Scary Monsters, Super Creeps
It's Halloween season, and for me that means time to pull out the scary literature, poems, and of course, rent at least a few scary movies. This year it will be "Hound of the Baskervilles," "The Raven," (naturally - what Halloween is complete without a little Poe?) and I am drawing up my list of films...
Here's this year's list of creepy films:
"Dracula." (1931) - The original with Bela Lugosi is the classic which I think never gets old. Camp before they knew it was camp.
"Nosferatu" (1922) - German director F.W. Murnau's 'Symphony of Horrors.' Max Schreck plays the vampire as more of a monster than Lugosi's Count. Famous for the expressionistic use of shadows. In 1925 Florence Stoker won her case against this film, and the German courts ordered all prints of 'Nosferatu' be destroyed...
"Shadow of the Vampire" (2000) - John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe in an often very funny re-telling of the making of "Nosferatu."
"Black Sunday" (1960) - Often called 'one of the most evocotive and frightening vampire film ever made.' By Italian director Mario Bava.
"Alien" (1979) - This movie marked the end of my innocence as a child. Well, maybe not that bad, but I had nightmares for a week.
"Halloween" (1978) - John Carpenter ushers in a new era in Horror films. Jamie Lee Curtis stars in the first 'slasher' film, where teenagers have sex, smoke pot, and generally disobey the conventions and morals of the previous generation. Then they all get savagely massacred for being so naughty.
"Scream" (1996) - Why not? Wes Craven pokes fun at himself and the entire genre.
"Spanish Dracula" (1931) - Yesterday I was told that this film is actually available. This is the film which was shot simultaneously with "Dracula." Using the same sets at Universal, a Mexican production team would shoot their scenes at night when the American crew had gone home. Supposedly, it's a far better film. I had given up, but the hunt begins again...
What is it in us that likes to be scared? I don't know, but I have it in spades. Night before last I was pre-screening our first Hitchcock film in our current series, ("Vertigo") and I was scared silly. I love the Grand, but it's spooky here at 3am! Tonight and tomorrow is "Psycho," so if you have the guts, I double dare you to come on in. At least you'll be here at a decent hour, with other people around, you scardey-cats!
Here's this year's list of creepy films:
"Dracula." (1931) - The original with Bela Lugosi is the classic which I think never gets old. Camp before they knew it was camp.
"Nosferatu" (1922) - German director F.W. Murnau's 'Symphony of Horrors.' Max Schreck plays the vampire as more of a monster than Lugosi's Count. Famous for the expressionistic use of shadows. In 1925 Florence Stoker won her case against this film, and the German courts ordered all prints of 'Nosferatu' be destroyed...
"Shadow of the Vampire" (2000) - John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe in an often very funny re-telling of the making of "Nosferatu."
"Black Sunday" (1960) - Often called 'one of the most evocotive and frightening vampire film ever made.' By Italian director Mario Bava.
"Alien" (1979) - This movie marked the end of my innocence as a child. Well, maybe not that bad, but I had nightmares for a week.
"Halloween" (1978) - John Carpenter ushers in a new era in Horror films. Jamie Lee Curtis stars in the first 'slasher' film, where teenagers have sex, smoke pot, and generally disobey the conventions and morals of the previous generation. Then they all get savagely massacred for being so naughty.
"Scream" (1996) - Why not? Wes Craven pokes fun at himself and the entire genre.
"Spanish Dracula" (1931) - Yesterday I was told that this film is actually available. This is the film which was shot simultaneously with "Dracula." Using the same sets at Universal, a Mexican production team would shoot their scenes at night when the American crew had gone home. Supposedly, it's a far better film. I had given up, but the hunt begins again...
What is it in us that likes to be scared? I don't know, but I have it in spades. Night before last I was pre-screening our first Hitchcock film in our current series, ("Vertigo") and I was scared silly. I love the Grand, but it's spooky here at 3am! Tonight and tomorrow is "Psycho," so if you have the guts, I double dare you to come on in. At least you'll be here at a decent hour, with other people around, you scardey-cats!
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