To celebrate the greatest month, we asked our contributors and some friends of the site (in alphabetical order)…
In the spirit of the New Beverly’s annual all-night horror marathon, you’ve been chosen to program a Halloween marathon, and you get 5 movies — what would they be?
WHAT FIVE FILMS ARE IN YOUR HALLOWEEN MARATHON?
Jon Abrams
So initially when Brett came up with this killer question, my mind jogged way out into the woods with it, and I wanted to go all obscure and try to think of spotlighting all the forgotten or overlooked goodies that are lurking in the corners of my mind.
But then I thought about movie marathons that I’ve attended and how the best of them are unique experiences due to the programmers clearly having thought deeply about making the marathon play as its own entity, one that just happens to be made up of individual parts. Kind of like how if you watch PLANET TERROR or DEATH PROOF by themselves, they’re okay, but put them together as GRINDHOUSE and you’ve got a barn-burner.
Film programming is its own art, and maybe making a good marathon is sort of like making a mixtape. I’m no artist or mixmaster, but here are a fistful of movies I know like the back of my hand, and why I think playing them in this order would be like a goddamn sicko symphony.
BASKET CASE (1982)
I wanted to start with something weird and filthy and upsetting and hilarious and wrong. This is the only movie in the world for the job, although I’m of the opinion that its two sequels come admirably close to fitting the bill. Maybe another day in another world we will see each other again for a BASKET CASE mini marathon.
PHENOMENA aka CREEPERS (1985)
My movie marathon is all about films that can easily be dismissed as schlock by bores but which also approach true artfulness if you are willing to really look. This is a miracle movie in that regard. It’s a sinister fairy tale that probably no child should see. It’s operatic, with moments of real beauty, made by a maestro who’s got a few critically-minted masterpieces on his resume. Its very soundtrack is a mixtape, careening from perfectly scored moments to completely incongruous (yet awesome) drops of pure metal. Its plot would break the brain of any screenwriting-by-numbers guru. Its climax is maybe the most insane deus ex machina moment in cinema history. At the very least, top three.
NEON MANIACS (1986)
There are all kinds of movies. There are movies that are objectively good. There are movies that are more subjective, with various assets or demerits. There are movies that are overlooked for whatever reason. And there are movies that are definitely not “good” in the traditional sense of the word, yet are still more fun to watch than any Best Picture Oscar nominee. This is one of those. This is a party. I won’t mind if the crowd talks during this one.
PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
If my movie marathon is a symphony, this is the crescendo. This movie just mounts and mounts. It feels strange to say in the year 2023 about any John Carpenter movie, but this one still feels somehow underseen. It’s no mystery — this is not exactly a crowd-pleaser. It’s tough. Coming in Carpenter’s filmography right after BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, which is like a backyard barbecue, this is like night falling. It’s especially brutal because you get Victor Wong and Dennis Dun, which rules, but they get to show almost none of the spiritedness they bring to the earlier movie. PRINCE OF DARKNESS is dour. It steals your hope away. It’s real-deal cosmic horror.
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
You’ve been to horror-movie marathons. You know the deal. Some people come late. Others leave early. If they do that tonight, they miss BASKET CASE. Fools! I would program DAWN OF THE DEAD at the end of the night, being aware that some people would split, having seen it before, but knowing that those who stayed would get the unique feeling of exultation by the end. After five movies, yeah, you’ll be exhausted, ready to tap out. Know who else is exhausted, ready to tap out? The characters in DAWN OF THE DEAD. By the time that helicopter takes off, my audience will feel just like the people inside it: Feeling victorious, uneasy, on-edge, and hopeful.
Steve Carlson
Took me some thinking, but I’ve hit upon a tight five that makes me happy because there’s a solid theme and a nice rhythm to the order. The name of this marathon is “Sight & Sound.”
Bee Delores
TALES OF HALLOWEEN (2015)
Sure, TRICK ‘R TREAT is the pinnacle of anthologies, but TALES OF HALLOWEEN doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Such segments as “The Night Billy Raised Hell” (my personal favorite) stick in the brain like a pitchfork. From “Sweet Tooth” to “Friday the 31st,” there’s something for everybody. There’s a tiny, costumed alien! A spooky, eye-nabbing ghost! A giant, flesh-eating pumpkin! Oh my! It’s pretty wicked stuff.
DARK HARVEST (2023)
After years of sitting on a shelf, we finally have David Slade’s DARK HARVEST. And let me tell you, it’s one of my favorites of the year. It’s a real visual feast; I’m talking the whole shebang. The way Slade and cinematographer Larry Smith craft each shot, you can tell that they really do care about what they’re doing. Everything is intentional. A period piece, it tells the tale of a group of young boys who must go on the hunt every single year, and what that means, I’ll let you discover for yourself. You should go in blind (if you haven’t read the book, that is).
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (2009)
My favorite Ti West film (sorry X and PEARL), THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL crackles and pops, much like the floorboards in the secluded, wood-framed Ulman estate. Jocelin Donahue stars as starving college student Samantha. Samantha could use a job, and she’s willing to do anything. So, she answers an ad for a babysitter. Of course, she assumes she’d be watching an actual kid, but it’s something far more peculiar. I come back to this film time and time again, discovering new layers and just marveling at one of the best kills in all of horror. If you know, you know.
