THE BARELY BLOOD-CURDLING (List 2)
Hocus Pocus (1993)
A virgin lit the black candle... An American horror/fantasy/comedy for children directed by Kenny Ortega (yes, from Dirty Dancing) & made for Disney, this movie is an ABSOLUTE must watch for all ages, not least due to Bette Midler's hilarious turn as disgruntled, resurrected witch Winifred who, even after 300 years, is stuck with her two bumbling sister witches as she tries to make the most of new-boy-in-town Max's snafu in lighting the Black Candle on Halloween night in Salem, Massachusetts. I'm honestly confused by the amount of people who dislike the film, as quite frankly, I'd watch it for the Thackery Binx scenes alone - a 300 year old boy who was turned into a talking black cat - & who is still blaming himself for not protecting his little sister Emily from the Sanderson Sister even after all those years & who helps Max, his little sister & his schoolgirl crush to thwart their "witchy" attempts to become immortal...
Goosebumps 1&2 (2015, 2018)
Viewer beware, you're in for a scare... If you love Jack Black films, you're in for a treat with these two comedy/horror flicks, as he plays R.L Stine, reclusive author of the wildly popular Goosebumps book series who has to stop his literary creation, ventriloquist-dummy-with-a-Napeoleonic-complex Slappy, from taking over small-town America by summoning the other demons, warlocks, werewolves, disgruntled garden gnomes, abominable snowmen (among others) from inside the pages of some of his seminal works. Each film is set in a different town with a different set of high-school students & although I would like to say that they are equally good, I must admit that I am partial to the second installment, which contains a brilliant cameo from the hilarious Ken Jeong.
Scooby Doo, Where Are You? (1969-1970)
Would you do it for a Scooby Snack? The ultimate counter-culture, 1960s throwback cult classic, the very first series of Scooby Doo, which has spawned literally HUNDREDS of other incarnations of the Hanna Barbera cartoon, is definitely the best. If you don't already know, the series centers around a group of four teenagers - attractive jock Fred, beautiful & popular Daphne, nerdy & intelligent Velma & slacker Shaggy - who drive around in a kombi van called the Mystery Machine & solve occult crimes with the help of their canine companion, a talking great dane with a penchant for snacking by the name of Scooby Doo. From the hippie dippie catch phrases to the psychedelic backdrops, it's the ultimate spooky trip back in time...
Ghostbusters 1&2 (1984, 1989)
Back off man, I'm a scientist... The most popular & highest grossing film of the 1980s, Ghostbusters is just one of those pop culture moments that you have to see for yourself. It's a comedy/supernatural horror flick starring the hilarious Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver & Rick Moranis & is the story of group of eccentric parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City, only to find out that the love interest of one is living in the penthouse of a building that is literally the portal to another dimension. With memorable "ectoplasms" such as Slimer & entities such as the Stay Puft marshmallow man - as well as Murray's sarcastic one liners & droll delivery - it's a few hours well spent... & if you have the time to view the sequel, that's highly recommended too, particularly if you want to see what happens to the characters that you've grown to love...
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990-1996)
Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society... If you read this blog a lot, you'll already know that I was a child of the mid 80s/90s & this Canadian television show was one of the best for a kid that loved something a little left of centre. Basically, once a week a group of teenagers sit around a campfire in the dark after sneaking out of their homes & each must tell a story in turn - one that's eerie enough to earn the self-appointed society's "approval." I'll freely admit that I've watched it again recently after being gifted the first two series & it definitely stands the test of time.
Arsenic & Old Lace (1944)
Oh, Mortimer... This movie has been a favourite for years & is up there with weird 1940s films like Harvey (about a man & his giant, invisible "pooka" bunny best friend) & A Kiss in the Dark (about a concert pianist who inherits an apartment block full of crazy weirdos) - frankly, it's riotous black comedy as it's finest. The inimitable Cary Grant plays Mortimer, who returns home one Halloween to tell the two elderly, maiden aunts who raised him that he's getting married, only to find out that they've habitual murderers, "bumping off" lonely old bachelors who answer their "Room for Rent" ads by putting arsenic, strychnine & "just a pinch of cyanide" in their elderberry wine... & that's just for starters...
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (1966)
Good grief, it's Halloween... A prime time, animated special based on the comic series Peanuts, it focuses on The Great Pumpkin, an unseen entity that - according to Linus - rises from the pumpkin patch each Halloween night to bring toys to sincere & deserving children who believe in him, much to the mockery & derision of his closest compatriots, but not Charlie Brown, who believes that this Great Pumpkin is akin to a Santa Claus figure but with "denominational differences." If you love Snoopy & the gang, you'll love this Halloween themed outing...
