You Look Like Boris Karloff...

Oh wait, that's Tom Petty.... but he 

did do the song Zombie Zoo.

It's that time of year again, when we in North America (and maybe in some other parts of the world) celebrate Halloween. For me, the dressing up and trick-or-treating stuff is long over with, but I do dedicate much of October to watching scary movies. Well, some are scary, while others are simply atmospheric, weird, creepy, or even just goofy. 

It's been tough deciding on horror films to watch this year. Even though I have a pretty big collection of frightful flicks on home video, I still have trouble narrowing down my choices for the best viewings possible at this special time of the season. Since I'm more a fan of the oldies, I lean toward cinematic works earlier than the 90's. But I've watched so many of my beloved classic oldies so many times.... and that makes it difficult to re-watch some of them, even when the leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and the moon is full. The pressure is on.

So far this month, I've tried out a mix of old and new-ish. For example, I watched the 1957 Hammer Studios' gem Curse of Frankenstein, the moody 1940's werewolf tale The Undying Monster, the 2009 gross-shock fest Drag Me to Hell, and the quiet and unsettling 60's nugget Children of the Damned. Each is good in its own way, but to varying degrees. I'd say the Universal Studios' Golden and Silver Age of Horror will always outshine just about anything else... Undying Monster was far more entertaining than Curse of Frankenstein. And even though Drag Me to Hell was a lot of fun, Children of the Damned exhibited such restraint and tension that it would clearly win in a duel. 

Something that has dominated the horror genre in recent years, in both TV and movies, is the zombie phenomenon. I don't get it. I never did. I suppose Night of the Living Dead was the first zombie flick I ever saw, and that might have been in the early 80's. And it didn't do much for me. Sure, I acknowledge the movie's significance to the horror genre, but it's just not my sort of picture. "They're coming to get you, Barbara". Same goes for Carnival of Souls, a super-low-budget story about the undead trying to get back on the roller coaster. Meh.

But I guess if I were to mention a few zombie movies that I do like, at least a bit, I would say White Zombie (1932) which inspired Mr. Rob Zombie in the naming of his heavy metal band. White Zombie is considered the very first feature length zombie film. It's heavy on atmosphere but maybe lacks in the acting and story departments. I admire the look and feel of the movie, if nothing else. 

White Zombie was later compared to the stylish series of films by 40's horror master Val Lewton. Lewton's contribution to the genre came about with I Walked With a Zombie, a notable and eerie take on the walking dead. It's been a while since I've watched this one, but I may revisit it this month. Lewton's films were a wonder to look at, with his deft touch with camera angles, use of light and shadow, and the lack of background music.... the silence can be a killer.

28 Days Later (2002) was pretty good for a modern horror, a neat variation on the traditional formula. Its sequel 28 Weeks Later wasn't bad either. Both presented us with a new sort of "zombie"... not the kind raised from the grave through Haitian rites. 

Oh, and Shaun of the Dead (2004) was a silly and fun romp, a horror comedy that actually worked for me. Nothing like a bloody mess while laughing your head off. Leave it to Simon Pegg to ace that one.