Your Top 3 Monthly Contest October 2020 - What Are Your Favourite Halloween Movies?
This month's topic: YOUR TOP 3 Halloween Movies
Here we are in October. Another month of Your Top 3. For October, we're asked to get ready for Halloween next month and recommend our three best Halloween movies for your enjoyment.
While the horror genre has produced films what some critics claim as classics, in my opinion, very few are Oscar worthy. My prejudice may be due to the fact I'm a bit squeamish by not even being able to stand the sight of blood. And it's true I have nightmares about monsters chasing me and shadowy figures.
But I had to suck it up for the sake of children, who seem thrilled and excited by them, and watch them at least once. I often politely opted out with being busy as my excuse not to watch the movies repeatedly. Those children certainly didn't take after me in that respect.
The nature of horror movies is to scare you and evoke pity for the unsuspecting victims as they make the wrong decision. You wish you could give them advice through the screen. Better still, the scenes make you suddenly jump and get your heart racing when you're caught off guard at the unexpected actions of the villains.
After a few remakes or sequels though, you're less horrified because you know the plot's premise and are now used to seeing the villian.
Below are the horror movies I've actually been able to watch from beginning to end so I could hold a knowledgeable conversation in explaining certain details to my children.
My Nominations are:
Nomination Number One
A Nightmare on Elm Street
My Reasons for the Nomination
Wes Craven created a masterpiece with this film, A Nightmare on Elm Street because he created an unforgettable character. I viewed it when originally aired in 1984. It was scary then, and it's still scary after 25 years whenever I see just a few clips of it. I quickly skip over the channel, but will never forget. And no one I've talked to has forgotten this movie.
Image from wikipedia
Played by the actor Robert Englund, he transforms the villain into the most horrifying character you could encounter.
The remainder of the cast includes:
Heather Langenkamp
John Saxon
Johnny Depp (in his debut film)
Ronee Blakley 1
This movie is the story of a once child molester. He's imprisoned, but is released on a technicality. He eventually dies a mysterious death. He returns to exact revenge on four teens whose parents were responsible for his demise.
The perpetrator is known as Freddy Krueger. He would go on to become a household name when discussing horror films. The movies almost always are run during the month of November, Halloween. Freddy inflicts his most horrid revenge on children while they are sleeping. This movie was widely popular and eventually became the largest horror franchise in movie history.
Freddy Krueger is known for his famous gloves that he has cut through the fingers and installed long knives. Together with his wicked laugh and sarcasm, he makes you actually believe that "if you die in your dreams, you die in real life" as the teens state in the movie.
Freddy methodically kills all four teens who live on the same street in their neighborhood. But their deaths are being investigated because there's a reason Freddy Krueger chose those four teens. If you haven't seen A Nightmare on Elm Street, watch it to see what's the parent's involvement with Freddy truly is that's been kept secret from their children.
Below is the official movie trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street:
Nomination Number Two
Halloween (Original, 1978)
My Reasons for the Nomination
John Carpenter's Halloween (Original, 1978) is another slasher movie whereby a six-year old boy named Michael Myers brutally kills his older sister on Halloween night. He is sentenced to a mental institution.
For some reason, I was able to watch this film more easily then Elm Street.
Carpenter created another unforgettable character in Michael Myers. The Halloween movie franchises were highly successful. I don't feel that the sequels are top films that fall into the category of "movie classics."
The cast includes:
Donald Pleasant
Will Sandin ( Myers at age 6)
Tony Moran (Myers at age 23)
Jamie Lee Curtis (in debut role)
P.J. Soles
Nancy Loomis 2
After spending 15 years in jail, Myers escapes when his psychiatrist comes to take him to this court date. The doctor has been watching over Myers during his confinement. Myers is able to deliver a convincing facade, as the doctor feels he's ready to leave the sanitarium. On route to his court appointment, Myers steals the doctor's car and escapes, heading directly back to his home town.
There he begins looking for other victims. Myers begin stalking a young girl and ends up killing her friends. The doctor is determined to find him as now believe Myers is a threat to the town. I could never really understand or connect the dots on why Myers began the killings or what motivates him.
Below is the official movie trailer for film:
Nomination Number Three
Creepshow
My Reasons for the Nomination
I'm going in a different direction this time with a funny scary movie. The movie Creepshow from 1982 is a hilarious, funny version of horror shows shown during the month of Halloween. It's for people like me who need a laugh to take the "scary" out of scary movies or are affected by them.
I believe by placing a funny spin on the movies, it takes your focus away from the scariness and show how ironic the scenes are with the victims walking straight into danger or doing antics that get them in deeper trouble.
The movie included an all-star cast that was guaranteed to make you laugh:
Hal Holbrook
Leslie Nielson
Adrienne Barbeau
Fritz Weaver
Carrie Nye
E. G. Marshall
Ted Danson
Viveca Lindfors 3
Creepshow was written by the king of horror, Stephen King. King's inspiration for the movie came from the early comics. He wanted to honor such horror classics as "Tales From the Crypt."
Creepshow includes five short films, some of which were from his own short story collection:
- Father's Day
- The Lonesoame Death of Jordy Verill
- Something to Tide You Over
- The Crate; and
- They're Creeping Up On You 3
King was a master of staging in his films, and he used the comic speech bubbles to highlight the brutal scenes.
He presented zombies in way that was more laughable than scary. The over-dramatized events such as plants and insects involved in ridiculous mutations.
In a way, I learned how to predict what was going to happen by viewing this movie. It sort of lessened the scary for me.
Below is official movie trailer:
I hope you like my three Halloween movies presented here.
YOUR TOP 3 CONTEST
Don't know what Your Top 3 is? It's a monthly contest where you're asked to choose three items on different topics presented each months, then create a post listing the three nominations and explaining the reasons for your choices.
If you would like to participate,
PLEASE READ the GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTIONS
on the Contest Owner's post listed above.
Happy rest of the week everyone with whatever your endeavors.
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1 "A Nightmare On Elm Street." Wikipedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nightmare_on_Elm_Street
2 "Halloween." Wkipedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_(1978_film)
3 "Creepshow" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creepshow