Halloween screams from the silver screen
Halloween is a holiday that virtually begs to be recognized. The costumes, candy and pumpkin carving that typically go on are great ways to celebrate the season. But then there are the slightly darker tones. The monsters, ghosts and all sorts of other "things that go bump in the night" that begin to crawl their way from the depths of our imaginations and into the dark corners of our houses.
What better way to deal with them than to let them all out and trap them in your television set?
The end of October is the perfect time to indulge yourself and your family in the guilty pleasure of the horror film. Sometimes terrifying, sometimes disgusting and sometimes just plain silly, there are movies out there for all ages that can get you in the mood for Halloween. If you're looking for costume ideas, there is no shortage of material just sitting at the video store waiting to be used. Presented below, in no particular order except for what age they're appropriate for, are two handfuls of seasonal entertainment.
Five films for the "grown ups"
The Exorcist (1973, re-release 2000)(R) - Definitely a classic, "The Exorcist" is generally recognized as one of the scariest films ever made. Written by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Fredkin, it tells the story of Regan McNeil (Linda Blair), a young girl who becomes possessed by a demon and Father Merin (Max Von Sydow), the priest who is to exorcise the demon. Everything about this film sets it apart from the myriad of other "demon" films made over the years. The Exorcist is one of the few films that still scares me, and I grew up on horror films. For a full night of terror, watch all three of the films in the series (though the first is by far the best).
Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (1987)(R) - Directed by Sam Rami and written by Rami and Scott Spiegel, "Evil Dead II" is the second installment of the Evil Dead trilogy. Rami, who later went on to become the executive producer of the hit TV shows "Xena" and "Hercules," had already sold the rights to the first film when he decided to make the sequel. Short on cash, he couldn't afford to buy back his own footage so the entire story of the first Evil Dead is told in the opening 10 minutes of this movie. While the story isn't terribly complex, Rami produces some genuine chills and scares interspersed with Three Stooges-style slapstick humor (usually at the expense of Bruce Campbell who plays Ash, the lead character). Set in a cabin in the woods that is being assaulted by demons, you may want to leave the lights on for this one. Or, if you've already seen it a few times, get a bunch of friends together and watch all three in a row. The Dead-a-Thon was one of my favorite annual events with my friends.
Hard to Die (1990)(R) - Pure, trashy fun. By no means scary (except for the fact that it was actually made), "Hard to Die" epitomizes why the horror film industry has such a bad name. Bad acting, a worse story and a bevy of scantily clad women running from a monster or three is about all you'll get out of this one. By far, for real horror fans,the high point of the film is the cameo appearance by publisher Forrest J. Ackerman, the founder of one of the first horror fan magazines, "Famous Monsters." Taken in the right vein, however, it could be just the thing to stop you from wondering what was scratching at your window after watching most other films.
Alien 1979)(R)- The first installment of the series, Ridley Scott's directorial style coupled with a creature based on H.R. Geiger's artwork makes this the best "alien from outer space" horror film ever. Featuring talent like Tom Skerrit, John Hurt, Yaphet Koto and Veronica Cartwright, the most memorable performance is given by Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. "Alien" is the film that not only reminded us "In space no one can hear you scream," but also showed us that ever-present human survival instinct at work.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)(R) - A not quite faithful retelling of Washington Irving's classic ghost story starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci and directed by Tim Burton. While it does not follow the plot of the original tale too closely, this tale of the decapitated Hessian mercenary from the American Revolution adds more scares and special effects than Irving would have ever dreamed. Burton's darkly playful style, alternately deeply disturbing and hilarious, fits the varied talents of the eclectic cast perfectly. If there were a little less blood, this would be a good family film.
Five flicks for the "little monsters"
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)(PG) - An animated musical featuring the visual style of Tim Burton and the musical mastery of Danny Elfman, this film tells the tale of Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town, who kidnaps Santa to find out what Christmas is all about. While the strange look may bother some parents and children, the heart of the story is a good one. Combined with the amazing stop motion animation and catchy musical numbers, this one is good for the entire family.
The Goonies (1985)(PG) - I grew up with this film. It's a classic kid's adventure through caves, friendship and some bad guys. Directed by Richard Donner and written by Stephen Spielberg and Chris Columbus, it has some fun scares and great makeup (especially on the "Sloth" character, a friendly "monster").
The Monster Squad (1987)(PG) - This is one of the few films where you can see all the classic monsters together. Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Mummy and the Gillman are trying to take over the world. Only one group can stop them: The Monster Squad, a team of young misfits with an interest in horror films. If you grew up on the classics, you'll enjoy this film even more than your kids.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1958)(G) - Disney's take on Washington Irving's tale is decidedly more accurate than any other I've seen. With the vocal talents of Bing Crosby narrating the tale to lanky and imaginative school teacher Ichabod Crane, this version will forever be in your memory (it has the classic catchy Disney songs to thank for that as much as the quality of the story).
Frankenstein (1931)(NR) - The classic Universal Studios telling of Dr. Frankenstein and his creature. While not fully faithful to the book by Mary Wolstencraft Shelley, James Whale directed a superb film. Although not even close to scary by today's blood and gore standards, this film is a prime example of what can be done without resorting to such base tactics as the "gross out." Good for all ages, and a good jumping-off point for an education in classic horror (the Frankenstein story has been told almost as many times, in just as many ways, as any other classic monster tale out there).
That's just a few of the many great Halloween films that are out there. Some of the standards (like "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown") haven't been listed here. Those can be found at your local video store, or perhaps you already have them on your shelf. This is the time of year to dust them off, gather your friends and family around the TV, turn off the lights and get spooky.
E-mail the author: Chris Conroy
Originally published in The River Reporter on October 26, 2000.
