Adam Green’s Halloween Watch List
I can’t think of anyone that deserves to offer up his ultimate Halloween watch list to the internet Gods more than Adam Green. Not only did he direct the awesome slasher flick Hatchet, he’s the mastermind behind the Ariescope shorts! So make sure to give the man some comment love, and check out his awesome new Halloween short Jack-Chop here!
Adam Green’s TOP 5 films for Halloween viewing:
1. HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH:
Yeah, that’s right, I said it. And I even said it FIRST. This is one of the most underrated amazing Halloween holiday movies of all time. Once you come to terms with the fact that it is not a Michael Myers film, hopefully you’ll realize that it is it’s own thing and that it is a blood soaked, gore filled, scary fucking movie. The classic TV jingle will be stuck in your head for years to come and you’ll never look at a pumpkin Halloween mask the same way again.
2. WALT DISNEY’S THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW:
Yes, Tim Burton’s SLEEPY HOLLOW is really cool looking and Johnny Depp is so cute… but the Disney version is the REAL version of this classic tale. Narrated and featuring original music from Bing Crosby, watching this movie every Halloween season is about as comforting to me as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, my mother’s mashed potatoes, or a chocolate glazed donut from Dunkin Donuts. It is perfection and if your childhood nightmares of the Headless Horseman don’t come rushing back to you with that one shot of him rearing up on his horse with the flaming pumpkin in his hands… well then you’re a liar.
3. TRICK R TREAT (2009):
A brand spanking new edition to my annual Halloween viewing, this is a film that I was lucky enough to get to see theatrically FOUR times thanks to my industry ties and film festival attendance. Such a crying shame that it’s distributor not only condemned it straight to video but even worse that they didn’t even print enough DVDs or Blu Rays to satisfy the demand. If you can find it, grab it, blind buy it, and enjoy the shit out of it. It is “Halloween perfection” all rolled up in a genuinely perfect, funny, and creepy anthology that will have you grinning wider than your neighbor’s Jack-o’-lantern.
4. IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN:
Doesn’t matter how old I get, this still rules. But the real joy is catching it on TV and not watching it on your DVD player. The commercials are perfectly timed to break up the disjointed story (Snoopy’s Red Baron dream sequence??) and every year I get terribly depressed once they get to the shot of Charlie Brown and Linus sitting by the brick wall and talking about “next year” as it means that Halloween is almost over. No Halloween is complete without this classic.
5. JOHN CARPENTER’S HALLOWEEN:
Still the reining champ, hands down. Simple, elegant, frightening, and absolutely pure- this terrifying tale of the night that the Boogie Man came home to Haddonfield is about as classic and true to form as a slasher film will ever come. Donald Pleasance’s lines were so over the top and classic that they didn’t even change them for the sequels. “OK, Donald in this scene you’re gonna say… oh, you know what- just say the same shit you said in the last one, it was perfect.” My favorite slasher film of all time. PERIOD.
Happy Halloween-
Adam Green
I have been waiting for someone to include The Great Pumpkin!
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That’s what I’m fuc*ing talking about! More love for Halloween III baby, the best sequel of the series.
Thanks Adam! Can’t wait for FROZEN!!
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Kudos to Adam for putting Legend of Sleepy Hallow on there! I still watch that every year! Great list….almost tops the list in The Book of List (horror edition) where Adam made an inappropriate yet f*cking hysterical reference about Dakota Fanning.
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That would be my IDENTICAL list…! — except that I’d make room and add the original “Halloween 2″ for #6…!
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Adam, that is a great list. As Jason can atest, I’m on the bandwagon for people loving Halloween 3, with the producers cut of part 6 following right behind. Trick ‘r Treat was a great film and EVERYONE should see this masterpiece!
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Although flawed, I’ve always liked Halloween 5. That badass, knife-wielding opening credit crawl just puts me in a good mood.
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Excellent,
The original Halloween movie scared the heck out of us in the seventies! The musical score added to the level of suspense like no other since the Exorist.
Kudos for including my personal favorite It’s a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
keep up the good work, and stay a friend to Killer Film
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