Halloween is a very special time of year for kids. It’s the one time a year that kids can dress up and go ask strangers for candy…
…wait, what?
That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of, taking candy from strangers… it’s a far better idea to stay home and watch scary movie while carving jack-o-lanterns. Presented for your perusal…
Nine(ish) Best Halloween Movies to Watch in October
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I’m not going to spoil any of these movie so this post will be kinda short… sorry…
These are presented in no particular order…
1. Trick ‘r Treat, 2009
This is the newest of the movies on this list, from 2009, but is quickly becoming my favorite. The movie is presented as three four ghost stories with a particularly sadistic humor about it. Trick r’ Treat is a fun throw back to the dark humor of eighties horror flicks.
2. Halloween III: Season of the Witch, 1982
Halloween III, long ignored by fans of the first two, is scary on a whole different level. Without giving away too much there is no scary, mute murderer hunting half (or fully) naked teenage girls… on second thought why do I like this movie?
3. Sleepy Hollow, 1999
I know this is not a popular oppinion right now, but I love Tim Burton films. From Vincent to Big Fish, and all the weird in between. Two of my personal favorites are Batman Returns (a subject of a future blog entry of its own) and Sleepy Hollow.
This is one of the oldest stories from American culture, but Burton manages to pull out a little something new.
…watch it or Christopher Walken will come after you.
4. The Others, 2001
This may be the only genuinely scary (English language) films on this list. With a good cast and creepy mansion The Others really builds to a pretty good twist ending…
5. Janghwa, Hongryeon (A Tale of Two Sisters), 2003
So, just about everything I said for The Others, just multiplied by 5 million! Korean horror movies are some of the strangest and most graphic out there, and I think that has a little to do with the culture of South Korea after the division of the country after the Korea Civil War.
But, that could just be me…
…and for Crom’s sake avoid the American remake.
6. Frailty, 2002
Frailty is the directorial debut of Bill “Game Over Man” Paxton, and though it is not the strangest movie I’ve ever seen, it definitely ranks up there. The film examines perceived insanity and religious zealotry in a very unique way.
And, it also happens to be one of the best psychological thrillers out there…
7. House on Haunted Hill, 1959 and 1999
This is a split entry because I think both the Original 1959 Vincent Price classic is an amazing example of William Castle’s work, but also because the “remake” from 1999 with Jeffrey Combs and Geoffrey Rush is also amazing in a completely different way.
Both movies have the same basic plot: A wealthy man invites a group of strangers to a supposedly haunted house to celebrate his unfaithful wife’s birthday and things don’t go as planned.
That is the plot for both films and both are completely different movies in tine and content. Watch both and you won’t be disappointed…
…also there was a sequel made of the new House on Haunted Hill, it’s not bad it just missed the point of the first movie and the original…
8. Night of the Hunter, 1955
Ah, little lad, you’re starin’ at my fingers. Would you like me to tell you the little story of Right Hand-Left Hand – the story of good and evil? [He raises his left hand] H-A-T-E! It was with this left hand that old brother Cain struck the blow that laid his brother low. [He raises his right hand] L-O-V-E. You see these fingers, dear hearts? These fingers has veins that run straight to the soul of man. The right hand, friends! The hand of love! Now watch and I’ll show you the story of life. These fingers, dear hearts, is always a-warrin’ and a-tuggin’, one agin the other. Now, watch ’em. Ol’ brother Left Hand. Left hand, he’s a-fightin’. And it looks like LOVE’s a goner. But wait a minute, wait a minute! Hot dog! LOVE’s a winnin’? Yes, siree. It’s LOVE that won, and ol’ Left Hand HATE is down for the count!
Remember when I said Frailty was the directorial debut for Bill Paxton? Remember how I didn’t say the only movie directed by Bill Paxton? That’s because he’s been allowed to direct another movie, I won’t mention it because it’s a golf movie, but it is a movie directed by Bill Paxton.
Charles Laughton on the other hand was only allowed one, and Night of the Hunter was it. But, if you are only going to be allowed to direct one movie, it might as well be one of the greatest Film Noir movies ever.
And Night of the Hunter is one of, if not, the greatest movies ever made, and the only movie on this list in the Criterion Collection.
9. Night of the Living Dead, 1968 and 1990
For our ninth movie on the list we have another split. The 1968 Night of the Living Dead is a seminal work in American film making, both as a work of suspense and as a social commentary. The 1990 Night of the Living Dead, on the other hand, is just a well made horror movie.
And, that’s a good thing. It was obvious the Tom Savini was not going to be able to capture lightning in a bottle a second time so he approached the subject matter differently. Personally, I prefer the 1990 version (I have a thing for Patricia Tallman), but that is a person taste and like with House on Haunted Hill you will need to decide which yo prefer…
Well there you have it the nine(ish) movies best movies to watch on Halloween. Now you have no excuse to not have a good time on a Monday night…
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