Nothing beats watching your favorite scary movies during the month of October. If you’re always on the hunt for a new Halloween favorite, here’s a few that aren’t the usual suspects.
1. “The Changeling” (1980).
George C. Scott plays a composer, destroyed by a family tragedy, who moves to a long-abandoned mansion in Seattle. He quickly finds that something weird is going on his news digs.
This movie is a moody, slow burn kind of film. There’s not a lot of “scares” per se, but the overall mood of the film elicits the right kind of creepy that is perfect for the Halloween Season. The thriller aspect of the story keeps the audience on the edge of their seat till the very end.
2. “The American Experience: The Donner Party” (1992).
Reality trumps fantasy in this Ric Burs documentary. Using interviews with historians, vintage photos and dramatic narration, the tale of the Donner Party’s doomed expedition over the Sierra-Nevadas is chilling in its stark reality of the dangers and degradation faced by settlers. Knowing that these travelers will eventually have to resort to cannibalism and murder to survive only increases the sense of dread for the viewer.
3. “Ghostwatch” (1992)
Loosely based on the “real” account of the “Enfield Poltergeist”, this BBC1 Halloween program proved so terrifying for British viewers, it was never reshown. “Ghostwatch” was presented as a real documentary television program, starring well-respected TV presenters, including Michael Parkinson, Sarah Greene and Craig Charles (Lister from Red Dwarf). Using theatrical techniques, there are many appearances of “ghosts” throughout the program, leading to an apocalyptical ending.
“Ghostwatch” is hard to track down, but it is well worth it.
4.”The Stone Tape” (1972)
Shown on BBC 2 on Christmas Day, this ghost story has a more scientific take, but that doesn’t diminish the shocking ending. Scripted by Nigel Kneal (the Quatermass series), “The Stone Tape” tries to offer an evidence-based explanation for ghosts, while providing some nice scares and a truly depressing end.
.
“Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Based on the Ray Bradbury novel, this “dark fantasy” about a traveling circus of nefarious pedigree is definitely one of the scarier films from Disney (honorable mention: The Watcher in the Woods). Jonathan Pryce steals the show as “Mr. Dark”, a man who assists the residents of the town realize their deepest dreams, with a terrible price.
Leave a Reply