Editor's Choice: Top 10 Films for Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!

At this time last year we put together a list of the top ten films to watch on Halloween as voted by our fans. There was something that we noticed when looking over the films and thinking about the Halloween holiday. Of the films that were voted in the top ten last year, over half of them were of the horror genre, three were family friendly films and one was a hybrid of horror and comedy. Different people enjoy different things about Halloween and this showed in the results of our Halloween film survey. Many enjoy embracing October 31 and the week of as a time to celebrate with friends and family at parties and trick or treating, while others associate it with the supernatural and all things terrifying.

The meaning of Halloween has changed dramatically over the centuries. According to the History Channel website, it's origins can be traced back to the Celtic holiday of Samhain on November 1 which marked the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. With the turning of the seasons, it was believed that the world of the dead was disturbed and people would light bonfires to ward off ghosts and when leaving the house, they themselves would wear masks so that the spirits would mistake them for one of their own and leave them be. In the eighth century, October 31 became known as All Hallow's Eve and over the centuries became Halloween, the night associated with Jack o' Lanterns, dressing up, bobbing for apples and candy corn.

Halloween is embraced by people of all walks of life. Along with the more popular Halloween activities, watching movies on October 31 is a tradition held by many households. Films people watch on Halloween are not limited to films set on Halloween or are primarily about the holiday itself, but also include scary films of the horror genre due to the fact that the original concept of Halloween was one of the supernatural and fear. Nowadays, Halloween is appreciated for different reasons and one of the ways which comes to be understood is by looking at the variety of films people recognise as being films to watch on Halloween.

In order to show this variation again this year, we have put together Movie Critical's picks for the top ten films to watch on Halloween. A few of these were included in the top ten as voted by fans, but there are some additions. The trend we found was that there are less of the violent horror films and more atmospheric films which are more suspense rather than straight up horror films.

10. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)



Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is the ultimate for any classic movie fan on Halloween. Two of the kings of comedy, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello star as freight handlers who are given the shock of their lives when the remains of Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein arrive in the United States from Europe. Things become a great deal more complicated when both Dracula and Frankenstein awaken and then escape together. If things could not get even more complicated, Lawrence Talbot, otherwise known as The Wolfman (Lon Chaney, Jr) arrives to hunt down Dracula. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a hilarious film featuring three of the greatest horror film characters in a crazy series of events.

9. Nosferatu (1922)



German silent classic, Nosferatu is based on Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula". When a real estate agent, Hutter and his wife, Ellen encounter Count Orlok (Max Schreck), Hutter feels that there is something strange about him and he soon starts to wonder whether he is the vampire he has been hearing about. As strange deaths follow the Count wherever he goes, he starts to fear for his life and the life of his wife. Nosferatu is what nightmares are made of. The image of the Count and his shadow are scarier than any villain you will see in modern films and as the film approaches a hundred years old, it remains as terrifying as ever.

8. The Shining (1980)



Based on the book by the Master of Horror himself, Stephen King and directed by the great Stanley Kubrick, The Shining is incredibly creepy and spooky. Writer, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son, Danny (Danny Lloyd) move into an abandoned hotel for the winter so Jack can focus on his writing. It isn't long before strange things begin to happen and Jack starts to turn into a violent monster. The Shining is like watching a nightmare with creepy and unsettling images throughout the film which have since become famous. The most memorable being the twin girls in blue and Jack Nicholson's "Here's Johnny!"

7. Casper (1995)



The 1995 family film, Casper may not have ever reached the level of classic, but it still remains a fun and sweet supernatural based film that is Halloween appropriate. Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman) has been hired by heiress, Carrigan (Cathy Moriarty) to exorcise ghosts from the mansion she has inherited and moves in with his teenage daughter, Kat (Christina Ricci). They meet the troublesome ghosts who have been causing Carrigan grief, but they also meet the friendliest ghost, Casper and he and Kat form a very special bond. Casper is a film that both children and adults can enjoy on Halloween, especially as it embraces the holiday spirit towards the end.

