Monday, October 25, 2010

Ten things that make me happy: Halloween movies!

Tis the season, right? While the movies I list may not be Halloween-centric, they are movies that I want to watch when things get a little creepy outside. If you are curious about a movie, the titles are all linked to the trailers! In no particular order (except that the last one is my favorite):

    Puddleglum is really just yawning here.
  1. Hocus Pocus: It's a classic! With Bette Midler! Also, I think every girl my age had a huge crush on Thackery Binx (human form), which may explain my obsession with cats. Basically, three witches are brought back to life and attempt to steal the life force of all the children in town and it's up to two teens, a tween and a 300 year old cat to stop them. 
  2. Poltergeist: This is the story of a family who moves into the perfect home only to be tormented by the angry spirits inside. It's very effective, balancing family tension with traditional horror, and you will be afraid of clown dolls forever, if you weren't already. 
  3. Shaun of the Dead: I love zombie movies with a sense of humor. While I'm not a part of the impressive zombie culture, I do love this movie. It packs action, humor and some incredibly poignant moments into a single reel.
  4. Bubba Ho-Tep: Starring the incomparable Bruce Campbell as Elvis, this is the story of a rest home plagued by a mummy who is sucking the life out of the residents. It's up to Elvis and JFK to stop the carnage. Funny, clever, scary and I cried a single tear at the end.
  5. The Sixth Sense: I know it's cool to make fun of M. Night Shyamalan now, but this movie scared me to the point where I still can't think about those ghosts at night. Even when you know what the inevitable twist at the end is, the ghosts remain effective in keeping you (or maybe just me) awake.
  6. Re-Animator: Based off a story by H.P. Lovecraft, Herbert West is a med student who has found the secret to re-animating corpses. Obviously, this doesn't end well. Twisted, scary and a sense of humor.
  7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (the old one because I'm a  purist): Freddy can get you in your dreams and has been featured in more than one rap song. Terrifying. 
  8. Army of Darkness: Bruce Campbell makes another appearance. Army of Darkness is probably the most well known of the Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Trilogy. Ash is thrust back in time and has to defeat the army of the dead so that he can return home. Since it's Campbell and Raimi, you know this will be an incredibly entertaining ride. 
  9. The Fly: Okay, I'm all about the remake featuring an impressive combination of Jeff Goldblum and David Cronenburg. There's some stomach-turning scenes in this one, as well a bit of a tearjerker of an ending. However, I also cry at Return of the Jedi and Terminator 2, so I may have a skewed perspective.
  10. The Nightmare Before Christmas: I only have three things to say about this movie because it's popular enough for everyone to know: 
    • I'm going to be pretentious for a second and point out that I've loved this movie since it came out in theaters the first time.
    • The stop-motion animation in the movie alone makes it worth viewing. 
    • I love the soundtrack more than any other soundtrack. 
    In conclusion, Halloween season has the best movies.

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