Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
While any classic Universal Monster film would fit on this list, I think that Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein gives you the best of the Universal Monsters, while also incorporating the humor of Abbott and Costello. Featuring Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein’s Monster, this film has some great moments for fans of the black and white classics. Bela Lugosi is portraying Dracula for the second and last time, and these Universal Monsters would not be on film together again. Other films combine Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman and more, but not during the classic age and not through Universal. While this is marketed as a comedy and it has a ton of laughs, the monsters are rarely made fun of directly. In fact, it has some moments that, at the time, may have scared audience members. The costumes, makeup, and sets all look great for the time. Also, there is a surprise cameo at the end of the movie that gives you a last laugh and scare. Enjoy Abbott and Costello as they get mixed up in the plans of Dracula as he tries to revive and improve the Frankenstein monster while Larry Talbot works to stop him.
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Bride of Re-Animator
Now it is time to bring back the gore, and Bride of Re-Animator has plenty of that. The sequel to The Re-Animator brings back the characters of Doctor Herbert West and Dr. Dan Cain as they continue to try and perfect their serum to bring the dead back to life. After a stint as military medics, they return to Arkham, Massachusetts and their former jobs as doctors at the hospital. They begin to steal body parts from the hospital morgue to create a person from scratch on which to try their new reanimation reagent. However, the events from the first film still follow them in the form of a Detective and the reanimated head of a former instructor, Dr. Hill. While this movie doesn’t really deliver on the scares, the subject matter does lend itself to lots of blood, body parts, and some body horror. The story also throws in some dark humor as the brilliant, but demented, Dr. West creates abominations from the discarded body parts and plays with them.
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Zombieland
We have already given a review of Zombieland that you can find here, but it is definitely a film that I watch each October. This comedy horror has risen high in the zombie horror genre. While it is a comedy, it does a great job depicted mostly ordinary people surviving in the zombie apocalypse. If you watch this one, you will get a hugely enjoyable film that can balance the comedy with horror and action. Enjoy scenes involving zombies being taken out by banjos, hedge shears, guns, bats, and even carnival rides. The zombies all look real, rotting, hungry, and terrifying as zombies should. This horror comedy respects the zombie sub-genre by not making them ridiculous and rely mostly on comedy between the lead actors instead of the horror around them.
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Critters
A gang of hungry creatures invade Earth to escape their incarceration, grow their numbers, and feed. Landing on a Kansas farm, the Critters terrorize the family on the farm through a night while they devour everything they can. The more they eat, the bigger they get by the way. Critters is a good small creature horror film. The creature’s design is gorgeous. While they are basically just eyes, fur, and teeth, it works well. They are truly terrifying because of their small size, speed, and destructive abilities. The music of the film is very 1980s and pairs well with the action on the screen. It may not be the best small creature film out there (that probably still goes to Gremlins), but always a pleasure to watch.
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The Monster Squad
Remember how earlier in this blog I said that other films had Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolfman together? Well, this is one of them. However, this one is a bit different. It involves a group of monster-loving kids who have a club called The Monster Squad. When their leader stumbles across the diary of Abraham Van Helsing, he finds out that the monsters are real and are gathering to shift the world’s balance of good and evil so that evil is dominant. All they need is to be in possession of a stone amulet by midnight. The Monster Squad realize that they are the only ones able to stop them, and with the help of a few friends, work to retrieve the stone and stop the monsters. Often called a Goonies rip-off, this movie doesn’t hold back on account the cast of kids. There is plenty of action, scares, some sexuality, and comedy that is a bit on the adult side. The effects are quite good including an excellent Wolfman transformation, wounds on the monsters, and Dracula turning from a bat to human. Combine everything with an ‘80s setting and The Monster Squad is a nostalgic romp for older viewers and a new adventure for teen viewers.
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Trick ‘r’ Treat
Trick ‘r’ Treat is the epitome of Halloween. An anthology movie that centers on Halloween night in a midwestern town. See serial killers, werewolves, zombies, and more horrors that converge on this town during its festivities. But don’t worry. You should be safe if you know and follow the rules of Halloween like keeping your jack-o-lantern lit, wear a costume, and always check your candy. Also, keep an eye out for a little trick or treater in red pajamas and a burlap mask. This movie will give you more reasons to love this holiday. It also boasts a cast full of stars including Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. A must for the Halloween movie list.
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Evil Dead 2
One of my absolute favorite horror films. Evil Dead 2 is a continuation/remake of the first Evil Dead movie. Co-written and directed by Sam Raimi (of Spiderman fame) and starring Bruce Campbell in the lead role of Ash Williams. This cabin in the woods film has Ash being accosted by demons from the other side. These demons were summoned accidentally by Ash himself. They kill and possess anyone who visits the cabin and on this night that is quite a bit. Ash is tormented until the daughter of the cabin’s owner discovers a way to send the demons away and save them. Lots of blood in this film including a scene where the blood flows out of the walls like a fire hydrant that had been opened. There are so many unforgettable moments that have become a significant part of horror culture. Need to fight Deadites? Then you need a boomstick and a chainsaw hand. Want to have a good Halloween movie night? Then you need a copy of Evil Dead 2.
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Well, that ends the first of many 13 Movies of Halloween. Expect a new list with new movies next year. Thank you for taking a look at this one, but now you should be popping a copy of one of these into your players and sitting back to enjoy some Halloween fun. Save me some popcorn!
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