The Top 5 Halloween Movies You May Not Have Seen

We've all seen the well-known Halloween classics like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and, of course, Halloween. But have you seen these lesser known gems?

5. Donnie Darko (Theatrical Release)

Donnie Darko is a mind-bending masterpiece. The story follows Donnie, a troubled high schooler who is haunted by visions an approaching apocalypse: a countdown to Halloween. As the end date approaches, Donnie is guided by a frightening rabbit named Frank to commit increasingly dangerous acts of vandalism and judgement. Donnie Darko is a Halloween film that shouldn't be missed. (Skip the director's cut of the film, which detracts from the film's esoteric grace by over-explaining the plot.)



4. Arsenic and Old Lace

On Halloween, Mortimer Brewster marries the love of his life, then visits his two aunts to share the news. However, trouble abounds when he learns that his adorable aunties murder men and bury their bodies in the basement. Things get worse for Brewster when his violently psychotic brother comes home after a world wide tour of homicide.  Arsenic and Old Lace is hilariously suspenseful and delightfully morbid. It is a classic that everybody should see. So why not see it this Halloween?



3. Murder Party

Murder Party is true gem. Christopher, a somewhat dull and lonely man, finds a discarded invitation to a "Murder Party" that will take place on Halloween night. Upon arriving at the party, poor Christopher learns that the invitation was bait to lure an unsuspecting victim to be tortured and murdered. Fortunately for him, the murderers are incompetent art students who can't even decide on pizza toppings, let alone how to commit the crime. What follows is a hilarious character study that satirizes the shallowness of the art scene and the meaning of "cool."



2. At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul

At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul is the quintessential Halloween movie despite the fact that it doesn't take place on Halloween. I'm serious. This move is filled with more Halloween sounds and images than any of the previous movies on this list, or any list for that matter. Just watch the clip of the first few minutes of the film below and you will see what I mean. Made in Brazil in 1964, At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul is frightening even by today's standards. The film's villan, Coffin Joe, is a deranged undertaker who terrorizes his local village. The film is so terrifying that it begins with a witch who warns the audience not to watch it. Don't listen to her. Watch it now.



1. Trick 'r Treat

Trick 'r Treat isn't the quintessential Halloween movie. Trick 'r Treat is the spirit of Halloween, captured in a movie. The film is a collection of intertwining Halloween themed stories: a murderous school principal, a vampiric killer, a grizzly town secret, and a vengeful Halloween spirit all terrorize a small midwestern town. Trick 'r Treat is a love letter to Halloween that is meant to get you into the spirit of the holiday.  You must watch this movie. Just remember: never blow out a Jack-o'-lantern!

Dr S Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies: The Movie: The Interview

If you were at the right place at the right time during the SXSW film festival, you might have caught the screening of Dr S Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies: The Movie. The plot follows a young cheerleader who gets caught in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Fearing that she has no where to run, she follows the enigmatic Dr S as he tries to find a cure for the zombie infection that he caused. It is a story of science gone awry, redemption, and sacrifice. Most importantly, it is the story of a hero who drives a hot rod and blasts zombies while dropping lines like: "Warning, marijuana will induce hallucination, violent behavior, and my twelve gauge shotgun up your ass!" We cheered and laughed as Dr S massacred the zombies. The movie is filled with subtle references to famous horror movies and itself can be considered homage to classic b-movie horror. I caught up with Brian Ortiz and James Hartz, the film's director and writer respectively, after the screening and asked them a few questions:

TalkHard: First off, how did you come up with this idea?

James: Bryan came up with the title and characters for the “Grindhouse” trailer contest.

Brian: My producer asked if I wanted to participate in the contest. I was reluctant at first, but one day this image of a doctor killing teenagers popped into my head. Then that turned into a scientist with a shotgun killing kids in the woods. Over time the idea developed into the film we have today. I let my brain sink into the movie knowledge I have obtained over my life and I combined all of the things I love about horror into one man: Doctor S.

TH: What projects did you all work on before Doctor S?

J: I helped out of a few of Bryan’s short films while he was in college, which sounds like we were making porn and I’m fine with that.

