13 Movies You Should Watch For Halloween 2021
Like I’ve done in years past, I’ve compiled a list of movies that are ripe for the Falloween-season viewing. Generally, I lean towards obscure stuff but this year I’ve tossed a few newer movies that deserve a look in there for good measure.
Whether you’re looking for something silly or something spooky, there should be at least a few picks in here suitable for your viewing pleasure this year! Enjoy!
Doom Asylum (1988)
Synopsis: A demented coroner uses autopsy equipment to kill off the teenagers who trespass on the long-abandoned asylum he inhabits.
I had been putting off Doom Asylum since it landed on BluRay for reasons unbeknownst to me; it wasn’t because of general reception, since I have many friends on Letterboxd who had given it high marks. It couldn’t have been an aversion to Richard Friedman either, because I enjoyed Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge and to a lesser degree (but not enough to put me off) Scared Stiff. Who knows, but I’m really happy that I finally hit play on this one because it’s exactly the dizzy, kooky unfiltered ‘80s goofy slasher hit that I needed in my life.
Even the graffiti (from the filmed-at-an-actual-asylum!) is a total delight here – think lots of Metallica, random satanic tags and misspelled curse words, as well as one “DEAD ZEPPELIN”. Plus, one of cinema’s all time noise-riot-grrl-no-wave acts: Tina and the Tots!
Anything for Jackson (2020)
Synopsis: A bereaved Satanist couple kidnap a pregnant woman so they can use an ancient spellbook to put their dead grandson’s spirit into her unborn child, but they end up summoning more than they bargained for.
Canadian supernatural horror/thriller, Anything for Jackson is about an elderly Satanist couple who kidnap a pregnant woman to try and get their dead son Jackson reincarnated. This makes the most of its budget, it looks good and the cast puts in solid performances.
It has a darkly comedic edge to it, but never so much that the central concept becomes too goofy to take seriously. There's also a local Satanist character that becomes more involved in the later acts, and that is a low key hilarious performance. The ending leaves a pinch to be desired but it didn't put off the strength of the rest of the movie for me personally.
Love to see a director like Justin G. Dyck (who previously has directed 27 made-for-television Christmas and family films) making something like this because I feel people undervalue the effort and talent that exists in that pool of filmmaking. I mean, they worked for 6 years straight making 4.5 movies a year basically lol of course they know a thing or two about directing an effective movie on a budget.
The Stylist (2020)
Synopsis: Claire seems to live a normal life as a hair stylist by day, but for an unlucky customer, Claire’s interest grows more sinister, and she begins coveting their lifestyle to a deadly degree…
The Stylist really surprised me, as I wasn't expecting a bleak, sad take on the ‘90s serial-killer / obsession-thriller genre with DePalma-like directorial flourishes. Director Jill Gevargizian and editor John Pata do a lot to distinguish this from any other slickly modern production with an almost Strickland-esque approach to sensory-heightening montaging.
Najarra Townsend is terrific as the murderous Claire, and the movie walks a fine line by centering their character in the narrative. In a way it has echoes of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer or Maniac, where you get a disturbing but well observed character study about a really fucked up person.
Eyes of a Stranger (1981)
Synopsis: A TV newswoman (Lauren Tewes) catches a pervert (John DiSanti) watching her sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who cannot see, hear or speak.
Eyes of a Stranger feels like it fits into the early-eighties slasher vibe (produced by Georgetown Productions who also did Friday the 13th) but this movie almost rubs the audiences nose in the reality of how fucked up this all is. "Oh you wanted a slasher? How about this real bleak shit instead you fuckos."
Definitely sleazy but does have an eye for the ways in which women are never believed or never taken seriously. The way the news cuts from our main characters plea for people to be on the look out for the rapist / murderer straight to the goofiest weatherman you'll see says a lot. Way better than I had expected it to be – some phenomenal streaks of suspense in here for sure, and the opening was super unnerving. There was even a jolt scare that got me!
Monster High (1989)
Synopsis: Two high school goofs steal an explosive device from another world that has been hidden on earth, and an alien named Mr. Armageddon is sent to retrieve it from them.
