Favorite Halloween Related Movies

I love the Halloween movies that started with Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance. That really scared me the very first time I ever saw the movie way back when. I own Halloween 1 thru 5 on VHS Video Tapes. And I always try to watch one of them on Halloween, of course. Just like I always try to watch at least one of The Friday the 13th movies on a Friday the 13th. Does anyone else do this? I know they even made a Freddie vs. Jason horror movie. But what I would like to see is a Michael Myers vs. Jason.

beatles1964

I know there are a ton of really good or even great Horror movies out there that would be perfect for Halloween. I know Horror movies are not just for Halloween of course, but since this group is devoted to Halloween I just thought it would be nice to have a list of Halloween Horrror Movies.

beatles1964

I too love the 1st Halloween, but the others, not so much. I love The Fog, both original and remake. One of my favs is The Howling 6, which has both a werewolf and a vampire in it!

Especially the old classic Horror Movies with Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Lorre to name a few.

beatles1964

Ah man, any movie that features 'Vs.' in the title, but doesn't have 'Godzilla' on one side or the other probably isn't worth watching.

Anyway, when it comes to the Halloween movies, the first is by far the best. But I always had a soft spot for Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. Now that Silver Shamrock song is going to be stuck in my head all day.

I wish John Carpenter had gotten to stick to his plan. I would have loved to see a new 'Halloween' themed horror movie every year.

I heard the original Halloween movie was supposed to have actually happened in Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night in 1963. I prefer the original version of The Fog myself. I think I have seen most of The Howling movies.

beatles1964

When you say 'actually happened', do you mean it was supposed to be based on a true story? If that's the case, I can tell you it's not so. Saying horror movies are based on true events is an old, old scheme.

I thought you wanted horror movies with a Halloween theme.

If we are talking about any horror movie, a great one to watch on that day is the original Creepshow. What a fun movie!

Yes, that's what I said but I can't think of any other Halloween related Horror movies other than the "Halloween" movies themselves. If anyone else has other ideas Please feel free to let us know. Yes, that's what I heard that it was actually based on a True Story.
Hey. what about Jay Anson's
book, The Amittyville Horror that actually happened.

beatles1964

I guess if you include the animated cartoons too you can include, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Halloween Tree and Madeline's Halloween Spooktacular.

beatles1964

Come to think of it you can probably also include Casper Meets Wendy Hocus Pocus and Halloween With The Addams Family, (1964) and
The Addams Family Halloween Special, (1977).

beatles1964

>5 jseger9000:
Ah man, any movie that features 'Vs.' in the title, but doesn't have 'Godzilla' on one side or the other probably isn't worth watching.

What, no love for Billy the Kid vs. Dracula?

On topic - Halloween week is absolutely the best week of TV for the year. The sheer number of crappy films they show is fantastic. That said, I can't think of too many others that prominently feature Halloween. I often like to watch or read Something Wicked This Way Comes, which at least covers the season, if not the holiday.

We can also add Practical Magic, BeetleJuice, The Addams Family movie from 1991, Trick or Treat to the list too.

beatles1964

If 'good' doesn't matter, you could rent the God-awful Night of the Demons to your Halloween themed horror.

A group of teens decide to spend Halloween partying in an abandoned mortuary. Instead of putting the idea of an abandoned mortuary to any use though, they conjure a demon with a Ouija board. The movie sucks, but has Halloween, gore and nudity, so there are some upsides.

And for a good Halloween themed movie, there's The Lady in White. A kid is locked in the class coat room as a Halloween prank, but sees a real ghost.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola) is my favorite. A visually and stylistically beautiful movie, while being reasonably true to the book.

I really do like the Jeff Goldblum version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, though. Still haven't seen Johnny Depp's take on it. :-(

#9 - Beatles,

Here's a short list of movies 'based on true events' that are not: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Strangers, The Amityville Horror and Halloween (though I have to say, I never would have included Halloween in this list because until this thread I'd never heard it was based on any sort of reality). All of these movies are complete fictions with no ties whatsoever with anything that ever actually happened.

The Amityville Horror is especially interesting. Try googling 'The Amityville Hoax' some time. I think that is the exact site I'm thinking of. Anyway, the Lutz family are a bunch of scamming liars trying to help a multiple murderer escape prison time while making some bucks for themselves.

