The Super Network

With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s a no-brainer to start thinking about what to watch on Halloween in between eating the candy for the Trick or Treaters or handing it out and eating it. So, what to do? Well, that’s why I am here to help (and no, I’m not with the government).

Marcey has graciously invited me to take a break from my duties over at Arrow In The Head’s DVD Pub and to offer up my two cents for what I think would make for some good Halloween night viewings. I’m not going for the old standbys like FRIDAY THE 13TH, HALLOWEEN or A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, mind you. I’m going for some films you probably hadn’t thought of, and some you have. Regardless, they’re only suggestions, so don’t go around screaming ‘travesty!’ or anything.

Before I start the rundown, I should probably state just what I consider to be a ‘Halloween movie’. Well, it all depends on what type of evening I plan on having, really. Do I want to get loaded and laugh, watch people explode like blood sausages, or cover behind the couch? This is why I’ve got a mixed nuts version here.

HALLOWEEN (1978)

Okay, I lied. But really, how can you think Halloween without thinking about John Carpenter’s classic? The film still holds up today as a slasher, even after 30 years. Carpenter’s score is still creepy as all hell, Myers is scary as all hell, and Donald Pleasence rants and raves about the evil being gone (which we love him for).

There’s a reason why the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. And it wasn’t for being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. It was because they were scared sh*tless that Michael was going to come after their asses if they didn’t select it.

THEM (2006)

Want to really scare folks? Watch this film with the lights off and no talking. Probably the last film to scare the crap out of me since Neil Marshall’s THE DESCENT, I talked about this little ditty by David Moreau and Xavier Palud in Episode 44 of Marcey’s Super Podcast, and I firmly believe that this was the scariest film to come out of 2006 (except for THE WICKER MAN, but for entirely different reasons).

What’s not to like about this film? A minimal yet superbly effective score combined with a spot-on pacing that was aggressive in its approach only started things off. But the big thing was the old standby of the fear of the unknown. You don’t see much of anything of ‘them’ until later, and it’s just damn creepy to have weird noises, doors opening and shutting seemingly on their own, an effective use of silence before the scare and more. If you’re not scared by the time this film reaches its conclusion, you must be dead or comatose.

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1986)

Switching gears for a minute, this is a little less scary and a little more comedy than the previous two films, but that doesn’t mean that it sucks. Dan O’Bannon was a genius to take George Romero’s ‘living dead’ concept and make it his own, since where else could you get Linnea Quigley naked and zombified (well, besides NIGHT OF THE DEMONS, but that’s another story), or have a great cast including Clu Gulager, Thom Matthews, James Karen and Don Calfa?

Top thing off with some rather cool-looking effects (the Tar Man, anyone?), great one-liners (‘Send more cops!’) and some funny bits with zombies that just won’t stay dead, no matter how you chop ’em. While the other sequels are hit and miss, this one actually outperformed Romero’s DAY OF THE DEAD the same year, and that’s saying something. Get ready to party!

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)

For the life of me, I never really saw the appeal of this film. I know that this Jim Sharman-directed cult classic has a huge following after all these years and is played every Halloween. I know folks love the music. But at the end of it all, there’s really not much horror involved with this (unless you count Tim Curry in…whatever the hell that was, making out with Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon). Still, it’s a fun thing to wind the evening down if you’re all scared out. Plus it has Meat Loaf on a motorcycle, which my dad loves.

EVIL DEAD II (1987)

The film that introduced me to Bruce Campbell aka God. How could you not want to see this on Halloween, or any day of the year, for that matter? Bruce is at the top of his game as Ash Williams, spitting out one-liners, fighting with his possessed hand and being the sniveling coward we all know and love.

It’s not just Bruce being spot-on in this one, as director Sam Raimi enlisted his younger brother Ted to play the possessed Henrietta, and man is that fun. Sure the effects are cheesy (it’s a B-movie, people!). Sure Sarah Berry’s screaming is probably the most horrifying thing to come out of this film, and yes, Ash probably wouldn’t save the world if he had the chance to run away. But dammit, how often do you get someone saying ‘Groovy’ as only Bruce can, whipping out the double-barreled shotgun to blow up Mr. Peewee Head or having a chainsaw strapped to the stump formerly known as your possessed hand? I rest my case.

If five films aren’t enough for you, I’m sure that you have your own personal favorites for the night. But be honest: you were thinking of these ones anyways, right? Happy Halloween, folks!