Its spooky season!
The nights have gotten longer; the cold is rolling in and its nearly Halloween! To celebrate at WorkPR we* are highlighting our favourite spooky season film and TV shows that get us in that trick or treat mood.
*(Except Eve who very much is a Christmas film person, not a Halloween one)
Adam – The Evil Dead (2013)
One of my many favourite horror films is the evil dead remake (2013) because it takes a more serious turn as opposed to the original, which was more comedy-based.
Unlike a lot of horror films, it has a strongly written three-dimensional protagonist, whereas a lot of horror films have a one-dimensional lead who survives by luck. Lastly, it has some strong performances from the main characters.
Ben – Wednesday
I’m not really one for Halloween or horror. The only horror movie I’ve watched is The Evil Dead 2, which I was roped into watching and reviewing with a couple of friends and that film was just… bizarre. But I’ve always had a soft spot for The Addams Family franchise, having enjoyed all the films.
At the moment I’m re-watching series 1 of Wednesday so I can then binge watch series 2. The series follows the woeful Wednesday Addams, played wonderfully by Jenna Ortega, and her life at school. It does a great job of expanding on the Addams family world and introducing a range of weird and wonderful characters.
The stories provide plenty of drama and mystery, but with the trademark fun and humour that makes these characters so enjoyable to watch. And nobody replaces their hand with a chainsaw!
Dave – Pans Labyrinth
For me the creepy/horror vibe is perfectly encapsulated in Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro.
The young Ofelia escapes the brutal relationship with her fascist stepfather by retreating into a mysterious underground imaginary world of fauns, monsters and impossible tasks. As fantasy and reality blur, her mythic quests appear to mirror the horrors in her life, revealing that the true monsters may in fact be human.
It is visually stunning and emotionally devastating. The true genius of Director Guillermo del Toro is that he can weave beauty and terror into a story about innocence, defiance and the fragile hope that our imagination offers solace in the face of tyranny.
Fran – Coraline
For those seeking a subtly spooky watch that has substance alongside its scares, try Henry Selick’s Coraline.
It tells the story of Coraline Jones, a feisty, blue-haired girl voiced by Dakota Fanning, who feels neglected by her busy parents. After discovering a small, sealed door in her new home, she unlocks a passage to a seemingly perfect parallel world. Here, she finds her “Other Mother” and “Other Father,” convincing doppelgängers with buttons for eyes. While this new reality is initially enchanting, Coraline starts to uncover its dark and sinister secrets. It’s a trap. And her Other Mother has no intention of letting her go.
The creepy visuals, unsettling atmosphere, and family horror storyline embodies the spirit of the season and has become a modern Halloween classic for good reason.
Jess – Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Specials
My annual October tradition is to watch through all the Simpsons Halloween specials otherwise known as The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. These specials started early in the Simpsons history back in 1990.
After an unusually spooky opening, we find Simpson children Bart, Lisa and Maggie sitting in their treehouse telling Halloween stories with their dad Homer, eavesdropping from the bottom of the tree. The tales told mimic popular films such as The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist and To Serve Man, as well as a telling of the classic poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, read by James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader).
The success of this original episode sparked an annual Halloween special in The Simpsons show calendar and as of writing there is 35 Treehouse of Horror episodes, with one due to air around Halloween!
Laura – The Munsters
For anyone who isn’t familiar with The Munsters (1964 – 1966) it was an American sitcom about a family of friendly monsters who believe they are a normal American family. The family includes Herman (a Frankenstein-like creature), Lily (a vampire), Grandpa (a vampire), their werewolf son Eddie, and their “normal” niece, Marilyn. The humour comes from the family’s oblivious interactions with the outside world, as they don’t understand why people react to them so strangely.
When I was growing up The Munsters was a big favourite of mine, I loved the costumes and sets. The lines are sharp and the slapstick uproarious, the stories were always well-paced and entertaining. Grandpa’s experiments are worth the viewing alone and the characters are so lovable and genuinely there for each other as a family. If you are an Addams Family fan, I would recommend checking it out.
Milly – Beetlejuice
I’m picking Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! because it perfectly balances humour and old school stop motion horror in a way only Tim Burton can. Catherine O’Hara is frightfully self absorbed and truly fabulous as Delia Deetz and Winona Ryders teenage angst and wardrobe spoke to me from a young age and still resonates.
There’s something comforting about returning to watch year on year… even if some of the gags deserve to stay in the 80s.
From creepy classics to light-hearted laughs, the WorkPR team has a wide range of tastes when it comes to spooky season viewing. Whether you’re braving blood-curdling horror, diving into dark fantasy worlds, or simply rewatching a Halloween special with a pumpkin spice latte in hand, there’s no wrong way to get into the spirit. So dim the lights, grab your favourite snacks (and maybe a blanket to hide behind), and settle in for some spine-tingling entertainment this October.
Happy Halloween from all of us at WorkPR and remember, if something goes bump in the night… it’s just the wind, probably.
