By: Kate Drexel- Arts & Entertainment Editor
Media Credit: MCT Campus
It’s Halloween night and you want to stay in with friends, family or someone to cuddle with. You order some pizza or Chinese, buy some candy for you and your guests, have some soda and you try to decide what movie to watch. You have a wide selection but you cannot decide what type of “Halloween” movie to watch: psychological thriller, bloody and gory, a classic children’s movie, or a horror/thriller in general? What movie is worth the time and energy to watch during All Hollow’s Eve? I have seen all types of movies that fall into those categories and have a made a list of them. Out of the two pages worth of movies I compiled, I have chosen 25 to recommend to the Halloween lovers and moviegoers:
25.) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – It is definitely not the best film in the world, and it messes with the history of the sixteenth president of America, Abraham Lincoln. However, it is very violent and action packed. It is almost like The Matrix meets Twilight meets 300, with Abraham Lincoln added to the mix. How can you go wrong?
24 – 18.) The Saw franchise – If you are squeamish around blood and exposed body innards, I would not recommend this at all. I mean, who would not want to watch a serial killer with a creepy doll riding on a bike, cackling away as people try but unsuccessfully to get out of very painful, difficult timed situations? Does that not sound like all fun and games? Yet the variety celebrities that make appearances in the franchise is rather unique: Sean Patrick Flannery (Boondock Saints), Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls), and Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington. If you choose to watch them, proceed with caution-you are dedicating at least 14 hours to blood, guts and torture.
17 – 15.) Lord of the Rings trilogy – Based off of the beloved trilogy written by J. R. R. Tolkien, I feel that this is the perfect trilogy to watch. Yes, while all of the films are very long, they still follow closely to the books and the visual effects are incredible. Who would not want to see the hunky British actor, Orlando Bloom, with blond hair, beautiful blue eyes, elf ears, and with a bow and arrow? What about seeing a drunken dwarf running around with an axe, and Viggo Mortensen as an exiled King of Middle Earth? Or Elijah Wood with big hairy feet? Believe me, you will be so lost in Middle Earth that you will not realize how late into the night it is.
14.) The Dark Knight – Directed by the brilliant British Christopher Nolan, starring American Psycho’s Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as The Joker. The film itself has plenty of suspenseful moments, most of them conducted by the evil mastermind himself, The Joker, with his explosions, and his malicious cackle. Of course, let’s not forget his infamous question: ‘Why so serious?’
13.) Shutter Island – The Martin Scorsese film starring Titanic’s Leonard DiCaprio about a hurricane that hits an asylum on an island and sets all the residents loose. This psychological thriller was originally written by Denis Lehane, and if you have read the book, you will find that this film follows very closely to the novel. This film earns the distinction in playing with the mind in a somewhat unkind way.
12.) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barbour of Fleet Street – Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter star in this Tim Burton musical about a man who returns to town after being arrested, and sees that his old life has changed in the cruelest way possible. While this film does tend to get a bit gory, it is still a joy to watch. I mean, who would not want to see Johnny Depp singing while slitting throats and Helena Bonham Carter turning the victims into “meat pies”, if you get my drift. Some catchy songs and if you are into violent musicals, you will enjoy this one.
11.) Jaws – It is the suspenseful theme song we know and sometimes use if we want to scare the living daylights out of a friend or family member. Well, this “people-loving” creature is the main reason for that theme song. Introducing, the killer shark, Jaws. That is all that can be said: a killer shark that eats people. The perfect Halloween movie.
10.) Snow White and the Huntsman – Twilight’s Kristen Stewart stars in this year’s flick as the princess we all know…or so we thought. But this film changes our perspective of the oh-so innocent Snow White. Charlize Theron plays the evil queen, Ravenna,who sucks the souls of young people to make herself appear younger…who would not want that super power? Her mission in this film is to eat Snow White’s heart to stay young forever. She sends the Huntsman, played by the very hunky Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Avengers), to go after Snow White, but he falls for her. Believe it or not, Kristen shows emotion in this film, whereas in the Twilight films, she has only one look: the emotionless face. Anyways, this is a fantastic movie and Theron played a fabulous queen.
9 – 2.) The Harry Potter series – This definitely a must watch of all eight films about the adventures of The Boy Who Lived.
1.) A Nightmare Before Christmas – This is a timeless children’s film directed by the genius himself, Tim Burton. Filled with the perfect combination of spooky scenes and catchy songs, it is perfect for both Halloween and Christmas. If you want to watch something that is lighthearted and not so bloody, scary or gory, I highly recommend this movie.
Hurry now, time is of the essence. There is less than a week till the arrival of the spookiest holiday of all!