6. Sleepy Hollow (1999)



Based on Washington Irvine's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow is an extremely atmospheric horror period piece. It tells the tale of Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), who is sent to Sleepy Hollow is investigate the recent gruesome murders and soon comes to realise that all this talk of the headless horseman he thought to be untrue is quite the opposite. The headless horseman is a figure who has long been associated with Halloween and although not actually set on Halloween, you could be forgiven for thinking so with the presence of Jack o' Lanterns on some scary looking scarecrows.

5. Psycho (1960)




Hailed as one of the greatest horror movies of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is the ultimate in suspense. When Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a Phoenix secretary on the run after taking $40000 from her employer's client, pulls in to a quiet motel for the night, she meets a quiet and seemingly polite young man who is utterly terrified of his mother who lives in the intimidating house behind. Marion finds out before the night is through just how terrifying his mother really is. The infamous shower scene is still one of the most popular horror scenes of all time, but it is the suspenseful and unpredictable nature of Psycho which make it a true classic and a haunting film to watch on Halloween. For the record, after making Psycho, Janet Leigh developed a fear of showers and would only take one if there was no bath and if all the doors were locked.

4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)



The Nightmare Before Christmas is a favourite animated film of many people and comes in at number four on our top Halloween films. Nothing like your traditional Halloween film, Tim Burton's film combines the holiday with Christmas, making The Nightmare Before Christmas both a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie. Jack Skellington is the hero of the film and king of Halloween Town. He gets bored of doing the same thing every Halloween and after stumbling on Christmas Town, decides to combine the two holidays. The result is of complete mayhem, but a wonderfully creative, original and memorable film.

3. Halloween (1978)



It couldn't be a Halloween film list without Halloween. This is the ultimate horror Halloween classic as it encompasses both the night of Halloween and real horror. It's a relatively simple story with an incredible amount of suspense and terror. On Halloween 1963, a young boy by the name of Michael Myers kills his sister in cold blood and is locked away in an institution. It isn't until 15 years later that he escapes and brings terror back to Haddonfield, the scene of his crime. Myers is one scary villain, as he never says a thing and wears an ice hockey mask. The ultimate Halloween slasher film!
2. Dracula (1931)



As many times as Bram Stoker's character can be recreated for the big screen, the 1931 Dracula is perhaps the creepiest and most unsettling. Bela Lugosi is truly terrifying and the perfect Dracula. While some may feel the film is dated and such things as the bat on the string may be laughable, it is the lack of colour and music that only add to the atmosphere of the film and the overall suspense and unease.

1. Hocus Pocus (1993)



As it did last year, Hocus Pocus tops our list once again as the top film to watch on Halloween. Hocus Pocus is a truly wonderful Halloween film with it's holiday atmosphere, great story and flawless characters. When Max (Omri Katz)  and his younger sister, Dani (Thora Birch) move to Salem, they immediately hear the story of the Sanderson sisters who were witches hung hundreds of years ago. Legend has it that if a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle,  the sisters will come back to take the lives of all the children in Salem. Max, of course, doesn't believe this, and lights the candle as a joke. He soon realises that it is more than legend when the Sanderson sisters walk through the door and puts every child, including Dani in danger.

Hocus Pocus is another Halloween film which the whole family can enjoy. The film catches the essence of Halloween the way it is celebrated in a community, while also having a scary (but not too scary) side. Bette Midler plays head sister, Winifred Sanderson and is wonderful. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy played sisters Sarah and Mary and the three of them have amazing on screen chemistry. This is perhaps Sarah Jessica Parker's best role. No disrespect to her Carrie from Sex & The City, but she plays a completely different character in Hocus Pocus and is truly hilarious.

The 19th of October 2013 was the films 20th anniversary and a screening was held at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Please see here to check out all the action and see photos of some of the stars 20 years on.

