Hep's Halloween Movie Recommendations
What are your favorite Halloween movies? My list is fairly inclusive, especially because I try to accommodate people with different tastes or aversions. Personally, I love a good, spine-tingling ghost story. I even like some older black 'n white stuff, which I haven't included in here.
It has taken a few days to compile this list, but I wanted to see where you all agreed or disagreed. Let me know what you think? Are there any movies you love, which you would recommend?
The Black Ribbon List
Alien & Aliens
I don't know a sci-fi game that hasn't been affected by this series in one way or another. Gripping and Suspenseful. Ridley Scott and James Cameron redefined the sci-fi/horror subgenre. Oh, and by the way? Completely ignore Alien3 and Alien Resurrection. (aka, "Alien IV")
Always
The first "Halloween alternative" movie on this list: A romance, about a man who dies and comes back to help his girlfriend. Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter (yow), John Goodman, and Audrey Hepburn in her final screen-role. This is a worthwhile flick when it's not Halloween... rent it and show your gal that you're sensitive. :-P
An American Werewolf in London
Funny and scary. Older, but the effects are decent. You've got to love the ongoing conversations which the protagonist-werewolf has with his dead best friend, in different stages of rot. Some don't like the ending, but what do you expect: everyone living happily ever after?
Arlington Road
Not your typical supernatural Halloween film, but this scared the living hell out of me. This is one of those films I might recommend for people who are uncomfortable with things they (not I) might term "Satanic" in Halloween.
Beetlejuice
Humor. Michael Keaton at his best! A house, recently haunted by the young couple who were its previous occupants, is acquired by a dysfunctional family from the big city.
Black Hole, The
Space explorers come upon a long-lost ship, the USS Cygnus, in a physics-defying stable orbit around a black hole. The only person left alive is its commander, the enigmatic and creepy genius, Dr. Hans Reinhardt. The rest of the ship is peopled by robots. Dated, with some Disneyish moments (because it's a Disney film) but still worth seeing sometime. One of the more odd scenes involves a concept of heaven and hell. Daring for any sci-fi movie.
Blade series, The
I hate to admit it, but I still have to see the last two movies in this series, which was based on the comic-book series. Blade is the Daywalker... a half-vampire which can exist in the light, but who still has the blood-hunger. He hunts vampires to revenge the killing of his mother. His newest prey, however, is much harder to kill and -- to boot -- is bent upon raising an ancient Vampire god, La Magra.
Bram Stoker's Dracula
The original story, done by Francis Ford Coppola. I found I didn't like it much when I first saw it in theaters, with the way it was filmed, but it has since grown on me. Gary Oldman does evil better than almost any other actor I can think of.
Bubba Ho-Tep
Intentionally campy comedic horror, just like most Bruce Campbell movies. Imagine if Elvis and JFK weren't dead, but just denizens of a nursing home in podunk, Texas. And then, a 3,000 year-old mummy shows up and begins taking lives. Sooner or later, it's up to the walker-using King of Rock 'n Roll to put a stop to this ancient evil.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This is the movie which started it all, with Donald Sutherland, Kristy Swanson (yow!), Luke Perry, Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee!) and Rutger Hauer. You would think it would just seem stupidly adolscent by now, but that is actually part of the charm. I own the complete sets for both series, Buffy and Angel, on DVD.
Butterfly Effect, The
A recent entry... if you haven't seen it, it's worth a look. Imagine if you could go back and alter the flow of time. What would the consequences be? This man found out, each time he tried. Along the way, he finds out that his father, whom he once visited in an insane asylum, may not be as crazy as he seems.
Changeling, The
A classic ghost story, still scary decades after it came out. Some of the elements of this movie are unique to this film alone. An accomplished composer moves to Seattle to start a new life after losing his family in a terrible tragedy. He agrees to take up residence in an old house, being maintained by a local historical society, before he finds that it has a history. His investigations, and eventual communication with the presence in his house, lead him to some places and people he never expected. This is a must-see, if you've never, ever seen it.
Constantine
A professional demon-hunter walks the line in the battle between Heaven and Hell.
Craft, The
A group of young, teenage girls become a powerful witch coven. And then, before they know it, their ambitions for power run away with them.
Dark City
A pepetually dark city. A man wakes up, accused of murder, but doesn't remember doing anything. Can he trust his wife? Can he trust himself? Can he trust anyone? And then... can he trust his own eyes? Remember, when you watch this, that this movie came before the Matrix series.
Day After, The
Another Halloween-alternative, and not a supernatural movie. This came out in the '80s, showing what could happen if a nuclear war ever became reality, and scared the living heck out of an awful lot of people.
Dead Zone, The
A man miraculously wakes from a long coma, but finds himself blessed (or cursed!) with psychic powers. He must decide whether to use his abilities for good, or if he can stand to use them at all. This movie was the basis for a much more recent TV series of the same name. Christopher Walken as a good guy... that ought to scare you. ;-)
Deeply
A remote fishing island, an ancient Viking curse, and the sacrifice it wants every fifty years. This is a nicely-done romantic movie, with Kirsten Dunst as the protagonist. One of those movies which few people seem to know about. Not particularly supernatural, but it has its Halloweenish elements.
Donnie Darko
When a jet plane's engine falls through his house, things only start getting weirder and weirder for Donnie Darko. Is he having problems because he's not taking his meds, or are the visions real? Some people find this movie hard to understand, but you have to pay attention to all of the little nitty-gritty details.