The Amityville Horror is a pretty fun movie though.

Oh! Sleepy Hollow is a terrific spooky movie.

Hey jseeger9000 I beg to differ with you about Halloween not being based on a True Story when it is in fact based on one. You are wrong about this. If you will go to Google and type in Halloween it will come up with the movie Halloween (1978 film) and from there you can select to go to Wikipedia and you will see it says it is based on a True Story. And I also seem to remember hearing about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre way back in 1973 when the original movie first came out.

beatles1964

As far as The Amityville Horror goes I heard that some pretty weird things had actually happened on the set while they were making the movie.

beatles1964

Beatles,

What true story was Halloween based on? Can you name the killer or the victim?

Halloween was a script written by John Carpenter when he was asked to come up with a story for a proposed film called 'The Babysitter Murders'. He asked if he could set the story in October and call the movie Halloween instead.

I looked up the Wikipedia article you mentioned and it doesn't say that Halloween was based on any sort of true story at all.

How about Texas Chainsaw? What are the names of the folks killed there?

If you want to get picky about Texas Chainsaw, there was a weirdo named Ed Gein in Wisconson in the '50's who would dig up bodies from graves and cover his furniture. But then, that same guy was the inspiration for Norman Bates of Psycho fame and Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs. So if Texas Chainsaw is 'true' so are those other two.

As for The Amityville Horror, the reports of 'weird stuff' happening is called 'marketing'. No one that lived in the house after the Lutz's left ever reported any problems. Though there were some folks that moved because of people constantly trespassing and staking out the house.

Amityville finally lifted the house off of its foundations and moved it to a different town to get rid of the gawkers and the crazies.

Reminds me of The Hills Have Eyes which is sort of an homage to the Sawney Bean family of cannibals, said to be active in 16th or 15th century Scotland. An absolute hoot of a movie. The original, not the remake.

I'm partial to the orig Chainsaw as well as the first couple Hellraisers.

Oh and the original Wicker Man is excellent.

Dig the Evil Deads too. Such wicked camp. Ash is the man.

Don't forget Reanimator, Poltergeist and Pumpkinhead.

None of these have anything to do with Halloween, but they are a lot of fun.

#24 - Bookmarque,

See, I liked the remake of The Hills Have Eyes MUCH more than the original. For me, Wes Craven is the Dean Koontz of movie directors. He's done a lot of work, most of it not very good. I did like The People Under the Stairs and have a soft spot for his campy but earnest version of The Swamp Thing.

By the way, for a terrific take on Sawney Bean, try Jack Ketchum's Off Season. I just finished that one a little while ago myself and it was an instant classic. It reminded me of great stuff like The Evil Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

(Touchstone for Off Season isn't working?)

I have a signed copy of Off Season, actually. : D

I guess I just like the campy-ness and low-budgetness of the original 70s movies. Something Rob Zombie was going for in his, but missed.

The People Under the Stairs - saw that like 15 years ago and only remember the part where the wife told 'daddy' to go put on his suit. Hilarious. Don't think I've seen Swamp Thing in even longer...that was the one w/Adrienne Barbeau, right?

#26 - Don't think I've seen Swamp Thing in even longer...that was the one w/Adrienne Barbeau, right?

Yeah. Realistically, if I saw Swamp Thing now I would probably hate it, but it was the right thing at the right time I guess.

I agree with you on the low-budgets being a positive for some of those '70's horror flicks. But We Craven is just a hack. His ideas are almost always better than the movie he actually turns out. For those that like the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, how many would say the first is the best? Others were just able to do better work with his ideas I think.

Oh! One more Wes Craven: I liked Scream. I know there's a lot of backlash against it, but that first movie really is a landmark.

You know, if Swamp Thing was available on Netflix watch instantly, I'd do it. It would be hilarious.

Now that I look over Craven's movie list, I have to agree that he's pretty much a hack. The only Nightmare worth watching is the first and while I have Scream, I don't think I've watched it more than 3 times. It's ok.

have you seen the original Wicker Man? If not, HIGHLY recommended. In fact I wish I could wipe my memory and watch it again. The OMG moment is such a jaw dropper - when you realize what's been going on. 70s goodness, without too much cheese.

Oh yeah, I saw The Wicker Man. Sadly, I kinda knew where it was heading before I saw it which is a shame because that's one of those movies like The Sixth Sense where the ending should come out of nowhere and wallop you. Still it's worth watching and is on my 'watch again' list.

