October is about half way through, which means it’s time to stop messing around and get spooky. One of the easiest, cheapest, and funnest ways to get in the Halloween spirit is by watching movies, and these 5 will have you covered.
1. “The Shining”
“The Shining” is one of the most popular horror films ever made and is one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time, so this is an obvious choice.
The film follows the Torrance family as they stay at The Overlook Hotel to take care of it during the winter. The son, Danny Torrance, has a special gift he will need to use as weird things begin to happen during their stay.
The film takes place in Colorado in the winter. The cold air can practically be felt through the screen. This, in addition to the cinematography and the infamous, terrifying “bear scene,” makes “The Shining” a great movie to watch while enjoying a cup of hot apple cider.
2. “The Blair Witch Project”
“The Blair Witch Project” was a game changer for how movies are made. Its budget was only $60,000 USD, and it’s still one of the scariest movies ever made.
The film follows a group of student filmmakers getting lost in the woods as they make a documentary about the supposed “Blair Witch.”
“The Blair Witch Project” is another film where the audience can feel the cold air. The film is very autumnal as most of it takes place in the woods, and it’s found-footage DIY nature makes every scary detail feel real, from the horrifying running scene to the film’s climactic ending.
3. “Donnie Darko”
While it’s not necessarily a horror film, “Donnie Darko” is a must-watch for Halloween.
The film is about the titular Donnie Darko, who is guided by a man in a rabbit costume who tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. The fate of the world depends on Donnie.
“Donnie Darko” takes place in 1988, so it includes some haunting post-punk and new wave songs like “The Killing Moon” by Echo & the Bunnymen (in one of the greatest opening scenes in any film), “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division, and “Under the Milky Way” by The Church. The film takes place during Halloween, including a scene where two characters are watching “The Evil Dead” at a movie theater and another that takes place at one of the best high school Halloween parties.
4. “Evil Dead II”
Speaking of “The Evil Dead,” “Evil Dead II” is a perfect film to watch during October. While the first “Evil Dead” movie is great and is another with a heavy influence on how movies are made), “Evil Dead II” is everything good about the first movie made even better. The best part is you don’t even need to see the first film to watch the second one.
Half remake and half sequel, “Evil Dead II” has almost the exact same plot as the first one: a group of young adults visit a cabin in the woods, and after playing a tape that was left there by the previous residents, evil is unleashed in the woods around them.
The first film had funny moments to it, but the second one goes all out; it is the perfect blend between horror and comedy that every horror-comedy should aim for. There is a “Tom and Jerry” parody, a ridiculous amount of slapstick humor and a stop-motion dance sequence.
5. “The House of the Devil”
Ti West’s recent “X” trilogy from A24 has been one of the most talked about modern horror series, but before that, he released a low budget ode to ‘80s horror films called “The House of the Devil.”
The movie is about a college student who is hired to “babysit” an old man’s mother on the night of a lunar eclipse. After laying around the house for the night, something strange happens, and the babysitter realizes the job is much more than she expected.
Were it not for a few factors like the fact that it’s directed by Ti West and has Greta Gerwig in it, it would be entirely believable that this film was made in the 1980s. The film was shot on 35mm film and probably a similar stock to the ones that Steven Spielberg and horror legend John Carpenter used.
The film is a slow burn, but if you carefully pay attention, small details stand out that make the film one of the eeriest horror films from the last 20 years.