Dracula
The Frank Langella version, done in 1979... Not true the the book, but still a very worthy vampire movie! Well done, and still worthwhile. Music done by John Williams. Yes, it IS a good movie.
Evil Dead II
This is the funniest scary movie I have ever, ever seen. The king of B-movies, from the king of B-movie actors: Bruce Campbell! This one has some pretty dark humor... but I don't want to provide any spoilers. My brother and I rented this back in '92 to watch on Halloween. My Mom walked in, said, "That's sick!" but then was suddenly glued to the TV as much as we were. I've heard her laugh that hard, for that long, only a few times in my life.
Faculty, The
The teachers, and then some of the students, of a high school begin acting oddly. The remaining few must find out what has happened to everyone, before it's too late. This was a good flick. Some nudity.
Firestarter
The Stephen King classic. Young Charlie is the daughter of two psychics... the result of a government experiment gone awry. Now, the government wants her to be their newest weapon, hoping to control her through her parents. But they, and even Charlie, struggle to control her powers as it is...
Flatliners
A group of med-students begin experimenting with death... reaching that point where they are clinically dead, and then coming back. At first, they proceed cautiously. Then, begin daring one another to go further. The problem is that strange things from those experiences begin following them back into their waking lives. When you watch this, you'll know that it was an '80s movie, but that isn't an hindrance at all.
Fly I & II
An excellent pair of flicks which came out in the 1980s. A genius scientist is working on teleportation... but something goes wrong when a fly accidentally sneaks into the capsule with him. Some sexual content.
Forbidden Planet
Space explorers come upon a planet, looking for a lost expedition. The only two survivors of a frightening, invisible monster are the expedition's leader, a genius scientist, and his daughter. A futuristic version of Shakespeare's The Tempest. If you can get past the "First ever all-electronic soundtrack!" you're in for a great movie. Leslie Nielsen when he was young, and in a serious role. The babe is a real babe, and this is the first time Robbie the Robot was on the silver screen.
Frankenthumb
Part of Steve Oedekerk's thumb series of half-hour features: the Frankenstein story, told loosely with thumbs. Yeah.
From Hell
An engrossing murder mystery thriller, set in ancient London. THE murder mystery, in fact, with Jack the Ripper as the villain. A great cast and story.
Ghost
Another Halloween alternative. A love story, about a man who has been murdered, coming back to save his girlfriend. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. Some romantic stuff involving pottery-making, but that's as steamy as it gets. (I love the things that come and get evil people, by the way!)
Ghost Ship
Some call this a B-movie. I don't. I liked the twists and turns it took, and this is one of the few which I didn't totally figure out halfway through. A salvage crew seeks out a long-lost ship, in order to collect on the gold in its cargo hold.
Ghost and the Darkness
A true story... about something which was eating men as they tried to build a railroad across Africa. This is how the famous rifle-designer and hunter, Remington, died. (Remember, his widow built that creepy house in southern Cal, with stairways and doors which don't go anywhere)
Ghostbusters
Maybe this is before the time of some of you here, since it's from the '80s? There are some roles which only Bill Murray can do. Very funny.
Gift, The
Of all of the murder mysteries I have seen, this is one of my top two. Very authentically set in the South, a psychic discovers that a murder has taken place. The interactions, the social pressures, the constant guessing game between so many possible suspects... this is one of my top recommendations. Don't you just love finding those really good movies which few people really know about?
Gothic
In the Summer of 1816, four literary giants came together at the island estate of Lord Byron. Some believe they were experimenting with drugs, but something happened to them there which haunted them for a long time. Something which inspired Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker (two participants) to write their novels. (Compare against Haunted Summer... which I have yet to see, so...)
Grudge, The
An American remake of a Japanese film, with the same director at the helm, to assure that the story goes the way he wanted: An American (Sarah Michell Gellar) in Japan has an encounter with a Japanese ghost. Japanese ghosts don't "live" by the same rules as typical American haunts, so this one may catch some of you off-balance. My Obachan (Japanese grandma) LOVED it.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
A departure from the rest of the Halloween series, since Michael Myers is no where to be seen. Two people discover a plot by some modernized, technology-using witches, to kill children all over the world. Nudity and sex, so be forewarned. You can skip over it without ruining the plot.
Harry Potter series, the
'Nuff said. Ghosts, goblins, witches. This IS a Halloween series, and not just for kids.
Haunted
A paranormal investigator and debunker (Aidan Quinn) comes to investigate an old mansion which has supposedly been haunted. This movie is a mystery, a romance, and a very, very well-done ghost story! It is from the UK, and slightly harder to find in the USA. I was a drooling fan of Kate Beckinsale (Aidan Quinn's love interest) before she was ever in Pearl Harbor or Underworld. Be aware, this movie also has nudity and sex, but I have to admit that I just love this flick.
Haunting, The
Apparently there might have been an earlier version, but I found this to be a very well-done haunted house tale too. A malignant ghost haunts the mansion he built for his wife... as do the spirits of all the children he once murdered. A group of people come to the house to participate in a sleep deprivation study, and discover they are being watched, and hated, by the presence in the house.
High Spirits
A romantic comedy, with Daryl Hannah, Steve Guttenberg and the Peter O'Toole. A man discovers he is going to lose his ancestral home, and decides to make it a tourist attraction as a haunted castle... He only doesn't expect his ancestors to get in on the deal. My favorite line: "It would never work out. You're a ghost, I'm an American..."