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Don't lose your head... Based on Washington Irving's beloved short story from 1820, directed by auteur Tim Burton & starring gothic master Johnny Depp, the film is the kind of "dark & stormy night ghost tale" that just screams All Hallows Eve. The plot follows constable Ichabod Crane, a New Yorker ahead of his time with his inventions & scientific discoveries, who is sent to the village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of mysterious decapitations said to be perpetrated by a Headless Horseman. Is the Horseman a myth or is something evil stirring in this "sleepy" little hamlet? Ichabod must fuse science & skepticism with legend & witchcraft to find the culprit & of course, get the girl - who in this case is played by the iconic Christina Ricci. I love everything about this film - the adaptation itself (not overly done or too long like Burton's version of Willy Wonka), the costumes & the cinematography are just mind-blowing.
The 'Burbs (1989)
I love this neighbourhood... Another black comedy; this time starring Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern & Corey Feldman - yup, it's so 80s, it hurts. But I digress. It tells the story of Ray Peterson, a suburban husband & father who just wants a quiet vacation at home... plans that are thrown into disarray with the arrival of a suspiciously odd family called the Klopeks to the cul-de-sac. Enlisting the aid of his paranoid buddy Art & his militia-man neighbour, Ray sends his wife & son to stay at his in-laws while he half-heartedly investigates the Klopeks, only to be fully dragged into the situation when another neighbour - a grouchy old man - goes missing. It's time for Ray & his cohorts to save his little slice of suburbia from the clutches of pure evil.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
It's just a jump to the left... If you don't already know about this cult classic, it's really hard to describe - part musical, part horror film, part comedy classic, part cultural revolution all rolled into a running time of 100 minutes. Basically, it's a parody/tribute to science fiction & B grade horror movies with a KILLER SOUNDTRACK & centers around young, virginal couple Brad & Janet who are stranded when their car has a flat tyre out in the middle of nowhere on a dark & stormy night. When they seek shelter at a gothic looking castle nearby, they become unwitting guests of Frank-n-Furter, an eccentric transvestite & mad scientists who preaches a mantra of "pure pleasure" & is making a hunky blonde bodybuilder named Rocky...
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (1990-)
It was all yellow... A series of Halloween-themed special episodes of the popular animated series, the Treehouse of Horror phenomenon just seems to get better & better every year. Each episode is split into three smaller, self-contained segments where America's famous yellow-skinned family find themselves in some kind of supernatural setting, abandoning any thought of the show's continuity & any last vestiges of reality in the cartoon world. What I love the most is the way the writers take inspiration from all manner of gothic, thriller & science fiction authors & scenarios including a particularly memorable year with Lisa recounting Edgar Allen Poe's epic poem "The Raven" that was first published in 1845. It's a serious cultural zeitgeist & not to be missed...
Casper (1995)
Mostly ghostly... Despite being a film made ostensibly for children, Casper actually was quite a dark interpretation of the mostly humorous comic strip, one that stands the test of time & even after 25 years has the power to bring me to tears at the very end. The film details the story of a spoiled, entitled heiress who only discovers that her father has left her a rundown mansion called Whipstaff Manor after his vast wealth has already been distributed among many charities. After finding a note stating that a treasure has been hidden inside, she is horrified to learn that the manor is haunted by Casper & his revolting uncles called the Ghostly Trio & against her better judgement, hires a grieving paranormal therapist (obsessed with contacting the spirit of his late wife) to move in & sort out the situation. The therapist, Dr Harvey, movies into the manor with his teenage daughter Kat - played by the talented Christina Ricci- who becomes friends with the "friendly ghost" after being ostrasized by her new classmates but trouble awaits due to his transparent state & the troublemaking antics of his uncles...
Bedknobs & Broomsticks (1971)
Traguna, Mekoides, Trecorum, Satis Dee... I know that many people think this film is just a pale imitation of Mary Poppins with its similar premise & use of live action & animation but for me, it's even better, as I love the Britain-during-World-War-Two era in movies & television & absolutely ADORE Angela Lansbury. Not to mention the fact that it's witty & clever & heartwarming to the core... all those good things. You might even say that when it comes to this list, I've saved the best til last!
Basically, it's a black comedy/supernatural horror/musical film about an apprentice witch named Eglantine Price who strives to live a completely private life in the small village of Pepperinge Eye & whose solitary existence is upended by the arrival of three "war orphans" from London who are placed with her despite her protestations & quickly find out her deepest, darkest secret - that she's an apprentice witch, taking correspondence classes run by a mysterious Professor Emelius Brown. To buy the children's silence, she casts a spell & offers them a magical bedknob that will allow them to travel anywhere but before they can use it for themselves, she has some bad news about the witch's college & needs to travel to London to find Professor Brown & get him to give her the final spell, one that she believes will help Britain to win the war. Much to her chagrin, Brown turns out to be nothing more than a showman, who found the spells in a torn-up old book & is shocked they actually work. Eglantine refuses to leave without the final spell & the five begin their adventure to find the missing pages of the manuscript... I won't give away the ending for those who haven't seen it because I love it so much (although it IS a Disney movie so you could probably guess) but I will say that my favourite part of the movie is the end, a snippet of which you can see below... & it's worth waiting for. Also, look out for the "Rabbit Spell," which is also an old favourite...