This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

 

Year: 2014
Running Time: 103 minutes
Director: Shawn Levy
Writer: Jonathan Tropper (novel and screenplay)
Cast: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Corey Stoll, Adam Driver, Kathryn Hahn, Rose Byrne, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard, Abigail Spencer

This Is Where I Leave You opens in Australian cinemas on October 23 and is distributed by Roadshow Films. Now showing in the United States and opening in the United Kingdom October 24.

You can see what This Is Where I Leave You is trying to do. You can also tell that it is trying really very hard to achieve this. However, Shawn Levy's latest film doesn't live up to all it can be despite how much it is trying. It is a film that has far too much going on to be emotionally effective and it's characters do not connect with the audience the way they should despite a stellar cast. There are sparks of the special film which This Is Where I Leave You could have been, but these sparks don't form into the fireworks which they should have been.

After Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) finds his wife, Quinn (Abigail Spencer) in bed with his boss, he loses his job, his beautiful wife and his cool apartment all at once. When things seem like they could not get any worse, he receives a call from his sister, Wendy (Tina Fey) telling him that his father has just passed away. He makes the trek back to his hometown to be reunited with his mother, Hillary (Jane Fonda) and his siblings, Wendy, Paul (Corey Stoll) and Phillip (Adam Driver). As well as their father passing away, each of the Altmans have their own issues and in this emotional time there are confrontations as well as comforts.

This Is Where I Leave You has wonderful intentions. It is trying to be a film that is sensitive and sympathetic to family death and the notion that families are made up of different personalities which are susceptible to clash at such a time when emotions are running high. Yet at the same time, it is trying to highlight the hilarity that can ensue when all these different people with so much happening in their lives are put under the same roof. However, This Is Where I Leave You lacks the emotional attachment that would allow these two to work in unison. With so much going on with so many different characters, the viewer finds that there is not enough time spent with each of them to be able to develop a connection and the scenes which should bring a tear to the eye instead feel lack lustre and close to empty. Even with Jason Bateman's Judd who is the lead character in the film, there is pity felt for him at the beginning of the film, but this connection is lost when the film is swamped by the rest of the cast.

One comes away from the film feeling as though it is really trying to do too much and missing so much because of it. There are some laughs, but with a lesser cast the humour would be lost. In fact, many of the laughs seem unoriginal and worth more of a giggle than a belly laugh. While it's underlying premise of the dramatic meeting the comedic in such a situation is somewhat original (although it cannot avoid the obvious comparisons to August: Osage County), the film itself falls into several pitfalls which allow it to come across as rather predictable and often cliché, especially when it comes to Judd's ending.

There is no doubt that the comedic timing and acting ability of the cast carries This Is Where I Leave You. The on screen chemistry between the cast members who are part of the Altman family is spot on and allows for the dynamics to be extremely realistic. What is great about the way the Altman characters interact with each other is that like adult family members, they start off speaking to each other like adults but the conversations often end with them acting and talking like they are their younger selves. It is something which people may not realise is a part of sibling relations as they mature. Conversations begin in the present, but inevitably turn towards the past.

Jason Bateman does well in the lead and truly does as much with the part as he can. He has some  moments of pure sadness, but the situations he becomes involved in throughout the film should allow for a greater variety of intense emotions to be exhibited. Although he is likable to an extent and has some witty dialogue, the audience leaves the film not feeling as though they really had a connection to or even knew who the lead character was. Tina Fey is pleasant and will delight anyone who is a fan of her previous work as her dialogue is delivered with the same wit and sarcasm she has became popular for. Wendy Altman is probably one of the more entertaining characters in the film, but again, not enough time is spent with her during her pressing situations to feel a real emotional attachment to her.

Corey Stoll is fine, but his character of Paul could have been given so much more to work with and if he had, could well have been one of the most interesting in the film. Adam Driver is a lot of fun as baby of the family, Phillip. His inability to grow up and really be a man is endearing despite his questionable actions. Jane Fonda is very good, but doesn't have nearly enough screen time.

This Is Where I Leave You has the best intentions, but tries to do too much with too many characters. The result is a film that lacks emotional attachment and doesn't have nearly enough laughs to make up for it.

