Valerie and Her Week Of Wonders (1970) This movie is pure art house cinema at its best and one of the best film of the Czechoslovakian New Wave. Each image is beautifully and lovingly put together creating a sense of pictorial beauty only movies can achieve. The story is shockingly different from anything you would see in mainstream cinema. It is never explained what exactly is happening or why it is happening. The story is instead completely fueled by emotion. What unfolds happens because of the emotions of the characters and not because of any form of logic. This movie at times can be peaceful, erotic, disturbing or terrifying. One thing is certain though this film is always fascinating. When I see this movie it has an almost hypnotizing effect on me making it hard to look away from. I recommend this movie for Halloween not only because of the terrifying scenes involving vampires, but also because it creates an uncomfortably uneasy feeling that is perfect for this time of year.
Nosferatu (1922) One of the films that helped above all to define the horror movie. This silent German classic, is still terrifying today. Images such as the Count Orlock appearing in the doorway, and the scene aboard the ship remain in one's mind long after the movie is finished. Max Shreck's performance as the horrible vampire is still amazing, and gives life to this horrifying character. Like all of director F.W. Murnau's films, one of the delights of this movie is the stunning look of the movie. The film has the qualities of a beautiful painting, while still remaining perfectly cinematic. This still remains a classic and one of the greatest Vampire movies ever made.
Pinocchio (1940) This may seem like an odd choice to some, but this movie is easily the darkest and most creepy of Disney's animated features. I think the reason for this is actually very simple. That is that Pinocchio might be the most powerless Disney hero. He has neither the brawn nor wit to fight the truly horrifying villains. He run or he can avoid them, but a showdown between good and evil is impossible in this movie. Think of the scene in Pleasure Island when the puppet's friend Lampwick is turning into a donkey. This has often been called the most horrifying scene in Disney animation. However I will argue that the reason for this is not the transformation itself, but rather that we are seeing what is happing for the perceptive of Pinocchio. Our hero can't do a thing to help his friend and he knows it. All he can do is watch in horror at what is happening in front of him. Watching in this scene we are in the same powerless position. We know it is too late for Lampwick and the best we can do is praying it doesn't happen to Pinocchio. This scene creates a sense of suspense and unease in a way no other scene in Disney animation does, because in almost any other animated Disney film we know things are going to turn out right, but here that certainty is taken away from us and we come the horrible realization that maybe the traditional Disney happy ending isn't going to happen. Beyond just this uncomfortableness, this is a great movie to watch at anytime and one of Disney's finest achievements. The artistry, humor, animation, characters, music and yes even horror all come together to create a cinematic masterpiece that is not only unique by Disney standards but by movie standards in general. There will never be another movie quite like this, but thank goodness we have this one.
Vampyr (1932) Carl Theodore Dryer's first sound feature is still a brilliant work of art. The images in this German film are ones that stay in the audience's mind and haunt their nightmare's all these years later. Story-wise this may be a typical Vampire-themed horror movie, but the way the story is told is unlike any other film I can think of. This film draws one into a creepy dreamlike world, that makes the movie have an unreal feeling that makes the movie even scarier. Though this is a talkie, the use of title cards and some scenes of complete silence make this feel like a silent film in all the best ways. This is a horror movie you will never forget.
The Orphanage (2007) A highly intelligent and spooky Spanish horror film. This movie is constantly suspenseful, and none of the plot twists did I see coming. However they made perfect sense when they happened. However this film isn't just scary. This is also a very touching movie. Our main character has to deal with the disappearance of her child and these scenes are downright sad. This uneasy and suspenseful movie is a modern day classic of horror.
Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (1988) This was the last of the Looney Tunes compilation feature films that began with The Bugs Bunny/ Roadrunner Movie (1979). These films combined classic Looney Tunes cartoons of the 1940's, 50's and 60's, with brand new animation made specifically for these new movies. This is probably the second best of these films (after The Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Movie) and just an excellent movie all around. This movie incorporates many really great short films and often times these are cartoons that don't receive as much constant praise as the ones used in the previous movies. That does not mean they are lesser, but rather that they aren't the ones you see mentioned everywhere. These classic cartoons are just as hilarious as they were in their day and are beautifully put together in this compilation. The new animated scenes, while you can argue aren't as great as the classic shorts (whatever will be?) are very well done and highly entertaining in their own right. To add to these new scenes is the great musical soundtrack. If the music in these new scenes reminds one of what is heard in various classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, that is because the music used here was actually the Carl Stalling and Milt Franklin scores for various classic Looney Tunes. This makes these new scenes feel much more like the classic cartoons. This is a spooky themed story using spooky themed cartoons making it a perfect treat for this time of year.
The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) Considered by many film critics to be the greatest Spanish movie of all time, this movie is truly a masterpiece. Though this movie may have a subtle political message about dictator Francisco Franco Bahamonde, it still holds so much more for those who can't understand this commentary. The children's reaction to seeing Frankenstein (1931) speaks to us about the power of cinema. This is especially true of one little girl named Ana (Ana Torrent) who begins to feel a strong kinship with the creature after seeing the movie. Not being able to understand why the creature drowned the little girl in the movie, she asks her big sister to explain. Her sister tells him that what she saw was fake, besides the sister had seen the creature and he is now a spirit. This explanation causes Ana to show kindness to a wounded solider she finds. Though I won't talk about what this leads to, this part of the story shows how beautifully simple many children view the world and how it is sad we have to lose that. All in all this is a beautiful movie that never fails to move me.
Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963) Despite how disturbing and intense Alfred Hitchcock's movies get, he only directed two real horror movies. Not shockingly these two movies show the master at his best. What makes them work so well is that neither really starts as a horror movie. In fact The Birds begins as a romantic comedy and Psycho begins as a character study of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). This helps create much more of a shock when the horror happens. These two movies are legitimately creepy and I still feel a little uneasy when seeing a group of birds outside a window. These movies have been dissected so many times, that there is not much I can say that hasn't already been said. However if you for any reason haven't seen them see them as soon as possible, they are brilliantly made movies by a master filmmaker and still retain all their power today.
This is not a list of my favorite Halloween movies, nor is it a list of the best. These are just simply some movies, I really like and hope you will too. I plan to recommend more Halloween movies in one of these posts each year so if one you really like doesn't show up here maybe it will next year.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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