Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Top Ten Movies to Watch on Halloween: C.C.C Issue #70




Top Ten Movies to Watch on Halloween


Happy Halloween! 

In past years on Creepy Cinema, I’ve ended the month with a review for a movie that I think might appeal to a wide audience, but this year, I’m doing something different. If you plan on staying in this Hallows Eve and watching some scary movies, but aren’t sure what to watch, you’re in luck, because I have a variety of recommendations. 

Chances are, you have a personal favourite to watch on Halloween, like Hocus Pocus or It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (both of which are essentials for the season) but, if you also want something a little different, here we go. This is by no means a definitive top ten list. I have a few honourable mentions. 

The Cabin in the Woods: a great horror/comedy conglomerate that spoofs the genre with clever twists and subversions of many clichés. You get lots of bang for your buck with this one, and it works for long-time horror fans and non-fans. 


The 2013 Evil Dead remake: if you want a super gory, modern, fast-paced flick to watch with your friends, this would be a very good choice.
 

Creepshow: it’s an anthology film, with five segments that deliver a mix of humour and horror, from Stephen King and the late-great George Romero. 


Hellraiser: it’s not as widely popular as some other 80’s horror films, but this is one of the best and most original of the decade, with memorable monsters and truly scary content. 

Ginger Snaps: a Halloween-set werewolf story that’s well written, well-acted, and has scares and laughs.  


These five would make great alternates if you’ve seen any or all of the movies on this list. But, the following ten are what I consider essential for Halloween viewing, especially if you’ve never seen them before.



10. Alien (1979)/Aliens (1986)

I know, I’m cheating right off the bat by picking two movies, but here’s why. I’m thinking in terms of viewers who may never have seen Alien or Aliens before, or maybe haven’t seen one or the other in a long time. Alien on its own may seem too slow and dull by modern standards for some younger viewers—that may sound like blasphemy, but I’m trying to think realistically here—so by pairing it with Aliens, it makes for the perfect Halloween experience. 

Alien is the primer, the slow-burn introduction to the creature and our heroine, Ellen Ripley, then you kick in to high gear with Aliens immediately after and get some fast-paced horror, ending with the apex of that blending of the action and horror genres. It will satisfy the sci-fi craving, cover the body horror sub-genre, and even works as a haunted house film, in a sense. 


9. Piranha (2010) 

The Piranha remake is definitely not for everyone. If you want a sophisticated horror film, you won’t find it here. This is as exploitative as modern mainstream horror gets. It will satisfy the fans of killer animal movies, the fans of massive amounts of extreme gore, and anyone who wants a whole lot of T&A. Piranha is jam-packed with entertainment from beginning to end. The runtime is only 90 minutes, which leaves plenty of time to watch other movies—and if blood and guts and gore are your thing, you might also want to consider the next movie on my list…


8. Braindead (A.K.A Dead Alive) (1992) 


I’ve brought up Braindead more than once this month, and for good reason. It doesn’t go for subtle horror, but it REALLY satisfies in the gore department (or repulses, depending on how you look at it). It definitely ranks as one of the goriest movies ever made. There are zombies getting ripped apart limb by limb, gallons of blood, and dozens of ingenious gags. It’s also, weirdly enough, really funny, because it’s so over-the-top, which makes it a great choice to watch with a bunch of enthusiastic friends. It’s the kind of movie that’ll have you yelling and pointing at the screen many times throughout.  


7. Seven (1995)

Honestly, I didn’t even mean to put Seven at #7 as a joke, it was a coincidence. If you don’t want to go too deep into the genre stuff, or see anything with monsters and massive amounts of gore, Seven works to fill the psychological thriller niche—it’s scary, but not too scary, though is certainly one of the scariest psychological thrillers out there (it’s debatable whether it’s a thriller or a straight-up horror movie). Two other substitutes of similarly horrific thriller nature could be Silence of the Lambs (more explicit) or Misery (less explicit), even though in terms of content, there’s no common ground between the three.  


6. Frankenstein (1931) 

I have to include one of the classic Universal monster movies on here. Though they will probably be considered too slow and boring for younger viewers, if you want something really old school and gothic, Frankenstein is my personal pick, but any of them will suffice (The Mummy, Dracula, The Wolf Man, Creature From the Black Lagoon, or The Invisible Man). It’s really short, at around 70 minutes, it has a chilling atmosphere, and is full of classic scary movie moments—but isn’t too intense, and will work for those not wanting gallons of blood or terrifying beasts. Any of the sequels—Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, or Ghost of Frankenstein—are just as worthy of viewing, too.   


5. Ghostbusters (1984) 


This is for anyone who does not like to get scared or grossed out at all, but still wants to enjoy the whole ghosts and ghouls aspect of Halloween, just in a safe, fun way. Ghostbusters (the original, obviously) is perfect for family viewing, and will no doubt evoke nostalgia for older viewers, as well as inspire younger viewers. It’s spooky and funny and classic, and covers lots of horror elements (ghosts, possession, giant monsters, slime) in a way that isn’t going to give you nightmares. Hopefully. Unless you have a fear of snack food mascots. In that case, no promises.    


