so many great twists and turns that it's not worth spoiling even a second of the mayhem and monster fueled madness for those that haven't watched it yet. Seriously, if you haven't watched it yet, go rent it, watch it, and then go scream at your friends who haven't watched it yet.
9. The Exorcist- Yeah, okay it is a cliche to add Exorcist to a list of Halloween movies, but it always begs mentioning for a reason. Whether you think it holds up or not, there is no denying that this movie had a huge impact on the horror genre and on cinema in general. I'll admit there are times where I don't think it holds up as well, but if you watch the director's cut (also known as "the version you weren't meant to see"), then you really see how it has stood the test of time.
(You get to see more of him in the director's cut)
8. Young Frankenstein- It's one of my favorite comedies of all time, and I quote this movie to death. And watching it in October just makes it that much better.
7. Shaun of the Dead- one of the most common misconceptions about Shaun of the Dead is that it was meant to be a tribute to zombie movies, when in reality it's a romantic comedy that happens to be set during a zombie uprising. But that doesn't matter, the zombies are still great in the movie, the jokes are hilarious, it's quotable as hell, the characters are memorable, and it features a "blink and you'll miss it" cameo from Martin Freeman. What's not to like?
6. Anything Stephen King related- Stephen King is like the Halloween equivalent of Santa Clause, and every horror fan has their favorite Stephen King movie. For most people it would probably be The Shining, but there are those that like It or perhaps Carrie. Whatever it is, grab your favorite Stephen King movie, even the bad ones, and give it a watch.
5. Sleepy Hollow- I take it back, I think Tim Burton might be the Halloween Santa Clause. Even though he hasn't made that many horror movies, his visual style and eccentric personality does make him a favorite for Halloween. I've decided to make Sleepy Hollow his representative for today because it's one of the few straight up horror movies that he's made, and everything about it just says "Halloween" from the visuals, to the story, to Christopher Walken himself. And it features the god damn headless horseman. Yeah, you can keep your zombies and your vampires, you can either over power a zombie or try to reason with a vampire, you can't reason with a headless man.
4. Rocky Horror Picture Show- Actually, I can't really place why this movie is a halloween movie. Maybe it's because Horror is in the title. Maybe it's the fact that it takes place on a rainy night in an old castle full of aliens. Maybe it's just the fantastically bizarre story that gets so bizarre you give up on trying to follow it. Maybe it's goddamn Tim Curry in a corset. Whatever it is, I've noticed people always want to watch it in October.
3. Nightmare on Elm Street- I'm kind of cheating on this one because I haven't technically seen this movie all the way through, but the Freddy Krueger image has become a staple of Halloween pop culture, I see the costume all the time at Hot Topic, and just everything about it makes it the perfect movie to pop into the DVD player while you are handing out candy because you're too lazy or antisocial to go trick-r-treating. Yeah, that's me. I'm that asshole.
2. Nightmare Before Christmas- Like Nightmare on Elm Street, Nightmare Before Christmas has made itself a staple of Halloween for the past twenty years now. Disneyland's The Haunted Mansion always gets the Jack Skellington makeover when Halloween rolls around because it has become that popular over the years. A few years ago it also got a 3-D release in theaters and on blu-ray, which would be one of the few times I would endorse it.
1. Bram Stoker's Dracula- I honestly wish this movie would get a theatrial release every Halloween. I'd sure as heck pay to see it on the big screen. Now that Gary Oldman has grown in popularity over the past couple of years, people are starting to discover this movie more as well. A number of interviews with Gary Oldman have him answering some question to do with Dracula, and I find it getting mentioned more and more when people talk about him. Actually, Gary Oldman's take on the blood sucking count might be my favorite portrayal of Dracula, or any vampire for that matter. It's different from past incarnations, but it's also very faithful to the original source material. Most of the time, Dracula is only ever portrayed as being very young or being extremely old. Oldman made the switch back and forth playing him both young and old. His performance alone along with the visuals and the music make this the ultimate Halloween movie. Not to mention he gives one of the best evil laughs in history.
(All of these, same character, same movie, same actor)
