I love Halloween movies - but let's be real, as timeless as Hocus Pocus might be, there are other movies out there that capture the Halloween spirit with a more subtle touch, and I'm telling you, there are some real classics out there that people are passing up in favor of Halloween, Casper, The Exorcist, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Disney's Halloweentown series...why not mix it up a bit? Especially if you're not really into the horror scene - never fear, there's definitely a way to get into a spooky mood without totally scaring the pants off of yourself. Here's a few of my faves:
Labyrinth (1986, dir. Jim Henson)
Love, love, love this movie. The puppet goblins are cute (yes, cute, they are literally muppets) and David Bowie is as creepy as he is hilarious. Yes, it's a musical, and yes, it's cheesy, but it's fun. The Goblin King is underdeveloped, to be sure, but the other characters, particularly Sarah and Hoggle, are as interesting and well-rounded as it gets in an 80's kids' movie. It's fun, it's Halloweeny, and it won't keep you up at night. Good combination? I think so.
Young Frankenstein (1974, dir. Mel Brooks)
Your life will not be complete until you see this film, and I'm not exaggerating. This film manages to take the tropes of B-movie horror and turn them on their heads--and stay truer to the original Frankenstein than any other film I've seen. Gene Wilder is hilarious as ever, and Peter Boyle turns the Creature into a slapstick hero worthy of Charlie Haplin. This one doesn't rate high on the spook-o-meter, to be sure...but you can't get much more Halloween-friendly than Frankenstein. And besides...it's a classic. Seriously, if you haven't seen it you're missing out. Go watch it. Now. And for the bonus round, tack on High Anxiety for a dose of Hitchcock satire approved by the big man himself.
And speaking of which...
And speaking of which...
Psycho (1960, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
Admit it, you knew at least one Hitchcock film would have to be on this list. Nothing screams Halloween like a black-and-white horror film, and this one is the granddaddy of them all. If Psycho doesn't at least make you jump, then you've got nerves of steel. Hailed as the start of the "slasher" genre, this is one of Hitchcock's finest. Just remember that if you haven't seen it before, you have to see it from the start. Preferably on the biggest possible screen. At night. Alone (or with one other person) in a dark room. And be sure to have popcorn, so you can have something to spill on yourself when you jump ten feet.
Frankenweenie (1984, dir. Tim Burton)
No, not the stop-motion feature--the original black-and-white live-action short, starring the unbeatable Shelley Duvall. True, it is a short--just a half-hour--but it's quirky, vibrant, and yes, definitely suspenseful enough to satisfy. Back before the days of an over-casted Johnny Depp and enough cheese and too-saturated color to sicken the most die-hard Tim Burton fan, this is a short, sweet little movie that puts another lovely spin on the classic Frankenstein.
Pushing Daisies (2007-2009, created by Bryan Fuller)
In the vein of Sleepy Hollow, this is a lovely little series that so deserved a longer run than it had. Ned has the power to bring the dead back--but with a myriad of caveats. What makes this one so delightfully Halloweeny isn't Ned's creepy power alone, but the colorful sets, even more colorful characters, spooky situations, high-stakes chases, and deeply probing ethical conundrums. If that's not enough to hook you into watching, how about the fact that it's Lee Pace playing Ned, accompanied by the beautiful Anna Friel as his quirky sweetheart Chuck, and the ever-hilarious Kristen Chenoweth as his pie-shop partner Olive Snook?
Rear Window (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
In the mood to feel stalked? This film will certainly do the trick. Pair the overall creepy murder mystery with a knockout Grace Kelly and Hitchcock's killer mise-en-scene, and you've got something much, much spookier than The Birds. Take my word for it, this might not be one of Hitchcock's "famous horror" films, but it's more suspenseful than anything Wes Craven could cook up. The tension is high, the stakes are higher, and the overall effect equates to a vicarious adrenaline rush.
A Clockwork Orange (1971, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Okay, okay. I know you're all thinking "Oh jeez, now she's just pushing her favorite movies on us..." Hear me out. This isn't Kubricks most famous "Halloween" film (that honor would have to go to The Shining), but it's intense and has a wide appeal. Huge cinema geek? The production elements, direction, and acting are fantastic. Love the violence of slasher films? This film's got violence to satisfy all but the most hardcore Saw fans. Romance? Well, okay, it doesn't really have that. But there's suspense, and murder, and drama, and a good dose of sci-fi creepiness...and what more could you ask for on a cool, windy fall night?
Ghost (1996, dir. Stan Winston)
Okay, who loves Thriller? Everyone? (Okay, almost everyone?) To everyone else who was totally wowed by their first viewing of Michael Jackson's classic creep-fest, trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet--Ghost is a 40-minute epic that makes Thriller look like a sneak preview. Co-written by the King of Horror himself (Stephen King, for anyone who doesn't know), this haunting music video starring Michael as the Maestro features tons of jump scares, plenty of special effects, and enough dance breaks to satisfy the most die-hard MJ fan. And if that's not enough to convince my fellow film nerds, how about the set itself, which looks like a Tim Burton film gone classy? (Yes, it exists, I promise.) If nothing else, look at it for Halloween costume inspiration, because the costumes of his backup dancers in this one? They make the costumes in Thriller look garish and amateurish by comparison. Seriously. Go see for yourself.