4. Grindhouse (2007): Planet Terror & Death Proof

 
Switching back to the gory, scary stuff, Grindhouse is technically another cheat because it’s a double feature: Robert Rodriguez’ zombie apocalypse Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino’s serial killer with a car Death Proof. Between the two, you get some action, some funny stuff, scary stuff, zombies, old school filmmaking sensibilities, violence, gore, entertaining characters (with some actors popping up in both films), and overall, it’s a really good time. Personally, I think you only have to go with the first film, Planet Terror, but if you want to go full-tilt, you better include Death Proof, as well. And don’t skip the faux trailers, either, all of it adds to the experience. 


3. The Exorcist (1973) 


Alright, enough screwing around. You don’t care about fluffy family movies like Ghostbusters or silly blood-filled massacres like Braindead? You want a real scare? Then strap yourself in for The Exorcist. If you want an honest to God fright (no pun intended), look no further. Don’t be fooled by its notorious reputation or the fact that it’s so old, like I originally was, and think it’s probably an overrated, over-hyped snooze fest. This movie might not make you jump in your seat as you’re watching it, but it will get under your skin, dig into your psyche, and haunt your nightmares long afterwards. I only recommend it to the most confident horror movie watchers. 


2. Halloween (1978)/ (2007) 


While I would recommend the original for horror aficionados and the remake for younger viewers not as into old school slasher movies, all of the Halloween films are mainstays of the season. Though I enjoy both, personally I side with the original over the remake. The music, the iconic villain Michael Myers, the scream queen Jamie Less Curtis, it’s all there. Slasher movies are always fun to watch in groups, but no other slasher is more appropriate for October 31st than this (even if the movie doesn’t really have a lot to do with Halloween outside of taking place on the date).  


1. Trick r’ Treat (2007)


For a long time, Halloween was considered the prime Halloween horror movie, but not anymore. Trick r’ Treat is the ultimate Hallows Eve celebratory film. It has everything you could ask for all in one place, thanks to its anthology format (it’s also one of the most consistent anthology horror films ever made). Psychologically deranged people? Check. Werewolves? Check. Trick r’ Treating? Check. Pumpkin carving? Check. Creepy monster kid wearing a burlap mask? Check. I could keep going. It’s a prime Halloween viewing experience, whether you’re with friends or family or just by yourself. I saw it for the first time last Halloween, and now I know why so many horror aficionados have made it their go-to for Halloween night. 


That’s it for Clayton’s Creepy Cinema 2017! Thanks for reading, have a safe and happy Halloween, and hopefully you’ll enjoy watching some of the movies I’ve recommended!  


Monday, October 30, 2017

What We Do In the Shadows (2014) Review






What We Do in the Shadows (2014) Review


This month I’ve looked at a range of scary movies, nerve-jangling thrillers, and gory shockers, so for the last review of the month I thought I’d lighten the mood with the comedic New Zealand-produced mockumentary about vampires, What We Do in the Shadows

A camera crew follows the day-to-day lives of four vampires living together in a flat. There’s Viago, the primp and proper one, the dark and powerful Vlad, who is clearly inspired by Vlad the Impaler (who was also the inspiration for Dracula), Deacon, the touchy one with a human servant (who wants to be turned into a vampire), and Petyr, an 8000 year-old Nosferatu-looking vampire who lives in the basement. All of the characters are distinct and hilarious in their own ways. 

At the beginning of the film, there’s a brief intro to the four of them waking up just as the sun goes down, and showing how each of them interact, before their backstories are given. If you aren’t killing yourself laughing by the ten minute mark, this probably isn’t the kind of comedy for you. 

What We Do in the Shadows has a surprisingly complex lore, and gets into how these vampires live in today’s society. They encounter a pack of werewolves, who state “we’re werewolves, not swear wolves”, and the vampire-werewolf rivalry is one of the funniest aspects of the whole thing. As silly as the movie sometimes gets, it actually portrays a fictional reality that’s easy to buy into.

There are numerous clever nods and references to classic vampire films (and other horror films), but you don’t have to be a horror aficionado to enjoy this. Much of the comedy simply comes from the situations. Early on, Viago brings a woman back to the flat. She thinks her and Viago are on a date, but Viago really wants to suck her blood. He tries to do so, and the result is shocking and hilarious. It’s not an overly gory or scary film, though there are a few jumps, and this bloodsucking scene is bloody, but funny. 

I don’t want to give too much away. There are tons of jokes, many of which I missed the first time I watched it, giving it a high re-watchability factor, and hardly any of the jokes fall flat. It’s a low budget production, but it doesn’t look like it. The mockumentary style works perfectly, and the acting from everyone (but especially the leads) is totally believable. 

All in all, there isn’t anything about What We Do in the Shadows that I don’t like. It’s easily one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a clever and hilarious take on the horror genre.