The Internet's going to be chock-a-block with sites listing the best Halloween films and other similarly-themed cinematic suggestions; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I say. My local cinema will be screening An American Werewolf in London and I'm sure there will be scream-fests all around the country in cinemas everywhere.
I plan on staying in and avoiding the University-age zombies, vampires and mummies, but that doesn't mean I can't get in the mood for All Hallow's Eve with a good film. But why do the typical A Nightmare on Elm Street, Saw or Halloween slasher / gore flicks when there are so many quality films out there that will definitely burrow into your mind and keep you feeling disturbed and emotionally wrecked for days to come? Here are some suggestions for alternative Halloween viewing:
The Silence of the Lambs
The scene in the pitch black basement is absolutely terrifying and I've never managed to separate the cannibal Hannibal Lecter from Anthony Hopkins in my mind. I couldn't not recommend this 'classic' thriller!
Seven
Starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, this is an edge-of-the-seat-bite-your-nails-off thriller that was shot with gruesome beauty and I remember cinema audiences being genuinely horrified and dazzled when they saw this. Hat tip to Scribbles for the suggestion.
One Hour Photo
Robin Williams may be a comic genius, but he is magnificently chilling in this drama about an obsession gone very creepy. The range of colours used in the cinematography - or the lack of - are perfect.
Delicatessen
This French film is the very definition of a black comedy, featuring a post-apocalyptic world where Sweeney Todd would feel right at home. Please leave your gag reflex at the door and open your mind to the insanity of Jeunet and Caro.
And for something more recent, you must watch:
Let the Right One In
Bleak winter landscapes are really good for cranking up the tension, and this unlikely romance between a young boy who is a social outcast and his vampire neighbour is completely creepy - and not because she drinks human blood. We also learn what happens when a vampire comes in without being invited.
What other scary-but-not-Halloween-y films would you recommend I watch this weekend?
