Previous Friday Question Fun entries
It’s the last Friday before Halloween and I know so many of you have been doing horror themed segments all month and I’ve enjoyed reading them. I used to be a huge horror movie buff but I’ve pushed my love of horror movies aside for the most part. I still love them but I just don’t watch them like I used to. Still, like every other holiday, I have my movies that I gravitate towards every year around this time which brings me to my question..
What movie(s) do you usually watch around Halloween?
Back in the day, October was really no different in terms of what I would watch since I was watching so many horror movies. I’ve had a few random horror movies here and there throughout the year, but I still haven’t gotten fully in the mood for Halloween this year, the year is just going by too quickly or something. This year I’ve been watching old Universal horror classics (e.g. Dracula) which I hope to make a new tradition.
I still have one movie that I NEED to watch around this time of year that I haven’t watched yet and that movie is The Shining. Not only is The Shining one of my favorite movies ever, but it’s one of the few movies that simply terrifies me. Not in a blood and guts, things popping out at you, slasher film type way, but something about Jack Nicholson snapping and killing his family just chills me… Not to mention the other things in the flim.
It’s also a Stanley Kubrick film, and that man is my idol.
What about you?
While I Do Watch Horror/Slasher/Thriller Flicks Come Halloween, I Don’t Always Watch The Same Flicks.
This Year, I’m Unsure Of Just What I’ll Be Watching.
I’m Considering A Vincent Price-A-Thon This Year.
“The Tingler”, “The Last Man On Earth”, “Diary Of A Madman”, “Witchfinder General”, etc etc etc
Could Be A Bundle Of Fun, Fo SHO! 😀
-B.
Can’t really go wrong with a Vicent Price-A-Thon, I think that sounds like an awesome idea!
Do you have regular movies you watch around other holidays or do you just mix it up then too?
I Always Watch “The Shining” On Christmas hehe
And I Tend To Watch Military Movies On The 4th Of July AND Memorial Day.
Otherwise, Yeah, I Just Mix-It-Up.
I Do Horror-A-Thons Every Friday The 13th and Halloween 🙂
I used to watch as many Friday the 13th films as I could whenever it was actually Friday the 13th. Love those.
Don’t really have a staple Halloween film. Although Trick ‘r’ Treat is pretty cool.
That one is one of my favorite horror films of the past 10 years, really surprised me actually.
You’re watching horror movies year round, so I’m not surprised that you don’t have one specifically for Halloween 🙂
Still have not seen The Shining, but will do so soon. As for watching specific movies around Halloween, we don’t celebrate it over here so I wouldn’t be able to answer your question 🙂
*gasp*
I usually tend to watch a bunch of old horror movies with my friends around Halloween like Frankenstein. Ghostbusters is another one I usually watch around Halloween as well.
Good call on Ghostbusters! I need to get that in my yearly rotation
Obviously, I LOVE Halloween and movies, but they’re not necessarily all “good” movies:
“Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Double, Double, Toil and Trouble,” “The Craft,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “Earnest Scared Stupid,” and of course: “Tower of Terror” starring The Gute!
What about Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy?
After the whole marathon thing I did, I’d have to say I’d pick up Dawn of the Dead, Coraline and probably 28 Days Later. Was lots of fun to watch and I won’t lose too much sleep over it. Perfect balance!
I haven’t seen Shining yet though! My boyfriend had suggested it but I still need to pick up some courage to see it…
Coraline is one I watch fairly regularly but not necessarily around this time of year. I love it.
After working up the courage for some of those other movies, I think you can handle The Shining! I made my wife watch it a few years ago for her first time and she ended up liking it (I think)
Encouraging! I have no doubt that I’ll like it. I’m a huge Jack Nicholson fan. I’ll definitely check it out. 🙂
Each year as Halloween approaches, I plan to do a horror movie marathon, but for some reason I lose track of time. I’m currently watching the entire “X-Files” series, so I guess that’s appropriate for the season.
I always lose track of time to do marathons of any kind too. X-Files is a great series to watch and it will definitely keep you busy for a looooong time!
I watch Halloween religiously. It’s the only one that still manages to creep me out.
However, this Halloween I’ll also add to the watchlist Suspiria as I’m trying to introduce italian cinema to some friends and The Prince of Darkness because I’ve been planning for a long time to re-watch it but I never got the time.
