HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
My kids are well past the age of trick-or-treating. Not that there is a cap, I wish it was socially acceptable for adults to trick-or-treat. We could dress up, go door-to-door, and instead of candy we could get shots. We'd all have those little necklace shot glass things, and the homeowner would open the door holding a giant bottle of liquor. For those who didn't imbibe, they could hand out 401k contributions and coupons for chiropractors and therapists. You know, shit the adults need more than candy. I feel like I've gone off topic...
If you, like me, are NOT going trick-or-treating this year but are choosing to spend it indoors with the porch lights off and the door dead-bolted, I have a few ideas on how to pass the time. Horror movies are my jam, and this season has brought some true gems to the streaming networks. I don't have cable so I can't help you out there, but here are some recommendations if you're looking for a good fright fest:
EIGHT GREATS ON HULU:
1) A Quiet Place - If you're one of the two people in the entire world who have yet to see this, get thee to your nearest television now. Hosting John Krasinski, a post-apocalyptic world, and more tension than a dinner with your in-laws, this movie packs a lot of entertainment into 91 minutes. Loads better than The Silence over on Netflix.
2) Let the Right One in - Based on a book by John Ajvide, this movie first aired in 2008. I haven't read the book, but it's on my TBR list after seeing this. It's a wonderfully fresh take on a vampire movie. You won't regret it.
3) Species - This classic needs no introduction. Go see it.
4) Children of the Corn - Stephen King. Enough said.
5) The Midnight Meat Train - Based on one of my favorite Clive Barker stories, this movie is fantastically gruesome. You'll also get a peek at a younger Bradley Cooper (this first aired in 2008)
6) Odd Thomas - Based on my favorite Dean Koontz novel, this is a quirky take on a "boy who talks to ghosts" story. The main character, Anton Yelchin, passed away just three years after it aired in 2013 due to a freak accident outside his house in California. On a brighter note, you'll get to see Willem Dafoe, and that is always a treat.
7) Saw - When I first saw this movie, I promptly ejected the VHS tape from the VCR (shutup, I know I'm old), and threw it into the trash. Nothing creeps me out more than a "what would you do" scenario where you see the depths of depravity hiding in all of us, waiting for just the right circumstances to emerge.
8) My Bloody Valentine - Your classic slasher flick with masks, stupid teenagers, hormones, and gore aplenty, this is a nice throwback to the 80's. I LOVE this movie.
** Other notables include: Blade (1 and 2), Open Water, Event Horizon, Mimic, Child's Play, 28 Weeks Later, Hellraiser, and Rosemary's Baby.
SIX ON NETFLIX:
1) Tucker and Dale vs. Evil - The definitive Horror/Comedy mashup, this movie is hilarious. You will laugh out loud when a body goes through the wood-chipper. Seriously, you will.
2) The Autopsy of Jane Doe - One of the best horror movies I've seen in a while, this movie is creepy in all the right places.
3) Candyman - Based on the short story, The Forbidden by Clive Barker. I hear they are remaking this, and I don't quite know how I feel about that. The original is fantastic. Who can forget that scene with the bees in his mouth? I read an article the other day saying Tony Todd actually had a mouth full of live bees. A mouth guard kept them from going down his throat. No thank you.
4) Hush - Incredibly tense movie about a deaf woman evading a killer who has snuck into her home. Home invasions creep me the fuck out more than any other horror premise. That's your home, your safe place. Just watch it with the lights on.
5) The Invitation - Creepy psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. You think you know what's happening? You're wrong.
6) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Maybe it's because I'm from Texas, or maybe this is just an awesome movie, but this should be in the top ten classic horror flicks of all time.
** Other notables include: Carrie, Gerald's Game, 1922, and The Sixth Sense
Tired of movies and just want to curl up with a good story? You can always pick up a copy of Haunted or Isolation, the two Halloween Anthologies I'm a part of. The Haunted ebook is free, and the Isolation ebook is only $3.99.