# Halloween Movies



## Streetcircus (Sep 3, 2012)

So, every October, I go on a thirty-one day marathon stretch of watching Halloween/horror movies and TV shows. I love the holiday, and it obviously only comes around once a year, so I try to milk it for all I can.

I'm starting to think about what movies would be good to watch. Now, I should say that I love the horror genre, and have seen a great many of these films. I have probably seen all the standard Halloween regulars, like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, TCM, and Poltergeist.

I was wondering what kinds of Halloween related movies you like to watch, and which ones you would recommend for getting in the mood for the holiday. Also, maybe you can throw in your favorite songs.

Some good ones I've seen over the last few years:

Murder Party - A pleasant loner finds an invitation to a mysterious Halloween party. Overcome with loneliness, he decides to attend, only to discover that the other party guests have devious intentions.

Black Sheep - Genetic experimentation goes awry when sheep are turned into flesh eating zombies. If that wasn't bad enough, victims, upon being bitten, are turned into were-sheep. A b-movie plot with high production values.

Baby Blues - A mother of four suffers from sever postpartum depression. While the father is away, the children must fight for their lives against their beloved matriarch. A disturbing film, but original.

Cemetery Man - A gun toting cemetery caretaker must keep the dead from rising from their graves and unleashing hell on the world outside. An enduring cult film.


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## Butters Shikkon (Sep 3, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st0B218WRnI Cinemassacre's Monster Madness is a God send to all us Halloweenies.

Halloween to me is the best Holiday of the year. The aura of it, the costumes, the creativity. I could write essays on the stuff. 

For me, Halloween just ain't Halloween unless you watch Hocus Pocus. For those of you who havn't heard of it, its a delightfully camp disney film made in the early 90s. It's got 3 very familiar faces that play the witches who plan to suck the lives out of the children of modern salem and they totally steal the show. Also the talking cat's voice is like velvet...I'm just sayin'. It's just too deliciously camp not to watch and the score is quite beautiful.

Another kiddie one called The Halloween Tree. It's narrated by the late Ray Bradbury himself and based off his book of the same name. Oh, and he wrote the screenplay. It's fascinating to hear him describe the situations with such heart and you can get into his mindset almost just from his pace. I tracked the book down many years later and it just couldn't compete with the film. It sets the right mystic for the holiday to begin I think.

One day I want to track down the Night of the Living Dead and watch it on Halloween, I've always wanted to veiw the movie that first cast a black man as a strong male lead and changed the rating system in America forever afterwords. 

I recommend Bubbahotep. It's an absurdly hilarious film about Elvis, a senile black man in a wheelchair who may or may not be JFK, and a cowboy mummy who starts sucking the souls out of their nursing home friends (though their ass of all places). It'll give ya that spirit of silliness and creativity the Holiday deserves.

I also must recommend watching any Twilight Zone epidodes (not quite movies...but they seem all the more eerie during All Hallow's Eve for some reason )


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## Dreaming (Sep 3, 2012)

I would recommend _6 Films To Keep You Awake, _or _Severance_ if you enjoy English humor mixed with horror. Severance has a good balance but it's more focused towards horror. 

The Descent is a good one too, I dunno if Disturbia would count as a Halloween film but it's a good thriller.


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## Streetcircus (Sep 3, 2012)

Butterflygoddess16 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st0B218WRnI Cinemassacre's Monster Madness is a God send to all us Halloweenies.
> 
> Halloween to me is the best Holiday of the year. The aura of it, the costumes, the creativity. I could write essays on the stuff.
> 
> ...



Looks like Cinemassacre has a lot of good suggestions. Most of them I've seen, so it appeals to my tastes. Thanks for the hook up.

I agree with you on Hocus Pocus and The Halloween Tree. Those are two movies I never miss when Halloween rolls around. Definitely essential viewing to get you in the spirit of the holiday. I don't think I enjoyed Bubbahotep though. I was so stoked when it first came out because it had every element that I enjoy in campy movies. I remember being very disappointed though. I haven't seen it since its release, but this is the second time it has been recommended to me, so I may have to give it another chance. 



Dreaming said:


> I would recommend _6 Films To Keep You Awake, _or _Severance_ if you enjoy English humor mixed with horror. Severance has a good balance but it's more focused towards horror.
> 
> The Descent is a good one too, I dunno if Disturbia would count as a Halloween film but it's a good thriller.



The first two films look pretty good. I'll give them a watch. I haven't heard much about them, but the trailers were entertaining.

I'm not so sure about Disturbia, however. I would consider it appropriate for Halloween, but I thought it stunk.


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## BakuryuuTyranno (Sep 5, 2012)

Which of these would you be looking for?-

1 - Genuinely scary films that disturb you/you're left thinking about when you're lying in bed that night?

2 - "Fun" horror with similar tone like you'd associate with say Halloween parties, or a session of telling campfire stories during late night?


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## Dat_Draggyness (Sep 5, 2012)

Halloween is without a doubt my favorite holiday as well. I'd say go for _IT_ (because Stephen King is great for Halloween time) or if you truly want a disturbance to your mental state _Amusement_ or... *shudders* _The Human Centipede_ (<-- truly unnerving. I would *never* recommend it for the faint of heart). I love scary movies so I could give you quite a few if you really wanted to know them all.