Halloween is a classic.I watched Suspiria and Re-Animator religiously for a few years. I should pick them both up again.
I’m a bit ashamed (just a lillte, little bit) cause I’ve never seen Shining, when I was a child the movie poster scared me to death (you know Nicholsons face…) and apparently when I have the occasion to watch it there’s always something else that needs my attention…
He is truly terrifying in it but the film as a whole is so brilliantly done. I’ve never seen a movie quite like it.
The two that are constants for me each year are The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the original Halloween. I’ve had others that I try to watch, but those two are staples.
Both classic picks
I’m also not a huge horror fan, but I’d have to go with Alien for my scary movie pic. The movie which has historically caused the most psychological damage for me would be Jaws (I’m still afraid of open water) but seeing as I’m nowhere near an ocean, a xenomorph will take that cake
Jaws has scarred me for life too but I usually watch it closer to 4th of July as a habit
Wonderful pick, Andy. My normal habit to mix old favorites and new horror films for the month of October, leading up to Halloween. What makes every season, though, would be this triple: ‘An American Werewolf in London, ‘Sleepy Hollow’, and grand oldie, ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’.
Great picks! I like mixing old with new as well but it seems like there is very few “new” worth my time and there isn’t much new to me, unfortunately.
I usually watch the first Saw movie, though this year I’m watching and reviewing the whole series. Dear God…
I also usually check out some of the newer scary movies that come out, just one or two, to see if any could start a new tradition.
I couldn’t make it through the whole Saw series. I barely made it through 2 and turned 3 off. Trick ‘r’ Treat is the only new movie that really grabbed me from the genre, definitely check that one out if you haven’t already.
The difference in genre between one and two is depressing. The first was more thriller than horror, in my opinion. Then two was just plain horror done decently.
I haven’t seen Trick ‘r’ Treat, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.
BTW, speaking about one of your favorites, Andy, look at what popped up over at Trailers From Hell (and YouTube):
Ha, awesome!
One of my go-to horror films for every Halloween is Evil Dead II. Perfect horror movie to watch during the holiday.
Most definitely!
I’ll usually watch anything I can get my hands on, especially new horror movies coming out in theaters. However, I also like to catch stuff on TV, especially on Turner Classic Movies; they always have something great.
TCM is a channel I need to put in my regular rotation
Not a huge fan of horror but I do try to watch a film of the genre around Halloween, mostly one of my favorites, either The Omen or The Exorcist. I also enjoy watching a Halloween special of some sort and Halloween episodes from series. The Modern Family from two days ago was HILARIOUS.
Haha yeah, I love Halloween episodes of shows but that was one of the best ones in recent memory.
I normally end up watching Young Frankenstein. I do love true horror, but making fun of horror is also good.
Haha definitely – I’ll be watching that one next week!
Awesome. It’s one of the best Halloween movies I can think of!
Trick’r’Treat – every Halloween since it came out. 🙂 Other than that any horror movie I can get my hands on!
I really haven’t done that sort of tradition to watch the same every Halloween, but I’ll probably start watching Halloween, or really any horror flick that appeals.
I love The Shining, too. I recently read the book, so I want to watch the movie again to compare the two.
I’ve never actually finished the book, I should definitely do so
I don’t think it’s nearly as smart as Kubrick’s, but it was a good read (it doesn’t even have the maze chase scene!)
Everyday is Halloween at my house so honestly there really isn’t a horror film I re-watch specifically for this holiday. If I was going to start such a thing it would be Dougherty’s great horror anthology Trick r Treat. I do however ALWAYS watch The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror at this time a year. I’ve seen them all 100 times and I just never get sick of them.
Treehouse of Horror! Yeah!!! I typically watch them specifically this time of year too
Last year my friends and I had a big horror movie marathon where we watched everything from slasher-type to ghost-type horror films.
Haha awesome – sounds like a good time!
Tough one. I’m a big fan of AMC network for showing all the Halloween movies. So, I’m going to pick the classic Jamie Lee Curtis’ Halloween. It ain’t Halloween (for me) until I see a white faced William Shatner.