That they did a remake set in America baffled me.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare was a fantastic movie, as was, of course, the original Nightmare, but I agree that Craven hasn't done anything else particularly "good" otherwise. Scream was okay, and certainly worth a watch, and I guess Last House On The Left broke down some walls, but still...
And I absolutely facking love every Halloween film, with the exception of Season, which I haven't yet seen. Really, if Michael Myers is in the movie, it's already a five-star film with me.

Mike Myers isn't in the third one at all. It's a complete, stand-alone movie. To me it's worth a watch though.

I forgot about New Nightmare. I'll have to give it a watch again. I remember though that it came out about the same time as In The Mouth of Madness which was very similar in theme, but much, much better.

I've never seen In The Mouth Of Madness. My video store doesn't have it (nor does it have Season of the Witch!). I've talked to a few people who remember a particular scene in the beginning of Mouth that creeps them out, involving an old man (woman?) with crazy white hair riding a bicycle.

Yeah. It's actually an aged kid on the bicycle. The whole movie is just weirdly creepy. Best H.P. Lovecraft movie so far.

Careful, there's two movies (at least) called Season of the Witch. One is an old George Romero movie (not too good though I love George Romero) and the other is Halloween 3.

Well, it has neither of them. I'll be sure to pick up the one that says Halloween III at the top, when I do see it. What's the Romero flick about?

My childhood favourite is the Disney Hallowe'en special featuring The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949), narrated and sung by Bing Crosby.

#34 Bobby,

George Romero's Season of the Witch: Joan Mitchell is an unhappy housewife pushing 40, who has an uncommunicative husband and a distant 19-year- old daughter. Frustrated at her current situation, Joan seeks solace in witchcraft after visiting a local tarot reader, who inspires Joan to follow her own path. After dabbling in witchcraft, Joan, believing herself to have become a real witch, withdraws into a fantasy world until the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred and eventually tragedy results.

I remember a couple of creepy scenes, but not especially worth renting. He has another old movie called Martin about a boy who may or may not be a vampire that is a bit better. Not great, but not terrible.

Hey Beatles,

If you do want to see a movie that is 'based on true events' (at least insofar as the things shown in the movie were actually reported to the police by many different witnesses) check out The Mothman Prophecies. It's a little slow (especially in the beginning) and there isn't a maniac killer chasing anyone, but it is nice and eerie and will give you the heebie jeebies for sure. Man, that 'phone call' scene is one of the creepiest things I have seen in a movie.

Hey, #23 The Wikipedia article says "Halloween is a 1978 American Independent horror film based on a true story, set in the fictional midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween". I can't help it if this doesn't convince you that the movie Halloween is based on a True Story. I doubt if Wikipedia is lying to everyone about it being based on a True Story.

beatles1964

I don't see that. Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film set in the fictional midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween.
That's what I see.
This is the first I'm hearing of it being based on a true story. Oh well. Either way, it's still an amazing movie.

I can't believe someone actually mentioned Lady in White. I love that movie. I used it in my M.A. thesis. I think that one's really underrated. It's very slow and sweet and romantic through a big chunk of it, but when you do find out who the killer is, it turns downright traumatic--although it's really much more of a murder mystery than a horror film, even with the ghosts in it.

Just to stick my foot in this quicksand that is the "based on a true story" debate: Ed Gein was the inspiration for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The movie bears little resemblance to the actual killer (and he was a serial killer, not just a grave robber). Since Kubrick's version of The Shining continues to have "based on the book by Stephen King" splashed across the video cover, I can't take much issue with people citing a "true story" that actually did inspire them, however far they strayed from the original.

The Amityville Horror is sort of based on a true story--at least it's true in the sense that that's the way the Lutz's really did portray it to Jay Anson. They later admitted that they made it all up. But when the book came out, nobody but the Lutz's (and their imprisoned friend) knew it was a hoax.

I have heard, and it may be pure urban legend, that Halloween is based on a single murder case not a Halloween killing spree. A juvenile did actually kill his older sister with a knife from the family's kitchen. I think this happened somewhere near Bowling Green, Kentucky in the mid-sixties. (This is so prosaic, I'm sure it actually happened somewhere.) All the rest is fiction in the "what if" tradition.

