As in my books for Halloween list, I’ve put together a list of films that capture a (slightly idiosyncratic) Halloween vibe rather than, like, general horror films. I have also tried to eschew some of the obvious ones — for the purposes of this list of Halloween movies it is assumed that you are familiar with (say) the movie Halloween. Let me know if you have any suggestions for good ones to include next time!
Trick ‘r treat
Alright, maybe I’m not eschewing all of the obvious ones, but look at that guy! Trick ‘r Treat is a collection of interrelated stories set in the same town on Halloween night. There is, not surprisingly, a heavy focus on the holiday itself: its rituals and rules, the protective rites that hold the darkness at bay on the night when the veil is thinnest (and the creatures that punish those who transgress those rites). It’s campy and brilliant and tremendously fun, with a heavy focus on physical effects that make each werewolf and zombie memorable. This one tops the list.
Pumpkinhead
Underneath it’s 80s-monster-flick veneer, Pumpkinhead is a deeply strange and vaguely mean-spirited film about Lance Hendriksen’s quest for a revenge after a group of city teens accidentally kill his son. With the help of a local forest witch, he exhumes a corpse and raises the ancient demon Pumpkinhead.
Keep away from Pumpkinhead,
Unless you’re tired of living,
His enemies are mostly dead,
He’s mean and unforgiving.
Pumpkinhead is pure American folk horror, though it’s rarely discussed as such. It’s thin on plot and character but absolutely drenched with atmosphere, with rich shots of mist-shrouded forest graves, clutttered witch’s huts, and decaying rural life. The titular monster is also a Sam Winston animatronic, making it another must-watch for physical effects fans.
Carnival of Souls
The term “dreamlike” gets tossed around a lot, but few films have captured the feeling of ambient tension and dread that a true nightmare conjures up like Carnival of Souls. The plot is straightforward — a young woman survives a car crash that kills her friends in 1960s Kansas (the importance of the state is left as an exercise to the reader) but finds herself plagued by visions of a strange man, played by the unspeaking director in caked and cracking makeup. The film makes brilliant use of monochrome, especially in the stark and eerie lighting of the abandoned pavillion (and the dancing ghouls that inhabit it) that hosts the climax of the film.
Fright Night
In my post on Halloween books, I said that suburban America was central to the Halloween ethos. (I am, after all, from North Jersey). Fright Night is hard to top on that front, being a love letter to classic vampire films in a suburban gothic setting. Another classic of physical effects, featuring a monster that was originally made for the librarian scene in Ghostbusters but was deemed too scary.