October’s Essential Films

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Connor: October gives us a bit of a license, right? We’re allowed to not leave our couches for an entire Sunday, and we’re allowed watch 10 horror films in a week without feeling like a complete psychopath. Every year, I try to open up to some horror films which I haven’t seen, that have either gained some buzz over the years, or even a classic I may have just missed completely. I wouldn’t call myself a horror geek by any means, but there are a handful I try to catch each October.

Casey: Same. It’s a total vibe. Halloween, pumpkin everything, getting turned up on cider and horror films with the lights off. You can’t be watching Psycho in July, the same way you’re a psycho if you’re watching Christmas Vacation in any month besides December.

The Obvious:

Connor: The night of Halloween is obviously reserved for the 1978 John Carpenter stone-cold classic; you guessed it — Halloween. I honestly think it might be the best film that I revisit each October — Carpenter’s score remains untouchable, the “slasher” element which it helped usher into the ’80s isn’t overdone, and even outside of the limits that the genre tends to hold its films to, is an objectively well-made film. While reserved for once a year, it never fails to bring the scares.

Casey: You say Halloween, I’ll follow with Psycho. The two are inarguably linked and may well be No. 1 and No. 2 in the genre. Janet Leigh, who was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Hitchcock’s Psycho, is the mother of Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis — they’re the first family of horror. And besides the film being as classic as classic gets, the lore behind the production, impact, and franchise is a worthy deep-dive for any pop-culture fan.

90’s Classics:

Connor: Every year, I feel like I have to explain why 1996’s Scream is so brilliant and enduring to someone new. I love sinking into its meta-commentary on the slasher genre, which one-ups Psycho by killing its star not halfway through the film, but in the opening scene with Drew Barrymore. The Kevin Williamson script is so self-aware and indebted to its predecessors but also furthers the genre in such a clever and self-referential way. Even some of its sequels have this same wit, as 2011’s Scream 4 takes on the idea of being “social media famous” to a clever degree. Scream never lets me down.

Casey: Like all classic horror films, Scream birthed a whole run of similar films. Gotta shout out I Know What You Did Last Summer and the sequel — Jack Black is great — but a potentially hidden gem is Urban Legend. It follows the same recipe as the aforementioned movies with young stars (Tara Reid, Joshua Jackson, Jared Leto) but the actual script/story was unique for its time. Also note the casting of horror legend Robert Englund (aka Freddie Krueger) as Professor Wexler and the many kids who tried Pop Rocks and Diet Coke after seeing the film.

New Masters:

Connor: 2018’s Hereditary was one of those films I’ve been yearning for, maybe since Carpenter’s Halloween, where we could actually sense that a skilled filmmaker was behind this new, exciting and undeniable horror. Ari Aster got me excited about horror films again, even after Andy Muschetti’s 2017 remake of It. And while Aster’s follow-up (Midsommar) was just as good although not quite pure horror, the It sequel was as big of a letdown as I can remember. But Hereditary and It are my picks here.

Casey: I’ll give some love to the folks making solid horror TV shows. The first season of American Horror Story (Murder House) is awesome and very binge-able, and the brand definitely laid some groundwork for Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House & The Haunting of Bly Manor combo (ie: using the same cast for multiple unrelated seasons). Also, is it a cop-out to say Stranger Things?

Hand-Picked Double Feature:

Connor: Before the internet was obsessed with the Snyder-cut version of Justice League, in 2004 he updated George Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead. As someone who never really fell for zombie movies, I was pleasantly surprised by its outcome. The obvious choice for the double feature is director Edgar Wright’s film from the same year, and ostensibly a satire of zombie movies while maintaining its terror and adding some solid laughs, Shaun of the Dead. I love both of these films.

Casey: Easy. Get some more Stephen King on y’all. Misery is just a fantastic film, flat-out. It took me forever to get to but it’s been the best film I’ve seen in the last month. Wherever you have Kathy Bates on your all-time list, count on her shooting up the list after watching this Rob Reiner gem. From there, you can mix in one of many King classics; you mentioned It already and, of course, The Shining is legendary, but try on some deeper cuts like Netflix’s 1922 or 1408, the 2007 Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack vehicle.

One More for the Road:

Connor: The other film that I try to throw on each October is one that continues to confound even after all these years and viewings. That film — of course — is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Notoriously hated by the book’s own author, Stephen King, The Shining is a film that unfolds almost painfully slow. Ultimately, the frustration and confounding feelings that come about when the film finishes are the same ones that draw me back. If nothing else, Kubrick is at least good at that, right? And if you pair it with the 2012 documentary Room 237 about the many interpretations of the film, you can ultimately find yourself being drawn into the seemingly deliberate intentions of Kubrick’s (and production designer Roy Walker’s) prop placement and set design. It’s a never-ending journey that almost guarantees dissatisfaction. Brilliant.

Casey: LOL now that I think about it, this could have gone in either the “new masters” or “double feature” section; Jordan Peele’s Get Out and his sophomore effort Us are unique horror films with societal messages and a lot to unpack post-screening.