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959, dir. Ed Wood)
Remember the epic little montage at the end of Ed Wood, when Ed's premiering his film and says, "This is it, this is the one I'll be remembered for?" Yep, this is that film. And congrats, Mr. Wood, you get your wish. 'Cause when I hear someone say "Ed Wood," I don't think Tim Burton--I think Plan 9. It's the ultimate B-movie, the B-movie to which all other B-movies aspire. This film literally makes my student-directed shorts look like masterpieces. And that is why people love it so much. The effects. The acting--oh dear God, the acting. The repeat clips of Bela Lugosi doing nothing but floofing out his cape. No really. It's amazing. For all the wrong reasons. And if this doesn't get you in the (fun, not scary) Halloween mood I don't know what will.
Beetle Juice (1988, dir. Tim Burton)
Yes, another Burton one...and let's be real, this one's a bona fide classic. It's cheesy as all get out, ridiculous to the extreme, and filled with plenty of ghosty goodness...and the deadpan ball of cute that is Winona Ryder doesn't hurt. The special effects seem dated out of context, but they're still hilarious and, yes, there are some "jump" moments, and a few semi-cute scares. Also the bonus gift of seeing Alec Baldwin get the crap kicked out of him, metaphorically speaking. (Of course if you are an Alec Baldwin fan, there's the added bonus of seeing him play a loving husband...?)
And then there's the classics you just can't skip no matter how many times you've seen them: It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!, Corpse Bride, Twitches, Ghostbusters, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, Harry Potter, and of course, the perennial classic, Hocus Pocus. Movies must be accompanied by popcorn, preferably of the cheesy variety, and pounds and pounds of candy (for bonus points, throw in candy corn). Happy Halloween! :)
In the mood to feel stalked? This film will certainly do the trick. Pair the overall creepy murder mystery with a knockout Grace Kelly and Hitchcock's killer mise-en-scene, and you've got something much, much spookier than The Birds. Take my word for it, this might not be one of Hitchcock's "famous horror" films, but it's more suspenseful than anything Wes Craven could cook up. The tension is high, the stakes are higher, and the overall effect equates to a vicarious adrenaline rush.
A Clockwork Orange (1971, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Okay, okay. I know you're all thinking "Oh jeez, now she's just pushing her favorite movies on us..." Hear me out. This isn't Kubricks most famous "Halloween" film (that honor would have to go to The Shining), but it's intense and has a wide appeal. Huge cinema geek? The production elements, direction, and acting are fantastic. Love the violence of slasher films? This film's got violence to satisfy all but the most hardcore Saw fans. Romance? Well, okay, it doesn't really have that. But there's suspense, and murder, and drama, and a good dose of sci-fi creepiness...and what more could you ask for on a cool, windy fall night?
Ghost (1996, dir. Stan Winston)
Okay, who loves Thriller? Everyone? (Okay, almost everyone?) To everyone else who was totally wowed by their first viewing of Michael Jackson's classic creep-fest, trust me, you ain't seen nothing yet--Ghost is a 40-minute epic that makes Thriller look like a sneak preview. Co-written by the King of Horror himself (Stephen King, for anyone who doesn't know), this haunting music video starring Michael as the Maestro features tons of jump scares, plenty of special effects, and enough dance breaks to satisfy the most die-hard MJ fan. And if that's not enough to convince my fellow film nerds, how about the set itself, which looks like a Tim Burton film gone classy? (Yes, it exists, I promise.) If nothing else, look at it for Halloween costume inspiration, because the costumes of his backup dancers in this one? They make the costumes in Thriller look garish and amateurish by comparison. Seriously. Go see for yourself.
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959, dir. Ed Wood)
Remember the epic little montage at the end of Ed Wood, when Ed's premiering his film and says, "This is it, this is the one I'll be remembered for?" Yep, this is that film. And congrats, Mr. Wood, you get your wish. 'Cause when I hear someone say "Ed Wood," I don't think Tim Burton--I think Plan 9. It's the ultimate B-movie, the B-movie to which all other B-movies aspire. This film literally makes my student-directed shorts look like masterpieces. And that is why people love it so much. The effects. The acting--oh dear God, the acting. The repeat clips of Bela Lugosi doing nothing but floofing out his cape. No really. It's amazing. For all the wrong reasons. And if this doesn't get you in the (fun, not scary) Halloween mood I don't know what will.
Beetle Juice (1988, dir. Tim Burton)
Yes, another Burton one...and let's be real, this one's a bona fide classic. It's cheesy as all get out, ridiculous to the extreme, and filled with plenty of ghosty goodness...and the deadpan ball of cute that is Winona Ryder doesn't hurt. The special effects seem dated out of context, but they're still hilarious and, yes, there are some "jump" moments, and a few semi-cute scares. Also the bonus gift of seeing Alec Baldwin get the crap kicked out of him, metaphorically speaking. (Of course if you are an Alec Baldwin fan, there's the added bonus of seeing him play a loving husband...?)
And then there's the classics you just can't skip no matter how many times you've seen them: It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!, Corpse Bride, Twitches, Ghostbusters, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, Harry Potter, and of course, the perennial classic, Hocus Pocus. Movies must be accompanied by popcorn, preferably of the cheesy variety, and pounds and pounds of candy (for bonus points, throw in candy corn). Happy Halloween! :)
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