Happy October! Well, we're a week in at this point, but after spending a few days at the beach, I'm just now getting back in the autumn spirit. And the Halloween spirit. Especially since all the TV channels are playing spooky themed movies for the month to get everyone in the mood for the holiday. I always enjoyed Halloween as a kid. The dressing up and the candy, and that it was a holiday that really didn't have much stress associated with it like the next ones on the calendar. My grandmother was amazing at sewing costumes for us, so we had multiple ones that were passed down between all three sisters and beyond because they were so well constructed. I just happened to find a few photos in one of my albums with one of the geisha kimonos she made with me in it and my sister and I dressed up as a vampire and bride (her in my mother's wedding gown--which also saw many Halloweens).
These days we really don't celebrate much as adults, especially since I try to stay away from the candy side of things. This year will be especially interesting give the "C" word that has cast a shadow on everything else in 2020. However, the team at @yourtop3 decided we should celebrate with our theme for the contest this month Halloween Movies. As usual, my post doesn't count for entry, but the proceeds will boost the prize pool for eligible contestants joining us.
I think I've written about her before, but this theme is right up her alley so I must mention her again. My best friend during my middle/high school years LOVED scary movies. She saw all the classics and wanted to see anything new that came out in theaters, as well. Halloween of course was one of her favorite holidays. She dragged me to multiple haunted houses over the years until I finally had an anxiety-induced asthma attack at one in our early 20's that ended my yearly attendance. Even the cheesiest of haunted houses still managed to scare me, so though I suffered through them for years to keep my best pal happy, I couldn't be happier to never step foot in one again!
As for movies, I do actually enjoy some of the horror flicks. Ghosts and demons still frighten me the most because you can never just run away from Hell in spirit form, while the slasher flicks you can always yell at the screen how stupid the characters are in staying in the serial killer's house because you know YOU would have never been there in the first place. We generally don't watch a ton of the full on horror movies these days, though a good thriller we're still game for. On the flip side, I do actually enjoy a good scary novel. Go figure.
Given my many youthful years watching all the classics with my friend, I actually had a hard time this month pinning down which three I would choose. I could easily have gone with the classics like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween or Hellraiser. We watched all of those, and all of the sequels, multiple times. I could also easily have gone with the scariest of the scary IMO with The Exorcist topping the list, along with In the Mouth of Madness and The Shining right up there. When I thought of the latter, it settled my brain on my theme within the theme for the month--Stephen King books adapted to film. I know @simplymike would approve of my final selections.
Of course I could have picked from any multitude of movies for that theme, since he is such a prolific writer and so many of his stories have been adapted for the screen. Some aren't really straight up "Halloween" themed, but I think all of my final selections definitely fit in the "horror" genre. It was tough to whittle it all the way down so I have to give a few honorable mentions to the original "Pet Sematary" as Zelda haunted my dreams for many nights after watching that one. Plus you couldn't beat Fred Gwynne (aka Herman Munster) as Jud and the adorable Miko Hughes flipped to become a super creepy Gage. Children of the Corn was another one that really scared me when I first watched it. I can't drive past a large corn field without thinking of that one. I actually really liked The Dark Half and Dreamcatcher, but those didn't make the full on horror list. Are you ready for what did? Then read on...
This months topic is FAVOURITE HALLOWEEN MOVIES
My Nominations are:
Nomination Number One
Carrie
My Reasons for the Nomination
Of course it has to be the original for this one. Which is also King's first novel and the first film made from his work. I know they have made other adaptations, but as usual they pale in comparison to the original. Sissy Spacek was fantastic as the main character, though I think her mother scared me even more. I couldn't imagine being locked in a prayer closet for the "sin" of menstruating. Poor Carrie is bullied at school in addition to having a crazy mother at home, and the stress of both eventually cause her to figure out she has telekinetic powers. Once she unleashes those powers, she gets vengeance for all that she endured (and then some). Even with all the new CGI and effects they have 40 years later, this movie still stands the test of time for me.
Nomination Number Two
Creepshow 2
My Reasons for the Nomination
This choice is pure nostalgia. I watched this one multiple times with my best friend, to the point where we quoted multiple lines at any given time. "Thanks for the ride lady!" was a particular favorite. The movie is broken up into three main stores, The Hitchhiker and The Raft being the ones that really stuck with us. Especially since we frequented the lake house of her grandparents when we were younger, so thinking of a man-eating blob in the water was particularly creepy! Outside of the three main stories, there is the interlude with young Billy and of course appearances by "The Creep", with another lesson on bullying...
Nomination Number Three
Needful Things
My Reasons for the Nomination
This may be another choice that wouldn't be on the top of most lists, but it is one that also takes me back to sitting on the couch in the dark watching creepy movies with my best friend. I also have the novel in my collection, and just might have to pull it out again to read it soon. As with many of King's novels/movies, this one takes place in Castle Rock, Maine. A small town with little crime until Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow) arrives...
The theme is one that has been around as long as man--what would you do for something you believe you can't live without? Gaunt is the proprietor of a store that sells just that, items that are suspiciously unique to each customer. He asks only what you can afford for that coveted item, and a few favors to boot. Those favors start a chain reaction of mayhem and murder as they pit townspeople against each other in attempt to get all Hell to break loose. How low would you go to keep a hold of your prized possession?
Wow, that was more fun to write about than I thought! Though it is much more enjoyable to think about in the fresh light of day versus the dark of a Halloween night...
What are your picks? You still have a few days to join the fun and win some prizes for the @yourtop3 contest!
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Carrie is one of those films that stays with you for it's story telling and feeling of justice at the end when she takes vengeance and lets rip on all that horrible stuff that happened to her. 40 years on, still a classic!
I've not watched the other 2 films but perhaps I will dive in to them (in the day light of course haha)!
Even though she ends up being the "villain", you can't help but feel for her as we've all had those awkward teenage moments where others haven't been so kind. Just the opening scene alone is enough to make me cringe thinking on other embarrassing moments as a young girl figuring out the whole puberty thing, haha.
The other two aren't toooo scary compared to some of the other films I mentioned in my opening paragraphs, so perhaps they wouldn't be the cause of too much lost sleep. I'm not sure how well Creepshow stands up, but Needful Things is one I would definitely watch again to see how my adult mind processes the lessons in with the horror.
Nice ones, good old Stephen King :)
Dang, forgot to mention IT, too. Though also realized I forgot about mentioned Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Too many to list, haha.