Spooky Season: Part 1

Getting into the spirit early this year & haunting my back garden as an immortal Vampire Queen in a gorgeous costume that came primarily from my existing wardrobe with "spooky" little extras from the local "cheap shop" to complete the look for under $15. I'm wearing a dark red stretch lace midi dress with chiffon neckline & tulle underlay from Taking Shape that I've covered with a black polyblend cape with red collar that cost me $8, a pair of black suede pointy-toed mules with shiny patent straps from Nine West that I've worn to practically every "dressy" event so far this year, a plastic skeleton hand hairclip with red grosgrain ribbon bow that the mother of a child in my mother's class makes & sells at market stalls across the city & a TON of makeup including black & silver eyeshadow from Australis & bright red lipstick from Revlon in a shade called "Love That Red," just like any good vampire would do...

To be honest, things are looking decidedly different for Halloween this year - with all the Covid 19 social distancing going on, I don't think we'll be spending "fright night" finding last minute costumes in order to explore a neighbourhood Haunted House display for going Trick or Treating in the surrounding streets & eating the spoils on the porch steps in the warmth of a Queensland springtime evening under the light of a full moon (or a street lamp, obviously). Regardless, I am still determined to get into the "spirit of spookiness" by donning some quick & easy costumes, snapping some quick photographs & curling up on the couch with popcorn & a scary flick, preferably a cult classic, if I'm honest. In fact, with the cooler temperatures we've been experiencing lately, there's nothing stopping me from enjoying a horror flick every night until All Hallows Eve... & with just over two weeks to go, there's nothing stopping YOU either... 

With that in mind, I've compiled 2 lists of 13 of the best in the business - from the truly terrifying for those who love to be scared silly to lighter fare for those who still want to get into the spirit but get a little, well, squeamish... & maybe even a few for the kids, too...

THE TRULY TERRIFYING (List #1)

Scream: The Original Trilogy (1996-)

What's your favourite scary movie? From the mind of the inimitable Wes Craven is this trio of both horrifying & hilarious films centered around the unfortunate Sidney Prescott, who is continually & sadistically harassed by "Ghostface," a serial killer wearing a mask who loves to ask his victims about their favourite scary movie & then proceeds to follow each & every ridiculous & stereotypical trope. Personally, I love the third installment, which takes aim at the insanity of Hollywood & the vacuous nature of celebrity... 

Friday 13th: Part 1 (1980)

Care for a trip to Camp Crystal Lake? The movie that single-handedly created the "teenage slasher movie" genre & became a cult classic, it certainly has its share of blood & gore mixed in with a few laughs & eye rolls. Sure, it's dated & full of Americana relating to their bizarre obsession with sending their children to summer camps run by unqualified teenagers but watching it at night with the lights off still makes you jump at every little sound... & the fact that it is actually IMPOSSIBLE to pick the killer as the character is never fully introduced makes it something a little out of the ordinary.

The Wicker Man (1973)

Burning for a change of scenery? The first of the "folk horror" films, the low-budget flick details the travails of a devout Christian police sergeant sent to find a missing girl on an isolated Hebredian island presided over by the pagan Lord Summersile (played brilliantly by the talented Christopher Lee) & culminating in the ritual burning of a Wicker Man to ensure a bountiful corn harvest & fertile fields... 

Midsommar (2019)

Burning for a romantic getaway? The latest, critically-acclaimed installment of the "folk horror" genre, Ari Aster's horror masterpiece is the truly disturbing tale of a psychologically damaged student & her emotionally-distant boyfriend's ill-fated trip to a Swedish friend's midsommar festival celebrations at an ancestral commune. Honestly, if I was artistic/creative/crafty enough to make a replica of the "flower dress" that Dani wears after winning the maypole competition & being crowned May Queen, I would wear that as my Halloween costume this year, it's THAT amazing...

I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

There's no such thing as a joy ride... I admit, I was a teenager of the late 1990s so this film (written by Kevin Williamson, the creator of Dawson's Creek) has a special place in my heart as it was one of the first MA rated horror movies that I saw in the cinema with my friends... ditto the second installment... A slasher film that centers around four young friends who are stalked by a hook-wielding killer one year after covering up a fatal hit & run accident on the night of the town's big Fourth of July Croker Festival, pretty much all you need to know is that it stars teen heart throbs Freddie Prinze Jnr & Ryan Phillippe, as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself, Sarah Michelle Geller & Jennifer Love Hewitt (clearly triple-barrel names were a thing back then).

The Skeleton Key (2005)

It only has power if you believe... A supernatural horror film starring Kate Hudson & Peter Sarsgaard, the film tells the story of a New Orleans hospice nurse who begins a job at a Terrebonne Parish plantation home & becomes entangled in the history of the house, its former inhabitants & the hoodoo rituals & spells that took place there... Full disclosure, it's a bit of a "sleeper hit" & didn't do particularly well at the Box Office but if you're into atmospheric Southern American mansions & the idea of hoodoo versus voodoo, then it's the pick for you.