House on Haunted Hill
A rich eccentric holds a contest to see who will be able and willing to stay (survive?) the night at a haunted mansion. Pop-ish, with some sexual stuff and gore. Much better than the original Vincent Price film.
Idle Hands
A darker romantic comedy, where a young man's hand is possessed by evil. He, and his pot-smoking zombie buddies have to find a way to save the woman of his dreams from... himself.
Jeepers Creepers
Every so many years, something emerges to feed, and find replacements for its ailing body parts. Another pop-horror flick, but it can be scary.
Lady in White, The
A classic ghost story. Tastefully done, but not full of special effects like some newer work. The DVD case has a good description: "On Halloween in 1962, ten year old Frankie Scarlatti's classmates lock him in the coffin-like confines of his fourth grade cloakroom where he is forced to spend the night unbeknownst to anyone... alive. When the darkness comes, Frankie is horrified to discover the ghost of a little girl murdered in the very same room, ten years earlier."
Lost Boys, The
Another "signature '80s" flick. A family moves to southern California to live with their eccentric grandfather, and discovers that the town is stalked by a young coven of vampires. It's a bit pop-ish and it's not as scary as some, but still a good movie to see.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Make sure you get one that says "Mary Shelley's" on it. The cast includes such HUGE names as: Robert DeNiro, Kenneth Branaugh, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Hulce (Amadeus), Sir Ian Holm, John Cleese (but you won't recognize him, I swear!) and Aidan Quinn. "Frankenstein" is the first book, without pictures, which I ever read... and I read it at age six. This movie is more true to the book than pretty much any other "Frankenstein" I have seen. The romance, the tension between Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. The horror. And the terrible experiences which cause the Monster to hate both himself, and all of Humanity. This movie is a MUST-SEE.
Mimic
A biogeneticist (Mira Sorvino!) helps to genetically engineer a strain of insect to combat a roach-spread disease but finds that her creations, but finds that her creations are capable of so much more than she ever designed them for. The best "big bug movie" ever done, and two thumbs up from Siskel & Ebert.
Missing, The
Maggie, a frontier healer and dirt-farmer, tries to make the best living she can with her family. But, when her daughter is kidnapped by an eldritch power, she must seek the help of her estranged father-gone-Indian in tracking and fighting their foe, before grows too late. A Ron Howard film, not of your typical Halloween genre, but this movie definitely fits under "Suspense Horror" better than any other genre for me.
Mummy, The
A very-well redone version of the classic horror story. And Rachel Weisz is particularly alluring, compared to other roles. This movie is funny, scary, and worth watching.
Name of the Rose, The
Umberto Eco's incredible murder mystery, made into movie. I was on a waiting-list for this to come out on DVD for two years. During the Dark Ages, a series of monks are found dead throughout their own monastery... the only apparent link between the deaths, that they are all found with blackened fingers and blackened tongues. Brother William of Baskerville must solve the mystery, but may do so at the price of many lives. Sean Connery, Christian Slater and F. Murray Abraham star. There's one incredibly steamy part.
Nightmare on Elm Street, A
The first in a long series... and also the best. A serial child-murderer was finally cornered and killed by "concerned parents" in his neighborhood, but that doesn't end the killing. Instead, he begins coming after their children... in their dreams! Some nudity/sexual stuff.
Others, The
Another classic ghost story, with a twist. I don't want to spoil it, but suffice it that this comes at you from a slightly different perspective on haunting.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
It is a ghost-story, after all, right?
Poltergeist
An everyday suburban family, pretty much living the dream, has some pretty terrible things happen to them. Their little girl is abducted by 23 years after it came out, it hasn't lost its effect on me. This is some of Spielberg's best work.
Re-Animator, The
In the same vein as "Frankenstein", a man discovers how to bring people back from the dead... but they always come back insane. Scary, but it has a lot of nudity,and some sex.
Ring, The
This is another American remake of a Japanese movie, and it is also done pretty well. The way I hear it, you either think it's completely stupid, or it scares you out of your wits. But, in my own estimation, it was quite good. The thing is that it offers no complete explanations. Which, in some ways, might be more realistic.
Shaun of the Dead
Comedy-horror. If you watch only one zombie movie, ever, then this is it. Peter Jackson loved it. George Romero, creator and king of zombie movies, loved it. One of the funnier elements is that the arch-vampire Bill Nighy (Underworld) plays a victim here.
Signs
A suspenseful alien invasion, done M. Night Shyamalan style. His non-Sixth Sense movies tend to be kind of "meh" to me at first, but then they grow on me.
Silence of the Lambs, The
No, it's not strictly a halloween movie... but the suspense and psychological complexity of the "friendship" between Clarice and Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter makes it a very scary movie to me. I found the other two movies in its trilogy to be only so-so.
Sixth Sense, The
M. Night Shyamalan's seminal masterpiece. I love his work, but the rest of it pales in comparison to this. This movie came out of nowhere, and quickly became a huge favorite for people all over. Any of you who haven't seen this movie have been deprived. Mischa Barton's role. as a girl poisoned by her mother, got one of her big breaks from this movie.
Sleepy Hollow
Pure genius. This is the first DVD I ever bought. A rich story, with well-developed, interesting characters, eye-pleasing visuals, and a great scare-factor. Before this movie came out, all we really had to dramatize this signature American ghost-story was a dated Disney cartoon.
