The Word On Film

Halloween: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas…. Whatever.

HALLOWEEN is the most wonderful time of the year!

It's not just the candy and the costumes. Well, maybe it is the candy. The costumes are a huge bonus. For one night (or many nights depending on the number of parties you attend) you can pretend to be someone else. All the ladies who wished they were less inhibited can masquerade as Tomb Raider, Trinity, and Moulin Rogue.

And if you don't have a party to go to, you can always watch a good Halloween movie.

Halloween wasn't a day built around the traditions of Dracula, Frankenstein and Casper the Friendly Ghost. It emerged that way due to one of the most innovative genre's in film: the horror flick. Filmmakers were able to merge a night-time celebration honoring the dead with grave yards and cheerleaders. The result is Halloween horror flicks. Scarey movies went together with Halloween like Shaggy and Scooby Doo. Perhaps what All Hallows Eve has become was inevitable--a mass marketing vehicle for costume makers, candy makers, and filmmakers.

Horror films themselves have evolved over time from suspense films, such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers, to the slasher films of Halloween, Jason, and Nightmare on Elms Street. Just look at the differences of the original The Thing and John Carpenter's remake. You can measure the difference in blood by using gallon buckets. M. Knight Shymalan and The Blair Witch are both to be applauded for helping to revive a bit of suspense over gore phemonena. Then again, I do have my own rule breakers with The Cell and Tim Burton's Sleepy Hallow.

I decided to team up with Marc Korgie, San Diego filmmaker, to discuss the Halloween movies that do the obvious: chill our spines, empty our bowels, makes us lock our doors and throw way the skeleton key. We also wanted to present more than the gore flicks, so we took a look at some other films.

What movies did Marc and I consider first? Nightmare Before Christmas followed closely by It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Both cartoon classic to be enjoyed by all.

Marc, being a huge fan of the whole Halloween series, did deviate from our chosen path. He stated quite frankly that "they scared the shit out of me. Pretty much the movies that scared me when I was younger scare me now. Those are good Halloween movies"

For me, even Batman makes me think of Halloween. I think it is the costumes and Danny Elfman's and Tim Burton's general style. I even prefer Burton's Sleepy Hallow to Disney's version. My list doesn't even stop there. Do you remember The Worst Witch, with Fairuza Balk in pigtails and braids? Also, the ensemble cast of Saturday the 14th with Jeffrey Tambor, Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss?

Marc was quick to mention Young Frankenstien with Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman, and Madeline Kahn. My baby brother used to love signing "Putting on the Ritz!" at the top of his voice. You know, we always thought of the crackers…

We rattled off some losers that were NOT to make the list:

RM: An American Werewolf in London…

MK: FORGET Teen Wolf… and Show Girls was the scariest movie ever. Elvira…

RM: Sexy and Halloweenie… oh, and The Unnameble, based on an H.P. Lovecraft story, and accurately portrayed by porn stars.

We also got excited about Alien, which is being re-released for Halloween this year. Marc is thrilled and can't wait to see aliens chewing their ways out of people's stomachs. Again.

I seem to really be into lists lately. So, here it is. The Top Five Halloween Movies that Marc and I Recommend that You See (wow, long name…)

1. Donnie Darko
Why: Cause there's a big scary bunny named Frank.
2. Scream
Why: Cause nothing's scarier than the killer calling from inside your house.
3.Scary Movie
Why: Cause it was pretty damn funny.
4. Nightmare Before Christmas
Why: Tim Burton's style is just plan eerie
5. Evil Dead
Why: Cause it the best damn movie of all time!

So, do not hire a teenage baby-sitter. Avoid people named Jason or Michael or Freddy, and try another type of Halloween movie. If you don't go for these, I never hesitate to recommend the classics of Hollywood:

Dracula
Frankenstein
The Bride of Frankenstein
Godzilla vs. Frankenstein (seriously... it's great!)

Happy Trick-or-Treating!

Rebecca invites your ideas, insights, reviews, arguments, thoughts and incredibly wrong opinions:
back-talk Rebecca

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