Jon Peters Halloween Watch List

As Halloween approaches, I personally am always looking for some interesting new or different films to spend that night with. I think now in the age of almost every film out on DVD, we should easily be watching the typical horror films that night. I mean ‘Halloween’, ‘Texas Chain Saw Massacre’, ‘Night of the Living Dead’; the Universal Monster film like ‘Dracula (1931)’, ‘Frankenstein (1931)’, ‘Mummy (1932)’ and ‘Wolfman’ all should be in every rotation. Hell, you should be seeing ‘the Omen’, ‘Psycho’, ‘Exorcist’, and ‘Dawn of the Dead’ on a regard basis anyway, but for this list I will focus on some titles that should be seen and especially can add some spice to Halloween night.

Classics

Tired of the same old classics? Try these out!

-Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932): It’s only 61 minutes long, but Bela Lugosi gives another great performance and the film is oozing with eerie atmosphere. The film captures some of the German Expression style and is really well shot. This is also a great alternative for fans of the Universal Monsters that have seen them a thousand times but are looking for something similar.

-The Fog (1979): I know John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ is the film to play on October 31st but this film is just as spooky as that classic. If you have a solid home theater system then the 5.1 mix will send shivers down your spine before Carpenter’s score kicks in. I have always enjoyed this flick for its well-paced terror and I am not one who enjoys ghost films that much, but this is really creepy.

-Dead and Buried (1981): This is just one of those films that are so good you can’t believe you haven’t heard of it before. There a decent twist to the film and I won’t spoil it here, but let me say that there is a sheriff investigating an eccentric mortician and zombies. It’s again a well-paced flick with some cool ideas and gore.

Wild Card Pick: Premature Burial (1963)

For Fun

If you’re just wanting to have a get together with beer and pizza here’s some flicks you should spin for your guests.

-Monster Squad (1987): This film is nothing but fun. I remember wanting to start up a group like the kids did in here but none of my friends knew very much about monsters. Losers! ‘Monster Squad’ is still a delightful film that has aged well with cool creature designs and a fun, unique twist on the classic Universal Monsters.

-The Deadly Spawn (1983): For such a low budgeted film I can’t remember having so much fun with an alien invasion. It’s not a campy take on one, it’s just fun in terms of its special effects on the creatures, the gore, and you can just tell the filmmakers had a ton of fun making it. Grab the Synapse DVD because it has a great transfer and fun extras. If you like ‘Aliens’ or the ‘Thing’ this is another fun alternative to those.

-The Tingler (1959): During the fifties nobody made fun or understood fun like William Castle. For the ‘Tingler’ he placed a handful of seats to be rigged with some electricity to shock you right when the film goes black and Vincent Price yells ‘the Tingler is loose in the theater!’ That must have been a fun gimmick. The film is pretty cool too, featuring a fun idea with Price going mad as he uses LSD!

Wild Card Pick: Trilogy of Terror (1974)

Gore

Let’s get splattered with blood and guts!

-Inside (2007): Pound for pound one of the more extreme horror flicks this decade. This is also one hell of a film; pure intensity and suspense, but it also features some insane ass bloodletting. The climax might make some of you turn your heads away.

-Aftermath (1992): This 28-minute short film packs some incredibly realistic looking autopsies and that alone will make many throw up. Cerda, besides the gore, has crafted an incredibly beautiful film using no dialogue and a great score. Seek this out immediately.

-Maniac (1980): I fully believe that Tom Savini has never done a more realistic and gorier film that this. A scalp being pulled back, heads being blown off, bodies ripping apart, sliced throats, ‘Maniac’ has it all.

Wild Card Pick: Mother of Tears (2007)

Besides treat or treaters, you should be busy enough with these Halloween films and I hope that they fulfill your night with terror, fun, and blood! Happy viewing!