Stir of Echoes
One of Kevin Bacon's comeback films. After undergoing hypnosis at a party, just for fun, a man begins seeing and hearing things. The spirit abiding in his home becomes increasingly insistent that he bring her killers to justice.
Tales from the Hood
A Tales from the Crypt-type movie, but about things happening in black culture. A series of stories, tied together at a funeral home, where some gangstaz have come to retrieve their stash from the mortician. I enjoyed it. And it wasn't quite as campy as the Crypt series. Or worse, Creepshow.
Terminator 1, 2 & 3
In the future, the human race is brought to the verge of extinction (by machines) before one man, John Connor, begins leading a revolution for life and freedom. In each movie, both the human Resistance and the machines are able to send one champion back... to decide whether John Connor, or his mother, will live or die. #3 was sorta "meh", but you kinda have to watch it to complete the series.
Thing, The
This is a real, cult classic. And, if any movie deserves to have gore, this is it. An American research team in Antarctica unwittingly allows an alien monster into their midst. A monster which can become any of them. Suddenly, no one knows whom to trust, and they become desperate to get the word out. They either have to warn the world, or stop the creature(s) here and now. The scary moments are extra-scary. The funny moments are extra-funny. This is probably my favorite horror-movie of all time. If John Carpenter never did anything else, I would consider him accomplished.
Tremors
Comedic horror B-movie. Something hunts the deserts of a small, southwestern town... hunts them, from below the earth. Kevin Bacon, Reba McEntire, and Victor Wong (the little chinese guy who is the requisite, odd oriental in so many movies) are in this.
Underworld
Werewolves (aka, "Lycans") and Vampires have been at war for centuries. The cause of the feud is slowly revealed, as a budding relationship between the Death Dealer (hunter of Lycans) Selene, and doctor Michael develops. The Lycans have finally found a way to break the stalemate, and it will upset the balance of power forever.
Vampires (aka, "John Carpenter's Vampires")
A Vatican black-ops team hunts down and destroys vampires across America. But then they come across the first vampire. Based upon the book by John Steakley. (Steakley also wrote "Armor", which is one of the top three books I would recommend on war) Nudity.
Vampire's Kiss
Dark comedy... Literary agent by day, womanizer by night, Peter Loew (Nicholas Cage) has one particularly frightening encounter, and then becomes convinced that he has been bitten by a vampire. Things get only more and more insane from there. People rave about this movie, and especially his authentic cockroach-eating scene... it's one of those love it or hate it flicks. Sex and nudity.
Village, The
A village of Amish-like people live a very simple life, but fear what stalks them in the woods. Another mainstream-defying movie from M. Night Shyamalan.
Virus
B-grade horror, but it is authentically scary. An American ships comes upon a nearly empty, and very valuable, Russian research cruiser, and seeks salvage rights before they find out it has become possessed by a malevolent force, desiring to meld man and machine into horrors. Gory.
War of the Worlds (The Classic)
The classic (and first?) alien-invasion tale. I haven't seen the new Tom Cruise film yet, but I love the 1950s classic. The original book was written in the mid-1800s, (really!) and the first, panic-inducing radio broadcast (from October 30, 1938) can be found on the 'Net if you're diligent.
Watcher in the Woods, The
One of the few movies which ever really scared me. A family comes to live in an old house, but little do they know that there is a history. Something watches them from the woods. And the woman who keeps the house shares a dark past with some other members of the town. Can't say I like everything about the ending, but even that was scary. If I ever see a woman wearing a blindfold in my mirror, I'm going to pass out. Bette Davis in one of her last roles. Oh, and it's a Disney movie!
What Lies Beneath
A woman realizes that she has been repressing some terrible memories... and that something, or someone, is haunting her and her husband. I don't want to provide any spoilers, so just take my word for it and get or rent this movie. It's worth it.
White Noise
In this movie, a recent widower is approached by a man, insisting that he has been receiving messages from his dead wife. EVP, Electronic Voice Phenomena, was once the subject of government research which is now being carried on in the civilian sector. A means by which snatches of speech are recorded in an empty room. Some believe that this is a means for the spirits of the dead to communicate to the living. But one in twelve sources of EVP recordings are malign in nature.
Woman in Black, The
People often recommend this as a companion-movie for The Lady in White. An old-style ghost story... it may not appeal to everyone because it was done in a very simple fashion.
Young Frankenstein
A Mel Brooks Halloween film... Think of Blazing Saddles or Spaceballs and you have some idea of where this film could go.
Young Sherlock Holmes
Another rare find... AND a little-known Spielberg movie, to boot! This movie is to Sherlock Holmes what Batman Begins is to Bruce Wayne. It describes the first meeting of Holmes and Watson, and their first encounter with arch-villain, Moriarty. A romance, a mystery, and an awfully good time. As soon as I found out this one was finally on DVD, I snatched it up.
My own aversion? Stupidly pointless, bloody "gorror". The Hellraiser and Friday the13th series didn't really interest me much at all. For me, horror movies have to impact me psychologically, and just adding a few more buckets of blood (or gratuitously disposable sex) just ain't gonna get me there. Movies have to make me fear what lurks in the dark places, and avoid being alone. Horror is also best watched with someone else in the room. :D
Be aware: these are, for the most part, not PG-rated films. Some of them have nudity. Some of them have sex. And most of them have violence. These movies are about inducing powerful emotions in the viewers, so they have potent themes and shocking imagery to them. I've tried to include a few warnings, but view at your own risk.
