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| Oh look, a seasonally related picture... |
Well it's October - Halloween is on its way, and before you know it we'll be at Christmas and the New Year again already! As a kid I used to love Halloween, I loved getting dressed up and going Trick or Treating, and decorating the house (much to my parent's displeasure!). When I was really young part of the appeal was a strange fascination I had with ghosts and the Paranormal; I'm more cynical now but as a kid part of me really wanted to see a ghost (though it would have probably made me soil myself!), and I thought (for whatever reason) I was more likely to do so on Halloween. Like Christmas to a certain extent, Halloween is one of those occasions which is more about the anticipation and build-up - only at Christmas you've still got all your presents to enjoy, Boxing Day, New Years... I always felt that Halloween was anti-climactic, come the 1st of November I'd always feel let down - especially if I was hoping to see a ghost!
Having said that, I still enjoy the build-up to
Halloween, and I'm someone who actually likes Autumn. There's just an atmosphere about this time of
year I can't quite put in to words, as the leaves begin to fall from the trees
and the nights draw in; it makes me want to start cosying up at home with the
heating on and watching a good film on TV!
Seeing as Halloween is all about ghoulish fun of getting dressed up as
ghosts, vampires, zombies, witches, it goes without saying there's a strong
association with Horror Movies - so it's unsurprising that I do tend fancy
watching a few of those this time of year!
With all of this in mind, over the coming weeks leading
up to Halloween I've decided to post suggestions of ideal films to watch this
time of year. Mostly they're horrors,
but there are some other genres represented, too. Finally, on (or somewhere before) the day itself, I'll suggest a
solid triple bill to watch if you're planning on having a night in with some
good movies...
Here are my first choices:
The Ring (2002)
I think a lot of people were surprised at how well this
re-make stood up against the Japanese original, 'Ringu' (I must admit I've
never seen it, but did manage to have the ending spoiled for me by a Channel 4documentary a few years ago!). From what
I've seen of that however, I think this film stands on its own in terms of the
visual style employed by Director Gore Verbinski. This film feels gloomy and - yes! - Autumnal,
helping to add to the sense of impending doom as Naomi Watt's journalist
investigates the cursed tape. It's not just
about horror and gloom, there is also a sense of tragedy and sadness as the
plot progresses. Some people have found
this film so frightening that it has given them sleepless nights - it makes me
want to curl up on my settee in a warm room, perversely! The autumnal visuals, the atmosphere and
horror trappings for me make this a great film to watch during October.
Coraline (2009) / Paranorman (2012)
Two fantastic animated movies from the incredibly
talented people at Laika studios, these two 'family friendly' films remind us
that children are able to tolerate stories which do go to some dark
places. Only 'Paranorman' actually has a
clear link to Halloween, as the holiday is a prominent plot point, but both are
shot through with Autumnal atmosphere - Coraline with its ever-present gloomy weather
and slowly unfolding sense of doom, while Paranorman perfectly portrays the
turning of season with golden leaves falling from skeletal trees (as well as
the appropriate Halloween decorations!).
Coraline is something of a classic children's film, whilst Paranorman is
clearly the work of people who grew up during the 1980's looking back and
paying tribute to the films which were a staple of everyone's childhood during that decade:
kids' flicks like 'The Goonies', supernatural comedies like 'Ghostbusters', and
low budget horror shlockers with gory effects.
If you wanted to make a Halloween triple-bill you could watch with your
kids, then I'd say these are essential viewing!
Silence of the Lambs (1990)
Obviously, it is well acknowledged how great this classic
film is, and it clearly strides confidently across a number of genres -
thriller, mystery, horror, drama - all of which it feels at home in. This, for me, is a great film to watch in
October, not only for its story and subject matter, but again it's a film which
'feels' Autumnal due to the way it's shot (again, it feels like the weather is
permanently overcast and gloomy), which adds to the atmosphere. Again, it's a film which (perversely) I enjoy
most when curled up on the couch with a hot drink, on a chilly, overcast
afternoon; when the weather starts turning this time of year though, it feels
like the best place to be!
I'll be posting some more suggestions of movies to watch
this time of year next week. In the
meantime, please comment any suggestions or comments about my choices so far!
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