B: We were working on shorts for various contests at the time. We filmed Four Minutes Till the End, which took us all the way to the Cannes Film Festival and Big Scary German, Fantasy Inc., and a few others.

TH: The film pays homage to a combination of 50’s instructional videos, vintage horror, and the Evil Dead series. Were there any specific influences that you had in mind when you were developing it?

B: BRUCE CAMPBELL!

J: Definitely. Evil Dead and Shaun of the Dead were huge influences. Both, in turn, owe a lot to George Romero’s zombie films. The Resident Evil movies had some small influence. Old Propaganda films (i.e. Reefer Madness) were highly influential. Also, MST3K played a big part.

B: We took a lot from all of these sources. We examined them closely to understand what made them so successful. Once we thought we understood those mechanics, we were able to apply our own sense of style. As James said, both Sam Raimi and Edgar Wright were largely a part of the analysis, combining what we wanted to do with the lessons they taught us. We also took names and characters from our favorite movies and used them as city names and references sprinkled throughout the story.
 
J: Outside of the film, comic books were a big influence, especially when it comes to that wonderful over-the-top action and attitude for the film.

B: But the icon, the legend that is Bruce Campbell is what we borrowed for the base line of Doctor S.

TH: How did you come up with the character of Dr. S?

B: I wanted nothing more than to create a character that was larger than life and someone that I could become a fan of, but I couldn’t do it by myself.

J: Bryan created the character initially. When we wrote the script and developed the character of Doctor S, we knew we wanted to have this redemption story arc, so Dr. S becomes this anti-hero type who is struggling to better himself, deal with his horrible past, and face the consequences of his actions.

B: We wanted to see someone who was selfish and self-sacrificing at the same time.

J: This is why I think the flashback scenes are important. The audience needs to see that Doctor S was a selfish, power-crazed asshole before all of the atomic reefer stuff. That way he is not off the hook and the audience has a reason to go along on his journey with him, even though they may not like him.

B: Plus, we wanted to get crazy and have someone who could say anything and do anything.

TH: Were there any scenes or ideas that you loved, but you couldn’t get in?

J: There was a scene that took place in a gas station that evolved into the soldier scene in the hospital. Originally, there was a zombie fight there. Also, we had a few great ideas for a chase scene in Mary Jane’s neighborhood. Hopefully, I can put these into the comic adaptation.

B: Still, almost everything we wrote got put into the movie. Of course, we would have loved to take some of the scenes and push them further, faster, harder, stronger (yes, like the Daft Punk song).

TH: Being a native of San Antonio, I recognized a lot of the filming locations that you chose for the film. Did you develop the script with those locations in mind?

B: Yes. I knew a lot of our budget limitations, so I used all the resources I had to complete the film. Most of it was shot on campus at the University of the Incarnate Word and they were really gracious in letting us shoot there. We shot in the wooded area in the back of the school and really worked that area. We used their parking garage to cover the underground lab shots. The city of San Antonio was good to us when we did have to shoot out in the city. I knew when we were writing the script that location was important, but I tried not to let it hinder our ideas. Some locations we had in mind, some were serendipitous, like the hospital scene, which was a last minute change that worked out for the best.

TH: What was the biggest challenge that you had during production?

B: Keeping up the energy and keeping the cast and crew in high spirits is always a challenge. As the director you are the driving force of the production. On top of that, when your people are working for free and the love of the project, you really have to keep your cool and drive the project home. Of course, along the way we ran into production problems…lack of money… constant changes and adaptations to onset problems, the typical movie stuff.

J: I remember that there were quite a few special effects/make-up issues that slowed things down. Securing locations was another huge challenge.

B: Everybody was really professional and made the job as easy as possible for me and put up with a lot of changes and reshoots. The pressure of actually finishing the project is always hard. Sometimes you want to give up because it’s so hard. Yet you can’t because it needs to happen and too much time and love was given to the project.

TH: Was there anything that you expected to be challenging that wound up being pretty easy?

J: Not really.

B: No. The movie was a welcomed challenge from beginning to end.

J: I don’t think there is anything about making movies that is easy. Fun, yes, but not easy. When we lost the first car we were going to use, I thought that replacing it was going to be a big problem. In the script, the car was a hot rod and we had secured a Mustang, but the owner backed out at the last minute. Fortunately, our friend, Mike, was able to supply his Model A and it became one of my favorite bits in the movie.

