It’s that time of the year again. There’s a chill in the air. Leaves of various colors fall from the trees, covering the streets. Ghoulish decorations adorn the front yard. People of all ages willingly walk into haunted houses inhabited by ghosts and demons of all shapes and sizes.

…And I raid the horror section of my DVD and Blu-ray collection.

I’ll be honest. Christmas is my second favorite holiday next to Halloween. I am obsessed with Halloween. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you. I await Halloween with the anticipation of a small child every year. I never grew out of it and I never will. You all know the feeling, because you’re in love with it too. There’s something magical about it. There are also some pretty awesome films that are required viewing around this time of year, and I am going to tell you what they are! There are, at the very least, FIVE films that you should definitely seek out for a Halloween film fest:

1.) THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton, this film is wonderful, full of strange claymation creatures, and a lovable lead character named Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown who selfishly tries to take over the Christmas holiday. It all ends in disaster, but it’s all in good fun! If you know the film as well as I do, you know that you’ll be singing along with the magnificent score from Danny Elfman. It’s okay. Don’t hold back.

2.) THE SHINING: Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this is THE best film in the “haunted hotel” genre, and features a knock out performance from Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrence, a husband and father who slowly loses his sanity while acting as the caretaker for The Overlook Hotel. Danny, his son who just so happens to have a psychic gift called “the shining”, begins seeing deadly visions of the past and future – which includes a set of dead twins who beckon Danny to come and play with them – and a chain of memorably horrifying events begin to unfold as the film works its way under your skin, and the tension builds and builds until the infamous third act. *Contains adult content*

3.) HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL: No, this isn’t the 1999 remake, but the 1959 William Castle camp-fest starring Vincent Price as a millionaire who hosts a Halloween party in a supposedly haunted house. He offers each of his guests 10,000 dollars provided that they survive the entire night. “Once, the door is locked, there is no way out. The windows have bars that a jail would be proud of and the only door to the outside locks like a vault.” Well, suffice it to say that no one makes it out in time, and so they’re all stuck for the time being. That is when the real fun begins! Halloween simply isn’t complete without at least one viewing of this classic film. I’ll be honest, the remake isn’t bad, but trades in the old-fashioned fun of the original for blood and gore.

4.) HALLOWEEN: Directed by John Carpenter, this is a bona-fide masterpiece of the genre. Featuring Jamie Lee Curtis as a babysitter stalked by a knife-wielding maniac named Micheal Myers, this is first and foremost a mood piece, as it relies more on atmospheric chills than on gratuitous gore and cheap jump scares. Some may prefer the Rob Zombie remake. I am not among them. *Contains adult content*

5.) TRICK ‘R TREAT: Directed by Michael Dougherty, this is the newest obsession of mine, as far as film is concerned. With a narrative structure much like that of PULP FICTION, this film delivers four different story lines which are interconnected. They all take place on Halloween night, and are based on various myths and folklore that have always been a part of the Halloween tradition. This creepy and hilarious film captures the fun and excitement that we can all relate to around this time of year, and the tales that it seamlessly weaves together are all captivating in their own little way. You’ll be cringing and laughing at the same time! Much like John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN, this film relies heavily on mood and atmosphere, and this only adds to its charm. Barely released by Warner Brothers due to various marketing problems and a mild controversy concerning one of the film’s story lines, this is a little gem of a film that can finally take its place as an instant classic in the Halloween canon of cinema. *Contains adult content*

These are just FIVE, mind you, but there are many, many more! Honorable mentions include PSYCHO, THE OTHERS, CARRIE, THE EXORCIST, POLTERGEIST, THE UNINVITED, THE CHANGELING, PAPERHOUSE, LADY IN WHITE, and the 2008 Swedish film, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. 

Happy viewing, and Happy Halloween!

I love horror films. I love musicals. Put the two of those genres together, and some magical things are bound to happen - but sometimes, the results are merely so-so. 

Stage Fright tells the tale of two siblings, Camilla and Buddy Swanson, who work as chefs at the drama camp that is run by their step-father, played by Meatloaf. Years ago, their mother - a successful Broadway actress - was brutally murdered by a psycho in a white mask during a production of a play, entitled "The Haunting of the Opera". Since then, Buddy has developed a hatred of all things having to do with theatre, while his sister has inherited her mother's good looks and talents. 

When the happy-go-lucky theatre troupe at camp Center Stage decide to host a revival of "The Haunting of the Opera" for their summer production, Camilla immediately takes interest and auditions. She wows everyone, including the slimy director who expects sexual favors in return for giving leading roles to his actresses. 