Haha good call, gotta love the Shatner mask
Halloween watches for me are:
House (The 1985 American film)
House (The 1977 Japanese film)
Juon
Ringu
Premonition (2004 Japanese film)
Evil Dead 2
The Cottage
Re-Animator
Hansel and Gretel (2007 Korean film)
Machine Girl
Carved (Japanese Film)
Kaidan (Japanese Film)
The Maid (2005 Singapore film)
Friday The 13th (original film)
Nightmare on Elm St (original film)
People Under The Stairs
Shocker
Whispering Corridors (Korean movie series)
Abbott and Costello Meet (insert Horror character after title)
Creepshow (both films)
Stephen King’s It
The Thing (the original John Carpenter film)
They Live
Serpent and the Rainbow
There is more, but I will keep this list moderate.
Wow, that’s quite the list!
Don’t laugh, but I really enjoy watching Halloween III: Season Of The Witch every Halloween. Call it a guilty pleasure. And that ending! ‘Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop iiiiiiiiiiit!!!!’ 🙂
Haha I won’t judge anyone for liking that movie…I’m not sure if you’re aware of my undying love of CHUD…
I LOVE CHUD!!!
(hey, that sounds like a cool slogan for a bumper sticker, eh?) 🙂
I would love to make that into a t-shirt as well!
I have the unenviable task of choosing a horror themed move for some friends to come over and watch on Halloween night. Since Im the ‘go-to horror guy’ I have been tasked with not only selecting one for them to watch, but it can’t be too scary, have much violence or bad language and not try give anyone nightmares. A tricky nigh-on impossible task I’m sure you will agree. I’m currently aiming for Trick R Treat since I don’t remember it being very scary and it is a great film.
To answer your question, aside from this year it will always be The Shining and Saw, since for 7 straight years it isn’t Halloween without Saw 🙂
I think Trick R Treat is a good pick for a group with impossible tastes haha
Exactly, right?! Isn’t too scary from what I remember, and Im sure some girls wear skimpy outfits so I have used that as bait 🙂
I tend to watch psychological horrors like The Others.
That’s a good one
Salo.
Joking aside, there’s only a very few horror flicks that aren’t shit. Certainly The Shining is one of them.
One tradition of mine actually starts the days before Halloween (my friends and I jokingly call it Hallow-eve). For the last 7 years on October 30th at 11pm I pop in John Carpenter’s Halloween so that right around midnight when it officially becomes Halloween, the film really picks up for the final half hour of the movie when Michael Myers really takes over.
After that it fluctuates from year to year but two staples are Ernest Scared Stupid and Poltergeist.
That is an awesome way to officially kick off Halloween!
Andy,
I watch horror movies all year long… Perhaps I could suggest a few outside the box titles we have watched lately?
Excision (Tracy Lords): Disturbing. It could also be seen as a very heavy drama.
Cockneys VS Zombies: A light British zombie comedy, with a few good moments.
The Obama/Romney Presidential Debates: Well… ok. It’s more of a comedy.
Le Clown
I’ll try to check those first two out!
The debates were a little too scary for me to watch all the way through
big tracy lords fan from back when none of us should have been watching her. that underage thing.
My only constants are that I try — I don’t always succeed — to watch the Charlie Brown and Garfield Halloween specials. Other than that, it pretty much varies every year. Of course, since I watch a bunch of Halloween-appropriate films during October, that’s OK. I’m hoping I can watch something from the Halloween series every year for a while, but so far Halloween II is proving elusive… everybody wants to show the Rob Zombie remake.
never been a big slasher movie fan, but i do like the paranormal stuff when well done. will never forget seeing “the exorcist” in the theater when i was about 14 and having to walk home from the next town. probably never ran as fast in my life.
haha I can believe that!
the first time I saw Evil Dead was at a friend’s house that lived on a wooded street with no streetlights, so going home that night was the most horrifying thing ever for me
With apologies for the blatant plug, this one!
http://dirkmalcolm.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/andy-the-old-dark-house-whale-us-1932/
You did mention Universal horrors: really ‘The Old Dark House’ should be considered part of that line, except Universal lost or sold the rights to it in the 50s, so it doesn’t get officially released as such.
‘The Shining’ would be one of mine as well, will probably give it a spin sometime this week.
Color me intrigued about The Old Dark House, looks like I’ll need to see about tracking that one down
I planned on reading The Shining this month–don’t think it’s going to happen. Maybe I’ll watch it instead.
Watching it will certainly take less time!