Halloween is right around the corner and on this dreary Friday the 13th at F&TVR, I am planning on recommendations for Halloween viewing. As the lightning flashes and the thunder echoes and I’m thinking of the upcoming full moon, I am inspired to do two short early Halloween picks posts. This first one is general and the full moon post will be themed. So here goes. The first two are favorites of mine, the second of which has spawned an FX series. The third, the obligatory chiller! This is just a warm-up–more will follow.
ABOVE: Carol Kane, Iggy Pop, & Steve Buscemi
The Dead Don’t Die (2019) Written & Directed by Jim Jarmusch.
A departure for the director boasting a stellar cast including Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Bill Murray, Chole Sevigny, Carol Kane, Tilda Swinton, Iggy Pop, & Tom Waits among others that have worked with Jarmusch on prior projects. Jarmusch decapitates the genre in his own unique style.
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) Written & Directed by Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi.
Again, more comedy than horror in this mock documentary about vampires that inspired the 2019 FX show of the same name. This is a great Halloween film that can be followed up with episodes from the FX series for an extended Halloween recalling good times along the Carpathian Mountains.
Silent House (2011) Directed by Chris Kentis & Laura Lau. Screenplay by Laura Lau based on the original screenplay The Silent House (2010) by Oscar Estevez
ABOVE: Elizabeth Olsen in Silent House (2011)
For those looking for a less humorous and more frightening Halloween, Silent House is claustrophobic creepy. A remake of Gustavo Hernandez’s The Silent House, Kentis & Lau’s Silent House is carried by the virtuoso performance of Elizabeth Olsen in a single shot tour de force.
NEXT: Full Moon Halloween Movie Madness
