Halloween Movie and Book Suggestions Please

[WitMom]

I'm in the mood for some Halloween fun. Not horror, but something spooky, atmospheric, thriller-ish. Old b&w movies are good, too.

[Kestrel]

I love the old, original Dracula and Frankenstein movies. They were made to be scary, but now the effects/costumes/make-up seem campy.

[lizzywednesday]

I love the old, original Dracula and Frankenstein movies. They were made to be scary, but now the effects/costumes/make-up seem campy.

My dad grew up watching all of the Universal monster movies, so I had seen all of them by the time I was 13.

Dracula is a lot of fun, and you can see where a lot of the visual language of vampire films comes from by watching. I heard the Spanish-language Dracula, which can be hard to find, is a bit more erotic and spookier. TCM used to run it regularly this time of year, but with all the rights to old films shifting to several streaming services lately, it's not on their schedule.

Frankenstein is a great way to introduce "it was a dark and stormy night" and "mad scientist" tropes. (It also makes movies like Young Frankenstein and Ed Wood about 10 times funnier when you finally watch them.) I've got a soft spot for Bride of Frankenstein, too, mostly because Elsa Lanchester based The Bride's overall movements/feel on the Robot Maria from the Fritz Lang silent film, Metropolis, which I also recommend.

The Wolf Man is one of my favorites from the era - Lon Cheney, Jr; Bela Lugosi (in a bit part); Claude Rains ... the cast alone is worth the price of admission!

If you're into atmospheric, grotesque, and very German Expressionist, Nosferatu (FW Murnau's classic silent that effectively, and unauthorizedly, retells Dracula and was sued by the Stoker estate for copyright infringement) is pretty good. Again, its visual vocabulary is referenced in horror pictures TODAY and it's almost 100 years old! (Pair it with Shadow of the Vampire for a treat - Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich are an insanely good pairing.)

If you're into crime dramas, and don't mind subtitles, Fritz Lang's M is eerily fantastic. (Content Warning: it's about a child-murderer, played by Peter Lorre, and although nothing is shown on screen, it can be a bit much to watch.)

[fauve01]

My fav Halloween story is Room on the Broom by Donaldson. it was adapted into a delightful animated show that you can find on Netflix.

ETA: trailer & book link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzYgfuycWWw

https://www.amazon.com/Room-Broom-Ju.../dp/0142501123

[bisous]

My fav Halloween story is Room on the Broom by Donaldson. it was adapted into a delightful animated show that you can find on Netflix.

ETA: trailer & book link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzYgfuycWWw

https://www.amazon.com/Room-Broom-Ju.../dp/0142501123

This one is SO cute. We love the book and the movie is adorable too!

[petesgirl]

Animated and more for kids, but I like The Corpse Bride.

[lizzywednesday]

Animated and more for kids, but I like The Corpse Bride.

I do, too! It's got elements of Victorian-era penny dreadfuls plus all their death culture trappings with a Danny Elfman score!

[lizzywednesday]

double-post; sorry!

[twowhat?]

If they need to be kid-friendly, maybe Edward Scissorhands? I also love the Nightmare Before Christmas (already mentioned) though the death of the boogie man REALLY bothered my very sensitive kids (not the death itself, just the manner of death and what was inside the boogie man).

Coraline is legit creepy, even for adults!

And of course there's always IT.

[bisous]

We're huge fans of Nightmare Before Christmas here. I'm surprised we've never watch the Corpse Bride? I gotta see if I can find that one.

I can't get anyone to watch Coraline with me. We actually have it, but have never watched it. I used to love Watcher in the Woods but DH says it is too scary (dude, I have a 17yo, lol!)

So it is classic thrillers that will be our go to. I'm excited to try some of those!