HELL FEST (2018)
HELL FEST is better than HAUNT. There, I said it. HELL FEST features a bevy of talent, including Tony Todd in a voiceover role, and Bex Taylor-Klaus from the SCREAM TV series, and it keeps the masked killer largely mysterious. There’s no rhyme or reason to their madness, and I find the ending to be quite creepy. The premise is simple: a group of friends go to Hell Fest and get killed. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. There’s even a sense of style and mood to the picture that I just don’t connect with in Haunt. Sorry.
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988)
Who doesn’t like some Linnea Quigley action?! When a group of teens party in an abandoned funeral parlor (that’s pretty rad if you ask me), they summon a demon that takes over their bodies. Then chaos ensues. That’s pretty much all you need to know. It’s high on ‘80s frizz and even higher hair. It’s the perfect midnight popcorn flick. And what else do you need? Let the good times roll!
Alexis den Boggende
- TRICK ‘r TREAT (2007)
Michael Dougherty’s anthology — and his 1996 short that inspired it — is an atmospheric horror flick oozing with frights, laughs, and cleverness. Autumnal and offering ghost stories, creature features, and psychological terrors, TRICK ‘r TREAT stands the test of time as one of the all-time great Halloween films that expertly sets the mood for the season.
- THE STRANGERS (2008)
THE STRANGERS is an isolating, brutal terror tale of a couple terrorized by three masked, apathetic home invaders in a remote cabin. Distinctive in its use of sound, slow-burn horror, and eerie, dark, rural setting, Bryan Bertino’s creepy 2008 hit is an underrated and chilling addition to any Halloween marathon.
- READY OR NOT (2019)
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s 2019 comedy horror READY OR NOT follows Grace, a former foster kid marrying into a magnate family. On her wedding night, she must fight for her life in a massive, spooky mansion as her new in-laws hunt her down to sacrifice her to Satan before dawn. Masterfully executed with a blend of chills, thrills, and dark wit — and led by a formidable, lovable final girl — READY OR NOT has quickly become a staple of the season.
- JEEPERS CREEPERS (2001)
JEEPERS CREEPERS is a nostalgic, early aughts classic following lovable siblings Darry (Justin Long, in one of his most iconic and earliest horror roles) and Trish Jenner (Gina Phillips). The duo are driving home for spring break on the remote, rural Florida interstate when they run afoul of an ancient demon that feeds off human fear — and organs. This atmospheric flick is highly effective in its character development, self-awareness, creature design, and jump scares; its punch-to-the-gut ending has become iconic since the film’s release.
André Øvredal’s 2019 adaptation of Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell’s beloved books captures Halloween as you remember it from childhood. Set on October 31st in rural Pennsylvania, SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK offers shots of vivid foliage, classic tracks like Donovan’s Season of the Witch, ghost stories and folklore, and your favorite monsters from Schwartz’s books come to life.
Brett Gallman
An obvious disclaimer: this was hard as hell to nail down, and it could easily change depending on my daily whims.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (1987)
An obvious, selfish choice: this is the number-one movie on my big screen bucket list that I’ve yet to check off, so I would dare the Elder Gods themselves to try to stop me from programming this one.
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)
Any Halloween horror-thon has to embrace the spirit of the season, and few films capture it quite like this odd franchise diversion that dives into the dark, pagan mysticism of Samhain. Also, wouldn’t you know it — it’s the HALLOWEEN sequel I’d most like to see on the big screen.
SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939)
Okay, you got me — this list is really just going to be full of movies I personally would love to see on the big screen, and I figure I’ll keep the threequel theme going with this underappreciated entry in the Universal Monsters saga. I think it’s every bit as good as the films preceding it, something I’ve written about at length before.
HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH (1992)
This oft-maligned sequel took the franchise into pure schlock and splatter mode, and while that’s lamentable in some respects, it’s kind of perfect for the purposes of a horror-thon where you’re just looking to party. Stuffed with great, goopy effects and directed with a sharp sense of style and purpose by the late, great Anthony Hickox, HELL ON EARTH is splatter movie nonsense at its finest, and any respectable horror-thon makes room for that.
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
I’m fudging the threequel theme a bit here, but this technically counts as the third entry in John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy, and I would use any excuse to watch any of his movies on the big screen. Plus, I like the poetry of ending a mind-melting marathon with a character losing their mind within a theater.
Matt Konopka
Vito Nusret
In my previous vocation, I used to book punk shows, so after a couple of decades of what was ostensibly herding cats on and off dingy stages, I can’t say I haven’t fantasized about plying my skill set in other arenas. I’ve always liked the idea of the theater. The smell of the grease, the roar of the paint. I’ve often thought that if I hadn’t gone into punk shows I would have ended up working in a movie theater… again. Like the Loews Cineplex I worked at in Streets Of Woodfield. But this time I’m in charge, Kevin! Let’s start the festival.
Samantha Schorsch
My theme is The Horror of Nature, so I picked movies where the natural world is a direct threat:
Matt St. Clair
Susan Thomas
What about you, reader?
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