Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
Like grinning jack-o'-lanterns, multi-colored leaves, the sudden presence of Spirit Halloween stores, and chilly air, horror movies are synonymous with October. If you’re looking for scary-spooky flicks to stream on Kanopy or pop into your DVD player, the Library has you covered.
Library Movie Nights
Bonus: You can also attend film nights at the Library!
- Head to the Downtown Library on Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 6-8 p.m. for a special screening of Swedish Danish silent horror classic Häxan, with a live soundtrack by local improvisational group Innerspace Collective!
- Join the Downtown Main Library for a screening of Werner Herzog’s 1979 Nosferatu the Vampyre on Thursday, Oct. 16, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
- The Madisonville Branch is hosting a slightly spooky Outdoor Movie Night on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. All ages are welcome! The movie will be set up in the garden of the former Library branch at 4830 Whetsel Ave.
Feast on Folk Horror
Want a side of folklore and eerie atmosphere served with your scares? Look no further than these folk horror gems.
Immersive and richly colored, Dario Argento’s Suspiria sets the stage at a reclusive German ballet academy where dark magic is afoot. When Suzy, a young American, arrives, the academy’s harrowing (and murderous) secrets unravel. Slip into the dizzyingly dark world of Suspiria and you’ll be flooded with evocative elements: shadowy corridors; patterns that hold a candle to The Shining’s Overlook Hotel; and a frenetic score by Goblin that both feels like a sinister lullaby and a supernatural omen.
If you want to compare, check out Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake starring Dakota Johnson.
The Wicker Man (1973)
If you were a fan of Ari Aster’s 2019 Midsommar, you’d be remiss not to slip into the storytelling of Robin Hardy-directed The Wicker Man (1973). Set on a remote Scottish island, police officer Neil visits to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Like Midsommar, this twisty daylight horror is marked by Christian vs. Pagan fears — May Day celebrations and all.
Slip into a modern Irish folktale with Kate Dolan’s 2021 You Are Not My Mother. Equal parts harrowing and heart-wrenching, this film navigates themes of mental illness and family trauma through the story of a teenage girl whose mom disappears. When her mother returns, it’s with a radically different personality. Quiet and foreboding, You Are Not My Mother may be a slow burn, but it also rings in at just over 90 minutes, making it ideal for a quick movie night.
Horror From a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Buckle in for extraterrestrial frights, both in space and on Earth.
Not only does Ridley Scott’s classic 1979 Alien have one of the best cinema cats around – shoutout Jonesy! – but it also features one of Hollywood’s best (and most harrowing) monsters. Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, this science-fiction horror film follows a starship crew who are tasked to investigate a distress signal from a faraway planet. Once there, a parasitic, extraterrestrial nightmare ensues. Alien is a claustrophobic, dread-inducing slow burn with nightmarish visuals that hold up 46 years after its release.
John Carpenter's sci-fi survival horror The Thing oozes Lovecraftian imagery. Backdropped by the icy loneliness of Antarctica, The Thing follows a team of researchers who unravel Lord of the Flies-style when a shapeshifting creature infiltrates their camp. It’s the kind of story that Mulder and Scully would be at home in – and they were. The X-Files paid homage to this cult classic in their first season with episode “Ice.”
Gory and nauseating, the film weaves paranoia into every scene. Unlike much of Carpenter’s work, the director didn’t score The Thing. Instead, Ennio Morricone took the reins. While perhaps not as embedded in the pop culture juggernaut as Halloween’s main theme, Morricone’s score is just as chilling as tension mounts in the cloistered Antarctic.
If you’re a fan of ambiguous endings, you’ll dig this one.
Want more Carpenter? The Thing is a part of the Apocalypse Trilogy, which is rounded out by Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness. And if you’re craving an eerie atmosphere, reach for The Fog, which is imbued with told-by-the-campfire energy.
The Faculty was released in 1998, and it shows. Written by Kevin Williamson, who also penned Scream, and directed by Robert Rodriguez of Spy Kids fame, this sci-fi romp is a time capsule. The star-studded cast includes Josh Hartnett, Clea DuVall, Usher, Elijah Wood, and Jordana Brewster. Often tongue in cheek with a streak of ‘90s nihilism, The Faculty is unabashed in its campy ridiculousness. Like a twisted Breakfast Club, teens from differing cliques unite as they face the cosmic horror of their teachers being, well, aliens.
Laugh & Scream Simultaneously
Horror and comedy go hand in hand. Sink your teeth into these titles.
An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London is a masterclass of horror-comedy. Settle in for satirical silliness, horrifying transformation scenes (and practical effects that remain impressive), and one-liners that’ll rattle in your brain for years to come. Director Edgar Wright fame listed it among his all-time favorites, calling it highly influential to his own work. (His zombie cult classic Shaun of the Dead is also an excellent choice for October movie nights.)
Want a werewolf flick that’s more in line with The Craft or The Lost Boys? Try Ginger Snaps, a movie that proves being a teenage girl is indeed terrifying.
Director Halina Reijn's Gen-Z dark comedy slasher skewers class dynamics. Bodies Bodies Bodiesis set at a remote mansion during a hurricane. When a party game goes awry, a paranoia-fueled whodunit ensues. The twist ending will have you laugh-crying.
Book-to-Movie Adaptations
Ponder the age-old question of “What’s better? The book or the movie?” with these frightful page-to-screen adaptations.
Ringu is based on Koji Suzuki’s grizzled, cursed novel, which also birthed its American film counterpart, The Ring. The Japanese film crafts suspense with more subtlety and digs deeper into the story’s supernatural elements. Still, the iconic VHS curse delivers spooks. While Hollywood’s take is slicker, Ringu’s lo-fi grit adds a welcome layer.
Listen, you can’t go wrong with Stephen King in October, and dozens of his stories have been adapted for the silver screen (and many of them multiple times). Lock in 1983’s Pet Sematary for an excellent performance by Fred Gwynne in King’s harrowing story of loss and grief. A chilling watch, Pet Sematary gnaws at humanity’s primal fear of death and letting go. (It was remade in 2019, so make it a double feature and vote for your favorite version.)
Hungry for more King? Pop in The Shining for a plummet into chilled, meticulously crafted madness; secure Carrie and give thanks your past adolescence; and if you already get overwhelmed in grocery stores, The Mist is sure to deliver monster-filled frights
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