Halloween Movie Spectacular

Last week I got COVID (still recovering but definitely on the mend!) which meant I missed my self-imposed deadline of last Monday for my newsletter. So change of plans: instead of doing a long review and a grab bag for October I’ve opted for combining the two into a speed run of reviews of all the horror movies I’ve watched these past two months. It definitely spans a wide range of the genre (though I do love me a slasher) so hopefully you’ll find something to watch this Halloween season!

Friday the 13th (1980)

I was charmed by the slow pace and very contained terror of this one: most of the runtime the camp counselor teens simply don’t know they are being hunted down. It’s really more about the psychology of the characters than the blood and guts.

Watch if: you want your slasher movie to look beautiful and mostly be about teens hanging out

Halloween (1978)

Completely just a straightforward slasher. At times it feels cheap and exploitative, but it’s hard not to still have fun. The psychology of the killer is much less interesting to me than in Friday the 13th but I think the story is tighter and Laurie is a more compelling point of view character.  

Watch if: you really want just the perfect encapsulation of a slasher – the Citizen Kane of the genre, if you will

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)

Probably the hardest I’ve ever laughed at a horror-comedy. It’s extremely silly but I love Tucker and Dale so much and my brain just loves the misunderstanding based humor this hinges on. The whole time I was thinking about how this could be a good double feature with either Cabin in the Woods or Bodies Bodies Bodies. Someone make it happen!

Watch if: you want to get silly with your horror and laugh until you cry

Scream 4 (2011)/Scream Franchise (1996-)

We’ve been steadily working our way through the Scream franchise for years. None of the sequels really live up to the first one for me, Scream 4 especially so. But as a slasher fan, there is something comforting about a franchise that exists solely to make meta-commentary on the genre at the moment.

Watch if: you’ve watched too many slasher movies and want to talk about the weird tropes you’ve noticed

Evil Dead II (1987)

I know this is a classic in the genre but honestly this did not do it for me! The practical effects were extremely cool and in general I loved the physicality of it. But the plot was just not interesting enough for me to stay engaged with the story.

Watch if: you want to see some cool monsters and gory sequences and/or marvel at Bruce Campbell’s ability to command a scene

Werewolves Within (2021)

A werewolf murder mystery that’s really just an excuse to tease out the relationship dynamics and politics of a small rural town. Sam Richardson is infinitely charming and the rest of the cast rounds it out nicely. An under-seen gem, in my opinion.

Watch if: you love gossip and beautiful victorian homes

Satan’s Rhapsody (1917)

A silent movie that I watched with its original Italian dialog cards so truly had to just appreciate on vibes alone. And it’s great vibes! In an era where so much film is extremely didactic and obvious, it was refreshing to watch something and just sort of freeform your interpretation of events and feel ok with confusion.

Watch if: you want to feel fancy for watching a silent movie and need a palette cleanser from overly literal straight to streaming fare

Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Look, I love musicals but this was one of the only times I had the musical hater thought of “can you guys please stop singing so we can move the plot along?” However the design of this is so fun and gorgeous and I love the hints at world building. Also my feelings about the songs absolutely do not apply to “This is Halloween” and “What’s This?” – absolute bangers.

Watch if: you have a goth-inclined child in your life

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

Oh my God I hate that Joss Whedon managed to convince the Buffy fandom and the movie was not worthy of his great concept. This is easily comparable to especially the first season of the show. Fits right in with 90s supernatural romps. Also Paul Reubens is in it as an extremely silly vampire in a Halloween costume cape. What more could you want?

Watch if: you love Buffy the Vampire slayer and want to remind yourself that Joss Whedon sucks and is not actually a singular talent who is the only one who can be trusted with this story

There’s over a week until Halloween and I’m still stuck inside until I start testing negative, so definitely let me know any horror movie recommendations you might have! I have plenty of time to watch them this year.

Each month I will try to highlight an organization that’s important to me, in a small attempt to help out In These Trying Times. While financial donations are great, there’s also other ways to get involved in community building work — volunteering, building relationships with neighbors, offering up skills and services you might have.

Today I’m shouting out Feed the People Bed-Stuy