Oh, October! You can just sense the atmosphere. As I sit here at my desk, there’s a nip in the air (yes, inside as well), lots of leaves on the ground (just outside), and some apple cider in my mug. And, as if I need to mention it, Halloween rapidly approaches. Originally, I was going to countdown my top ten horror films of all time, one day at a time, peaking on that most frightful of days. Instead, I decided to do something a little different. So for those faint-hearted, weak-kneed little children that tend to cover their eyes, wet their beds, and perhaps even pass out at the sight of blood and guts, you get off light. I have haphazardly compiled a list of non-horror films that are perfect for a slightly more wholesome Halloween night. Here they are, all whopping six of them, simply in the order I wrote them:
Ed Wood (1994): For my money, this is Tim Burton’s best film and one of Johnny Depp’s most enjoyable performances to watch. With its beautiful black and white photography, Ed Wood captures the essence of 1950’s monster movies as well as the story of one struggling filmmaker’s continued attempts to make them. It is a compliment to the filmmakers that we root for Wood to succeed even when we know his unabashed enthusiasm leads him in all the wrong directions. Based on the true story of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (aka the “worst director of all time”), it is both aesthetically satisfying and surprisingly touching. Martin Landau deservedly won an Oscar for his portrayal of screen icon Bela Lugosi.
Ghostbusters (1984): If you don’t love Ghostbusters, then you’re probably certifiable. This hilarious, big-budget romp through ghost-ridden Manhattan contains so many things we love about film in the ‘80s: some great, cheesy special effects, a kick-ass theme song (probably second only to “Power of Love” from Back to the Future), and Bill Murray. Along with Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, these modern day knights rid their city of evil only for it to return in a subpar sequel. Director Ivan Reitman never topped himself with this gem.
American Movie (1999): Not many people would include a documentary on their list of films to watch on Halloween. Not a real one at least. But if there’s a great one to watch that’s not too on the nose, then it’s American Movie. This film examines the plight of Mark Borchardt, an aspiring filmmaker who wants nothing more than to finish his little horror film. He is consistently weighted down by his own ambitions, lack of funds, and alcoholism, but Mark is a surprisingly intelligent and articulate man. From what I can tell, he is capable filmmaker. Like Ed Wood, he is enthusiastic. But most of the time, he gets in the way of himself, and all too often it seems he just wants to be rich and famous.
Shadow of the Vampire (2000): This film presupposes that Max Schreck was so convincing as the vampire in the 1922 adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula because he was actually a vampire. That film, Nosferatu, is widely hailed as a classic of German expressionism. Set during the filming of Nosferatu, Shadow of the Vampire focuses on the relationship between Schreck and director F.W. Murnau. Creepy in its own right, this film is interesting as conjecture. With solid performances by Willem Dafoe (Schreck) and John Malkovich (Murnau), it is sure to entertain.
Shaun of the Dead (2004): One of the funniest films of all time, Shaun of Dead is nothing if not the crown jewel of horror comedies. It’s got everything: zombies, blood, Brits. With this and Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, as well as Zak Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead, we were treated to a resurrection of modern-day zombie movies. Which is great.
Young Frankenstein (1974): Mel Brooks at his best, Young Frankenstein is a funny look at what happens when the descendent of the original Dr. Frankenstein repeats the experiment. By the way, it’s pronounced “Fronkensteen.”
Okay, sure, there are a lot more films that I could have included on this list. I’ve probably forgotten a bunch as well. You can have your Beetlejuice I suppose, but I didn’t want to include two Tim Burton films, and Ed Wood is better. I would have probably included Death Becomes Her if I had seen it more recently than ten years ago. I remember that it rocks, but I haven’t seen it since then, so maybe it doesn’t. Even Donnie Darko is appropriate—it takes place during Halloween and it includes screenshots of The Evil Dead, which is never a bad thing. While I’m on the Evil Dead series, I feel like they are more horror films than not, so I decided not to include any of them. Though I did include Shaun of the Dead, which is basically a zombie movie. So sue me. For the little ones, the Harry Potter series should suffice. Because it’s awesome and has witches and whatnot.
So in all, you should check out any of these movies if you’re looking for a not-so-scary flick on that very scariest of nights.
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