Here's the next selection... enjoy!
Dawn of the Dead (1979)
Much has been written about the original Dawn of the Dead
- it pretty much is the 'Citizen Kane' of Zombie movies, the zombie movie by
which all others are judged. Sure, the
make-up and special effects haven't aged well, even in comparison with Romero's
other Zombie movies from that era. But
this film feels such an epic journey, as it sweeps from the horror of the
rising Zombies and the crumbling of society, through to a flight to safety, and
an action packed adventure to maintain that safety; before turning again to
pose more existential questions, eventually and inevitably becoming a battle
for survival against the worst of humanity's destructive traits. The mix of satire and existential reflection
are at their strongest in this take on the genre. Whilst this film feels more wintry than
Autumnal (it was clearly shot in the depths of winter), the fact that this is
THE Zombie Epic makes it one of those films to curl up on the couch on a chilly
Autumn afternoon or evening, and lose yourself in - so I think it feels at home
in this list.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
What a lot of people often don't appreciate about 'Shaun'
is that it is a PROPER Zombie movie; perhaps because it IS so good a comedy
(possibly the best British comedy of the last decade), a few have taken it as a
parody of the genre. But this is not the
case - 'Shaun' has, like 'Dawn', key elements of satire (the scene where Shaun
walks to the newsagent, oblivious to the apocalypse taking place around him, completely
nails the apathy of many 20/30-somethings at that time) and existential
contemplation (despite the efforts of his girlfriend and her friends, Shaun
can't seem to see there's more to life than going to the pub every night..!)
are vital elements to the film. That,
and dismemberment by Zombies... It might seem like a slight to either of these
films that I've put them side by side, but I think in the run-up to Halloween
these are great together - giving you the best of Zombie movies, and 'Shaun's
comedy offering relief and release after the moodiness and intensity of 'Dawn'.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
I just missed out on being part of the generation for
whom this film is probably a big part of Halloween by a handful of years, but I
can see how much fun they'd have had with this as kids. With all the horror films people can tend to
watch in the run up to Halloween it's easy to forget that it's a holiday that
kids are meant to have the most fun with (in fact, I think it's unusual for
anyone who enjoys Halloween to NOT have had this start in their
child-hood). I think this is a fun film
to watch with your children if they're getting excited about dressing up and
going Trick or Treating, so that's why it's in this list alongside some films
which are as far as you can get from being kid-friendly!
The Sixth Sense (1999)
It's a shame that this film has now become a by-word for
denigrating the career of someone who was at one time a very promising
director. However, if you're willing to
forget the baggage of much of Shyamalan's work over the last 10 years, this is
still an affecting and atmospheric piece of work. It is a classic ghost story, but it is also a
touching and heart-felt portrayal of the relationship between a single mother
and her son. It's also laden with
seasonal atmosphere, with many shots and scenes lined by trees in the throws of
the autumnal change, and leaves being swept along streets by rising winds.
The countdown to Halloween continues next week, look out for some more movie suggestions then!
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