Why so few films about Halloween?
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Where are the Halloween movies?
Curious because I had been asked about my favorite Halloween movies, I tried to refresh my memory by doing a Google search on the subject. What I found (with the exception of the John Carpenter Halloween franchise) there were precious few films that actually revolve around the holiday itself.
I mean except for "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".
Oh sure I found entries like "Sleepy Hollow", "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Friday the 13th" etc. I found a long list of horror films that seem to fit the theme pretty well but aside from a few notable examples there aren't that many movies specific to the event itself. You'd think it would be fertile soil with which to conjure up ideas but it seems the most popular Halloween movies are ones that have little or nothing to do with....Halloween.
I get crap for this all the time but my favorite Halloween movie is Halloween III. I realize the film seems to veer off of the Michael Myers. canon but there's something about the plot I like.
Oh well I expect the following responses will be a cascade of movies I've long forgotten about or never saw that contradict the premise of this thread. Very well. Educate me.
I mean except for "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".
Oh sure I found entries like "Sleepy Hollow", "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Friday the 13th" etc. I found a long list of horror films that seem to fit the theme pretty well but aside from a few notable examples there aren't that many movies specific to the event itself. You'd think it would be fertile soil with which to conjure up ideas but it seems the most popular Halloween movies are ones that have little or nothing to do with....Halloween.
I get crap for this all the time but my favorite Halloween movie is Halloween III. I realize the film seems to veer off of the Michael Myers. canon but there's something about the plot I like.
Oh well I expect the following responses will be a cascade of movies I've long forgotten about or never saw that contradict the premise of this thread. Very well. Educate me.
"If you can't tell the difference, what difference does it make?"
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I like the classics like Dracula and Frankenstein.
It's fun to see my kids gets a little scared watching those old flicks.
Minimal special effects just acting and dramatic music works every time.
Bram Stoker's Dracula is one of my favorite horror movies.
Nosferatu is good too if you enjoy silent films.
It takes me a while to "adjust" to them but I like it.
The part where Nosferatu is walking around the town carrying his coffin is freaky. This skinny creepy looking guy carrying something twice as large as himself effortlessly......nice
I say every time a thread like this pops up, the Voodoo Doll from the Trilogy of Terror scared the fricken pants off me for years.
I saw it when I was 10 and I swear, I refused to watch it again until I was in my late 20s.
The first Evil Dead is scary, (the others are comedies).
It's fun to see my kids gets a little scared watching those old flicks.
Minimal special effects just acting and dramatic music works every time.
Bram Stoker's Dracula is one of my favorite horror movies.
Nosferatu is good too if you enjoy silent films.
It takes me a while to "adjust" to them but I like it.
The part where Nosferatu is walking around the town carrying his coffin is freaky. This skinny creepy looking guy carrying something twice as large as himself effortlessly......nice
I say every time a thread like this pops up, the Voodoo Doll from the Trilogy of Terror scared the fricken pants off me for years.
I saw it when I was 10 and I swear, I refused to watch it again until I was in my late 20s.
The first Evil Dead is scary, (the others are comedies).
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I like The Nightmare Before Christmas, but it's arguable if it's a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie (I don't watch this at Christmas.).
I also like The Corpse Bride, but that's not a Halloween Halloween movie. Still, though, the Tim Burton motion capture just seems to capture the essence of the holiday for me.
My kids LOVE Hocus Pocus, albeit that's kids fare. But it does center around a plot to take over the world on Halloween. And it does have a young Sarah Jessica Parker in a tightly wound bodice.
There's all The Simpson's Halloween episodes. If they're not on one CD, they should be.
Monster House is fun.
Oh, and EW listed the top 25 scariest movies today. [link]
I also like The Corpse Bride, but that's not a Halloween Halloween movie. Still, though, the Tim Burton motion capture just seems to capture the essence of the holiday for me.
My kids LOVE Hocus Pocus, albeit that's kids fare. But it does center around a plot to take over the world on Halloween. And it does have a young Sarah Jessica Parker in a tightly wound bodice.
There's all The Simpson's Halloween episodes. If they're not on one CD, they should be.
Monster House is fun.
Oh, and EW listed the top 25 scariest movies today. [link]
.
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Thank you, Jenn. That's exactly what I'm on about. I seem to remember seeing something about "Trick of Treat" before but I don't recall ever watching the film. I'll be looking for it now.
Wayfreind my family likes Nightmare Before Christmas for both holidays and my wife likes Hocus Pocus. It's goofy but its definitely on target regarding the theme.
Also my daughter always mentions the first dvd we ever bought for her.."When Good Ghouls Go Bad". I believe it was made for tv. Again it's goofy (and is not my favorite by far) but is a Halloween movie.
"If you can't tell the difference, what difference does it make?"
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Just a word of warning... it's quite cheesy.
Now if I could just find a way to wear live bees as jewelry all the time.....
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Re: Where are the Halloween movies?
Shit, I still have nightmares about that one!!!aTOMiC wrote:I mean except for "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".
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And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest -Paul Simon
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Idle Hands. Better than you might think.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
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Casper the Friendly Ghost with Christina Ricci was a favorite of mine when I was a kid.
the Nightmare Before Chirstmas?
Was there a Halloween thing in Beetlejuice?
the Nightmare Before Chirstmas?
Was there a Halloween thing in Beetlejuice?
Avatar wrote:But then, the answers provided by your imagination are not only sometimes best, but have the added advantage of being unable to be wrong.
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THAT WAS AWESOME! We have a new annual Halloween tradition!sgt.null wrote:Time Of The Great Pumpkin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv759Sfw8bY
"If you can't tell the difference, what difference does it make?"
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sgt.null wrote:Time Of The Great Pumpkin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv759Sfw8bY
Greatest post of 2008.
Thanks!
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You tube says the video is no longer available....
Now if I could just find a way to wear live bees as jewelry all the time.....
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Works for me.Cameraman Jenn wrote:You tube says the video is no longer available....
Try it again.
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[Defeated by a gizmo from Batman's utility belt]
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Joker: I swear by all that's funny never to be taken in by that unconstitutional device again!
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It's working now. That was amusing.
Now if I could just find a way to wear live bees as jewelry all the time.....
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hahaRigel wrote:O_obalon! wrote:Casper the Friendly Ghost with Christina Ricci was a favorite of mine when I was a kid.
Damn, now I feel old
whoops.
Avatar wrote:But then, the answers provided by your imagination are not only sometimes best, but have the added advantage of being unable to be wrong.
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Monster Squad, eh? I just read the summary. I guess I missed that one back in the 80s. Sure looks like a Sam Raimi production via the special effects and the vortex.
No mention of Halloween in the descriptions though.
No mention of Halloween in the descriptions though.
"If you can't tell the difference, what difference does it make?"
"There is tic and toc in atomic" - Neil Peart