halloween watch: films to make you jump in the night

So I know it's technically November, but I sort of space on the last installment of this post! I had a busy few days and I wasn't feeling 100% so I had written it and everything - just forgot to post it.. Ooops. So hopefully you don't mind me posting this this morning, as I know there were a lot of Halloween parties last night/tonight. Continuing from earlier in the week where we covered funny-horror films and Witches, these are films that make me scared, every time.

REC 

I have a bit of a thing for Spanish made horror films - there was a point a few years ago when they were producing really interesting things (see Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone, The Orphanage, Timecrimes, etc). This still gets me, even though I know what's coming - it's filmed in that hand-held, first person style, (Also, I know the remake is not that different, but you should definitely watch the original, the girl in it is much less irritating!) 

The Exorcist 

This is a strange one for me, as I don't find it that scary, but some of the scenes make me very uncomfortable (which is weird, looking at how tame it is now). I think there is something to do with the fact my mother forbid me to watch it, yet I snuck out to a friends house to see it one Halloween, which made it feel all that much worse. 

Ju-on (The Grudge) 

The original Japanese film, I mean, not the remake. There is something so spine-chilling about the noise (if you have seen it, you'll know what I mean) that gets me every time. Good one to watch with friends, I think, so you can all scare each other stupid. (Even looking at google to find an image for this post has made me shiver!) 

Antichrist 

My first foray into a Lars von Triers film was Antichrist, watched alone in the house and night - a giant mistake. It is a very compelling, atmospheric film, with some very intense scenes. I adore the actors in it, and it gives me a chill every time. I know a lot of people think it isn't very good, but I find there is something interesting in the parallels between the animals and the nature of people and everything.. I don't know, I just think it is a good film! 

Martyrs 

This is one of those films I found very hard to watch - I had heard of the premise and thought it sounded interesting and probably didn't read enough reviews before I watched it! It is graphic - violent and graphic and probably much further into the realm of torture porn that I would like to go! It's got an idea behind it that intrigues me, but if it's gore you want, I recommend. (Also, trying to find an image for this that isn't completely graphic was so hard! haha) 

Honourable mention: The Woman in Black, it's not as scary as the stage play that i went to see (which was truly terrifying to a 13 year old me) but there are a couple of moments (well, one) that makes me damn near wet myself every single time, which I think makes it worth a mention!

halloween watch: films with a good amount of cheese

I think some of the best horror films are the really cheesy ones, almost, ones that make you laugh at the ludicrous nature of it all, or are just meant to be funny, and these are some of those..

The Nightmare before Christmas 

I've had multiple discussions with friends about whether this is a a halloween film or a christmas film - in my head, it goes with halloween so perfectly, I don't see another place for it. I love the songs, and I think everyone knows it, but it deserves a mention. 

Cabin in the Woods 

I think this is supposed to be in the actual horror challenge, but the end few scenes border on such hilarity for me, it has to be in here. Post-watching, I would go and look up some of the monsters. 

Teeth 

Get your girlfriends together and watch this - and enjoy how hilarious it is. It's based on the premise of vagina dentata.. teeth in the vagina. I like the idea of it being an empowering women thing, but the concept is actually just hilarious, so you might as well enjoy it, it has a dark humour and I think it's a little bit underrated.

Shaun of the Dead 

Everyone loves a zombie film, and I think this is one of the best that doesn't take itself too seriously (because lets face it, zombies aren't serious). 

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Just because. I really want to dress up and go see it somewhere. I know a few people that haven't seen this yet and I really do wonder why. 

Honorable mention: Coraline. It's a kids film about an girl who discovers her 'other' family who is trying to lure her away and sews buttons on their eyes. It's not as scary a film as the book - the book is written by Neil Gaiman and genuinely terrified me when I read it a few years back (I wasn't even a kid!).

halloween watch: ~*~ WITCHES ~*~

I'm not one for halloween, really. I don't dress up, I don't got to parties, I don't use it as an excuse to get crazy drunk: I know, I'm so cool. One thing I do really love though, is good (or bad) scary films and TV shows. So leading up to Halloween I'm going to show you some of your favourite scary of Halloween-themed movies and ask you to share with me your favourite! First up: witches.

Practical Magic 

I don't know where I start - the beautiful house, the children, the dreamy nature of it - everything everything I love rolled into one witchy film. There is a lot of humour in it, but at the same time isn't a comedy - the highlight are the aunts. 

The Craft 

Teenage girls with witchy powers - set in a private school world in the 90's in California - chaos ensues.. One of my favourite films, ever! I love the whole witchy-vibe that was in the 90's, and this film perfectly epitomises it. 

The Wickerman (1973 version!) 

Whilst not necessarily witches, there is something witchy about the matriarchal Summerisle, and I like the quality of the film that reminds me of Picnic at Hanging Rock, or something similar. It's creepy and hilarious in equal measures, and I sort of what to live there. 

Charmed & Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the halloween specials for Sabrina in particular) 

I grew up on these two TV shows, which probably explains a lot about me, but they're so similar so I thought I would merge them. Like The Craft, but less dark and less violent, mostly, Charmed and Sabrina are staples in my life, cheesy to the nth degree, hilarious and full of some awesome outfits: if you haven't watched either, youtube it! 

American Horror Story: Coven 

I've tried the other series of AHS, and neither of them have captured my attention like Coven has - something about the teenage witches in New Orleans makes me want to keep watching, they make a cool group and I love it so far. 

Honourable mention: The Witches of Eastwick. Sarandon! Cher! Pfieffer! Jack Nicholson! It's campy and bad but oh so good. And Cher!

This is the first in a series, so keep an eye out for the others, and please leave a comment to let me know whether you have any others to add to my list!

secret gardens

I don't know if you know - but The Secret Garden is my all-time, hands down, favourite film. I was given the book as a child, which I love, but then I was given a video tape of the 1993 film when I was five or six.. I watched the tape until it wore out. A few years back my mum found the DVD on Amazon for a couple of pounds and it has been my go-to favourite film ever since. It is one of those films I will never tire of, it is stunning in its cinematography and score and it never fails to make me feel better. At this time of year, when everything is starting to turn and I feel the brunt of my depression creeping back in, I think it makes me feel better to think about, as cheesy as that sounds. So here, have some screengrabs from it, because I find it so pretty.

he's taken one of his socks off, and he appears to be crying

Bit of a picture heavy post from me today, but I wanted to share a teensy bit of my love for Wes Anderson, whilst it's sort of relevant. Someone introduced me to The Royal Tenenbaums a few years ago, and it was sort of like falling in love, haha. His films are really amazing, he's a great director. He currently has a new film in the cinemas, Moonrise Kingdom, and I'm so, so excited to go and see it. Annoyingly, it's only showing at super selective cinemas at stupid times, but hopefully I'll get a chance before they stop showing it! Fingers crossed, anyway. That aside, even if you don't get a chance to go and see it, I urge you to check out some of his other films, they're so good. They're very romantic, and not always in a boy/girl way, in a way that makes you want to drop everything and live on a boat with some dolphins with cameras or take a train across India, or just sit on rooftops in New York. If you watch a couple of his films, you see that he has some really trademark cues, like shots from above, books, titles, bits of paper, sweeping side shots.. I could go on, but instead, I just really urge you to watch his films! In order of watching, I suggest; The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox (not just a kids film!), The Darjeeling Limited, Bottle Rocket.