Halloween fun - movie suggestions (1 Viewer)

[Eric Huffstutler]

Halloween is drawing closer and so our thoughts to watching our favorite Horror and Sci-Fi flicks.

I can vividly remember laying on the floor in the living room to watch the snowy screen console (floor model) television in the dark and being scared sh!+[ess

I prefer the classics and B fare from the 30s-60s and would like to have a gathering of friends to share the fun. To balance things out for everyone, what can you suggest to play that is available on DVD and may still hold interest over the years?

Also how would you present and play these - any "extras" to show ahead or between movies?

Again, nothing from the 70s or newer.

Thanks!
Eric

 

[David Williams]

Dracula's Daughter is a great choice. It has held up remarkably well over the past 70 years and it's fun to count each instance of lesbian overtones. Plus the Universal Horror Legacy Collections have great extras.

 

[BrettGallman]

I agree with this one. If you can only choose one, go with "The Horror of Dracula." It's the best, in my opinion.

Some more suggestions:

Night of the Living Dead
The Thing from Another World
Rosemary's Baby


As another poster stated, the Universal Legacy collections are excellent. You could spend a whole weekend just watching those. Probably more than one, actually.

 

[Greg_S_H]

The best Halloween I've had in recent memory is when I watched a bunch of horror titles throughout the month of October, back in '98. It was mainly all of the Universal horrors. I'd start there and work in some things like Night of the Living Dead, Carnival of Souls, the Innocents, Lady In White, etc.

 

[James@R]

A few off the top of my head...

The Black Cat
The Haunting
Masque of the Red Death
Village of the Damned

 

[Patrick H.]

A friend and I try to do a film marathon every year, with plenty of pumpkin-flavored beer from a local brewery in these parts. One Halloween a couple of years back we did a triple-feature of:

The Thing from Another World
John Carpenter's Halloween (which features the above, of course)
John Carpenter's remake of 'The Thing'

To add to the ambiance we kill all the lights in the house except for a few Jack O'Lanterns on the stoop out front. That marathon in particular was an absolute blast!

 

[WadeM]

"Horror of Dracula" is one of the best from the 50s. "The Black Cat" is another pretty good one from the 30s. I like "Cat People" from the 40s. Although it's debatable as a Halloween movie, I think "The Spiral Staircase" from the 40s is very good.

 

[Bryan^H]

The Curse Of Frankenstein is near perfection IMO, starring Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee. Released in 1957, I think it is the earliest(and possibly best) Hammer film.

 

[Andrew Radke]

Every year I have my annual Halloween horror movie night where myself and a few friends get together to watch movies from dusk 'till dawn. We usually cram in about 7-8 movies during the course of the night and I make sure there's plenty of chips and drinks, etc. This will be the fifth year I've done this and I look forward to it every time.

I try to mix it up. Something classic, something modern, etc. This year we'll be watching "The Hills Have Eyes" (the original), "Cujo", "Creepshow", "Hostel", "The Devils Rejects", "The Evil Dead", "Last House On The Left", plus something family-friendly for my 8 year old niece to watch before she goes to bed.

With a 52" screen, great friends and plenty of munchies, it's no wonder I look forward to this every year.

Coincidentally, last year I started a new tradition for the holidays. My annual holiday movie night.

 

[Eric Huffstutler]

Andrew... nothing really "classic" in that bunch this year The oldest is 1972. But I can see where your taste lie, more into slasher films.

I thought about creating a companion disc period to the movies being shown. Let's say I start with the classic Indian test pattern, go to a period commercial, then a home created Chiller Theater type intro using some old movie clips and creepy music. Then the movie starts. Just an idea running in my head to add some atmosphere and throw people back in time as they were watching them for the first time.

To change things up, may even create a disc with a drive-in or theater theme with intermission promos, ads, and clocks along with trailers.

For us junior baby boomers (just under 50-years old), it is hard to find people with a focused interest in this sort of thing... sigh.

For the holidays I use to simply put my holiday themed DVDs out for people to see just in case someone wanted to watch one - with my supervision of course. Now my collection is heading towards 1,000 discs it isn't as easy to let people select something.

Eric

 

[Eric Huffstutler]

Bryan...

Hammer has been around for a long time... started releasing films in 1936 and The Curse of Frankenstein not their first horror but was the first of the horror color remakes of Universal classic monster movies.

Eric

 

[Ruz-El]

All good choices.

Speaking of HAlloween, are we doing another Horror challenge this October?? I've been saving monstere movies for months in anticipation.

 

[Bradley-E]

ROSEMARY'S BABY is brilliant. You can pick it up at Best Buy for around $7.00.

 

[James@R]

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

(Obviously, this one is an absolute must. )

 

[JerryKILL]

I like to warm up before the movie with some classic cartoons. Check out the budget DVD from Fox Lorber "Cartoon Crazys - Spooky Toons". Good stuff, and only $7 from various etailers.

 

[Radioman970]

The great Vincent Price flicks from American International Pictures.

My favs:
The Raven
A Comedy of Terrors

Many others to choose from and most are at least worth a rent if not more. Hell, Price is a can't miss at Halloween. My #3 favorite actor.

 

[Chad]

Anything from Hammer prior to 1970. It just doesn't get any better.



Don't know about here, but over at DVDTalk we are:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=476548

 

[David_B_K]

My wife and I always watch that one. Among our other animated Halloween favorites are: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1958) the Disney version narrated (and sung) by Der Bingle (the DVD is called Ichabod and Mr Toad). Ichabod's ride home in this version is actually more atmospheric IMO than the Tim Burton film.

We also like to watch the Disney shorts Lonesome Ghosts (on the same DVd as Sleepy Hollow) and Trick or Treat.

While Dracula films are being mentioned, you are fortunate if you have the Region 2 DVD of the 1977 TV version called Count Dracula, with Louis Jourdan as the Count.

 

[Paul_Scott]

when I think of Golden (or 'atomic') age horror movies I usually think of Willam Castles stuff.
I would suggest
House On Haunted Hill
13 Ghosts
The Tingler
maybe Mr Sardonicus

last few years I've begun to appreicate some of the Euro horror from the late 50s-60s like
Black Sunday
Planet Of The Vampires
Castle Of Blood

And I'm looking forward to exploring the new Mexi-horror films put out by Casa Negra. Wasn't a big fan of The Witches Mirror, but I greatly enjoyed Curse Of The Crying Woman- there are several more titles just released and more on the way

then there are always the Corman/Poe features (actually, a lot of the midnight movies fit the subject here nicely).
Looking forward to seeing The Fearless Vampire Killers again too.

some of my fav Criterion discs would be
Carnival Of Souls
The Blob
Equinox

and there are some tantilizing releases just out or upcoming like
The Inner Sanctum collection with Lon Chaney Jr
The Boris Karloff collections (from Universal and Sony)
and The Warner Vintage horror set

oh, and can't forget the Val Lewton set for some classy chills.

 

[MarkBirds]

Well, it just wouldn't be Halloween without a viewing of "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." But that's a TV show, and we're talkin' monster movies.

You can't go wrong with the movies that played in the background as Michael Myers chased around Jamie Lee Curtis and her babysitting pals in Halloween — Night of the Living Dead and The Thing From Another World. I can't remember if there were others.

The original Exorcist never fails to scare the beejeebers outta me.

If you're looking for something different, Meet Me in St. Louis has a terrific Halloween sequence. The Lady in White was fun, too.