TH: The zombies in the movie have a distinctive look and sound, with their sunken in eyes and their ghoulish voices. I was wondering why you made that design choice?

B: We had a lot of discussions with the special effects team about the look of the zombie. They aren’t zombies in a traditional sense of being dead, but are infected and transformed.

J: I remember that we toyed with the ideas of having their eyes turn red, having their eyes drip blood, or their eyes just be empty sockets with smoke billowing out of them.

B: Their look is an extreme take of stereotypical attributes of drug use.

J: It plays off the idea that reefer gives you this drowsy-eye tired look.

B: Plus, I like the idea of a dual voice when it comes to evil characters. Using both a high and low pitch give the creatures a sense of being insane and disturbed.

TH: Earlier cuts of Dr. S were in color. Why did you decide to change it to black and white? Did you make any other changes when you made that shift?

B: I decided to make the change because black and white is something I always wanted to do. Even though it looks beautiful in color, the black and white gives the film a vintage look. Plus, I liked the stark contrast in black and white, kind of like Frank Miller’s Sin City. Harsh shadows and deep blacks dominated the film and just added that heavy tone I needed.

J: I remember when Brian first showed it to me in black and white; it was one of those Satori moments. It helped the look, tone and feel of the film to a near infinite degree.

B: And adding the dirt and grain was the final touch to the whole film.

J: Since the black and white gave the movie a more serial and propaganda film quality, it was easier to add the Cinis Labs short in the beginning and all the movie commercials.

TH: Why did you decide to break the film into 3 acts?

B: After the first cut was done I noticed it felt choppy and in pieces. I realized that visually and story-wise, it felt like three parts. So with my theatre background it only felt natural to cut up the piece into three acts.

TH: Are there any important messages that you want your audience to leave the film with?

J: Not particularly. I mean, I don’t think that anyone goes to see something called “Dr. S Battles the Sex-Crazed Reefer Zombies: The Movie” and expects a message. Although, there are some ideas and themes if you read into it: the dangers of placing trust in the government or science to solve all of your problems for you, the high cost of acting out of selfish pride or anger, fear as a tool of control, and, of course, kicking some ass with a hot cheerleader by your side is always awesome. Always.

TH: Brian, do you have anything to add?

B: I want to give credit to Evan Boston and Peter Egly, who helped write the movie. This film was made for YOU the audience, for the fans of Evil Dead who want to laugh and scream at the screen and clap in excitement. This is made with a thank you to every director and storywriter before me, and finally this film is made with love and laughter for your enjoyment.

TH: Finally, what are your future projects? (Spoiler)

J: We are coming out with a series of audio dramas that tell the story of what Dr S was doing for the 1000 years. They’re called “Dr S Battles Through Time: The Audio Adventures.” Those should be coming out soon on our website. Dr S will be teaming up with some of history’s greatest figures! From our brains to your ears! Also, I’m searching for an artist to work on a comic book adaptation. Oh yeah, coming this fall, because you demanded it, “Dr. S Battles the Sex-Crazed Reefer Zombies: THE MUSICAL!” A live stage show! That’s right true believer!

TH: Any chance of a sequel?

J: You bet your sweet ass there is a sequel planned!

B: It’s my dream to have a trilogy one day.

J: So start preparing yourself for all the new flavors of sock-rocking whoop ass that we’re piling on to the epic sundae that is Dr. S!

B: And for future projects from Film Classics, go to:

www.filmclassicsproductions.com

www.doctorsthemovie.com

Snap into a bad romance!

Okay, I'll admit it. I love the new Lady Gaga video. Huge news in Gaga Land everybody! Is Lady Gaga the new Slim Jim mascot? Macho Man would be proud.

Don't You Know, Baby Yeah Yeah

It's only now that he's dead that I think of Michael Jackson as the child he never ceased to be.

His first indelible impression on me came via a VH1 mini-series version of his young life. That horrendously abusive father who tortured his children toward talent, until one of them (young precious darling Michael) fulfilled those Jehovah's witness prayers. It seemed cruel that the young Jacksons were whipped with sapling switches and forced into state fairs and talent shows, but Michael was beatific enough to unravel the torture; he almost gave it depth.

