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If anyone cares, heres my Top 10 Halloween-time Films

post #1 of 14
10/23/02 at 11:37pm
Thread Starter 
I pick out 10 movies each year to watch during Halloween week. In addition to TMC and Sci-Fi showing some oldies but goldies, my Halloween week is filled with great films. These are usally watched in some sort of "marathon" or other multiple viewings. But without further ado, here are my films for the coming week leading up to the 31st, on which a family tradition forces me to view film #1. Enjoy!

10. Re-Animator. Gore is a must, and this film has tons of it.

9. Evil Dead. This is a must own, must watch, must revere. Need I say more?

8. Pit and the Pendulum. Gotta have a Vincent Price film in there someplace, and this is one of his best in my opinion.

7. Nightmare on Elm Street. The Original, and the best of the series.

6. Fright Night (OR the underrated Fright Night 2). Either or both of these movies is a fine choice. Both are good vampire films with good humor and surprisingly good gore. Will they ever wake up and put Fright Night 2 on DVD?

5. Dracula (But ONLY either Dracula '31, Horror of Dracula '58 or Bram Stoker's Dracula '92) I grouped all these together because they are the best 3 of all the Dracula films in existence. Any of them forever will be classics and I can never get tired of seeing any of them. (THANK GOD HORROR OF DRACULA JUST CAME TO DVD A FEW WEEKS AGO)

4. Hellraiser. Like Nightmare on Elm Street, its the orginal and the best in the series.

3. The Fog. Even afer the fantastic DVD release, this still seems like an unheralded and perhaps even underrated John Carpenter film. I for one, completely love it, and its atmosphere is perfect for the Halloween season. (even if the movie takes place in April)

2. The Changeling. One of, if not the best haunted house/ghost/detective story movies of all time. Also one of George C. Scotts best performances.

1. Halloween/Halloween II. Yes, I know thats 2 movies, but they both take place in the same night, so I consider H2 to be just a continuation. (But they shouldve ENDED the series after H2. Halloween 4 was decent, but each movie since then has been a blubbering mess of crap.)

Watching Halloween ON Halloween. Is it predictable? Yes. Cliched? Definately. Traditional? Sure. But to this day, 22 years after it was created, there is still something VERY creepy about watching Carpenter's masterpiece on a cold, windy Halloween night with all the lights off. I do it every year and it dosent get any less scary.

So there you have it. Just my 2 cents worth. Happy Halloween.
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post #2 of 14
10/24/02 at 12:59am
I plan on watching Halloween 1,2 on halloween night too so don't feel bad. We plan to watch
Sleepy Hollow
Night of the Living Dead
Halloween
Halloween 2
Return of the living Dead
Dracula
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post #3 of 14
10/24/02 at 10:03am
Here goes nothin': <ol type="1">[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">1 Dracula[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">2 Frankenstein[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">3 the Wolf-Man[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">4 Halloween[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">5 Night of the Living Dead[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">6 Evil Dead[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">7 Braindead[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">8 The Texas chainsaw Massacre[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">9 Phantasm[*]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">10 Night OF The Demons[/list=a]<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">
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post #4 of 14
10/24/02 at 10:11am
'Sleepy Hollow' is a must this year, despite what a pain in the ass it seems to be to get the chance to watch anything. There's just not enough time in the day anymore, damnit.

Since I'm going to a film fest on Saturday playing 'Dagon', I'm gonna try and make that one a tradition. Of course, I could watch that once a month and never get sick of it.
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post #5 of 14
10/24/02 at 10:29am
Okay, I'm gonna 'fess up about something. One of my all time favorite Halloween movies is Disneys "The Adventures Of Ichabod and Mr. Toad". I've watched it every year for Halloween since I was a wee lad. I just love that movie.
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post #6 of 14
10/24/02 at 12:50pm
I always try to make the entire MONTH of October a horror movie marathon at my house ( not that there's a lack of it the other 11 months out of the year...) with some films being absolute MUSTS.
I've been a bit slow on the uptake this year though, so I've got some craming to do over the next week.
All I've managed to watch so far are:

THE DEAD ZONE - I FINALLY got off my duff & picked up the DVD. It had been on my "wish list" since it's release, but kept putting it off 'til a couple of weeks ago.
My wife had never seen it before becoming a fan of USA's series. Plus one of out favorite places in the world to go & spend time at in the autumn is Niagara-on-the-lake where the film was shot at. So this year I just HAD to show her the film.
Needless to say she was quite freaked out by the gazebo scene because every year we take pictures of us & our kids in that very same gazebo! She had no idea that the film was shot there. That was a secret I kept until the time when we watched the film together & I got the VERY reaction that I'd hoped for over the years, so it was definitely worth it.