#38 - Beatles,

The Wikipedia article says "Halloween is a 1978 American Independent horror film based on a true story, set in the fictional midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween".

That isn't what it says at all. Here is the quote swiped directly from the site: "Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film set in the fictional midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween."

Here is a similar quote (italics are mine): "the idea was that you couldn't kill evil, and that was how we came about the story. We went back to the old idea of Samhain, that Halloween was the night where all the souls are let out to wreak havoc on the living, and then came up with the story about the most evil kid who ever lived. And when John came up with this fable of a town with a dark secret of someone who once lived there, and now that evil has come back, that's what made Halloween work."

Seriously, I'll leave it alone after this. I don't mean to turn a fun thread into a debate.

I actually happen to have a copy of the Wikipedia page right of front of me that I printed directly from Wikipedia. So I know exactly what the wording to the articles says and I stand by what I said earlier because that is what the Wikipedia article states.

It says so in the very first sentence of the article. Like I said earlier, the article states "Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film based on a true story. I don't know how you could've missed it. Take another look and re-read it again.

beatles1964

Anyway, even if you can't agree that what I said that Wikipedia does indeed say it is based on a True Story, I think we can agree that it is still a great Horror movie.

beatles1964

I saw Rob Zombie's movie House of a 1,000 Corpses and was not in the least bit impressed or even scared a little bit by the movie. When the movie first came out on DVD my nephew came over one day and said he had a great horror movie he knew I would love because he knows I love to watch horror movies.

Anyway, I sat through the entire movie with him and kept thinking to myself, this is it? The movie has got to get better or scarier. Without a doubt I can honestly say that Rob Zombie's House of a 1,000 Corpses is one of the worst nonfrightening or scary horror movies I have sever seen in my life. It's a good thing my nephew brouight the movie over for me to see because that let me know I shouldn't waste my own money to either rent or buy the movie. In fact, I see better and even scarier horror movies on the Sci-Fi Channel than House of a 1,000 Corpses. And I love the Sci-Fi Channel.

beatles1964

#40 - Bentley,

Yeah, last time I rented Lady in White I realized that it didn't really hold up to my memory of it. Still, it is a fun, spoky movie that is set (at least in part) on Halloween.

I'm surprised there aren't more scary stories (horror movies especially) set on Halloween. It seems like such a natural. Maybe it's considered too obvious?

#44 - Beatles,

I thought the first ten minutes of House of 1,000 Corpses (that first scene at the gas station/tourist trap) was pretty good. I will say that it fell apart after that though.

On the other hand, his follow up (The Devil's Rejects) was pretty good, though to me it wasn't exactly a horror movie.

His remake of Halloween was also pretty good. Nowhere near the level of the original, but a good movie if watched entirely on its own. Of the recent remakes of John Carpenter movies (Assault On Precinct 13, Halloween and The Fog) it is definitely the best. Of course, being the best of that bad lot isn't much of a compliment I guess.

Not so much in the same vein, but I love Alien. So atmospheric & creepy. Ditto for Jaws. Very Lovecraftian in their execution.

But for sheer laughs and camp Evil Dead gets it every time. It's a trick, get an axe!

1000 Corpses was a huge disappointment. Love you Rob, you're wicked talented, but stick to music.

>36 jseger9000: Martin is probably Romero's most interesting movie - it's a pity that the original 2hr 45m B&W version is now lost.

Re The Mothman Prophecies - I screamed and screamed and screamed - and then they did a scene without Richard Gere.

Guys, if you go in and look at the 'History' for the wiki article on Halloween, you'll see that the phrase "based on a true story" has been added and removed three or four times in the last couple of days.... so beatles, you must have printed out the article before the most recent edit.

I printed out the article late yesterday afternoon that's how I know the phrase "based on a true story" is in the article.

beatles1964

Right, that's what I'm saying: at 19:13, 3 September 2008, someone edited the phrase "based on a true story" out of the Wikipedia article.

Lady in White. Hoorah! That was written and produced by Frank LaLoggia, from my hometown of Rochester, NY. :-)

I know they made a series of movies called Halloweentown. There's Halloweentown, Halloweentown II Kalabar's Revenge, Halloweentown High,
Return To Halloweentown. Mr. Halloween directed by Andy Wolf, The Fear: Halloween Night plus some more animated cartoons like Halloween is Grinch Night, Scary Godmother Halloween Spooktakular, Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie and one I'm not familiar with.

