10 More Unconventional Movies for This Halloween

Halloween is a mere three weeks away as I write this. Families are preparing in their own ways, much as they do any holiday. Yards are being decorated with scary scenes and kids are picking out their costumes to trick-or-treat in.

At some point over the week of Halloween it is likely that you and your family will be in the mood for a good scary movie. Who doesn't want to be scared at Halloween time?

Last year I made a list of 10 unconventional scary movies I would recommend. These were movies not often mentioned along with such popular films as Halloween, The Exorcist, Friday the 13^th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Blair Witch Project, etc. The response was very positive so I have decided to do another list with 10 different recommendations for this Halloween. Each film is scary to a degree, depending on the age of the viewer. Again I am avoiding the obvious ones and going with titles that may be less well known to the casual viewer.

I have picked films that are for adults and one that is for the whole family. The list is alphabetical and an appropriate age range for viewing is included at the end of each one. I hope that when you curl up to watch a good movie this Halloween that one of these may be on your television screen.

BUBBA HO-TEP (2002) - One of the oddest horror films I have ever seen but one of the most original, clever and entertaining ones as well. Bruce Campbell stars as a patient in a retirement home in Texas who claims to be Elvis (with a very plausible explanation for his being alive). He meets a fellow patient (Ossie Davis) who claims he is John F. Kennedy (his explanation as to how he is JFK and African-American is delightfully off the wall). Together the two of them will battle an evil spirit which is terrorizing the retirement home's inhabitants. The film mixes comedy, drama and horror nicely while making statements about the treatment of the elderly. This film has grown in cult status since its brief art house run 5 years ago, so much so that director Don Coscarelli is planning a sequel (minus Campbell, who did not get along with the director and Davis who has passed away). This is truly such an original film I hope the sequel never pans out. Recommended for ages 16 and up.

CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962) - This creepy little film is the epitome of what can be done with no actors, little time and little budget. Director Herk Harvey hired local talent and shot for 16 days on a budget of $15,000 to tell the tale of a woman who survives a car crash after her friends (now deceased) drag race another car. In her attempts to re-adjust to normality she begins seeing haunting visions of a phantom that become more and more real with each vision. This is by no means a great film. The acting leaves something to be desired and it's easy to figure out the twists, especially the "surprise" ending which may have been a bit more original then but is one you can spot coming a mile away. Still the atmosphere is creepy and it's difficult not to get caught up in the film despite its flaws. Recommended for all but the most impressionable young children.

THE DESCENT (2005) - Quite simply this is the scariest film I have seen in years (certainly since The Blair Witch project). This UK production tells the story of a woman still trying to emotionally recuperate one year after the tragic death of her husband and daughter. She is invited by some girlfriends to go on an expedition through some caves in the mountains and she accepts. Unfortunately for them they are soon in trouble when a rock blocks their exit and they don't have the map of the caves with them, causing them to head further into the caves in an attempt to find a way out. Their presence causes the awakening of some creatures that dwell in the caves and soon become thirsty for the blood of the women. This is a true horror film in the sense of shock, violence and scares. The director wisely builds the tension before supplying the shock and it will have you on the edge of your seat. This is one to bravely watch with the lights out and by yourself if you dare.

EVIL DEAD (1981) - Spiderman director Sam Raimi made a name for himself in the horror film community with the stylish low budget shocker about five friends who go to a cabin for a weekend. While there they come across a book (The Book of the Dead) and a tape recorder belonging to the cabin's owner. They play the tape not realizing it is a spell that resurrects the evil forces that have sat dormant in the woods surrounding them. Soon the group starts dying one by one. Raimi showed his flashy directorial style here and created a shocking thriller with some laughs to relieve the tension. Bruce (Bubba Ho-Tep) Campbell stars as Ash, a character that defined the actor and remains a staple in his repertoire. The film became huge cult hit on video and spawned two sequels, Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn (which happens to be even better then this film) and Army of Darkness (which proved that a good film series seems to run out of steam after two movies). This film is definitely not for younger children and those who scare easily.

