We’re back with another list of movies you SHOULD be watching this Halloween season. For this one I hit up a relatively new friend Cati Glidewell who has been writing here on Geek Nerdery along with her own site The Blonde In Front. Here are some cool choices for this weekend to check out.
Dead of Night (1945) – An anthology tale of travelers stuck in the same country estate and how the supernatural has impacted their lives and how they seem to be reliving this tale over and over. Amazing production design, directing and acting that seems to have influenced films such as Groundhog Day and Magic, this film is at the top of my list and highly recommend seeing this on the big screen if you get a chance.
Eden Lake (2008) – A romantic getaway that goes horribly wrong, this film may influence both staycations and birth control. The ending leaves an impact and when traveling always remember, local law is something to beware. Michael Fassbender, in one of his first starring roles, along with my favorite performance by Kelly Reilly, this a film to watch before you take a road trip with your significant other.
Piranha (1978) – I remember the feeling watching this for the first time as a child on one of those late Friday fright night shows. After viewing this film once, I would no longer go in water that wasn’t clear. Even if you don’t see the full carnage, it is the blood and aftermath that will leave you realing. Released at a time films were depicting unbelievable creatures wreaking havoc on unsuspecting communities, this is the one that has a scene that STILL has an impact and gives me nightmares.
The Loved Ones (2009) – When a classmate asks Brent to the prom, his rejection to her comes at a hefty price of sadistic, twisted pain that never seems to end. One might think this is a revenge film and that Brent deserves what he is given but NO ONE deserves the acts that are plagued upon this poor kid. A lesson in the monsters children become when they get everything they want.
The Hitcher (1986) – C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rutger Hauer, of COURSE this is on my list. If you were ever warned not to pick up hitchhikers, THIS is the visual aid to go along with that. Howell plays a guy earning money by driving a car cross country. When he picks up a hitchhiker, Hauer, to keep him awake and help a fellow traveler in need, you realize quickly why you should heed that warning about hitchhikers. Hauer is the key to this psychological, carnage filled cat and mouse game that keeps you on your toes. Believe me, watch this instead of the 2007 version because Sean Bean doesn’t hold a flame to Hauer’s charisma.
Cati Glidewell is a Chicago based film critic, actress and lifelong cinefile who has a voracious appetite for watching films and partaking in films. You can see her reviews and antics at The Blonde in Front and watch her film debut this year playing Helen in Irrational Fear.
