Top 5 Things to Watch on Halloween

By Josh Darby

Let’s start out with this; Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I’m not the biggest fan of horror films. I work in theatre and get to play in costume most days, so Oct 31^st isn’t that special to me. No “scary” film has excited me in many years and people can take the day far too seriously. That being said, it’s a fun day. The themes and motifs that get explored in Halloween entertainment are very strong. Usually dealing in people fears or misunderstandings, and in the resulting desire to survive or overcome them.

When compiling my list, I had a common theme. Zombies. Now only one zombie film made my list, however, there were several of them that were under consideration. They include: the “Epidemiology” episode of Community, Zombieland, Dawn of the Dead, Cabin in the Woods and 28 Days Later. What do I look for in a good Halloween film? Suspense, good story, characters that I care about, and horror elements that comment on the characters, themes, situation, or aspects of society. Now I can’t say all the picks on my list cover all these topics, but they hit most of them.

The Guidelines: Simple guidelines for this top 5, something that is a good watch on Halloween night. Whether you are stuck at home handing out the candy, or just getting back from a night out, whatever you put on has to fit the Halloween mood.

Josh’s Honorable Mentions: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (this 1949 animated Disney classic is great for families because it’s visually beautiful and just scary enough to be a great Halloween watch.), The Nightmare Before Christmas (the only reason this great film not on the official list is due to the fact that I don’t consider it a true Halloween movie), Cabin in the Woods (I’m not saying a word about this 2012 film, except that it’s great and its by David Goddard and Joss Whedon. The less you know about it the better, just watch it.) “Halloweenie” – The Adventures of Pete and Pete (one of the best episodes of this classic Nickelodeon show, it’s smarter than almost any show in TV history. If you’re not familiar, be sure you find this show) Mr. Yin Present… -- Psych (an homage to Alfred Hitchcock, and one of the best episodes of the show)

Josh’s List:

5. North by Northwest (1959) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Witten by Ernest Lehman

Okay you can’t make a list of best things to watch on Halloween without the master of suspense himself Alfred Hitchcock. You really can’t go wrong with any of his well-known (Psycho, Rope, Rear Window, Rebecca, Vertigo) films, but for my money the best Hitchcock film is North by Northwest. A classic chase film follows Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint as they are followed around the country by a group of foreign spies. This film is beautifully shot, full of moments of shock, surprise, and suspense. On top of that it holds up. Released in 1959 North by Northwest is just as watchable today as it was back then. If you are not familiar with Alfred Hitchcock’s work (shame on you) pick up this film and Psycho, and enjoy a great evening of classic cinema.

4. “Halloween”/“Fear Itself” Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997/1999) Directed Bruce Seth Green/Tucker Gates written by Joss Whedon/David Fury

This is first of many times throughout this blog that I will talk about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For me no list of Halloween entertainment would be complete without a trip to Sunnydale, CA. These two episodes are both Halloween themed (to be fair the show is about hunting vampires and demons… so… what week isn’t Halloween themed?) Both episodes deal with the fears of our main characters, and how they are addressing them. These episodes both have classic Buffy/Whedon moments in them and give you a great vibe about what makes the show fantastic. “Halloween” is a season 2 episode where the citizens of Sunnydale start turning into their Halloween costumes. We also get a first glimpse into the relationship between Oz and Willow. “Fear Itself” is a really great episode in season 4, but this one stands out as fantastic character study of all of our main characters. During this episode the ‘Scoobies’ find themselves trapped in a haunted frat house, with their greatest fears coming to life. The defeat of the villain in this episode is a great moment. Sit back and enjoy a great night with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

3. Shaun of the Dead (2004) Directed and Written by Edgar Wright

This is my kind of “horror” film. Yes, there is a reason that I put it in quotes, and that is because it’s not really a horror film. Sure it’s a zombie film, but it’s a zombie that’s wrapped up in a romantic comedy. What Shaun of the Dead does right is that it cares about its characters. It has a story that needs to be told, and needs zombies to tell it. Yes, it makes fun of other ‘zed-word’ films, but it is also a very good zombie film. Shaun gives you laughs, scares, and an all-around good time.