It has taken a few days to compile this list, but I wanted to see where you all agreed or disagreed. Let me know what you think? Are there any movies you love, which you would recommend?
The Black Ribbon List
Alien & Aliens
I don't know a sci-fi game that hasn't been affected by this series in one way or another. Gripping and Suspenseful. Ridley Scott and James Cameron redefined the sci-fi/horror subgenre. Oh, and by the way? Completely ignore Alien3 and Alien Resurrection. (aka, "Alien IV")
Always
The first "Halloween alternative" movie on this list: A romance, about a man who dies and comes back to help his girlfriend. Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter (yow), John Goodman, and Audrey Hepburn in her final screen-role. This is a worthwhile flick when it's not Halloween... rent it and show your gal that you're sensitive. :-P
An American Werewolf in London
Funny and scary. Older, but the effects are decent. You've got to love the ongoing conversations which the protagonist-werewolf has with his dead best friend, in different stages of rot. Some don't like the ending, but what do you expect: everyone living happily ever after?
Arlington Road
Not your typical supernatural Halloween film, but this scared the living hell out of me. This is one of those films I might recommend for people who are uncomfortable with things they (not I) might term "Satanic" in Halloween.
Beetlejuice
Humor. Michael Keaton at his best! A house, recently haunted by the young couple who were its previous occupants, is acquired by a dysfunctional family from the big city.
Black Hole, The
Space explorers come upon a long-lost ship, the USS Cygnus, in a physics-defying stable orbit around a black hole. The only person left alive is its commander, the enigmatic and creepy genius, Dr. Hans Reinhardt. The rest of the ship is peopled by robots. Dated, with some Disneyish moments (because it's a Disney film) but still worth seeing sometime. One of the more odd scenes involves a concept of heaven and hell. Daring for any sci-fi movie.
Blade series, The
I hate to admit it, but I still have to see the last two movies in this series, which was based on the comic-book series. Blade is the Daywalker... a half-vampire which can exist in the light, but who still has the blood-hunger. He hunts vampires to revenge the killing of his mother. His newest prey, however, is much harder to kill and -- to boot -- is bent upon raising an ancient Vampire god, La Magra.
Bram Stoker's Dracula
The original story, done by Francis Ford Coppola. I found I didn't like it much when I first saw it in theaters, with the way it was filmed, but it has since grown on me. Gary Oldman does evil better than almost any other actor I can think of.
Bubba Ho-Tep
Intentionally campy comedic horror, just like most Bruce Campbell movies. Imagine if Elvis and JFK weren't dead, but just denizens of a nursing home in podunk, Texas. And then, a 3,000 year-old mummy shows up and begins taking lives. Sooner or later, it's up to the walker-using King of Rock 'n Roll to put a stop to this ancient evil.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
This is the movie which started it all, with Donald Sutherland, Kristy Swanson (yow!), Luke Perry, Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee!) and Rutger Hauer. You would think it would just seem stupidly adolscent by now, but that is actually part of the charm. I own the complete sets for both series, Buffy and Angel, on DVD.
Butterfly Effect, The
A recent entry... if you haven't seen it, it's worth a look. Imagine if you could go back and alter the flow of time. What would the consequences be? This man found out, each time he tried. Along the way, he finds out that his father, whom he once visited in an insane asylum, may not be as crazy as he seems.
Changeling, The
A classic ghost story, still scary decades after it came out. Some of the elements of this movie are unique to this film alone. An accomplished composer moves to Seattle to start a new life after losing his family in a terrible tragedy. He agrees to take up residence in an old house, being maintained by a local historical society, before he finds that it has a history. His investigations, and eventual communication with the presence in his house, lead him to some places and people he never expected. This is a must-see, if you've never, ever seen it.
Constantine
A professional demon-hunter walks the line in the battle between Heaven and Hell.
Craft, The
A group of young, teenage girls become a powerful witch coven. And then, before they know it, their ambitions for power run away with them.
Dark City
A pepetually dark city. A man wakes up, accused of murder, but doesn't remember doing anything. Can he trust his wife? Can he trust himself? Can he trust anyone? And then... can he trust his own eyes? Remember, when you watch this, that this movie came before the Matrix series.
Day After, The
Another Halloween-alternative, and not a supernatural movie. This came out in the '80s, showing what could happen if a nuclear war ever became reality, and scared the living heck out of an awful lot of people.
Dead Zone, The
A man miraculously wakes from a long coma, but finds himself blessed (or cursed!) with psychic powers. He must decide whether to use his abilities for good, or if he can stand to use them at all. This movie was the basis for a much more recent TV series of the same name. Christopher Walken as a good guy... that ought to scare you. ;-)
Deeply
A remote fishing island, an ancient Viking curse, and the sacrifice it wants every fifty years. This is a nicely-done romantic movie, with Kirsten Dunst as the protagonist. One of those movies which few people seem to know about. Not particularly supernatural, but it has its Halloweenish elements.
Donnie Darko
When a jet plane's engine falls through his house, things only start getting weirder and weirder for Donnie Darko. Is he having problems because he's not taking his meds, or are the visions real? Some people find this movie hard to understand, but you have to pay attention to all of the little nitty-gritty details.