Dead Boys Return of the Living Dead Boys Halloween Night 1986 This one sounds like it's a
Zombie movie and maybe a spoof of the George Romero Night Of The Living Dead Zombie movies.

beatles1964

You've got it mate. Vincent Price was priceless (sorry about that, no pun intended). Him and Boris Karloff.

I shouldn't wade back into this, but what WikiPedia says can't be trusted, since it can be edited and re-edited.

The trick is, if Halloween is based on a true story, what is the true story? Can google find any source anwhere besides Wikipedia that says what story Halloween is based on? What was the name of the killer? What was the name of one of the victims? What state did it take place in? What year?

A quick search for Texas Chainsaw Massacre will show that the 'true story' it was based on is Ed Gein.

Searching The Strangers will show that it is (very) loosley based on the Tate murders.

The Hills Have Eyes was based on Sawney Bean.

Halloween doesn't bring up anything. Because it is not based on a true story. An anonymous wikipedia poster saying it is true with no facts/names/dates does not make a story true.

I like Peter Lorre movies too. Although he said he wasn't a 'horror actor', alot of his characters are odd enough to be sure. I wonder if there's any Peter Lorre fanfic that would put him into more horror settings.
I've seen a couple early Vincent Price movies, like Laura. I thought he was excellent in those, his characters were really interesting and different.
I like Tim Burton movies -- Sleepy Hollow, Nightmare Before Christmas. In fact I had a crush on Jack Skellington - the first cartoon character I've had a crush on. With the possible exception of 'Mojo Jojo'.

I admit to an addiction to crappy horror movies myself. I might have a low tolerance for other crappy movies though.

Can't believe I'm not the only one to have seen "Martin"! And what about the original "Dawn of the Dead"? I worshipped Tom Savini.
"Phantasm" and the original "Nosferatu" get my vote. I watched some of "House of 1000 Corpses", until the point that the father (the one looking for his missing daughter) got killed. The actor looked too much like my dad so I couldn't watch anymore.

That would kind of kill the fun if he looked like your dad, lol. I saw the original Nosferatu with the Clubfoot Orchestra playing live - I still got the t-shirt from that. I wore it for halloween once, my outfit was an undead person at a hospital, with burnt pants and a huge gash in my leg covered with a little bandaid. I also like Werner Herzog's Nosferatu, not the dubbed version though.

#59 - I also like Werner Herzog's Nosferatu, not the dubbed version though.

What's wrong with the dubbed version? I haven't watched the Werner Herzog one yet, but would probably watch the one in English (it was't really a dib. He filmed each scene in German and then again in English). If there's really a difference in quality I guess I'd watch it in German.

Phantasm is a movie that I do like but I know it isn't really very good. To me it's a bunch of different good ideas that don't go together that well.

I read that people who saw the english version thought it was funny. I didn't think it was funny but somehow it didn't seem to have the same impact as the German speaking version. It could have been because I'd seen it before but, I don't remember anything specific so I'm not sure. Maybe the actors were less comfortable or had funny accents, I don't know. Maybe you should get a second opinion.

I have to be in the right frame of mind for Nosferatu. Silent pictures take a special kind of mind set in this day & age. It is very creepy in parts though. Another silent but goodie is The Cabinet of Dr. Calgari. Very typical of German horror at the time. Rob Zombie did an homage to it for his video Living Dead Girl. Great stuff.

mstrust - Tom Savini is the MAN. I love finding him in those Tarantino/Rodriguez movies like From Dusk 'Till Dawn & Planet Terror. And weirdly, he looks like he could be my mechanic's little brother.

#63 - Bookmarque,

Somebody did a remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari last year or so. They filmed the actors (complete with period make-up and recreations of the original costumes) against a green screen and then digitally inserted all the original backgrounds into the movie. In essence it is the same as the original but with sound. It's worth a Netflix rent just to see how such an experiment would pan out.

That sounds kind of weird...I may have to add it to Netflix. Did the actors speak the exact lines (all like 10 of them) or did they add dialogue?

Nosferatu----isn't that the vampire-like movie in black and white?

#65 - I don't remember the lines from the original Cabinet, but I'm willing to bet they've added. If you have Netflix, I think they have a preview online.

