A Few Spooky Flicks
2007-10-24 @ 9:13 p.m.

This weekend I have a date with the girl next door. No, no, get your minds out of the gutter (or save that for Saturday night). This is the weekend the little girl next door (not so little anymore) and I carve a pumpkin or two. Her stuck-up, Ivy league, stick-in-the-mud parents are above that type of thing so it's become a tradition for the two of us to spend the afternoon carving a Jack 'o Lantern or two. It started a few years ago when I was out on my porch taking the scalpel to a few pumpkins. I get the stencils and try all sorts of patterns. The little lass wandered over and was awed by my meager talent. Since then we always have a date a few days before Halloween to carve a few pumpkins: some for me and some for her.

Except for a small portion of my life, I tend to be a traditionalist in many ways. That includes Halloween. When Halloween falls on a weekday, I'm almost always home ready to answer the door and hand out candy. When I'm not answering the door, I like to be watching something appropriate for the holiday. That means scary with at least a hint of the supernatural.

I do not go in for the slasher, buckets of blood type thrillers. I like my horror to leave something to the imagination or, at the very least, to be less graphic than many thrillers. Here's a list of movies I'd watch Halloween night. Thought I'd pass them along for any comments or suggestions.

So, without further ado, Piper's Pic's for Halloween.

Aliens - Not a big science fiction fan but this isn't really science fiction is it? It's just monsters in space. Aliens captures a terrifying sense of claustrophobia and hopelessness.

Dracula - Not the crap that's been done post-Hammer films. I'm talking about the original Todd Browning film from 1933. Hokey and dated? Sure. But it's still a lot of fun. The Christopher Lee Hammer films from the 1950's are also fun. There's a bunch of them. Some are better than others but there's so many I can't recall the names of the good ones.

Salem's Lot - King's scariest book was made into two films. The first was directed by Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame. Not a big fan of Hooper but the original Salem's Lot was scary when I first saw it back in the late '80's as a thirteen year old. Looking back, there's big problems with the film, the most glaring is making the vampire look like a comic book monster. Still, a sentimental favorite.

Picnic at Hanging Rock - A Peter Weir classic. Set in the Victorian Era, a few girls from a private school disappear while on a picnic. I found the film rather hypnotic and dream-like. Eerie. Might not be your cup of tea.

The Haunting - Loosely based on Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House. I'm talking about the 1960's version, not the remake. This one's about atmosphere. You don't actually see much in the way of ghosts here. The supernatural nibbles at the edges. If you like your horror straight-up and in-your-face, this will disappoint. If your comfortable with being left with more questions than answers, give it a try.

The Exorcist - Scary shit. Holds up well. 'Nuff said.

The Fog - Again, the original, not the remake. Some creepy moments and a lot of good fun. Perfectly campy for Halloween.

The Wicker Man - A cult hit from the 1970's. The growing sense of dread is well done. If you like a dash of pagan ritual, you may like this one. The Wicker Man was recently remade starring Nicholas Cage. I haven't seen the new version.

Sleepy Hollow - More gore than I prefer but the evocative atmosphere and Johnny Depp make it a fun flick. This Headless Horseman is a bad ass!

Halloween - The one and only. A lot of fun. Has a place in the heart of all former babysitters.

Anyway, that's all for now. I will be attending a Halloween Party this weekend. Hopefully I'll have something a bit more interesting to talk about next week.