With Halloween arriving, I decided to write a post devoted to films that I associate with the holiday. The films aren't necessarily about Halloween or scary or even great, but when this time of year comes around, these are the films that come to mind, or if I were to rewatch one of them during another part of the year, I would think of Halloween. Basically the films and the holiday are linked together in my mind.
10.
Children of the Corn (Frtiz Kiersch, 1984)
I think I've seen this movie three or four times, each occasion on or around Halloween, and admittedly it's not a good movie. The movie is crying out for a remake, since I think at it's core it has a good premise. A small, heartland town is overtaken by its children who form a cult. That's just creepy, and Malachai is a great character. It would be fun to see what a great screenwriter and director could do with the material. Apparently, there is a remake being filmed, but it's a TV movie for the Sci-Fi channel, so I wouldn't hold my breath.
9.
Corpse Bride (Tim Burton, 2005)
The first Tim Burton film on the list, and really what director bettersums up the holiday than Burton. Creepy, kooky, and whimsical are all adjectives that can be applied to both the director and film. A man soon to married accidently weds a corpse, and is transported to the world of the dead, which is more lively than the world above. The movie just puts a smile on my face, although the film's songs were disappointing, when you compare them to the brilliant songs of Burton's and composer Danny Elfman's previous collaboration on a sto-motion animated film, T
he Nightmare Before Christmas, which will be higher up on the list.
8.
Meet Me In St. Louis (Vincente Minnelli, 1944)
This is a movie that reminds me of Halloween, this is a movie that reminds me of Christmas, this is a movie that reminds me of trolleys, but above all else this is a movie that reminds me of Judy Garland, who gave her second best performance ever, behind only 1954's
A Star is Born, in this film. Halloween only takes up one section of the film, with the two youngest daughters of the Smith family, Agnes and Tootie, going trick-or-treating and playing a game in which they "kill" people by throwing flour in their face when they open the door. The film will also forever be linked to
Night of the Living Dead in my mind. In college I had to watch them back-to-back during a film class, because we were to compare them as representatives of different genres, which both use children to subvert the social mores of society. The comparison still sticks.
7.
Monster House (Gil Keanan, 2006)
Another animated film from the aughts, this one is set on Halloween. The film takes a premise that we can all relate to, the creepy neighborhood house that every kid thinks is haunted, and turns it into both a wacky monster movie and touching love story. The film's art direction is amazing. It perfectly replicates a day in late October and the house's transformation into a living being is brilliant. I could also go on and on about the voice work, from Kathleen Turner, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Steve Buscemi, to three kids who are the central characters. How could a film like this lose the Animated Feature Oscar to
Happy Feet? Ech!
6.
Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)
The first time I saw this film was on a Halloween when I was a teenager. Everyone considers either
The Producers or
Blazing Saddles to be Brooks's best film, but I personnally think
Young Frankenstein is far superior to either of those films. I think it's his most coherent film, but also his funniest, combining slapstick, puns, film references, and silly asides into an intelligent spoof/homage to the films of James Whale. It features both Gene Wilder's and Peter Boyle's best performance, plus has a amaing supporting cast that includes Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Gene Hackman, and Madeline Kahn.
5.
Batman Returns (Tim Burton, 1992)
Yes, another Tim Burton film. I include this movie on the list simply because when I was nine I dressed up as the Penguin, specifically the version from this film. It was a heavy duty costume, too. I had a ton of padding, the worn-out suit, the wig, the makeup, including a prosthetic nose, the three-fingered gloves, and the top hat. I wound up winning an award for Most Creative Costume at my Cub Scout Halloween party. I was really proud of the costume. To this day I haven't come up with a better costume. I've been a murdered monk, Charlie Chaplin, Bjork, a 70s porn star, Lola from
Run Lola Run, an emo band member, but none of them have compared to the Penguin.
4.
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
My favorite movie of all time. That's all I have to say about it. I love it, I love it, i love it! Anthony Perkins is unbelievably creepy. Janet Leigh is wonderful as the film's leading actress who doesn't make it to the film's halfway point, which even when you think about it today is a daring move. If you ever need to know why Hitchcock is the master of suspense just watch (or rewatch) the famous shower scene. It still freaks me out every time I see it.
3.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993)
This is the third Tim Burton film on my list, though he didn't direct it, only cowriting and producing it, as he was busy directing the fifth film on my list,
Batman Returns, during the course of its production. Even though he didn't direct it,
Nightmare Before Christmas is completely a Tim Burton film. Taking cues from his previous films with its art direction and character designs, the film has that mix of whismy and the macabre. What makes this film particularly memorable are the film's songs, combosed by Danny Elfman. Try listening to "What's This?" or "This Is Halloween" and not have it stuck in your head all day.
2.
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
I thought I'd include what I consider to be the scariest movie of all time. What makes the films so terrifying, is the idea of an entity taking over a someone's body, so they are no longer in control. The fact that it's the Devil who's taking over is an added bonus. Of course there's no such thing as the Devil, or demons, or possessions, but that doesn't matter, because it still scares the crap out of me. When mentioning
The Exorcist, one has to give a shout out to old Hollywood character actress Mercedes McCambridge, who provided the voice of the possessed Regan MacNeil.
1. Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)
Well, duh, of course this movie would be number one, since the film is named after the holiday. Still, it's a great film, and yay for Jamie Lee Curtis.
This heat wave on the East Coast has just killed me this past week, and I am behind on several postings. Sunday was Madonna's 52nd birthday, and I completely forgot to write anything about it. Like any good gay, I'm a huge fan of Madge, so I'm happy she remains prolific into her fifties, while so many other acts eventually lose some relevance in pop culture and the music industry. In honor of her birthday, here's a listing of my top ten favorite Madonna songs.