SLEEPY HOLLOW - As of last year a Halloween tradition in our household. Great stuff. My wife & kids love it as well.
Can't imagine Halloween without it now.

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH - I usually save the HALLOWEEN films for the couple of days right before the holiday itself, but I decided to show my wife this one out of sequence last weekend.
Despite owning the DVD for a couple of years I hadn't watched it & infact I hadn't seen the film in over a decade. It's held up well IMO.

IT - And no, I don't mean that awful old Roddy MacDowell flick either .
Although I'd been wanting to see this again for a couple of years, I couldn't bring to watch my muddy old VHS copy of the original telecast. I almost bought the prerecorded tape numerous times, but held out for it's eventual DVD release & am I ever glad that I did!
The transfer looks very good & looks great in widescreen. The format adds something to the film IMO.
All it's old flaws are still there of course, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's not anywhere near the best of the King miniseries ( Mick Garris' take on THE SHINING has that honor hands down ), but it's FAR from the worst as well.

And that's it. 4 films. Needless to say with Halloween just one week away I've got a LOT of watching to do in order to catch up on all that I want to see.
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post #7 of 14
10/24/02 at 1:38pm
You guys are talking about the Disney "Sleepy Hollow," right? Seriously, I like that one better than the Depp film. The movie is good, don't get me wrong, but the cartoon has nostalgia on its side, and it's sweet.

Okay, I'll give this list thing a go:

10. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (come on, you know you watch it and love it)

9. Dracula (1931) Bela, Van Sloan, Dwight Frye. The best Dracula, Jerry. THE BEST.

8. Night of the Living Dead (original) 'Nuff said.

7. The Haunting (1963) 'Nuff said ^2

6. Phantasm Some don't love it, but I do.

5. Pumpkinhead A beautiful dark fairy tale. Plus, Pumpkin! Head! Get it?

4. Halloween II As above, only immediately following...

3. Halloween . A lot of folks diss part 2, but I agree that if you watch them together, they work. One of my fave 80s "oh shit" moments is in 2, where the guy finds the dead nurse in the middle of hte OR with that one light on her, walks up and discovers the tube in her arms, then that slow reveal to show he's standing in a lake of her blood. The concussion-pratfall afterwards is the perfect exclamation point. And part 1--a true no-brainer. Scariest killing machine ever.

2. The Wolf Man Lon Chaney Jr. Claude Rains. Jack Pierce. Classic, perfect, beautiful. Always one of my top 3 movies, no matter how many permutations the list makes.

1. Evil Dead First saw this when I was 14 at my cousin's b-day party, and it's never not scared me no matter how often I watch it. Plus, Bruce "fucking" Campbell and Sam "don't say Spider-man, say EVIL DEAD" Raimi. If there's a perfect post-80s halloween film, this is it, baby.
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post #8 of 14
10/24/02 at 4:57pm
Wendy Whoppers: Brain Surgeon. Hey, her titties are as big as a pair of jack-o-lanterns, so there's your holiday connection. Don't judge me.
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post #9 of 14
10/24/02 at 7:41pm
I watch different stuff every year, but here's the ones that most say "Halloween" to me:

Evil Dead I & II--My fav horror movies ever

Creepshow and American Werewolf in London--Both of these just seem perfectly halloween-y to me in their mix of genuine scares and gore with campy humor. Creepshow is particularly close to my heart.

Nosferatu--I allways like to have a silent film in there. Could be Haxan, or Vampyr, or a Lon Chaney flick, but Nosferatu is the best, of course.

Mad Monster Party--Just saw this for the first time last year (taped it off AMC), and I'm making it an annual tradition.

Theatre of Blood--Vincent Price at his best.

Black Sunday--When I was a kid, and had never seen a horror film (didn't start watching them til I was about 13), this is what I imagined them to be like.

The Olde Dark House--you have to have something from the Universal era. Used to be Freaks, but after seeing that about 20 times, I've decided that I like the idea of that film better than the film itself. So this underrated James Whale is my choice.

Night of the Living Dead--a classic.

Halloween--it's not really one of my favorite films, but it really does get you into the spirit of the day.

Dagon--so there can be something new on the list.

of course, It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is an annual tradition (though not as great as the Christmas special), as is The Simpsons' Treehouse of Terror. And Carnival of Souls is great to watch late at night, almost falling asleep. And I think Donnie Darko will be a future tradition for the days leading up to the 31st. Once you start, it's hard to stop, eh?
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post #10 of 14
10/24/02 at 9:18pm
Well, this year I'll probably be watching :

1- Halloween EXTENDED VERSION
2- Beast
3- Many great short films...
4- Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things
5- Assault On Precinct 13
6- Dead and Buried at the Cinema du Parc
(Mitch Davis ruuuuullllessss!!!)
7- Rage Of The Werewolf
8- *Maybe* Return Of The Living Dead DVD
9- *empty slot*
10- *another empty slot*