During rehearsals, a masked killer begins to pick off the campers one by one, in increasingly brutal ways - and with musical accompaniment! As the film progresses, secrets are revealed that lead to a twist ending, in the tradition of sneaky slashers like Sleepaway Camp. 

Stage Fright is a lot of fun, even if the musical segments don't quite work. The songs themselves seem thrown together at the last minute, and aren't very catchy or memorable. There are many not-so-subtle jabs at the theatrical community that seem mean-spirited instead of funny, and this is a distraction. However, it is fun while it lasts, and comes recommended with reservations. 

Kidnapped was considered a “lost film” until 1998. The production came to a halt in 1974, when one of the main investors died in a car crash. Mario Bava’s son, Lamberto, compiled the footage and released Kidnapped in its entirety in 1998.

The film begins as four criminals make a failed attempt to rob a pharmaceutical company. When one of the four is shot and killed, the remaining three – Dottore, Blade, and 32 – speed off with the cops following close behind. When they arrive at a parking garage, they take three hostages: an older man named Riccardo and his dying son, as well as a woman named Maria, who just happens to show up at the wrong place at the wrong time. Riccardo informs the criminals that he is in a hurry to get his son to the hospital, but the leader of the group, Dottore, forces him to drive at gunpoint, while the two hoodlums in the back proceed to humiliate Maria, who is in shock and going out of her mind.

Dottore promises Riccardo that no harm will come to any of them, as long as he can take them to their getaway. The tension builds and builds throughout, as the villains reveal just how depraved they really are. This is strong stuff, ladies and gentlemen. Mario Bava considered this has most important film, and it’s easy to see why. The film has been stripped of Bava’s usual stylistic trademarks, bringing a sense of gritty reality to the material that we see. We genuinely want to see these evil characters get their comeuppance, and we want to see Riccardo, his son, and Maria make it out alive.

Just when I thought that I knew where the film was going, it would take a different path that I hadn’t expected, which was both a good and a bad thing. Good because the film tries its best to avoid cliches, and bad because I was so tense during the majority of the film that I was depending on predictability as some sort of safety net. This is a testament to how unrelenting the film is. In fact, it reminded me of Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left. It is repulsive from start to finish and just doesn’t let up.

Just when you think that things couldn’t get any worse, Mario Bava pulls a spectacularly evil twist right out of left field just before the credits roll. You’ve got to see it to believe it.

Kidnapped is definitely a change of pace for Mario Bava. I’ve only seen a handful of his films, but this one is definitely the strongest, in my opinion. The acting is incredible from everyone in the cast, and as he did for A Bay of Blood, Stelvio Cipriani has composed another memorable film score. If you can handle the no- holds-barred intensity, I recommend Kidnapped. 

This is one of the best claymation productions ever made. It may look dated, but we have to remember that it was made in the fifties. Plus, the herky-jerky look of the animation only adds to its charm. Anna Russell still cracks me up as the voice of Rosina Rubylips, the witch. The entire vocal cast is excellent! I absolutely love this film. This is a fascinating and creepy adaptation of the classic opera, with a surprising amount of   adult humor thrown in as well.

The only problem with the DVD is this: It looks as though someone took a VHS and transferred it over to a DVD. The sound isn't that great at times, either. Since this is the only version available at the moment, it will have to do. 

There is also a ten minute "making of" feature on here. Pretty interesting. If you grew up with this, and you love it like I do, buy it. I don't see any signs of a remastered version coming out any time soon.


Watch a clip of the film here. 

Columbia/Tristar’s 2007 Lindsay Lohan vehicle, I Know Who Killed Me, was universally panned by film critics upon its release. Granted, by the time the film was unleashed upon the public, we had all grown quite weary of Lohan’s off-screen shenanigans, and as a result, she was no longer considered a serious box office draw. I personally feel that most of the negative reviews were unwarranted, arriving on the coat-tails of the worldwide Lindsay Lohan bash-a-thon that seemed to be taking place at the time. The film managed to rake in eight Razzie Awards – including Worst Picture of the Year and Worst Actress – and currently holds a Tomato-meter rating of 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. Say what you will about the film, but know this: it isn’t as bad as you may have been led to believe. Or maybe it is. In any case, I will go on record and admit that I found the film to be one of the most audacious and fascinating horror releases from a major studio in quite some time. Who cares if it happens to be incredibly stupid as well? That’s just one of its many charms. You don't get a film like this everyday - one that's so relentlessly nutty. 