The extent of his childhood idyll was demonstrative of a deeply stunted man. Adulthood seemed to be forced on him. He acted out abusively, effectively alienating himself from societal norms. In the end his astonishing feats were overshadowed by his embarrassing behavior.

It's easy to be a post-mortem apologist, trite even, but it’s coming more naturally to me than I would’ve expected.

**This is incomplete, but it won't stay timely for long. Figured I'd post now -- flesh it out later. I take back the "this doesn't make me sad" comment. It just took awhile to move away from "wow, something is really HAPPENING!?" You know?

Oscar recap

So we were spectacularly wrong. But not about Winslet. or Ledger. Well kind of about Ledger.

How appropos that a movie about foreign poverty would win this year (economic crisis... what we inflicted on the world for eight years.. etc.). Congrats to all the Desi kids relegated to the back row. You should have all been sitting on Jolie's lap.

Diet Coke lost, though. I know that much.

Fucking PSHoffman in a beanie. That, ladies and gents, is how it's done.

OSCAR picks 2009

Richard and My take on what liberal fatcat's taking home a golden statue

BEST PICTURE
R: Slumdog Millionaire made me fall back in love with being alive. It was the first truly globalized movie. Not just amazing, but intellectually appealing.
N: Milk had everything I needed. But also I like watching boys make out.

ACTRESS
R&N: Winslet wins! Winslet wins! GOOOOOOOAAAAAL!!!!

ACTOR
N: Langella makes the most sense. Fallen despot too prideful to feel anything but sorry for? I will lick those jowls.
R: I can’t remember who else was up for actor.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
N: For having such a unassuming face, Marisa Tomei makes everything evident in the stitch of an eyebrow or the twitch of a nipple. Nineties sucked.
R: Marisa Tomei all the way. She’s the hottest 75 year old I’ve ever seen.


SUPPORTING ACTOR
N: R.D. junior. Non-ironic blackface meets ironic blackface meets-- how the hell did we get here? Also, best comeback EVER. Let’s not spoil it. p.s. if Heath Ledger would’ve died a little later he would totally be my pick.
R: Philip Seymour Hoffman: don’t you just wanna lie in bed and cuddle with him? I bet he’s a good cuddler. Haven’t seen the movie though.


ANIMATED PIC
N: Wall-E made me cry like a baby, but I was also on my period.
R: Wall-E. duh.

ART DIRECTION
N: Dark Knight. If only for the vehicles.
R: Dark Knight cause Heath Ledger’s dead.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
N: Slumdog Millionaire was so pretty. Those colors -- I could smell them. They were crunchy. And tasted like curry.
R: Slumdog Millionaire, it was just so fast paced. I was never bored. And I get bored so easily. I’m already bored just talking about it.


DIRECTOR
N: Boyle, but with VanSant hot on his heels. Tough one. This category is one of the hardest to decide.
R: Boyle for 28 Days Later


EDITING
N: Slumdog. So technically perfect. Bollyriffic.
R: See above.


MAKE UP
N: Hellboy II for sure. Guillermo DelToro rocks my box. I want to crawl inside that brain.
R: Ditto

MUSIC SCORE
N: Slumdog: rockin.
R: Have you bought any soundtracks to any of these movies? Cause I downloaded Slumdog. Sucka Lucka.

VISUAL EFFECTS
N: The Dark Knight prolly, but I’m not all that equipped to say.
R: Benjamin Button for fooling the academy into nominating it for so many awards. That has to be some kind of effect. I’m calling shenanigans.

WRITING (ADAPTED)
N: How can you manage to make a talky fucking political play into a genuinely engaging screenplay? I don’t know, ask that guy that adapted Frost/Nixon.
R: The Reader. I haven’t actually seen The Reader, but I read the first chapter and it was pretty good. I have no reason for this.

WRITING (ORIGINAL)
N: Wall-E. I don’t have to answer to any of you.
R: Oh yeah, Wall-E. It’s funny cause there’s so little actual script.

THE ANNUAL PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN AWARD
N: Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s a shoe-in
R: My money’s on Heath Ledger.