It really was a pretty neat movie.

#66 - Nosferatu was the pirate version of Dracula. Old silent German movie by some folks who could't obtain the rights to the novel.

It was remade in the '70's(?) by Werner Herzog. He filmed it simulataneously in both German and English.

Nosferatu was such a fun movie. Problem is, for all the versions I have (three), they have added a horrible soundtrack to the background. It is, in two cases, a dance/techno beat...kid you not. I have to mute it and switch on my old 'Graveyard Terror' album.

Bookmarque-
I'm so glad Savini has taking up more acting, as this makes about four different careers for him: make-up artist, director, actor, author.
I think it's fun to watch how his hair and moustache get bigger and fluffier as he ages.

LOL mstrust! right on. I didn't know he was an author...will have to investigate.

#68, WTF?! Where did you get such an atrocity?! Are they two different techno soundtracks or the same on both? I've seen that kind of thing done with a lot of silent movies on Youtube, but I always assumed it was just amateurs making such terrible decisions.

Nosferatu with a dance beat? That is truely horrific!
I usually like the Clubfoot Orchestra's soundtracks, but sometimes it becomes more interesting than the movie. And, I was watching some Laurel and Hardy films from the 30's, then saw a silent film with them with the Clubfoot Orchestra, and, tho the music was great, it was very distracting. With their comedy you need some quiet and pauses. But I do recommend them usually.
When was this techno Nosferatu made?

A quick check on Netflix reveals both the original (I think...admittedly I haven't checked) Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari are both available for online viewing if you are a subscriber.

#70-
Grande Illusions by Tom Savini. A few others on LT also have it but last I looked mine was the only review. It's hard to find now. When I was a very young make-up artist in California I used to go to the local theatrical shop and stare at their SIGNED copy of this book, which wasn't for sale.

A quick check on Netflix reveals both the original (I think...admittedly I haven't checked) Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari are both available for online viewing if you are a subscriber.

I'm pretty sure both films are in the public domain and should be freely available to watch (legally) online.

Oops, the tombstones aren't recognizing the original Grande Illusions, which is the one I have. I guess you'd have to go through my library to acess that one if you want to see it.

I've always wanted to see The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, but have never been able to find it (I seem to be bad luck when it comes to searching out films).

#77 - Bobby,

I've always wanted to see The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, but have never been able to find it (I seem to be bad luck when it comes to searching out films).

See message #75.

Here you go: http://www.archive.org/details/DasKabinettdesDoktorCaligariTheCabinetofDrCaligar...

Or you can rent the original: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Cabinet_of_Dr._Caligari/70068454?trkid=222336&a...

or the 2005 remake (though the image they show is The Dick van Dyke Show!): http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Cabinet_of_Dr._Caligari/70068454?trkid=222336&a...

from Netflix.

BTW: I keep talking about the nifty 2005 remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. If you wanna see what the hells I'm talking about, YouTube has the trailer to the film here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttal1_sk34w

It's almost exactly like the original down to the clothes, weird make-up and creepy backgrounds, but the image is sharper and there is sound. Worth a rent if you loved the original or are afraid to try it because of the lack of sound.

As much as I love Internet Archive, it's worth the trouble to rent or buy a nice, clear DVD version of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The sets are amazing (IMO the best part of the movie), but you don't really get the full effect in a lot of the online/cheap-o versions.

The Tom Hanks movie Rona Jaffe's Mazes and Monsters has a halloween theme to it too. Since his brother, Hall left during his birthday/halloween party one year then Tom Hanks' character also leaves on halloween too. He goes to New York City climbs up on one of the Twin Towers with the intention of jumping off but his friends convince him not too. Tom Hanks' character keeps dreaming about his brother and he really gets into his role of Pardu the Holy Man.

They were all playing a fantasy game called Mazes and Monsters much like Dungeons and Dragons. Anyway, this movie happens to be one of my favorite Tom Hanks movies. In fact I have a VHS copy of the movie, though I think I would like to buy a DVD copy of the movie if I can because I was watching the movie over the weekend and something was happening to the tape. All of a sudden it went blank with a blue background for a couple of seconds than it seemed to correct it self. However, this happened several times while I was viewing the tape. Does anyone else like the movie too?
They all go to a local cave that is off limits to play their games of Mazes and Monsters and have to be careful because they know if they get caught they will be expelled from College. I also have Rona Jaffe's book too. I originally read it when the book first came out. It's probably long overdue for a re-read. Maybe after I finish some of the other books I'm reading right now I'll start reading the book. I liked the book a lot.

beatles1964

I remember Monsters and Mazes. I didn't even know it was a book. I always thought of it as after-school-special-like. Sort of like Reefer Madness for role-playing games.