The Ring (2002)

Before you die, you see the ring... A remake of a 1998 Japanese horror film, it's the story of a journalist & single mother who investigates a so-called "cursed" videotape that seemingly kills the viewer seven days after watching it. Saw this at the movies just after it came out & almost jumped out of my seat at one point I was so freaked out... & not at what you would expect, either, which you'll discover for yourself if you rent this flick. I absolutely love the twist at the end of this film & the way it subverts the final-girl-saves-the-day "girl power" trope that is common in movies of the early noughties.

Scream Queens: Season 1 (2015)

Welcome to Chanel-o-ween... A satirical slasher/horror television series from the creator of smash hit musical show Glee, this is honestly the black comedy of my dreams, particularly the first season starring Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Jamie Lee Curtis & Lea Michelle to name a few. The action takes place at fictional Wallace College sorority Kappa Kappa Tau, run by entitled "rich bitch" Chanel Oberlin & her minions Chanel Number 2, Chanel Number 3 & Chanel Number 4 respectively that is threatened by the "inclusivity minded" Dean Munsch, reigniting a twenty year old murder mystery & the reemergence of a serial killer dressed as the school's Red Devil mascot. As far as I'm concerned, the one-liners are absolutely epic, the Halloween costume potential is exponential & the best episode of the bunch is the one where a student (imaginatively named Feather) is accused of decapitating Dean Munsch's philandering ex-husband after leaving a half-eaten bologna sandwich as evidence...

The Birds (1963)

Tweet, tweet... Loosely based on the 1952 short story by Daphne du Maurier & directed by famed auteur Alfred Hitchcock, it's the less popular choice for Halloween (Psycho, anyone?) but none the less, is just as frightening for this blogger with a slight phobia of all birds other than magpies. For those who don't know despite the continual references in pop culture more than 50 years later, the film focuses on a series of bizarre & disturbing bird attacks on the residents of Bodega Bay, California after socialite Melanie follows attractive lawyer Mitch to his home, cage of birds in hand, to play a practical joke on him in an effort to win his affections... 

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010)

Dumb & Dumber go camping... A satirical horror flick that's big on black comedy, it follows kindhearted, slightly dimwitted rednecks Tucker & Dale who decide to vacation at their new cabin the mountains, only for the vacation to take a nasty turn when they are mistaken for chainsaw killers by a group of college students who keep on having gruesome & rather "unfortunate" accidents...

The Fog (1980)

There's something in the fog... An atmospheric chiller directed by John Carpenter & telling the story of the fictional town of Antonio Bay & its centennial celebrations, marred by a thick, supernatural fog that rolls in from the ocean, the vengeful ghosts of ancient mariners within rising from the sea to exact retribution for crimes committed long ago by the founding fathers... I'm also a fan of the 2005 remake, which takes a more in depth approach to the back story & focuses on the doomed romance between town hotshot Nick & the beautiful Elizabeth, prodigal daughter of the town's mayor.

Children of the Corn (1984)

There's no such thing as a nice, quiet drive in the countryside... Arguably, there are better Stephen King novels/novellas & superior Stephen King movie adaptations like Carrie & It, but honestly, I just love the particular concept so darn much... A young couple, passing through America's bible belt, become trapped in the remote town of Gatlin where a dangerous religious cult of children - led by the demented Isaac - believe that anyone over the age of eighteen is unclean & that a bloodthirsty deity known as "He Who Walks Behind the Rows" is beseeching them to ritually sacrifice all of the adults in town to ensure a plentiful corn harvest...

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Beware the pitter patter of tiny feet... A psychological horror film directed by the often-divisive Roman Polanski, the film centers around the young, married Rosemary (played by 60s darling Mia Farrow) who moves into a new apartment with her husband & suddenly begins hearing, thinking & dreaming strange things. When she discovers that she's pregnant, she can't shake the feeling that her husband & neighbours have sinister plans for her baby... I love the era of the 1960s for its fashion, decor & music & this film doesn't disappoint but rather celebrates all things mid-century culture, making it both a cinematic icon & a cult classic... Mia Farrow's "pixie" cut, trademarked by the inimitable Vidal Sassoon, is a particular highlight, along with all of the micro mini baby doll dresses with lace detailing & Peter Pan collars that are, oddly enough, having a resurgence in recent seasons...

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post with more "fright night" flicks for your viewing pleasure... but until then, enjoy some more pictures of this epic Halloween costume, complete with "socially distanced" Trick or Treat hand that I picked up for under $5 & quite frankly, just seems to scream 2020 to me...