Dracula
The Frank Langella version, done in 1979... Not true the the book, but still a very worthy vampire movie! Well done, and still worthwhile. Music done by John Williams. Yes, it IS a good movie.
Evil Dead II
This is the funniest scary movie I have ever, ever seen. The king of B-movies, from the king of B-movie actors: Bruce Campbell! This one has some pretty dark humor... but I don't want to provide any spoilers. My brother and I rented this back in '92 to watch on Halloween. My Mom walked in, said, "That's sick!" but then was suddenly glued to the TV as much as we were. I've heard her laugh that hard, for that long, only a few times in my life.
Faculty, The
The teachers, and then some of the students, of a high school begin acting oddly. The remaining few must find out what has happened to everyone, before it's too late. This was a good flick. Some nudity.
Firestarter
The Stephen King classic. Young Charlie is the daughter of two psychics... the result of a government experiment gone awry. Now, the government wants her to be their newest weapon, hoping to control her through her parents. But they, and even Charlie, struggle to control her powers as it is...
Flatliners
A group of med-students begin experimenting with death... reaching that point where they are clinically dead, and then coming back. At first, they proceed cautiously. Then, begin daring one another to go further. The problem is that strange things from those experiences begin following them back into their waking lives. When you watch this, you'll know that it was an '80s movie, but that isn't an hindrance at all.
Fly I & II
An excellent pair of flicks which came out in the 1980s. A genius scientist is working on teleportation... but something goes wrong when a fly accidentally sneaks into the capsule with him. Some sexual content.
Forbidden Planet
Space explorers come upon a planet, looking for a lost expedition. The only two survivors of a frightening, invisible monster are the expedition's leader, a genius scientist, and his daughter. A futuristic version of Shakespeare's The Tempest. If you can get past the "First ever all-electronic soundtrack!" you're in for a great movie. Leslie Nielsen when he was young, and in a serious role. The babe is a real babe, and this is the first time Robbie the Robot was on the silver screen.
Frankenthumb
Part of Steve Oedekerk's thumb series of half-hour features: the Frankenstein story, told loosely with thumbs. Yeah.
From Hell
An engrossing murder mystery thriller, set in ancient London. THE murder mystery, in fact, with Jack the Ripper as the villain. A great cast and story.
Ghost
Another Halloween alternative. A love story, about a man who has been murdered, coming back to save his girlfriend. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. Some romantic stuff involving pottery-making, but that's as steamy as it gets. (I love the things that come and get evil people, by the way!)
Ghost Ship
Some call this a B-movie. I don't. I liked the twists and turns it took, and this is one of the few which I didn't totally figure out halfway through. A salvage crew seeks out a long-lost ship, in order to collect on the gold in its cargo hold.
Ghost and the Darkness
A true story... about something which was eating men as they tried to build a railroad across Africa. This is how the famous rifle-designer and hunter, Remington, died. (Remember, his widow built that creepy house in southern Cal, with stairways and doors which don't go anywhere)
Ghostbusters
Maybe this is before the time of some of you here, since it's from the '80s? There are some roles which only Bill Murray can do. Very funny.
Gift, The
Of all of the murder mysteries I have seen, this is one of my top two. Very authentically set in the South, a psychic discovers that a murder has taken place. The interactions, the social pressures, the constant guessing game between so many possible suspects... this is one of my top recommendations. Don't you just love finding those really good movies which few people really know about?
Gothic
In the Summer of 1816, four literary giants came together at the island estate of Lord Byron. Some believe they were experimenting with drugs, but something happened to them there which haunted them for a long time. Something which inspired Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker (two participants) to write their novels. (Compare against Haunted Summer... which I have yet to see, so...)
Grudge, The
An American remake of a Japanese film, with the same director at the helm, to assure that the story goes the way he wanted: An American (Sarah Michell Gellar) in Japan has an encounter with a Japanese ghost. Japanese ghosts don't "live" by the same rules as typical American haunts, so this one may catch some of you off-balance. My Obachan (Japanese grandma) LOVED it.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
A departure from the rest of the Halloween series, since Michael Myers is no where to be seen. Two people discover a plot by some modernized, technology-using witches, to kill children all over the world. Nudity and sex, so be forewarned. You can skip over it without ruining the plot.
Harry Potter series, the
'Nuff said. Ghosts, goblins, witches. This IS a Halloween series, and not just for kids.
Haunted
A paranormal investigator and debunker (Aidan Quinn) comes to investigate an old mansion which has supposedly been haunted. This movie is a mystery, a romance, and a very, very well-done ghost story! It is from the UK, and slightly harder to find in the USA. I was a drooling fan of Kate Beckinsale (Aidan Quinn's love interest) before she was ever in Pearl Harbor or Underworld. Be aware, this movie also has nudity and sex, but I have to admit that I just love this flick.
Haunting, The
Apparently there might have been an earlier version, but I found this to be a very well-done haunted house tale too. A malignant ghost haunts the mansion he built for his wife... as do the spirits of all the children he once murdered. A group of people come to the house to participate in a sleep deprivation study, and discover they are being watched, and hated, by the presence in the house.
High Spirits
A romantic comedy, with Daryl Hannah, Steve Guttenberg and the Peter O'Toole. A man discovers he is going to lose his ancestral home, and decides to make it a tourist attraction as a haunted castle... He only doesn't expect his ancestors to get in on the deal. My favorite line: "It would never work out. You're a ghost, I'm an American..."
