Not so scary Halloween movies
by The Flamingo
I love Halloween, but I hate watching horror movies. I’m afraid I tend to be more of a chicken the older I get. So you won’t find any Exorcists, Chuckys, living dead, creepy clowns or psychopaths with axes on my watch lists, although I watched them all at one point or another. So no “Here’s Johnny” scenes. I love mysteries and thrillers, especially if there is creepy comedy involved, movies that don’t keep me up at night and that don’t tend to be taken too seriously.
Arsenic and old lace (1944) – I watched this Frank Capra creepy comedy recently for the first time, I can’t believe I ignored it for so long. The story has a crazy family at its center, each member nuttier than the other and it all happens on a Halloween night. What to expect: a marriage, two murders, 13 dead bodies, 2 old ladies, some confused policemen, Theodore Roosevelt, a mad scientist, a serial killer who looks like doctor Frankenstein’s patient, mulberry wine, Happy Dale nut house. Cary Grant is hilarious in the role of Mortimer Brewster, who is trying desperately to solve all the Halloween mess and stay sane at the same time.
Cast: Cary Grant, Josephine Hull, Jean Adair, Peter Lorre, Raymond Massey.
Sleepy Hollow (1999) – I never miss watching this movie on Halloween night. It surprises me every time and I find it the ideal spooky movie. The very renowned Legend of the Headless Horseman comes back to life in this story, as well as the famous Ichabod Crane and the Dutch village of Sleepy Hollow under the direction of Tim Burton. All Burton’s movies can be considered “Halloween movies”, but this specific one takes the cake. The characters are played by amazing actors, the dialog is full of humor and releases some of the tension at times. But the story is scary and bloody and cruel. What to expect: lots of mystery, a headless horseman, a queasy detective, corrupt leaders, witches, pumpkins, a dead tree, some sharp teeth, lots of decapitated bodies and missing heads, one beautiful Katrina. Although Sleepy Hollow is considered a horror movie, I find it very much tolerable in this aspect, like all the Tim Burton movies. What I liked the most is the spooky, greysh, cold and foggy atmosphere and also the authentic decor and design, Burton’s style, who also won an Oscar for it.
Cast: Johnny Deep, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lee, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon.
Hallowe’en Party (2011) – This is a Hercules Poirot episode in the Agatha Christie’s BBC series. As a true murder mystery fan, I read my share of Agatha Christie novels and also watched the whole British series featuring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot. This episode is a full length movie, as are most of the recent episodes in the series. During a Halloween Party in a village a child is murdered in cold blood. The atmosphere is very different than in other episodes, also the cruelty of the murder is somewhat out of the ordinary. Everything is very macabre, dark, but also with some touches of humor here and there. What to expect: a mystery of course, a costume party, a cauldron, a novelist, some apples, a maze, lots of Jack-o’- lanterns. This is considered one of the best Hercule Poirot movies, so I am delighted to recommend it.
Cast: David Suchet, Zoe Wanamaker, Deborah Findlay, Julian Rhind-Tutt.
Murder by death (1976) – I think I watched this movie sometime during primary school just once, but I remember every scene perfectly. It’s a murder mystery, spooky comedy, a parody after all the novels and movies featuring great detectives, by the director Robert Moore. The question is what happens when all of those famous detectives gather in the same room to solve a murder? You will get to see replicas of Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Nick and Nora Charles, Charlie Chan and my personal favorite Sam Spade…which Peter Falk interprets brilliantly, Humphrey Bogart would be proud. But the most surprising character of all is the one in the interpretation of the famous author Truman Capote. The comedy of the movie comes not only from the ridiculed characters, but from different situations they are put in. What to expect apart from detectives: a blind butler, a spooky house, a moose, a dinner party with no food, moving eyes in the paintings, two murders, one strange ending and some tacky racial humor towards French, British, American, Chinese and Japanese people (the movie is old after all, but very funny nonetheless). It has nothing to do with Halloween, by the way, but a great watch on a cosy autumn evening all the same.
Cast: Truman Capote, Peter Falk, Maggie Smith, David Niven, Peter Sellers, James Coco, Sir Alec Guinness.
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) – You may be acquainted with Edgar Allen Poe’s writings, I for one read him in high school and loved his works. This is the first story I read and I also watched the very old horror adaptation. The black and white movie, directed by Robert Florey, was able to capture the drama and atmosphere of the short story. It’s about the investigation of the sordid murders of a few women and the creature behind them. What to expect: an ape, a mad scientist, prostitutes, experiments, rooftops and a lot of fainting. It has some ludicrous situations, so it’s not that creepy as the short story, also the ape is no King Kong. What would Halloween look like without some Edgar Allen Poe?!
Cast: Sidney Fox, Bela Lugosi, Leon Ames.
This is my list of favorite creepy movies that set the perfect mood for a not so scary Halloween celebration. If you have kids at home I can suggest my son’s favorites this year: Casper (1995), 90’s style fun, not scary at all, some creepy moments here and there, but perfect for family movie night. Also Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod (1949) told and sung by Bing Crosby is a delight for kids and adults as well.
Have a fun and safe Halloween in these weird times.
Original photo from the Sleepy Hollow movie.
