Anyone who's ever known me knows that Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Having grown up on a steady diet of horror, science fiction and monster flicks, it would make sense that I would have such a fondness for the spookiest of holidays. As a kid I loved dressing up, going trick or treating, seeing all the decorated houses around the neighborhood, carving Jack-O-Lanterns, and my favorite, staying up late, watching horror flicks that played on TV. Even as an adult, I still make a point of watching lots of horror movies, especially in October. Anyway, here's a list (with links) of some old favorites for this month.
CARNIVAL OF SOULS
I first saw this film in the 90's, late at night on TV. When I saw the listing in the TV Guide, I was at first confusing it with another film I saw from the 40's. When it came on, I quickly realized that this was not that other flick, so I sat and watched it. When it was over, I was stunned. I instantly fell in love with this weird, creepy film. A ghost story about a woman (Candace Hilligoss) who survives a car crash and is haunted by a creepy man (played by Herk Harvey, the writer / director). The music, the creepy imagery, the use of tension in lieu of jump scares, I loved it all. I make a point to watch this one at least once a year, especially in October.
DEMENTIA 13
I've been a Godzilla fan for as long as I can remember. What does Godzilla have to do with this 60's horror film? It was because of Godzilla that I discovered it. For years, the film Destroy All Monsters (as well as Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster) had eluded me. I read about them in the Random House Godzilla book and was eager to watch them. One day while scanning the TV Guide, I saw that Destroy All Monsters was set to be shown. I was thrilled. I tuned in late that night (2am), eager to finally see this monster bash, only to be disappointed that the channel was showing another film instead, Dementia 13. I sat down and watched it anyway, and liked what I saw. It's one of Roger Corman's early films, and Francis Coppola's directorial debut. It's about a conniving woman who tries to scheme her way into the inheritance of her husband's family. Well, this family is pretty damn dysfunctional and the scheme doesn't go so well. Anyway, this film has great acting, some great axe murders, and is all around entertaining.
SOLE SURVIVOR (1983)
A watched this one a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It's very similar in theme to Carnival of Souls, where a woman who is the sole survivor of a plane crash finds herself being pursued by weird, creepy people. Another film that relies on tension and suspense in lieu of gore. If you enjoy slow burn films, you might enjoy this one.
DEATHDREAM aka DEAD OF NIGHT
This lesser known 70's film is about a young man who returns home to his family after serving in Vietnam. When his parents receive word that the son was killed, the mother adamantly refuses to believe it and prays for the son's return. To their surprise, he shows up the next day, though it soon becomes clear that he's not the same. This is loosely based on the story the Monkey's Paw. It's well acted, creepy and eerie.
WARLOCK MOON
Ok, this movie is quite cheesy and silly. Yet I really love it. I remember watching this on TV as a kid and then, when it was later released on DVD, I purchased it. Laurie Walters (from Eight Is Enough) is courted by a young man (Joe Spano of Hill Street Blues) and they end up at an old spa, where they meet the old caretaker. There is something not right with this place and things eventually turn weird. The acting is bad, the scares are mostly laughable, but for some reason I find this one enjoyable.
THE TERROR (1963)
Another Roger Corman flick, this one casts a young Jack Nicholson as a soldier from Napoleon's army who meets a beautiful, mysterious young woman and sets about to locate where she lives. This leads him to an old castle owned by Boris Karloff, where he's plunged into mystery and supernatural events. I always found this one very entertaining, with a few bits of well done gore and a nice surprise ending.
UFO'S ARE REAL
One of my favorite shows as a child was In Search Of, hosted by Leonard Nimoy. Being a big horror lover, I've always been interested in the paranormal, flying saucers, cryptids, etc. There's a handful of 70's documentaries that cover this stuff. This is one of them. It features alleged photos, as well as interviews with abductees Travis Walton, Betty Hill and others. I find this doc well done and creepy.
MESSIAH OF EVIL
A woman goes to a seaside town in search of her missing father. When she gets to his house and finds his journal, she begins to read it and the entries become increasingly bizarre. Meanwhile, a strange force is slowly taking over the residents of this town and causing them to kill others. I read an article in a horror magazine in the early 2000's that listed some lesser known zombie movies; this is one of them. It's weird, creepy and has some great imagery and kill scenes.
ENCOUNTER WITH THE UNKNOWN
I first saw this film on a Sunday afternoon back in the 80's on TV. As a kid, it scared me. Now as an adult, I find it a bit cheesy but still fun. Rod Serling hosts a trio of alleged true stories that cover the paranormal. One is about the bizarre set of coincidences that follow the accidental death of a young man, the other is about a creepy hole in the ground where ungodly moans can be heard, and the final is the classic girl on the bridge tale.
THE WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN
This cheesy but enjoyable Paul Naschy film is about 2 women who travel in search of the tomb of a midieval murderess known as Countess Wandessa. They encounter the tomb, as well as Waldemar Daninsky, who's really a werewolf. The Countess is accidentally brought back to life as a vampire, and it eventually leads to a showdown between the vampire woman and the werewolf. Paul Naschy made a bunch of horror films in the 70's utilizing classic monsters like vampires, werewolves, etc. This is pure 70's camp and is just a lot of silly fun.
Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman
THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION
How can I make a list of old horror flicks without including at least one giant monster one? But be warned, this isn't Godzilla or the typical American fare like Them or Tarantula. This 1975 offering is a b-movie in every sense of the word. The ridiculous plot consists of a black hole hitting a small town and opening a door to another dimension, which brings about killer spiders. There is only one actual giant spider, and it's basically a car fitted with mechanical legs. This film is truly z-grade cheese, featuring Perry Mason's Barbara Hale in an all time career low, and Alan Hale, playing an even more useless character than he did on Gilligan's Island.
THE ALIEN FACTOR
Another fun b-movie, but this one features cool alien monsters that are attacking the citizens of a small town. This movie is a lot of fun and features some cool creatures, though they're mostly men in costumes. If you want weird monsters, this one will deliver!
THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN
An astronaut begins to melt after being exposed to radiation in space. Having crash landed on Earth, he begins to commit murders and consumes flesh in order to survive. It features great gore effects by makeup artist Rick Baker.
THE HOUSE THAT BLED TO DEATH
My final selection is an episode from the British series Hammer House of Horrors. It's about a couple who move into a home where a murder occurred and begin to experience supernatural occurrences. This movie is quite corny and fun, with the lead actress giving an over the top performance that is comical. I guess I have a sick sense of humor, because the big bloody climax that takes place during a children's birthday party had me laughing so hard when I first watched it, and I still break out into laughs each time I see it. This episode is less than an hour; it's an entertaining story.
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