House on Haunted Hill
A rich eccentric holds a contest to see who will be able and willing to stay (survive?) the night at a haunted mansion. Pop-ish, with some sexual stuff and gore. Much better than the original Vincent Price film.
Idle Hands
A darker romantic comedy, where a young man's hand is possessed by evil. He, and his pot-smoking zombie buddies have to find a way to save the woman of his dreams from... himself.
Jeepers Creepers
Every so many years, something emerges to feed, and find replacements for its ailing body parts. Another pop-horror flick, but it can be scary.
Lady in White, The
A classic ghost story. Tastefully done, but not full of special effects like some newer work. The DVD case has a good description: "On Halloween in 1962, ten year old Frankie Scarlatti's classmates lock him in the coffin-like confines of his fourth grade cloakroom where he is forced to spend the night unbeknownst to anyone... alive. When the darkness comes, Frankie is horrified to discover the ghost of a little girl murdered in the very same room, ten years earlier."
Lost Boys, The
Another "signature '80s" flick. A family moves to southern California to live with their eccentric grandfather, and discovers that the town is stalked by a young coven of vampires. It's a bit pop-ish and it's not as scary as some, but still a good movie to see.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Make sure you get one that says "Mary Shelley's" on it. The cast includes such HUGE names as: Robert DeNiro, Kenneth Branaugh, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Hulce (Amadeus), Sir Ian Holm, John Cleese (but you won't recognize him, I swear!) and Aidan Quinn. "Frankenstein" is the first book, without pictures, which I ever read... and I read it at age six. This movie is more true to the book than pretty much any other "Frankenstein" I have seen. The romance, the tension between Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. The horror. And the terrible experiences which cause the Monster to hate both himself, and all of Humanity. This movie is a MUST-SEE.
Mimic
A biogeneticist (Mira Sorvino!) helps to genetically engineer a strain of insect to combat a roach-spread disease but finds that her creations, but finds that her creations are capable of so much more than she ever designed them for. The best "big bug movie" ever done, and two thumbs up from Siskel & Ebert.
Missing, The
Maggie, a frontier healer and dirt-farmer, tries to make the best living she can with her family. But, when her daughter is kidnapped by an eldritch power, she must seek the help of her estranged father-gone-Indian in tracking and fighting their foe, before grows too late. A Ron Howard film, not of your typical Halloween genre, but this movie definitely fits under "Suspense Horror" better than any other genre for me.
Mummy, The
A very-well redone version of the classic horror story. And Rachel Weisz is particularly alluring, compared to other roles. This movie is funny, scary, and worth watching.
Name of the Rose, The
Umberto Eco's incredible murder mystery, made into movie. I was on a waiting-list for this to come out on DVD for two years. During the Dark Ages, a series of monks are found dead throughout their own monastery... the only apparent link between the deaths, that they are all found with blackened fingers and blackened tongues. Brother William of Baskerville must solve the mystery, but may do so at the price of many lives. Sean Connery, Christian Slater and F. Murray Abraham star. There's one incredibly steamy part.
Nightmare on Elm Street, A
The first in a long series... and also the best. A serial child-murderer was finally cornered and killed by "concerned parents" in his neighborhood, but that doesn't end the killing. Instead, he begins coming after their children... in their dreams! Some nudity/sexual stuff.
Others, The
Another classic ghost story, with a twist. I don't want to spoil it, but suffice it that this comes at you from a slightly different perspective on haunting.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
It is a ghost-story, after all, right?
Poltergeist
An everyday suburban family, pretty much living the dream, has some pretty terrible things happen to them. Their little girl is abducted by 23 years after it came out, it hasn't lost its effect on me. This is some of Spielberg's best work.
Re-Animator, The
In the same vein as "Frankenstein", a man discovers how to bring people back from the dead... but they always come back insane. Scary, but it has a lot of nudity,and some sex.
Ring, The
This is another American remake of a Japanese movie, and it is also done pretty well. The way I hear it, you either think it's completely stupid, or it scares you out of your wits. But, in my own estimation, it was quite good. The thing is that it offers no complete explanations. Which, in some ways, might be more realistic.
Shaun of the Dead
Comedy-horror. If you watch only one zombie movie, ever, then this is it. Peter Jackson loved it. George Romero, creator and king of zombie movies, loved it. One of the funnier elements is that the arch-vampire Bill Nighy (Underworld) plays a victim here.
Signs
A suspenseful alien invasion, done M. Night Shyamalan style. His non-Sixth Sense movies tend to be kind of "meh" to me at first, but then they grow on me.
Silence of the Lambs, The
No, it's not strictly a halloween movie... but the suspense and psychological complexity of the "friendship" between Clarice and Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter makes it a very scary movie to me. I found the other two movies in its trilogy to be only so-so.
Sixth Sense, The
M. Night Shyamalan's seminal masterpiece. I love his work, but the rest of it pales in comparison to this. This movie came out of nowhere, and quickly became a huge favorite for people all over. Any of you who haven't seen this movie have been deprived. Mischa Barton's role. as a girl poisoned by her mother, got one of her big breaks from this movie.
Sleepy Hollow
Pure genius. This is the first DVD I ever bought. A rich story, with well-developed, interesting characters, eye-pleasing visuals, and a great scare-factor. Before this movie came out, all we really had to dramatize this signature American ghost-story was a dated Disney cartoon.