5.5/10

Whiplash (2014)

Year: 2014
Running Time: 106 minutes
Director: Damien Chazelle
Writer: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell

Whiplash opens in Australian cinemas on October 23 and is distributed by Sony Pictures. Now showing in limited release in the USA and opening January 16 in the United Kingdom.

Damien Chazelle's Whiplash absolutely triumphs over everything that is cliché and stereotypical of a music school film. As an intensely real film set inside an extremely high pressure institution, this character driven drama does not sugar-coat any of it's content which gives it an unpredictability and suspense not often felt in a film such as this. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons give absolutely outstanding performances as two very real and very complex characters who have incredible on-screen chemistry and are involved together in some of the most intense and memorable scenes of the year.

When we are introduced to nineteen-year-old drummer, Andrew (Miles Teller), his private practise session at his music school has been interrupted by infamous teacher/conductor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) who insists on listening to him play. Although Fletcher doesn't give Andrew any indication that he is impressed, he transfers him to his band the next day as the alternate drummer. A twist of fate allows Andrew to become the core drummer and as a result, his confidence grows in his ability and he begins to ostracize all those close to him in order to have the success he craves. Yet, Fletcher makes sure he keeps Andrew on the edge and constantly reminds him that his place in the band is never safe.

Whiplash is far from the sugar-coated music or dance school films that cinema goers are accustomed to these days. While this subgenre tends to bask in the idea that performing arts schools are the institutions where your dreams are sure to come true, Whiplash seeks to destroy this fabricated image and remind that these schools are also places where dreams are slashed and only the strong survive in circumstances which can be incredibly brutal and often unpleasant. Andrew's constantly bandaged hands and the sweaty, intense competitions between those vying for the same part are reminders that hard work in such a place is very rarely clean and can often be physically demanding and psychologically taxing. While other films set in performing arts schools use exaggerated and optimistic elements such as overcoming the odds to win or be accepted, it is the fact that Whiplash doesn't do this and is realistic that makes it all the more captivating and entertaining. There is a great deal of suspense and unpredictability to the film which is very welcomed and refreshing as a result.

The screenplay is incredibly tight with witty and entertaining dialogue, which evolves from being quite comedic to begin with to being dark and menacing as the film progresses and the characters change. The music will inevitably delight those who appreciate jazz and it's use as part of the soundtrack when the character's are not playing it gives the film a nostalgic and classic atmosphere. The stage lights are taken full advantage of in the film by creating silhouettes for the characters in crucial moments and gives the moment greater importance.

Miles Teller's Andrew develops a great deal as a character throughout the film. To begin with, he is a self-proclaimed loner and is so in the most endearing way. His lack of confidence in himself, but obvious drive makes him incredibly likeable and the audience takes to him straight away. Throughout the film, the character changes into one who has qualities which are normally associated with a character audiences love to hate. However, the impact of Teller's performance at the beginning of the film is powerful enough that even though he changes for the worst, he is still the loved one of the film. Teller's delivery is spot on and his performance very physical, but in a completely natural way as he looks completely at home behind his drum kit.

In the teaching profession, music teachers can be among the most intimidating and often scariest. J.K. Simmons' Terence Fletcher takes this to a whole new level. Fletcher is the type of teacher which would haunt people's dreams for years to come with his words and twisted method of encouragement via intimidation. Yet, he gives the impression that there is another more gentle side to him. This impression is just that, as there is never actual confirmation that it exists. Simmons is terrifying, but at the same time completely brilliant. His words hit the viewer in the same way they hit the characters on screen and feel physical rather than verbal. Simmons and Teller are perfectly cast and work perfectly on screen, particularly in the last incredibly memorable scene of the film.

Whiplash is wonderfully unique and completely riveting. It is a joy for anyone who has attended a school specialising in performing arts to see a film which captures the intense reality of such an institution. However, it is also a joy for those who have only seen these places in cinema to play witness to a film that breaks stereotype in an incredibly courageous and honest way.

8.5/10