15 thoughts on “Five Movies to see this Halloween

  1. May I offer a strong second for “Attack the Block.” I wouldn’t characterize it as comedy, so much. I found it thrilling, original, and even scary. I have a huge soft spot for films made on low budgets that transcend their limitations by smart use of resources. This one is right up there. Good characters, terrific acting, original aliens. And, if you are a Yank like me, most definitely put the English subtitles on. Rated LSS for: London street slang spoken at torrential rates.

    1. Yeah, not a comedy per se, but I think it certainly has a strong sense of humor. It’s become an October staple for me over the last few years. So glad you enjoyed the aliens as well. Thanks for reading!

      1. Thank you for the recommendations — I have only seen “Attack the Block” and “Pontypool.” Looking forward to the others.

        Also: “The Orphanage” (Spanish 2007) scared the heck out of me. And “Let the Right One In” (Swedish (?) 2008) is a very original and memorable take on an old Hallowe’en staple.

  2. Wow, these all sound great and I’ve never heard of any of them.

    Me being me, “Pontypool” sounds the most interesting: I’m curious to learn how the screenwriter uses a limited palette of sets and actors to create a sense of dread, and the choice of a DJ taking calls inside an insulated booth, with no real ability to take the camera to show the viewer the outside world, seems like a very clever way to do it.

    1. “Pontypool” is a good one as well, starring the vastly under-appreciated Stephen McHattie (the guy you get if you can’t get Lance Henricksen). Strongly recommended.

      @burt-likko In regards to your interest in films that use a very limited space to explore a larger palette, I would recommend (not Hallowe’en fare, but sci-fi) “ARQ”. A good solid B+ of a movie with a clever script and a large story/situation set inside a very limited area. As I said before, making good flicks with limited resources is a turn-on for me, and this one got high marks in that regard.

    2. “Pontypool” is pretty good. Of the ones I’ve seen on the list, I’m most enthusiastic about “In Absentia”, which is zero budget and shows it, but still manages to be atmospheric and eerie as hell.

    3. The scariest thing a human’s got is their own imagination.
      Put in vague, ominous things — shots of that “magic hour” around twilight where your eyes literally play tricks on you… you’ll conjure your own fears, sure enough.

      I can give a link to the “revised” version of the Thief Fanmission that actually caused a heart attack….

      1. I’m not sure. I didn’t think it was that good originally, but the reason I remember it is that some channel has been playing this and the various sequels in heavy rotation all weekend.

  3. Tucker and Dale versus Evil
    and
    Deathgasm are the two movies I’ve seen recently.

    One outta pittsburgh (shot in Canada), the other outta New Zealand (which is just offbeat enough that I suspect, but can’t confirm, I’m missing a few jokes).

    Of course, Stranger Things deserves ten mentions. Including one as “I made a horror show so that I could get my dad to watch a love scene set to Toto’s Africa” (Yes, Really.) Another as “This TV Show was retail therapy for someone who got addicted to 80’s memorabilia. Watch as the kids get to drop a $600 toy”

    1. Yes! I adore “Tucker and Dale.” So much fun. And I can’t wait to see where “Stranger Things” goes next. I haven’t seen “Deathgasm,” but I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for reading!

Comments are closed.