Now take note that I haven't seen a lot of horror movies, like Friday the 13th or even some cult classics like Rocky Horror Picture Show. Also, this is my personal selection of favorites and if your favorite isn't here, that doesn't mean I think they're bad.
So without further ado, lets go into the most historic selection:
Classic Horror films
Technically, I'm kind of cheating with this one, mianly because I'm referencing a whole genre of movies rather than just one, but in all honesty, these are some films that deserve the appreciation nowadays. If I had to suggest just one in general though, it would have to be the 1930s Dracula with Bela Lugosi.
Loosely following Bram Stoker novel, Dracula follows the events of the mysterious Count Dracula as he meets the retailer Renfield and travels to London to expand his feeding ground.
Being not only the first horror movie with sound, but one of the standards when it comes to vampires, Dracula has everything that defines a classic horror movie: creepy fog, memorable acting that that is quoted even today, and while there isn't much of it, eerie music that sets the tone of the film.
The film is somewhat slow but it benefits it by provided giving a creepy atsmosphere to and is a perfect mood setter for the halloween fan that appreciates more classy sense of terror.
Legend of Sleepy Hallow (Disney)
Why the Disney version? Because it's still awesome, even by today's standards and surprisingly isn't too goofy. The film itself isn't too long, being barely under an hour and most of it is ends up being a set up to the confrontation with the headless horsemen, but I think the reason I love this is because it's a good horror movie to introduce your kids to. I'm not kidding.
Following one Ichabod Crane, the general story is a tale of the schoolmaster's life in the town of Sleepy Hollow and his pursuit of the lovely – in rival wth the bolsterous Brom Bones, but after the story continues, there's some secrets hidden within the woods surrounding the little town.
It has a nice bit of old fashion cartoon humor, yet at the same time, it sets a creepy tone when the horsemen is first mentioned and this is through song:
And the final chase is a delightful payoff, but I think the reason I like this film is how many disney standards it broke. For one, Icabod's character isn't so entirely innocent and has his weaknesses such as what his students think of him and even his reasons for love is more than just 'love at first sight', but money too. Also, without spoiling, lets just say it's debatable what ends up happening in the very end, but apparently, the film was so shocking that it was supposedly banned, though I can't find any proof to this statement. This choice goes in hand with classic horror films, since it's still a fairly old movie. Still, this is a nice piece of animation that I'm happy to watch come halloween time.
Nightmare Before Xmas
This isn't so much a halloween film as it is a general holiday film! ...Well, really it only focuses on Halloween and Christmas, but no one cares about Thanksgiving. Considered one of the crowning movies that Tim Burton is associated with, it's developed something of a cult following and for good reason. It takes the magic of the holiday season and gives them something of a twist in how exactly they work, but more importantly than not, the soundtrack is phenominal, with nearly every being memorable and even give mildly gross ideas and images. Would you like a bat or a rat for a hat for instance or get something rotting for Christmas?
The main plot follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King and more or less, the lord of Halloween, who has gotten tired of just doing the same thing over and over again. One day, he comes across the land of Christmas and decides, “This looks fun. I want to do this!” And thus, shenanigans ensue.
If there is something that I complain about this movie though, it's how materialistic our world is shown, saying 'Christmas is cancelled because presents weren't delivered'. What? Come on, we humans might be greedy, but that doesn't really cancel a holiday!
Regardless, I love this film and it's perfect to watch around well... any time of the Holiday season. Just beware those ear worms that will creep in while watching.
Nightmare on Elm Street series
Moving back to horror, I'm sort of cheating again, but being a guy who hasn't watched too many straight up slasher movies, the Nightmare on Elm Street series easily stands out to me as one of the most creative, creepy, and funny, and that's thanks to in part to Chris Englund's great performance of Freddy Krueger. It's a terrific ride of creepiness, horror, and flat out humor as Freddy becomes such a jackass and spouts wonderfully punny one-liners through the series.
The story of Nightmare on Elm Street plays one the fear of a serial murderer after being burned alive swears vengeance against the families that killed by going after their children through where they're most vulnerable, their dreams. This concept allowed the writers to get as creative as they wanted and so Freddy got to kill his prey in increasingly amusing ways. It's great and I love it.
As it usually goes, not all the films are made equal, so here's my brief thoughts on each:
Nightmare on Elm Street: Pretty good.
Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Meh.
Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors: Hilarious
Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master: Crappy overall
Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child: Hilarious again
Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy's Dead: Death by Powerglove, that is all.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare: HOLY CRAP! HOLY CRAP! WHY AM I CRAPPING BRICKS?!
Evil Dead 2
Now I know what you're thinking, why not the evil dead series as a whole? Well, that is true and why the entire series is enjoyable, this one is my favorite in the series. Why? Because where Evil Dead was strictly horror and Army of Darkness was more slap stick humor, Evil Dead 2 was the perfect blend of creepy terror and hilarity.
To those uninformed, the Evil Dead series follows Ashley Williams, played by Bruce Cambell, as he and his friends go to a old cabin for a getaway and find themselves trying to survive against the demonic, possessing assaults of the Deaddites. Where Evil Dead set the general groundwork, Evil Dead 2 continues the story as Ash continues to survive against the demon's attacks and he struggles against his own possession while slowly learning what is going on and how to deal with it.
The special effects are delightfully gross and the climax of the film is just so mind blowing that it's almost impossible to forget, but the real star of the show is Bruce Campell. He presents his struggle between surviving, going insane, or getting possessed as something thoroughly entertaining to watch. It's great to watch him and the things he does to withstand the deaddites. Want a fun, crazy horror film? Look no further.
And those are a handful of my favorite halloween movies. I hope you enjoyed them. Later on in the holiday season, we'll cover the other spectrum of holiday films. In the meantime, feel free to share your own favorite Halloween movies. Afterall, it's the idea of horror and death that in a way Keeps Yourself Alive.
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