A great year!
GHOULE

Musical Background : Night Rain - Dark Sanctuary

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post #11 of 14
10/25/02 at 9:49am
Z-man, (or anybody who knows):

Quote:
The Olde Dark House--you have to have something from the Universal era. Used to be Freaks, but after seeing that about 20 times, I've decided that I like the idea of that film better than the film itself. So this underrated James Whale is my choice.
Is this out of video/dvd? I've read about this movie and heard about it in documentary after documentary, but I'd always assumed it was either lost or so badly damaged that it couldn't be released? Where did you see it? More importantly, where can I see it?
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post #12 of 14
10/25/02 at 11:08am
Yes it's out under the Image label and has some decent extras (commentary from one of the original actors!)
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post #13 of 14
10/25/02 at 8:14pm
Heh--The Stuff. That's a nice flick. Haven't thought about that in years.

I see you're carefully avoiding gittin' sued with your spelling of The Shinning.
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post #14 of 14
10/27/02 at 6:04am
Quote:
samhain61:
I always try to make the entire MONTH of October a horror movie marathon at my house ( not that there's a lack of it the other 11 months out of the year...) with some films being absolute MUSTS.
I've been a bit slow on the uptake this year though, so I've got some craming to do over the next week.
All I've managed to watch so far are:

THE DEAD ZONE - I FINALLY got off my duff & picked up the DVD. It had been on my "wish list" since it's release, but kept putting it off 'til a couple of weeks ago.
My wife had never seen it before becoming a fan of USA's series. Plus one of out favorite places in the world to go & spend time at in the autumn is Niagara-on-the-lake where the film was shot at. So this year I just HAD to show her the film.
Needless to say she was quite freaked out by the gazebo scene because every year we take pictures of us & our kids in that very same gazebo! She had no idea that the film was shot there. That was a secret I kept until the time when we watched the film together & I got the VERY reaction that I'd hoped for over the years, so it was definitely worth it.

SLEEPY HOLLOW - As of last year a Halloween tradition in our household. Great stuff. My wife & kids love it as well.
Can't imagine Halloween without it now.

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH - I usually save the HALLOWEEN films for the couple of days right before the holiday itself, but I decided to show my wife this one out of sequence last weekend.
Despite owning the DVD for a couple of years I hadn't watched it & infact I hadn't seen the film in over a decade. It's held up well IMO.

IT - And no, I don't mean that awful old Roddy MacDowell flick either .
Although I'd been wanting to see this again for a couple of years, I couldn't bring to watch my muddy old VHS copy of the original telecast. I almost bought the prerecorded tape numerous times, but held out for it's eventual DVD release & am I ever glad that I did!
The transfer looks very good & looks great in widescreen. The format adds something to the film IMO.
All it's old flaws are still there of course, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's not anywhere near the best of the King miniseries ( Mick Garris' take on THE SHINING has that honor hands down ), but it's FAR from the worst as well.

And that's it. 4 films. Needless to say with Halloween just one week away I've got a LOT of watching to do in order to catch up on all that I want to see.
I fit in a couple more "must see during the Halloween season" films tonight.
First I watched HALLOWEEN. Man do I love the 2000 DVD release! I don't know if it's possible or not, but I think it looks better than the original print I saw at the theater way back in 1978.
It's difficult to believe that I watched that wretched old MEDIA VHS tape for damn near 20 years & STILL managed to enjoy it!
Back in 1982 my girlfriend at the time bought me the videotape as a gift & believe me, at the time it was the greatest thing she could have gotten me. At that time I'd had my VCR for only a few months ( believe it or not, I remained the only one in my family or group of friends to own a VCR until sometime in 1984! ) & Used it only to tape stuff off of TV or watch rented movies. I didn't own any prerecorded tapes yet because they were so bloody expensive. If I remember correctly that copy of HALLOWEEN cost my girlfriend somewhere around $100.00!
The print was as muddy as hell, the only color in it seemed to be BROWN & the sound totally sucked, but I absolutely LOVED it! So did all my friends. They were just amazed that I actually OWNED a movie & I could watch it any time that I wanted to. And it was such a cool movie too! God only knows how many times that particular tape was played.
Anyhow,back to the DVD...
It's just a marvel to behold IMO. And of course the film itself is always enjoyable, especially at this time of the year ( which these days is the only time I watch it ).
After watching it I flipped over to AMC's BACKSTORY on it which premiered tonight. It was pretty good. There were no real surprises at all, but the interviews were cool as were the behind the scenes stills.

Afterwards I decided to watch THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT for the first time in 2 years. I did so knowing that I'd enjoy the hell out of it seeing as how it's one of my favorite films, but I was surprised how much it creeped me out again. It's still one scary ass movie!
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