Tag: The Fog

Start With a Scream

On By BrandonLeave a comment

A week into October and the Halloween season is well under way. It’s no secret that Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the air being a bit chillier, the leaves of trees burning bright and the jack-o-laterns grinning on steps. Little monsters come out from hiding and the evenings whisper a promise of treats and scares.

To kick off this Halloween I thought I would you give you some of my picks of movies to watch to get you in the spirit. Sit for a spell, pull up that favorite blanket on your lap and grab a bowl of fresh popcorn. It’s movie night.

  • Halloween: We’ll start with John Carpenter’s masterpiece that birthed a whole genre of horror coined the slasher movie. Tame by today’s standards but brutally effective in the creeping-you-out factor. Not to mention the wonderful score that could easily be the theme for the entire holiday.
  • Monster Squad: You know who to call when you have ghosts, but who do you call when you have monsters? A ragtag group of kids brought together by their love of monsters. These kids are the only ones that are able to stand up to the classic monsters invading their town. Monster Squad is a great cheesy romp through Universal’s classic horror movie line up.
  • The Others: Ghost movies don’t come much creepier then this one. The mood and atmosphere set during the story will have you looking out of the corner of your eye at shifting curtains and swinging doors. Wonderful acting from Nicole Kidman and the kids. The ending will floor you.
  • Dracula: I’m talking about the Bela Lugosi one though the Christopher Lee interpretation isn’t bad either. I could easily throw all of the other Universal classic monsters in here as well, but there’s something about Dracula that sets itself apart.
  • The Ring: Will scare the pants off you. Nuff said.
  • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein: The pattern all horror comedies should follow and the good ones have done just that.
  • The Fog: That’s right, Carpenter made the list twice. Terror always knocks. There’s something in the fog. Don’t make the mistake of watching the half-baked remake.
  • It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown: Makes you want to sit in the pumpkin patch and watch for the Great Pumpkin with Linus. Gather your kids around and enjoy a holiday classic.
  • Nightmare Before Christmas: My daughter would not be happy if I didn’t mention this one. The great thing is that you can watch this movie for the next three months. I’m sure it will go down as Tim Burton’s greatest movie and it will be difficult to argue otherwise.
  • Sleepy Hollow: Speaking of Tim Burton. This is Burton’s ode to the Hammer horror movies of old. The story of the headless horseman and the modern detective that is set on solving the mystery. Heads will roll.

That’s all for now. Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween.

There was no driver…

On By BrandonLeave a comment

With Halloween nearly upon us, I thought I would share a few of the movies I have watched to get in the spirit this year. I started with one of my all time favorites; The Monster Squad. I have always had fond memories of this movie. I had once resigned myself to viewing it only in those memories, until it finally was released on DVD. I owe much of my love of monsters to this movie. If you haven’t seen it, see it now. Right now. OK, now we can talk about the story of Dracula rounding up all his fiendish friends (Creature, Wolf Man, Mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster) to tip the balance of good and evil in their direction. Too bad they weren’t prepared for the local kids horror club rechristened the Monster Squad. Good thing the kids have that scary German guy on their side. Oh yeah, and Van Helsing’s diary.

The next movie in line was The Fog. I’m talking the original one, not the updated version that isn’t even worthy to crawl in the shadow of John Carpenter. The Fog is a classic, plain and simple. Remember, death always knocks in Antonio Bay.

Lastly, so far, was The Car. I suppose this is a great double feature with The Fog due to the title alone. This is another movie that I had resigned myself to never see reach DVD. It has its goofy parts but overall it is a great movie that knows exactly what to do with a killer modified black Lincoln. I could actually see this being remade today if the right person was behind the camera. Maybe I’ll tackle the script myself someday soon.

Speaking of scripts, I am still working on my Deadington script and am determined to finish this thing before this year ends. I don’t know why I find it so hard to find time to sit and write consistently…probably has something to do with a lovely little almost three-year old that wants to play. When she wants to play monsters, it’s hard to refuse.