Stir of Echoes
One of Kevin Bacon's comeback films. After undergoing hypnosis at a party, just for fun, a man begins seeing and hearing things. The spirit abiding in his home becomes increasingly insistent that he bring her killers to justice.
Tales from the Hood
A Tales from the Crypt-type movie, but about things happening in black culture. A series of stories, tied together at a funeral home, where some gangstaz have come to retrieve their stash from the mortician. I enjoyed it. And it wasn't quite as campy as the Crypt series. Or worse, Creepshow.
Terminator 1, 2 & 3
In the future, the human race is brought to the verge of extinction (by machines) before one man, John Connor, begins leading a revolution for life and freedom. In each movie, both the human Resistance and the machines are able to send one champion back... to decide whether John Connor, or his mother, will live or die. #3 was sorta "meh", but you kinda have to watch it to complete the series.
Thing, The
This is a real, cult classic. And, if any movie deserves to have gore, this is it. An American research team in Antarctica unwittingly allows an alien monster into their midst. A monster which can become any of them. Suddenly, no one knows whom to trust, and they become desperate to get the word out. They either have to warn the world, or stop the creature(s) here and now. The scary moments are extra-scary. The funny moments are extra-funny. This is probably my favorite horror-movie of all time. If John Carpenter never did anything else, I would consider him accomplished.
Tremors
Comedic horror B-movie. Something hunts the deserts of a small, southwestern town... hunts them, from below the earth. Kevin Bacon, Reba McEntire, and Victor Wong (the little chinese guy who is the requisite, odd oriental in so many movies) are in this.
Underworld
Werewolves (aka, "Lycans") and Vampires have been at war for centuries. The cause of the feud is slowly revealed, as a budding relationship between the Death Dealer (hunter of Lycans) Selene, and doctor Michael develops. The Lycans have finally found a way to break the stalemate, and it will upset the balance of power forever.
Vampires (aka, "John Carpenter's Vampires")
A Vatican black-ops team hunts down and destroys vampires across America. But then they come across the first vampire. Based upon the book by John Steakley. (Steakley also wrote "Armor", which is one of the top three books I would recommend on war) Nudity.
Vampire's Kiss
Dark comedy... Literary agent by day, womanizer by night, Peter Loew (Nicholas Cage) has one particularly frightening encounter, and then becomes convinced that he has been bitten by a vampire. Things get only more and more insane from there. People rave about this movie, and especially his authentic cockroach-eating scene... it's one of those love it or hate it flicks. Sex and nudity.
Village, The
A village of Amish-like people live a very simple life, but fear what stalks them in the woods. Another mainstream-defying movie from M. Night Shyamalan.
Virus
B-grade horror, but it is authentically scary. An American ships comes upon a nearly empty, and very valuable, Russian research cruiser, and seeks salvage rights before they find out it has become possessed by a malevolent force, desiring to meld man and machine into horrors. Gory.
War of the Worlds (The Classic)
The classic (and first?) alien-invasion tale. I haven't seen the new Tom Cruise film yet, but I love the 1950s classic. The original book was written in the mid-1800s, (really!) and the first, panic-inducing radio broadcast (from October 30, 1938) can be found on the 'Net if you're diligent.
Watcher in the Woods, The
One of the few movies which ever really scared me. A family comes to live in an old house, but little do they know that there is a history. Something watches them from the woods. And the woman who keeps the house shares a dark past with some other members of the town. Can't say I like everything about the ending, but even that was scary. If I ever see a woman wearing a blindfold in my mirror, I'm going to pass out. Bette Davis in one of her last roles. Oh, and it's a Disney movie!
What Lies Beneath
A woman realizes that she has been repressing some terrible memories... and that something, or someone, is haunting her and her husband. I don't want to provide any spoilers, so just take my word for it and get or rent this movie. It's worth it.
White Noise
In this movie, a recent widower is approached by a man, insisting that he has been receiving messages from his dead wife. EVP, Electronic Voice Phenomena, was once the subject of government research which is now being carried on in the civilian sector. A means by which snatches of speech are recorded in an empty room. Some believe that this is a means for the spirits of the dead to communicate to the living. But one in twelve sources of EVP recordings are malign in nature.
Woman in Black, The
People often recommend this as a companion-movie for The Lady in White. An old-style ghost story... it may not appeal to everyone because it was done in a very simple fashion.
Young Frankenstein
A Mel Brooks Halloween film... Think of Blazing Saddles or Spaceballs and you have some idea of where this film could go.
Young Sherlock Holmes
Another rare find... AND a little-known Spielberg movie, to boot! This movie is to Sherlock Holmes what Batman Begins is to Bruce Wayne. It describes the first meeting of Holmes and Watson, and their first encounter with arch-villain, Moriarty. A romance, a mystery, and an awfully good time. As soon as I found out this one was finally on DVD, I snatched it up.
My own aversion? Stupidly pointless, bloody "gorror". The Hellraiser and Friday the13th series didn't really interest me much at all. For me, horror movies have to impact me psychologically, and just adding a few more buckets of blood (or gratuitously disposable sex) just ain't gonna get me there. Movies have to make me fear what lurks in the dark places, and avoid being alone. Horror is also best watched with someone else in the room. :D
Be aware: these are, for the most part, not PG-rated films. Some of them have nudity. Some of them have sex. And most of them have violence. These movies are about inducing powerful emotions in the viewers, so they have potent themes and shocking imagery to them. I've tried to include a few warnings, but view at your own risk.