Wildly wacky comedy with a third-act Humans vs. Monsters basketball game to stop "Mr. Armageddon" and his gang of ruffians including a computer man, two aliens, a mummy, a munchie, a zombie with a handgun, a huge monster made out of a pot plant. Need I say more?
Monster High is one of those movies that will be easy to hate but I can't dislike anything this outrageously silly and it throws so much at the screen that some of it ends up being pretty funny. There's killer Converse shoes, murderous computers, a video game about a dick shooting bibles, a butt-crack 3.5" floppy drive, and a lot more. If you took out the copious amounts of boob shots this could maybe have passed as a PG-13 comedy but they really lean in on cutting away to breasts as a joke for whatever reason, especially in the first half.
There's a couple running gags in particular that go from "huh?" to "ok that's great actually." And a really good "basketball hovers on the rim" bit that sealed the deal.
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
Synopsis: The disappearance of people and corpses leads a reporter to a wax museum and a sinister sculptor.
If you’re looking for a vintage pick, why not toss on this classic from the ‘30s, Mystery of the Wax Museum. I programmed this as part of a 24 hour marathon last year, and what actually surprised me the most about it was how much I loved all the snappy dialogue (Fay Wray as the reporter shines here.) The two-color process by Technicolor helps add a really neat atmosphere to this as well, splitting the difference between moody and (as others have pointed out) almost comic-book-y.
The Dark Side of The Moon (1990)
Synopsis: It is the year 2022. A mysterious systems failure causes the crew of a spaceship to be stranded on the dark side of the moon, while rapidly running out of fuel and oxygen. They are surprised to discover a NASA space shuttle floating in space, and board it in the hope of salvaging some supplies. One by one, the crew is possessed and killed, and it is up to Paxton Warner to find the links between the dark side of the moon, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Devil himself.
At some point in my life the space-horror movie went from one of my least-liked genres to one where no matter how bad a particular entry is, I usually find something charming about them. I mean, I haaaaaaaaaaaated Star Crystal in High School but I kind of love that movie now. I probably would have thought Primal Scream (1988) was a piece of trash back in the day, but also found it incredibly charming. The Dark Side of the Moon has that going for it with me – the cinematography is well above average, and I thought the direction was just the right amount of stylish too. And the cast is pretty low-key dope? Not huge names or anything, but line up the movies they've all been in and you might be surprised.
That plus the movie's atmosphere was enough to hold my interest, but I can see why it's not for most viewers. It coasts on that "what's going on here?" energy that probably wears people out, since it takes a while to get to any answers, and when it does the answers are "something something bermuda triangle in space something hell something satan." .
There's a smattering of gore, but probably not enough to satisfy people looking for that kind of thing. Those moments were a bonus, to me. I mean a guy's stomach eats a lady's head. That's worth something right?
Notable for being written by Carey & Chad Hayes, who would go on to write a bunch of mid-aughts horror (The Reaping, House of Wax, Whiteout) plus The Conjuring and Annabelle.
The Pyx (1973)
Synopsis: A detective investigating the death of a heroin-addicted prostitute uncovers evidence pointing to the existence of a murderous devil cult.
Feel-bad 70s thriller from Canada about Christopher Plummer's detective character investigating the death of a prostitute struggling with addiction played by Karen Black. The Pyx jumps back-and-forth between present day and the days leading up to her mysterious death – or was it murder?!?
This is kind of dry, and the pace is slow. There's something about the vibe here - it's actually quite sad - and the direction/editing alongside an amazing performance from Black (and those songs she sings on the soundtrack!? omg) pretty much sealed the deal for me.
Yes, not a whole lot happens "horror"-wise until the last 10 or 15 minutes, it's true. But there are a couple montages and moments in particular that I feel like will really stick with me. Outside of a bit of a disappointing finale – I'm sure that doesn't help with a lot of viewers – I really loved this??
Ricky 6 (2000)
Synopsis: Based on the true story of drugs, satanism, and murder in the upper class town of Northport, Long Island in 1984.
