Promotional material for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." By Cady Inabinett, Editor in chief; Sam Cost, Business manager; Kylie Jordan, Social media manager; Lucy Frost-Helms, Copy editor; and Wesley Walter, Managing editor.
Halloween is, arguably, one of the best movie-watching holidays. From classic horror movies to made-for-tv specials, there’s something for everyone. Here are the movies The Alabamian’s editorial staff will be watching this Halloween.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”:
By Cady Inabinett
I love things that are a bit weird and strange, but horror movies are always a bit hit-or-miss for me. Luckily for me, though, “a bit weird and strange” are the sensibilities of camp—an aesthetic value that “Rocky Horror” more than delivers on.
To me, a Halloween without “Rocky Horror” is sort of like a Christmas without Santa Clause. Watching it injects so much whimsy and fun into your life, as you leave reality behind in favor of a world where the likes of Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Meat Loaf sing and dance their ways into your heart in the best “Frankenstein” retelling ever conceived. It’s funny, the songs are catchy and the dialogue is infinitely quotable—there’s a reason why “Rocky Horror” is such a cult classic.
“Halloween Is Grinch Night”:
By Sam Cost
I had the pleasure or maybe horror of viewing a short film called “Halloween Is Grinch Night.” A prequel to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,” this movie basically runs with the idea that the Grinch is scary and comes out once a night to terrorize the Whos.
“Halloween Is Grinch Night” features a boy named Euchariah who is on a quest to show the Grinch that he isn’t afraid of him and stop the Grinch from coming to Whoville. With trippy visuals and stark sound effects, “Halloween Is Grinch Night” is the perfect Halloween movie for anyone trying to convince their friends that they aren’t a scaredy cat this Halloween.
“Halloweentown”:
By Kylie Jordan
“Halloweentown” is easily one of the best Disney movies. This classic was a staple of my childhood, and always a pleasant reminder when Halloween rolls around.
This movie has every Halloween element imagined: vampires, witches, ghosts, werewolves and more supernatural creatures. The main character, Marnie, is everything you wanted to be when you were little. Who didn’t want to find out they came from a line of witches and become the hero of the city using your newfound supernatural powers? This movie is a must-watch in the month of October.
“The Shining”:
By Lucy Frost-Helms
“The Shining,” directed by the brilliant yet semi-problematic Stanley Kubrick, is a Halloween-ish classic. The casting is perfect and it takes place in a large, empty building. It involves a writer, which are the spookiest people of all—I, the copy editor of The Alabamian, am allowed to say that, I think—and has a focal point on a creepy child, which always makes thriller films more entertaining. I mean, what do horror superiors such as “The Exorcist,” “The Bad Seed,” “Child’s Play” and “Pet Sematary” all have in common? Creepy youths. They just add that certain oomph that will have you locking your doors twice.
Not only does “The Shining” give you all of these elements, but it gives you a genuine yet tasteful fright. The psychotic nature of Jack’s delusions partnered with the remote nature of the film make for an uneasy yet fun viewing experience. Plus, to highlight its title, if you think you’re telepathically communicating with someone, you can say “Dude, are we shining right now?”
“The Exorcist”:
By Wesley Walter
“The Exorcist” toes the line perfectly between being genuinely disturbing and a bit silly and goofy. It’s not surprising that during its time, the film was majorly controversial and heralded as one of the scariest movies ever made. While certain special effects have aged somewhat poorly it’s still, at times, genuinely frightening. The subliminal single frame faces that flash up on the screen always disturb me even though I know to expect them. The sense of dread in the beginning of the movie is also some of the best tension building I’ve seen in a film.
Beyond that parts of the movie are, admittedly, very funny to me. Some of the iconic quotes from Reagan while possessed—which are definitely not publishable in this article—never fail to make me laugh and makes me feel a little conflicted about my sense of humor. The special effects being such an even mix of disturbing and oddly hilarious, along with the demon Pazuzu being such a little jokester, make the movie the perfect blend of lighthearted Halloween tomfoolery and scariness.
Cady Inabinett is the editor in chief of The Alabamian. She’s majoring in English and double-minoring in political science and peace and justice studies. She enjoys reading, watching movies, caring for houseplants and generally just being pretentious in her free time.
Samantha Cost is the business manager for The Alabamian. She is a freshman mathematics major and her hobbies include playing the piano, hiking and thrifting.
Lucy Frost-Helms is the copy editor of The Alabamian. She’s majoring in social science and minoring in philosophy. She enjoys being a goober, eating chicken salad for breakfast, watching “National Treasure” and telling you that she will “definitely pay you back for that.” Lucy has the worst memory of all time and will forget major, important details of stories you tell her.
Wesley Walter is managing editor for The Alabamian. He is a junior English major and mass communications minor. Wesley boasts a 750 credit score, boyish good looks and soulful eyes that contain a deep indescribable sadness. In his free time, he enjoys travelling, visiting gas stations and thinking about getting into surfing.