I Know Who Killed Me tells the story of Aubrey Fleming, a virginal high school senior who is preparing to leave for college in six months. Aubrey is multi-talented and excels at both writing and piano; however, her passion lies in the former rather than the latter. We see Aubrey reading one of her short stories aloud to her writing class. The story is entitled “Dakota” and tells the tale of a young, world-weary stripper who may be Aubrey’s alter-ego. 

Life at school has been hectic, as one of the female students has gone missing and hasn’t shown up in weeks. One afternoon, the girl’s body turns up with several limbs missing, and the police immediately begin to investigate. Later that night after a football game, Aubrey leaves her circle of friends and searches for her boyfriend, Jared, through the large crowd. She is ultimately kidnapped by a vicious mad man, who tortures her by freezing her hands, fingers, and legs with a block of dry ice, before slicing them off with a collection of homemade torture devices fashioned out of thick jagged pieces of blue stained glass.  

She goes missing for a few days, before a passerby finds her in a ditch on the side of the road, missing her hand and a leg. During her stay at the hospital, she claims that her name is “Dakota Moss” and that she has no idea who Aubrey is. Indeed, her parents are baffled, as Dakota is the polar opposite of their daughter in just about every way except her looks. Dakota tells her parents that she works as an exotic dancer and that her mother is a junkie, who overdosed on drugs. We see fragments of Dakota’s life in flashbacks as her story is revealed. It is unclear whether or not Aubrey is suffering from delusions or whether there is a deeper mystery at the heart of the situation. Soon, the doctors are able to restore her missing limbs by way of a robotic hand and a battery operated leg. With her mobility restored, Dakota sets out to solve this strange mystery by any means necessary. 

Yes, the plot is admittedly ridiculous. Yes, Lindsay Lohan plays a one-armed, one-legged stripper. Yes, you may even toss your hands to the heavens in disbelief. I Know Who Killed Me is not a perfect film by any means, but it is consistently entertaining. This beautifully photographed curiosity is an affectionate homage to David Lynch, Brian DePalma, and last but not least, Dario Argento. Like most of Argento’s work, the film is extraordinarily colorful, with an absolutely ludicrous plot and dialogue. I Know Who Killed Me is heavy on mood and atmosphere, drenched in deep blues and reds, and is simply gorgeous – but the dialogue lands with a thud on more than one occasion, and several moments will provoke unintentional laughter. One such moment comes in the form of an incredibly awkward sex scene between Dakota and Jared. It is handled with such carelessness that it seems like it belongs in another film. However, if you can leave your brain at the door and give in to the insanity, I can guarantee that you will enjoy this fascinating film. The performances are hit and miss, although Lohan is quite good. Director Chris Sivertson proves that he is capable of delivering a visually stunning film, one that pays tribute to some of the best directors in the history of cinema. The award-winning score from Joel McNeely is excellent, calling to mind the work of Pino Donaggio. 

Basically, if you were to throw Persona, Mulholland Drive, Suspiria, Dressed to Kill, and The Double Life of Veronique in a blender, you would most likely end up with I Know Who Killed Me. I firmly believe that this film deserves a second chance with audiences. It was never meant to be a masterpiece. It is what it is. I encourage you to seek it out for yourself and draw your own conclusions. 

Director Scott Derrickson’s Sinister is a horror tour-de-force that you’re not likely to forget once you've seen it.

Egomaniacal true-crime novelist, Ellison Oswalt, moves his wife and two kids into the house where an unsettling murder involving a family of five has recently taken place. He plans to write about the incident and the missing child, who was apparently spared and kidnapped by the killer, hoping that he can solve the mystery without the help of the local authorities.

As he stores boxes in the attic, he finds several reels of Super 8 film and a projector. Each film contains increasingly graphic and macabre footage of a family being murdered. Upon further inspection, Ellison discovers that a pale, hollow-eyed figure can be seen lurking in the background in each one of the home movies. A pattern begins to emerge, as Ellison becomes consumed with the dark secrets that lie within the films. Further investigation confirms that there are demonic forces at work, and that Ellison may have opened a gateway that has placed his family in danger.

Sinister takes familiar themes and situations and spins them in entirely different directions, making the film unpredictable and highly unnerving as a result. The film score by Christopher Young is almost a character in and of itself. It accentuates the disturbing nature of the film, cranking the scares all the way up to eleven. Ethan Hawke delivers an extraordinarily nuanced performance, and this ranks among some of his best work. The rest of the cast is just as good, under the direction of Scott Derrickson, who pulls absolutely no punches for the entirety of the film. Where most directors would turn away from such material, Derrickson dives right in, creating a cinematic experience that will live forever in your memory.

Sinister is utterly relentless and is not for the squeamish.