The Not-So Chosen One: Zombies and werewolves and vampires, oh my!
Shaun Boutwell
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: Entertainment
10/27/05 - Some might say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but I beg to differ.
Putting up a fake evergreen tree and getting presents in December is great and everything, but if I had to choose between that or dressing up in Halloween costumes and having some good old-fashioned hijinks with friends, I'd have to choose the latter.
Perhaps a more important reason, however, is the whole atmosphere of All Hallows Eve. The trees are bare, the weather is cold and windy and the days are shorter. All of these factors create the perfect setting one should be immersed in when getting into the Halloween spirit and watching a horror movie.
Now I'm a huge horror movie fan and I watch them year round, but there is nothing better than popping an old favorite into my DVD player toward the end of October and soaking it all in. It's heaven I tell you.
So given my background, I feel like I would be committing a grave injustice if I didn't impart my divine wisdom in these matters for those of you who are horror movie deficient. In order to do so, I will provide you with what I consider to be the definitive list of classic horror movies that one should see to celebrate Halloween. I could have easily made a top 20, or a top 50 list for that matter, but there is only so much time between now and the 31st, so I'll cut everyone a break.
With that said, here are the Holy Grail of horror movies, the cream of the crop, the top 10 list I consider to be required viewing for Halloween.
10. The Beyond (1981) - Although this film may be the least-known on the list, that shouldn't prevent you from checking out Italian director Lucio Fulci's supernatural zombie gore-fest. What the movie lacks in plot it more than makes up for with its surreal, dreamlike atmosphere and soundtrack. Creative death scenes, many of which deal with Fulci's eye fetish (those who have had the pleasure of seeing Zombie can attest to it), include death by spiders, acid and a shotgun blast to a young girl's head. Yes, you heard right. A little girl gets her head blown off. You even see her cute little brains.
Putting up a fake evergreen tree and getting presents in December is great and everything, but if I had to choose between that or dressing up in Halloween costumes and having some good old-fashioned hijinks with friends, I'd have to choose the latter.
Perhaps a more important reason, however, is the whole atmosphere of All Hallows Eve. The trees are bare, the weather is cold and windy and the days are shorter. All of these factors create the perfect setting one should be immersed in when getting into the Halloween spirit and watching a horror movie.
Now I'm a huge horror movie fan and I watch them year round, but there is nothing better than popping an old favorite into my DVD player toward the end of October and soaking it all in. It's heaven I tell you.
So given my background, I feel like I would be committing a grave injustice if I didn't impart my divine wisdom in these matters for those of you who are horror movie deficient. In order to do so, I will provide you with what I consider to be the definitive list of classic horror movies that one should see to celebrate Halloween. I could have easily made a top 20, or a top 50 list for that matter, but there is only so much time between now and the 31st, so I'll cut everyone a break.
With that said, here are the Holy Grail of horror movies, the cream of the crop, the top 10 list I consider to be required viewing for Halloween.
10. The Beyond (1981) - Although this film may be the least-known on the list, that shouldn't prevent you from checking out Italian director Lucio Fulci's supernatural zombie gore-fest. What the movie lacks in plot it more than makes up for with its surreal, dreamlike atmosphere and soundtrack. Creative death scenes, many of which deal with Fulci's eye fetish (those who have had the pleasure of seeing Zombie can attest to it), include death by spiders, acid and a shotgun blast to a young girl's head. Yes, you heard right. A little girl gets her head blown off. You even see her cute little brains.