2. Jaws (1975) Directed by Stephen Spielberg Written by Peter Benchley & Carl Gottlieb

Jaws makes my list as the representation of a more traditional horror film; however it was also the first ever summer blockbuster showing that if you scare people the right way, you have a huge hit on your hands. Its villain is nothing more than a hungry shark, but what it does right is that you hardly see the shark. Spielberg is great at telling large stories that are small at their core and Jaws is no different. This is a story about people, a small town, and small town politics. With classic lines like “I think we’re going to need a bigger boat” and probably the most famous music cue in film history, what Jaws understands is that less is more. An audience’s imagination is far worse than anything you can actually put on the screen and this film makes you sit there stewing in your own thoughts before you find out what is actually happening. You feel empathy and sympathy for the characters, the story is strong and well plotted (if not a tiny bit formulaic), and in the end Jaws will have you on the edge of you seat. This is film that has generations of people to “not go into the water” and if you ever end up in Amity I would suggest following those great words of advice.

1. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) Director Bill Melendez Written by Charles Schulz

This is a seminal piece of American television captures everything that’s great about Halloween from a child’s point of view. The story of Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin gives the audience a sense of hope, joy and wonder that we’ve not had since we were a kid. Sally is a little piece of comedy gold, the World War I flying ace Snoopy tells a visually stunning story, and of course Charlie Brown gets a rock, every time, all the time. For me it’s just as much a part of Halloween as carving pumpkins, trick or treating and costumes. Whether you're watching it as a kid, as a parent with your own child, or somewhere in between, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is the kind of TV special that continues to appeal to all generations since its original 1966 airing.

Jeff’s List:

5. “HUSH” Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999) Directed and Written by Joss Whedon

Josh already went over some stellar Buffy episodes, but I think this one takes the cake. ‘Hush’ is my favorite hour of Buffy by far, and the perfect one to celebrate Halloween. Joss Whedon has often been criticized of writing television that is far too dialogue heavy (which is hardly a criticism of this great filmmaker, but people have to find fault somewhere) so he answered that challenge and wrote an episode that was almost completely silent, to great success. ‘The Gentlemen’ are the best one-off villains that the show ever concocted and are the stuff of nightmares. Watch and enjoy.

4. Zombieland (2009) Directed Ruben Fleischer Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick

Shaun of the Dead is an obvious choice for Halloween, but the equally obvious American answer to that film is Zombieland. Josh placed this in the Honorable Mention category, but I’d like to redeem it by offering it a space in my top five. Zombieland is bloody good fun, and is a great start to your Halloween festivities, if not the best finisher. Of all the post-apocalyptic wastelands, this is the one I want to live in. A universe where food and guns are plentiful and you can survive comfortably if you just follow the rules. Also, Emma Stone is a part of your everyday life, and no arguments here on that. Watch, enjoy, and then move on to the darker stuff, especially…

3. Let the Right One In (2008) Directed by Tomas Alfredson and Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Wow. I mean, WOW. This is the best vampire film I’ve ever seen or am ever likely to see. The fact that one of the main characters is a vampire seems almost coincidental to the love story between a reserved young Scandinavian boy and his mysterious young neighbor who talks to him on the playground at night. I hate the current trend toward vampires we’ve seen in the last five years. On the surface it’s saccharine, and on a deeper level it’s devoid of meaning and shies away from any of the real consequences of predatory half-life. I had an experience when I was 13 with a man who believed he was a vampire who tried to kill me. I fucking hate vampires, and have no stomach for romantic, Twilight style portrayals of them. But this film is truly honest with its characterization of love and death. Also, visually it is truly beautiful. They made an American version, Let Me In, which should burn in Hell. Watch Let the Right One In on Netflix. Now. Then keep reading.

2. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) Directed and Written by Michael Dougherty

This movie is just fun, and the perfect film to watch during this holiday season. It follows multiple stories over the course of one Halloween night, and each is full of humor and terror. I’m not going to ruin it for you. The cast is great, it’s wonderfully crafted, and since you can slip in and out of the narrative and still enjoy it, it’s exactly what should be playing in the background of your Halloween bash.

1. Planet Terror (2007) Written and Directed by Robert Rodriguez

This film was Josh’s present to me for my 21^st birthday, and continues to be one of my favorites. Zombie/epidemic horror mixed with raunchy action and B-movie charm. Stipper with a machine-gun leg? Awesome. How does she fire it? Who knows, who cares! This film was ‘thrown together’ in the best possible way. It is a pure pleasure to view, and the artificial aging, the fact that Bruce Willis was only on set for about an hour and a half, and the thumping bass line only add to the joy. Play this on Halloween with the DVD bonus “audience reaction track” on and get ready for a good time.

Happy Halloween dear readers, from Nerd 5!