Barrett Brief Entertainment- Ten Halloween Movies To Enjoy This Weekend
Ten Halloween Movies To Enjoy This Weekend
Well, All Hallows Eve is close. This weekend marks the last weekend before the holiday. So while everyone else is going out to pay for overprice costumes and stressing out about which party they need to attend, follow the Briefers advice and stay in and watch a movie. The problem is that around this time most people will look for “scary” movies. Why is that is a problem? Because modern Hollywood has equated “horror” for grotesque amounts of nudity & violence. Contrary to popular belief, you can make a good, suspenseful film without these things. Don’t believe me? Well take a look at The Barrett Brief’s Ten Halloween Movies you can actually enjoy. Now almost every one of these films have language issues and one film has one scene of nudity (noted below), but they are overall (almost) guilt free.
- Clue– PG- Summary: Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up. This movie from the first title card gets the vibe of the season right. On top of that you get a decent plot with some fantastic laughs and my personal favorite mystery film.
- TheFrighteners– R- Summary: After a tragic car accident that kills his wife, a man discovers he can communicate with the dead to con people. However, when a demonic spirit appears, he may be the only one who can stop it from killing the living and the dead. From a pre-Lord Of The Rings Peter Jackson, this movie does live up to its namesake. Michael J. Fox delivers a fantastic out of character performance. Despite the scares it throws your way, there are still some humorous moments and a solid spooky time.
- Zombieland -R- Summary: A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America. What can I say, this movie just rocks. This was the refreshing to watch in a sea of post Zach Snyder Dawn of the Dead reboot. My only zombie related movie on this. (*This film is an exception, because there is one bit of nudity in the opening credits, but after that you are in the clear)
- Quiet Place-PG-13-Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. I have to thank The King Dude himself for this movie. A perfect blend of suspense and heart, this is a film you can watch with the whole family. Really is one of the best horror in the last 10 years.
- Tucker & Dale Vs Evil– R- Summary: Affable hillbillies Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students. The film flips the 80’s slash on its head. A horror film from the hillbillies POV (point of view), you will laugh at the hacks the slasher genre take!
- Sleepy Hollow– R- Summary: Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of three people, with the culprit being the legendary apparition, The Headless Horseman. If there is one filmmaker who embodies the vibe of this season, it has to be Tim Burton. I mean seriously the guy has to be Halloween 24/7 in the brain. Anyway, this retelling of the Washington Irving classic transports you to a time that we all associate with Halloween. A little long, but it overall it is a good time.
- Ghostbusters– PG- Summary: Three former parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service. Really, do I need to explain this one?
- The Ring – PG-13- Summary: A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it. A moody re-imagining of the 1998 Japanese horror film, I’m not going to lie, this movie stayed with me for a good month. Simple but effective tension building that doesn’t rely on jump scares, well paced and indeed scary as hell.
- Odd Thomas – PG-13-Summary: In a California desert town, a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities encounters a mysterious man with a link to dark, threatening forces. This is a supremely underrated film. The late Anton Yelchin nails it as the title character. The tension is genuine and all the emotional beats are earned. Definitely should be on everyone “must watch” list, not just for this time of year.
- Deliver Us From Evil – R- Summary: New York police officer Ralph Sarchie investigates a series of crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest, schooled in the rites of exorcism, to combat the possessions that are terrorizing their city. Sorry, I am not leaving off the film that was inspired by the Crusade Channel’s own Ralph Sarchie. But the film does provide scares, and for us Catholics it brings it to a different level. After you watch it, check out the Deliver Us From Evil Tapes with the actual man himself.
Honorable Mentions: Tremors, Escape Room, The Exorcist, Young Frankenstein, Hocus Pocus
That is the list, I hope you enjoy the suggestions and have a safe All Hallows Eve and Blessed All Souls Day.
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Tucker and Dale is one of the funniest movies in the horror/comedy genre. Two good dudes a the wrong place at the wrong time. Since you went for “Clue” I’d have to add “Little Shop of Horrors” to that, as well. It’s got the right amount of an underdog tale with a twisted way to get rid of your crush’s man. And Steve Martin is great for that bit part, too. Rick Moranis not only does a solid job but in real life, the dude is solid.
TBH I have never seen it in it’s entirety so I cannot make a judgement on it! (I know, I know)
Yeah, I need to watch Little Shop of Horrors, might end up on the list next year!
How about the Abbott and Costello movies as an honorable mention.
Good list. Love the show.
Never seen it, is it worth the rental?
Glad that Sleepy Hollow is on the list, but I would put it up higher. Speaking of Tim Burton, How did Nightmare before Christmas not make the list? Or would you consider it a Christmas movie? Some misses but it’s a list…somebody has to be left out. Thanks for putting it together.
You know, I struggled w/ that film, I find that it tries to hit both and I personally find that it struggles towards the end. It is a classic for many people though!
I’m in the mindset that Nightmare Before Christmas is a Christmas movie. Once you start bringing in Santa and the music, you’re done. Now I am also of the belief that Die Hard is a Christmas movie, too. It’s all up for debate.
Yeah I have to agree with that, it also the mashing up of the Holiday’s that throws me out of whack. Die Hard IS a Christmas movie no matter what Willis says.
“Odd Thomas” is a fantastic recommendation! It’s always on my watch list. If it were made into a series, I’d watch that.
Kuna,
It is one of my favorite films too! There were plans for a sequel before Anatonin died; also Dean Koontz wrote an op-ed about how screwed up the process is of getting his own book made into a movie. Odd came out in 2012 and he started working on the project in 2000-2001!
Serious omissions here are both the Addams Family movies, “Monster Squad”, and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”.