No, it was a movie based on an actual book. Maybe you should go to your local bookstore and see if they still have any copies of the book. I don't know if it is OOP by now. You could always go to your local library and see if they have it and check it out there. If they don't you could always put in an Inter-Libary-Loan Request (ILL) for the book.

beatles1964

I'll have to check that one out.
I don't know if this one qualifies but it's like a sci-fi horror - They Nest. It's about cockroaches, and I remember it had great character actors in it, which is the best because I love good character actors.

#'s 82, 83 - In addition to Beatles suggestions, half.com has copies of Mazes and Monsters going for $0.75.

I remember seeing the movie a long time ago, but remember very little about it.

(Edit: Hey, I just checked and the movie is also available on DVD! I wonder if it is worth a rental?)

Katbear,

They Nest sounds like good, squirmy fun. Kinda like the last story from Creepshow.

Okay, I just checked Netflix and there are two movies about roaches. I'm posting the description for both. Which is the one you saw?

Creepy Crawlers aka They Nest
(2002)

If critters give you the willies, this movie will serve up nightmares for years to come. A breed of cockroaches gone bad invades an island, and they infiltrate everywhere -- in the walls, under the floors -- looking for food. But a dire situation only gets worse when the cockroaches decide to go searching for a breeding ground … and turn to humans to host their eggs.

---or---

The Nest
(1988)

The quiet town of North Port has a roach problem. Sheriff Tarbell (Franc Luz) believes that experiments conducted by INTEC Corp. are to blame. His fears are confirmed when Dr. Hubbard (Terri Treas) from INTEC arrives on the scene. But trepidation turns to horror when they learn that the genetically altered cockroaches have a taste for blood. Worse yet, the ferocious roaches are mutating into hideous killing machines in this grisly horror flick.

They both sound like fun to me!

I'm sure it was Creepy Crawlers - They Nest. It has Dean Stockwell and I like him alot. I'll have to rent it again and see if I still like it.
I just got Netflix again so I can rent some of these movies you're talking about. I just put Mazes & Monsters in my Queue.

Mazes and Monsters is a disappointment waiting to happen, don't bother!

Some people liked Mazes & Monsters, so I'll watch it and see for myself.

I like some strange stuff. I saw this clip on the news earlier but I just saw it again on u tube and it really cracked me up. It's the zombie kid who likes turtles. And I don't even have sound on my computer, it was just the memory of him saying 'I like turtles' that got me.

Mazes and Monsters is an early Tom Hanks movie and that alone should make it worth at least the price of a DVD Rental. Like I say that is one of my favorite Tom Hanks movies, along with Sleepless In Seattle, You've Got Mail,The Green Mile, Big and Castaway.

beatles1964

Okay, I haven't seen the movie in so long that I may as well have never seen it at all. But you may want to check the Netflix reviews for Mazes and Monsters.

MrGrooism has a valid point I think. All the reviews start with 'I loved this movie as a kid and thought I'd try it again...' and rate the movie as one or two stars.

I guess if you set your standards low enough, there may be something there. Post again once you've watched it.

Speaking of roaches and Creepshow...that little vignette really makes me cringe. Eeewww. Gah. Ick. Do love the Father's Day one though...I wan't my CAKE, Bedelia! And The Crate is awesome, too. Just tell it to call you Billie!

I have to admit I like alot of 1 and 2 star movies. Especially in horror and comedy. Like with comedy, some 4 star rated films leave me cold, I just can't relate. But I liked 'The Godson' because I adore Kevin Mcdonald.
The only reason that movie got 2 stars at Netflix is, 9 out of 11 people rated it 1 star, but 2 people gave it 5 stars. Hehe I wasn't one of those people, I probably would have given it 3. One guy gave it a funny review comparing it to Citizen Cane.

I admit I like 'bad' horror movies.

My better half and I love to rent a good scary movie or maybe try a scary movie in the hopes it will be good.