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## Grimfang (Sep 5, 2012)

If you're up for giving a budget movie a watch, I'd recommend Pontypool. It's been a while since I saw it, but it left a strong impression with me. I thought it was a pretty unique story, but there's not much one can say about it, unless spoilers are to be given. It's sort of a zombie outbreak story, but the perspective is from a radio station, so it gives an added "claustrophobic" feel to it. I always love that in movies.

With b-movies, it's likely to be hit or miss with people. I really liked it. For me, a lot of it had to do with atmosphere as well -- watched it with one other person late at night in the dark.


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## Streetcircus (Sep 5, 2012)

BakuryuuTyranno said:


> Which of these would you be looking for?-
> 
> 1 - Genuinely scary films that disturb you/you're left thinking about when you're lying in bed that night?
> 
> 2 - "Fun" horror with similar tone like you'd associate with say Halloween parties, or a session of telling campfire stories during late night?



I can go for either. I don't really get scared by movies anymore, but I still enjoy the thrill of watching a serious horror film designed to disturb you. I kind of was scared by the end of REC, and Orphan was pretty creepy, so if you know of a film that is particularly frightening, I would love to watch it.

My favorite horror films are the more fun kind, though. I like campy gore-fests, or just spooky family films. The only movies I don't like are the "horror is cool" Rob Zombie or Fearnet original types of movies.



Grimfang said:


> If you're up for giving a budget movie a watch, I'd recommend Pontypool. It's been a while since I saw it, but it left a strong impression with me. I thought it was a pretty unique story, but there's not much one can say about it, unless spoilers are to be given. It's sort of a zombie outbreak story, but the perspective is from a radio station, so it gives an added "claustrophobic" feel to it. I always love that in movies.
> 
> With b-movies, it's likely to be hit or miss with people. I really liked it. For me, a lot of it had to do with atmosphere as well -- watched it with one other person late at night in the dark.



Looks pretty good. Never heard of it. I don't think the fact that it's a b-movie will bother me at all. I've seen some campy-ass, low budget movies and I actually like them.



Dat_Draggyness said:


> Halloween is without a doubt my favorite holiday as well. I'd say go for _IT_ (because Stephen King is great for Halloween time) or if you truly want a disturbance to your mental state _Amusement_ or... *shudders* _The Human Centipede_ (<-- truly unnerving. I would *never* recommend it for the faint of heart). I love scary movies so I could give you quite a few if you really wanted to know them all.



Sure, I've never seen Amusement, but it got pretty bad reviews. I can always give it a try.


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## BakuryuuTyranno (Sep 5, 2012)

Streetcircus said:


> My favorite horror films are the more fun kind, though. I like campy gore-fests, or just spooky family films.



Might be too weird, however-

_The Boneyard
Someone's Knocking at the Door_



Streetcircus said:


> Looks pretty good. Never heard of it. I don't think the fact that it's a b-movie will bother me at all. I've seen some campy-ass, low budget movies and I actually like them.



Other than seconding "Pontypool" (when last checked I watched about 200 horror films each year and only "Pontypool" ever caused nightmares all night)

I should point out - because misunderstanding might result in not understanding the movie - theres nothing remotely "campy" about that particular film.


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## Streetcircus (Sep 24, 2012)

Ended up watching Pontypool. I was entertained by it, but I guess I was just put off by how distorted the plot was. I'm glad I saw it, though.

I also saw Slither while it was on TV. Kind of a fun movie to watch. Not very good, but it has its charm.


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## Spotted_Tiger (Sep 25, 2012)

Fido is a good one, if a bit silly. Can't recommend Let the Right One In enough, you've probably seen Omen, and if you're looking for something more amateur I can't recommend the Tribe Twelve series enough (look it up on YouTube. More than a Marble Hornets knock-off). AND WATCH TEETH. That's all I got


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## Caedman (Sep 25, 2012)

Movies I enjoyed immensely:

*Splinter*: A weird black fungus does some horrid things to those it comes in contact with.  Very cool
*The Thing*: The 1982 version with Kurt Russell and the 2011 version with Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  This is a Halloween MUST SEE (either/or or both).  Basic premise: Something is found in the ice, dug up, and gets loose.  Based on the 1951 movie.
*Wake Wood*: deliciously creepy story of a little girl who is ... just see the movie.  I don't want to spoil it.  
*The Orphan:*  Who wouldn't want to adopt a sweet young girl... 
*The Skeleton Key:*  A home health aid travels to the bayou to tend to a frail senior, but all is not what it seems.  Not much gore, but worth the watch.
*Drag Me to Hell*:  A campy, good old fashioned horror comedy...  by Sam Raimi

I got tons more.. but these films I really enjoyed.

Slither the TV movie was edited to shreds... you should see the unedited version.


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## Heliophobic (Sep 25, 2012)

Probably going to go on a Hellraiser marathon again. I don't watch too many horror movies.

As for music, I'm definitely going to play Igorrr and Lustmord. I'm thinking of starting with Igorrr's _Moissisure_. I might consider playing NegaRen too since the music's directly Halloween themed.


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