Halloween 2007; what i've been watching...

So what tales of horror have been haunting my DVD/VCR player of late?
THE USUAL SUSPECTS:
these are films that are constantly in my dvd player, no matter the season, but get special concentration in the weeks leading up to Halloween...
Night of the Living Dead
The classic. Plus, a Pennsylvania zombie movie. What's not to love?

When a Stranger Calls
The original, of course. Carol Kane makes this film. The phone sequences still give me goosebumps.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
A Disney masterpiece from the late 50's. I watched this as a child, and it just wouldn't be Halloween without seeing it several times a year. Plus, the score, as sung and narrated by Bing Crosby, is so catchy you will wish there was an album for it.

The Raven
Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi together in this film not based on the Poe poem, but based on a man obsessed with Poe, and obsessed with Poe's different depictions of torture. A creepy old flick.

The Mummy
The original again, of course. The only scene in which you see Karloff in the famous bandages is brief, but still spine tingling. The reaction of the archaeologist who sees him, as he goes into teary hysterical laughter is really unsettling. A fantastic soundtrack to this old Universal chiller, that includes lots of bits of Swan Lake.

The Invisible Man
Atmospheric creepiness abounds in this, yet another old Universal Monster flick. The snow, the remote and backwards little English village. The character actress Una O'Conner steals the pub scenes away with her hysterical cackling and screaming. Claude Rains is pitch perfect terrifying using merely his voice. (Since nothing else is visible) I cannot recommend this 1933 gem more to you. It is perfect.

Flesheater
Yes, another PA zombie flick...but a cheesy one. This is a favorite of me and my close friends (Fred and Tracy) because of how horrendous it is. I do adore it, though, and it is a gory and fun little Pennsylvania zombie romp.

Rosemary's Baby
Another classic. Yet another atmospheric and character actor laden tour de force. Slow and winding in its pacing, it builds momentum like an avalanche by 60 minutes in. The end still hits me in the gut.

Prince of Darkness
A lesser known John Carpenter piece. This deals with a group of scientists finding an ancient artifact in the basement of a church that seems to be...well...I can't explain this film, I'll just say what it contains...zombies, Satan himself, possessed people, people hiding out in a church, Alice Cooper in an odd but perfect cameo, bugs, Donald Pleasence. Perfect to watch while you order pizza on Friday night. If you don't get sick when you watch it.

NEW KIDS

A few new spooks have wandered into my DVD player this season...

THE PAUL LYNDE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
Just strange. This hails off of TV, 1976, and features Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West from Wizard of Oz), and KISS. Strange, yet funny, and a fun glance back to network television in a younger age.

Night of the Living Dead 3-D (2006)

Hmmm...the 3-D doesn't really work that well, and the movie is...well, a sad representation of the classic horror film. What were they thinking?

Needful Things
While this film is not new to me, as I saw it way back when it came out (1993), I have never owned it. It was a recent opening gift from Eric Schaeffer, and I have watched it at least twice since. What a silly and fun flick, with great performances by Max Von Sydow (the exorcist in the original Exorcist), and Ed Harris. The cat fight between two of the supporting characters is the scene stealer of the film. It is a knock down, drag out, butcher knife/Carver's knife fight to the death between these two embittered women, to the tune of Ave Maria. Amazing.

AND TONIGHT I WILL WATCH...

The Reaping
It intrigued me, so I rented it on Netflix. I will let you know how it was soon.

So those are my current dvd/video haunts, if you are looking for recommendations for nights to come before Halloween. All are available on Netflix.com.
Have a great night, folks!
Luv,
SGS