This take on the Ricky Kasso "satanic panic" murder case (an adaptation of "Say You Love Satan" by David St. Clair which was "heavily fictionalized" and accused of plagiarism) played Fantasia Film Festival in 2000 and... was never officially released in pretty much any capacity. You can find pretty soft, hazy DVD bootlegs out there and it's a shame because this begs to have an official release. The effort put into the cinematography (by Rodrigo Prieto, who went on to work with Iñárritu and Scorsese among others) and some of the sets/effects really deserve a clear view.
Some of the performances are a little wonky, but I couldn't help but wonder if maybe the audio is a temp track of some kind? Definitely felt some "placeholder ADR" vibes, or maybe it's just the performances who knows. I ended up digging the odd feeling of distance it provided, a bunch of trashy rocker kids just kind of going through the motions, some sorta-believing what they are saying and others believing all too much.
What's up here? I've ready really vague "financial woes" and "tangled up in companies" kind of takes but I'd love to know what exactly is stopping this from getting its due. Writer-director Peter Filardi (who wrote The Craft & Flatliners) never directed again.
Someone figure it out and get a boutique label on the case!
My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987)
Synopsis: Young student finds himself being transformed to a vampire after a night with a quite attractive female vampire. First, he does not quite believe it himself, but with the help of a 300 year old teacher and the handbook “vampirism - a guide to an alternative lifestyle”, he finds out that blood does not taste as bad as he expected.
Really funny and charming ‘80s vampire teen comedy that gets a lot of mileage out of a concept you'd think could be pretty tired. Rene Auberjonois is great as the vampire teacher who shows the main character's the ropes of being a vampire. I loved the little bits of world-building, like a fridge full of beer cans of blood and the vampire instruction manuals. Also, aside from a few expected things My Best Friend is a Vampire is downright PG in a way that helps with the charm level. Had a lovely time watching this.
Top of the Food Chain / Invasion! (1999)
Synopsis: An isolated Canadian town (populated by the weirdest group of people this side of Saturn) has seen its share of problems. First the nut factory closed, then the CATV antenna stopped broadcasting, and now something is gruesomely devouring the townsfolk! Can visiting atomic scientist (and expert on “cool fusion”) Dr. Karel Lamonte solve the mystery before everyone disappears?
This Canadian sci-fi comedy spoof is another tragic case of a fairly well-publicized film getting lost to time here in the Great White North. Sure, you can buy an OOP DVD, but good luck otherwise. It’s a shame, because John Paizs’ (of Crime Wave fame) Top of the Food Chain deserves to sit on your shelf right next to The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra or even Wet Hot American Summer. Perfectly skewed weird comedy beats sit alongside cheapie sci-fi throwback jokes. Campbell Scott and Tom Everett Scott are hugely funny here. Everyone is, really. Just a total delight through and through; it made me laugh like a complete idiot for 90 or so minutes.
Intensive Care (1991)
Synopsis: A deranged doctor gets in to a car accident and burns beyond recognition. Years later he awakes from his coma and stalks a young male nurse and his girlfriend, killing everyone along the way.
Fun and ridiculous Dutch slasher! George Kennedy was available for the day, and plays a unhinged doctor who is horribly disfigured in a car accident and comes back all burned up (and played by someone else) to murder some people for whatever reason. It's all very silly and I enjoyed my time with Intensive Care outside of the fact that the one super shitty dude doesn't die a horrible death. Can we just all agree from now on that stupid shitty gropy dude characters get to die the most horrible death of the movie? Thanks in advance!
Halloween Party (1989)
Synopsis: A shot-on-video slasher that aired on public access cable in Connecticut.
I've said it before but I love this kind of stuff: home made horror movies that ends up being a micro document of the region/era. Buncha teens hanging out in an eighties living room, eating chips drinking pop, watching Halloween and making their own horror movie with Carpenter's soundtrack.
The bloopers send this over the top; get out of the shot mommmm!!!!!! One lady gets the fake knife on the neck and she laughs and smiles "oh gross!" Just wildly wholesome vibes through and through.
Unfortunately, I’ve saved the hardest to find for last. Halloween Party (1989) was on YouTube for a while, but it looks like the creator has since removed it. Sad frown emoji.
