MACABRE DAILY CONTRIBUTOR'S CRYPT - HALLOWEEN FAVORITES EDITION

Some of you may be old enough to remember the “Staff Selections/Recommendations” wall at your local video store. For those who aren’t, think of it as a curation of cinema from largely a staff of folks who share a deep and varied passion for all times of films. There was always an art-house person, a horror person, a blockbuster person, and so on. Each week, or month, they would suggest a row of films to patrons who were trusting enough to take recommendations from strangers whose only credentials are a nametag and unlimited access to movies. While the idea of video stores makes less and less sense in a digital first world, the “Staff Selections” is certainly something we can keep alive. With that in mind, some of the contributors here at Macabre Daily have taken it upon themselves to provide a list of five films they suggest for your horror-themed Halloween watching. We will post new lists throughout the week, and links to the prior suggestions throughout.

So without further ado, from her crypt to your television....Dana Vargas (aka deadalivedana)

Follow Dana on Instagram and Twitter at @deadalivedana

Check out her podcast, The Horror Files

SUSPIRIA

1977

A classic horror film from legendary director, Dario Argento, the film stars Jessica Harper as an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy in Germany but realizes, after a series of brutal murders, that the academy is a front for a supernatural conspiracy. This may seem like an unlikely Halloween pick, but the whole vibe and look of the film never fails to put me in the Halloween spirit. Argento blends the terrifying and the visually stunning together masterfully. The score by the band Goblin is so otherworldly and only adds to the unsettling and tense scenes. The kills are gorgeously grotesque, and the composition, lighting, and framing are *chef’s kiss.* Turn all the lights off and turn the volume up, because this is Italian horror at its best and most beautiful.

NIGHTMARE CITY

1980

What’s Halloween without a few zombies? And zombies that can use weapons, no less! Umberto Lenzi’s flesh-rotting masterpiece opens with an airplane exposed to radiation landing, and once it does, blood-drinking zombies emerge armed with knives, guns, and teeth! They go on a rampage slicing, dicing, and biting their way across the Italian countryside. There’s weird 80’s leotard dancing, axes to heads, eye-gouging, and lots of sucking on necks. An underrated gem with an ending that’s downright ouroboros and needs and deserves to be talked about more. Perfect to put on for a group at your Halloween party. “Aim for the brain!”

THE WORST WITCH

1986

Mildred Hubble (Fairuza Balk) is one of the young girls at a prestigious witch academy. She can't seem to do anything right and is picked on by classmates and teachers. The headmistress of the school, Miss Cackle (Charlotte Rae), has an evil twin sister who plans to destroy the school. Can Mildred foil the plan before the Grand Wizard (Tim Curry) comes to the Academy for the big Halloween celebration? This film has more style, attitude, and fun than you can shake a broomstick at.  When I was a girl, most of the other girls I knew wanted to be teachers, actresses, or pop stars, and when I saw this film, I knew I wanted to be a witch. I wanted to make potions, have a black cat, and ride a broom. I identified so hard with Mildred it was almost painful: she was awkward socially and made fun of, but had a big heart. It’s as low-budget as you can get, but it's so fun to watch, especially at Halloween. With professors that teach flying and potions, a dormitory scare contest, and spells that go wrong, THE WORST WITCH was Harry Potter before there was a Harry Potter. Plus, Tim Curry as the Grand Wizard is the icing on the eye-of-newt covered cake with his fantastically extra performance of “Anything Can Happen on Halloween.” It’s a banger.

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS

1988

An 80’s horror classic, this movie has it all: horny teens, hair teased for the Gods, and fantastic music by Bauhaus and Type O Negative. Ten teenagers party at an abandoned funeral parlor on Halloween night. When an evil force awakens, demonic spirits keep them from leaving and turn their gathering into a living Hell. With its fantastic and fun feel, NIGHT OF THE DEMONS proves that it can romp around like a pervy little unsupervised kid with its gratuitous nudity and lame (but still hysterical) one-liners, and yet still retain a thoroughly sinister aura, with blood and guts galore. A bloody good party that’s required Halloween viewing.

HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL

1959

Looking for a thoroughly spooky and stylish Halloween mood-setter? Then look no further than the classic William Castle haunted-house tale, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. Rich oddball Frederick Loren has a proposal for five guests at a possibly haunted mansion: Show up, survive a night filled with scares and receive $10,000 each. The guest of honor is Loren's estranged wife, Annabelle, who, with her secret lover, has concocted her own scheme to scare Loren's associate into shooting the potentially crazy millionaire. Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart are delightfully devious as Frederick and Annabelle, throwing shade like expert knife-throwers in every scene. There are double and triple-crosses, lurking shadows, and a jump scare that still manages to spook me no matter how many times I watch it. HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is the perfect Halloween atmosphere setter for a dark and stormy night.

HORROR EXPRESS

1972

With a cast including Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Savalas, HORROR EXPRESS has more style, swagger, and testosterone then you can shake a primordial humanoid at. While traveling on the Trans-Siberian Express, an anthropologist (played by Lee) and his rival must contain the threat posed by the former's cargo: a prehistoric ape which is the host for a life form that is absorbing the minds of the passengers and crew. Think THE THING but on a train and distinctly less cold. Fantastic set pieces, costumes, and performances make this a wonderfully immersive period-horror piece to watch during the spooky season.