But then there are those scary movies that I know will be crap. Stuff like Sleepaway Camp, The Burning, My Bloody Valentine and those bug movies you mentioned. I rent those and watch 'em on my own, late at night like they are a guilty secret or something.

Sleepaway Camp. Heehee. That ending was so great. The acting was horrendous, but that ending...
Groovy stuff.

I have the same guilty pleasure too. I do own the Sleepaway Camp movies, My Bloody Valentine, Are You In The House Alone? Happy Birthday To Me, Sisters of Death, The Slumber Party Massacre Parts 1 & 2, Dolls and many others as well. Though I have seen all of them several times. I also like Oxford Blues, St. Elmo's Fire, About Last Night, Hannah And Her Sisters which I happen to own the VHS version of all these movies. All of them are some of my favorite movies. I always used to watch USA's Up All Night Movies as well as the TBS Dinner And A Movie too.

beatles1964

Wanna see really bad? Rent Swamp Zombies. It has everything-flesh-eating zombies, blood splashed everywhere, gratuitous nudity, bad acting and a couple of wrestlers and a porn star. They were actuallly the best actors in the movie.
For year-round bad movies, it doesn't get any worse than Franco Nero movies. Try Street Law. The ending, when his best friend is dying, will have you on the floor laughing.

Oh man, I SO had to add Swamp Zombies to my Netflix queue. You had me at flesh-eating zombies, blood splashed everywhere, gratuitous nudity, bad acting and a couple of wrestlers and a porn star.

Another "good" bad horror movie is Killer Klowns From Outer Space. Low budget and campy but great fun.

I love April Fools Day. It's a passably jumpy teen slasher flick.

I've heard fun things about April Fool's Day, but have never actually rented it.

Yea, I do own April Fool's Day on VHS. I've seen it several times. It has it's moments especially if you've never seen the movie before, however since the title of the movie is April Fool's Day you can expect some pretty funny practical jokes.

beatles1964

Man, I remember a movie that I loved as a kid called Saturday the 14th. A spoof of horror movies. Great when I was a kid, but I have the sneaking suspicion that if I watched it now I have a... slightly different opinion.

When I was a kid I was addicted to Creature Double Feature on Saturday mornings on channel 56. Oh the days of UHF. They'd show the most gawd-awful stuff, but it was great. Mostly I loved the whacky scientist playing with forces beyond his control bit. Those ALWAYS had the worst acting and the cheesiest monsters.

104--

I actually bet Saturday the 14th stands up better as a spoof today than the Scary Movie sequels... :-)

Yeah I have a low tolerance for bad romance or action or drama, but a high tolerance for horror, and certain 1 or 2 star comedies. But I'm very picky about the bad comedies I like. Less picky about horror.
The Creature Double Feature reminds me of the Mystery Science Theater 2000. I also love old horror movies and it's interesting how far back some things go, like the odd creepy maid, and Igor like characters and imagery of haunted mansions and things. Alot of things seem to originate in silent era movies. I wonder when they first appeared, in the movies, or perhaps in early novels somewhere. Did you have any favorite Creature Feature movies that you remember?

I'll have to rent some of those fine films. Did anyone see the new Hell Boy movie? Is it any good?

Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman is a good Halloween related movie too.

beatles1964

I love Practical Magic. That's just a fun film. I'm curious. Having seen the movie, is it worth it to read the book?

I love the movie Practical Magic too. I haen't read the book either but it might be worth it just to check it out. It might wind up being a fun book to read.

beatles1964

I haven't seen the new Hellboy movie, but I sure want to. That's the way sequels should be done, with the entire cast and crew returning because they wanted to do some more.

Man, it was hard to pass up 50 Horror Classics for 20 bucks at the store today. Has anyone given it a try? It looks like a whole month's worth of mostly cheese.

#113, I've had my eye on that for a while, too. It looks great! I have this one—it's only 10 movies, but it was well worth it. (Although I paid 1/2 what Amazon is asking....) The best part (almost) is that the tin has one of those buttons that screams and makes various other Halloween noises when you push it.

#114 I have that one too. It is pretty darn cool and the sound effects cd that came with it is fun too.

#110 and #111 the movie was *loosely* based on the book. It's a whole different story, the aunts were hardly involved. Light and fluffy, but worth the read.