It’s our favorite time of the year pretty soon (yeah Halloween) and the Arrow in the Head news staff wants to share with yall what horror movies they will be clocking this Halloween with buds and brews in tow. Scroll down and peep their picks and let us know what genre celluloid treat you’ll be watching this Halloween by spittin them bullets below!
ERIC WALKUSKI – THE FOG (1980)
“Enough time for one more story. One more story before twelve. Just to keep us warm…” With these eerie words (spoken by the late, great John Houseman), John Carpenter’s THE FOG opens with an atmosphere of chilly ominousness; an atmosphere fit for a ghost story the likes of which used to keep us awake at night as small, easily frightened children. Of course, you’ll be tempted to watch a certain other October-ready film of Mr. Carpenter’s during All Hallow’s Eve, but THE FOG, for me, is the more effective experience.
Carpenter’s simple story of a thick fog that brings a ghostly retribution to a town founded by murderers and thieves is absolutely perfect for Halloween, that one holiday when we crave to be spooked and unnerved. The director knows how to build dread, carefully mounting each scare sequence quietly, almost serenely, until it culminates with an explosion of violence and horror. (Yes, he trots out the old jump scare trick more than once here, but dammit, they work!) As always, Carpenter’s reliably piercing music score is an added bonus; the themes are uncomplicated but they find their way up your spine all the same. Even more impressive is the cast he’s put together (after all, this is an ensemble piece), a delicious mix of movie veterans (Hal Holbrook and Janet Leigh), character actors (the ever-awesome Tom Atkins, George “Buck” Flower) and Scream Queens (Adrienne Barbeau and Jamie Lee Curtis).
So settle back, pull your significant other close (or just hold on to your favorite blanket), and turn the volume up – John Carpenter has one more story to tell you…
JARED PACHECHO – CHILD’S PLAY (1988)
So why would I pick Tom Holland’s CHILD’S PLAY as my Halloween flick this year? Let me ask you a better question: Why wouldn’t I?! Seriously, when this question was posed to me CHILD’S PLAY was one of the first flicks that came to mind. Not for any particular reason either.
Just when I thought about a movie I’d like to watch on Halloween – it was CHILD’S PLAY. After thinking about it some more I couldn’t help but keep coming back to CHILD’S PLAY. So here I am! Think about it. The tone of the 1988 slasher flick is ideal for All Hallow’s Eve. Even if you’ve seen CHILD’S PLAY several times in the past, chances are you’re still going to be on the edge of your seat. A buddy of mine claims the scariest scene he’s ever seen comes from CHILD’S PLAY. The scene where Karen (Catherine Hicks) picks up the doll’s box and the batteries fall out then she proceeds to attempt to burn the doll. BAM! You know something is up.
And every scene that follows that is just as exciting and nerve-racking. Plus how do you not love yourself some ‘Chucky’ on Halloween? Voiced by the great Brad Dourif, ‘Charles Lee Ray’ is the perfect psychopath to follow on Halloween. Especially with the first CHILD’S PLAY. Brutal and terrifying. I’m sure a lot of you would agree with me that CHILD’S PLAY is one of the legit scariest slasher flicks out there… ney scariest horror flicks out there. A killer doll… Who would have thought? So this Halloween, when you’re sitting around with friends having a few drinks and trying to decide the perfect flick to throw in, do yourself a favor and follow my lead – toss in CHILD’S PLAY. You’ll wish it was only make-believe!
JAKE DEE – THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
For Halloween this year, I see no reason to buck the annual trend of clocking my all time favorite horror movie, Tobe Hooper’s searing 1974 work THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. In fact, it’s a downright necessity. Let me tell you why… For as long as I can remember, no single horror film has affected me more profoundly than the original TCM. As scarred as it left me psychically as a kid, it’s also bored a special place in my heart over the years. For me it’s the quintessential horror movie, a codification that really hinges on how one defines a horror film, and the desired results a horror movie should have on an audience.
For me, it’s not necessarily about fright – though TCM is studded in the terror department – it’s the overall visceral experience. How real and immediate the terror feels, that’s just as important as the fear itself. And for me, what the seedy verisimilitude Tobe Hooper imbues his film with – shot in 100 degree Texas heat, on grainy 16 mm film, there’s a palpable grit and grime to the film that has forever permeated my senses. And I mean that in the best way possible! From the sweatily macabre opening shot of an exhumed corpse, to the wildly discomforting hitchhiker who cuts himself and harbors cryptic pixie dust (cremation perhaps), the first reel of the film really sets the tone. We’re in for some filthy business.
We then meet Leatherface, one of the most iconic yet enigmatic horror icons of all time, who squeals in frightful delight as be brains a dude with a sledgehammer and savagely sticks a girl on a meat-hook. And as everlasting as those images have remained over 35 years, this is practically a bloodless film. Very little gore, very little shown graphically. But like Hitchcock’s shower scene in PSYCHO, the power of suggestion takes hold and elevates the evil to a far more transcendent place. It’s the shots created in our mind, as a result of editing, that fills in the horrifying blanks. And the best part of that, it’s seamless. Unnoticeable. The desired effect! But for me, it’s the third reel of the film that really disturbs. By the time Sally thinks she’s safe at the gas station, only to be beaten with a broomstick with a foully chuckling hayseed (Leatherface kin)…to the dinner scene we share with Grandpa, the way Sally’s arms are pinned to human chair “arms”…it almost becomes too much to handle.
There’s a deranged energy in the scene, a manic psychosis that really makes you wonder if these are actors performing or are part of twisted real life snuff film. It goes there. It really does. Just flat out sensory assault…and by the time the credits roll (after a brisk 83 minutes), an irreversible effect takes hold. I love this film. I love the way it looks, I love the way it sounds, and most importantly, I love the way it makes me feel.
MARCEY PAPANDREA – EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1960)
This year for October I decided to select 31 horror films I haven’t seen before, and try to watch 1 a day. My most anticipated film out of the 31 I chose was EYES WITHOUT A FACE from 1960. There is something exciting about sitting down on Halloween night with a film I haven’t seen before, and I’ll be going into it without any prior knowledge. EYES WITHOUT A FACE came as a strong recommendation from a friend, and I soon heard comparisons with films like VICTIM and THE SKIN I LIVE IN, which have naturally piqued my interest even more. I take suggestions from my friends very seriously, and when one states that this is masterful and right up my alley I can’t ignore that, and I can’t help but get excited too. This film has a feel that isn’t specific to certain tastes; I can see it has had a profound influence on other works. I love to discover those influences, as I am sure others like to as well. As great as it is to watch a marathon of classics and favourites, I think my new tradition from this year on will be to end the night with a film fresh to me. I
simply cannot wait to sink my teeth into this very creepy and intense looking film. The title alone is striking, as are the stills and artwork. What lies behind those eyes, why does the main character have no face? The mystery that surrounds these things is really pulsating through my veins, my anticipation for this is so high and my gut tells me this will live up to it. The year this film came out also saw the releases of PSYCHO and PEEPING TOM, two extremely brilliant and ahead of their time, EYES WITHOUT A FACE has that written all over it. Having been pleasantly surprised by a number of films this month, I have a feeling this will be the perfect way to celebrate a month of solid horror and amazing good times. This could even make way for a new tradition and a film to be watched every Halloween, perhaps even ‘without a face’.