FRAILTY (2001) - Bill Paxton made his directorial debut with this terrific thriller that, sadly, was overlooked by the public but deserves to be seen. Matthew McConaughey stars as Fenton, a man who comes to an FBI agent (Powers Boothe) and tries to convince him that his brother may be a serial killer. The film then flashes back to the young man's childhood where his father (Paxton) claims a vision of God has compelled him to kill bad people. The father claims he can tell a bad person simply by touching them and soon he is finding and killing people. Fenton sees this as an act of madness while brother Adam sees him as a hero but no one knows the truth for sure. This is a beautifully written thriller that keeps you guessing right up to a marvelous twist ending. This is a great film. Recommended for teenagers and older.

HELLRAISER (1987) - Clive Barker, England's answer to Stephen King, made his feature film directorial debut based on one of his stories about a married couple who move into a new home with their teenage daughter. Unbeknownst to the husband, the wife has been having an affair with his brother and now the brother has escaped from a doorway to hell after solving a puzzle box that looks like a metal Rubik's Cube. This enables the brother to return to human life but cannot regain human form without the blood of other humans. His lover, the wife, sets out to pick up men to bring home under the false assumption of seduction only to be used so the brother can regenerate. Barker's often silly premise doesn't undercut his wild imagination (especially when the Cenobites, the owners of the box, come looking for the brother). The film is off the wall and silly but always entertaining thanks to Barker's gift of originality no matter how silly the setup. The film was a minor hit that became a major hit on video and has spawned many, many, many sequels. Not recommended for children under 16.

HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) - One of the very best film versions of Bram Stoker's classic novel is this British import from the famed Hammer Studios, which put out a multitude of horror films from the 50's through the 70's. Renamed Horror of Dracula for U.S. audiences because Hammer was concerned people would confuse it with Bela Lugosi's version which, at that time, was still being re-released on a yearly basis, Christopher Lee stars as the fabled vampire and Peter Cushing plays his nemesis, Van Helsing. Lee and Cushing would become movie partners for three decades in various horror movies usually playing adversaries. Neither has ever been better then they were here even if the story is more then a little familiar. Director Terence Fisher provides plenty of chills and suspense and is highly recommended to anyone who likes vampire movies. The film is recommended to all but the most impressionable.

PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987) - Director John Carpenter sets this supernatural thriller in a deserted church where a group of college students and professors come at the bequest of a priest (Donald Pleasance). While there they discover a large vat of liquid, locked from the inside, which contains the essence of the prince of darkness and the vat has begun to stir to life. Anyone exposed to the liquid in the vat turns into a zombie-like state and has crossed over to the other side in preparation of the arrival of the true prince of darkness. Carpenter's atmospheric film is heavy on music and script exposition but it all comes together in a nifty, if not great, film. There is plenty of Carpenter's signature gore and several good scares (look for Alice Cooper as a creepy homeless person) in this overlooked but deserve to be seen film. Not recommended for under 14.

THE PRIVATE EYES (1981) - Now here is a movie that the whole family can sit down and watch together and truly enjoy. Much like last year's recommendation, The Ghost And Mr. Chicken, The Private Eyes is played strictly for laughs and its scares are fun and not frightening. Tim Conway and Don Knotts star as Scotland Yard detectives called to a mansion to investigate a murder and soon discovering that the place may just be haunted. This is not a deep film and its script (by Conway) is easily picked apart but if you just want to sit back, not think and laugh at its silliness (something more people need to do in life) then this is the film for you. Recommended for all ages.

THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW (1988) - Definitely not for all ages is director Wes Craven's truly eerie film about voodoo. Bill Pullman stars as a scientist who visits Haiti to investigate a rumor that there is a drug that will render a patient completely paralyzed to the point of being mistaken for dead. He sets out to try and prove if this drug exists and if this could lead to debunking the theories of zombies. Craven creates a creepy setting which keeps the viewer on edge the whole time, delivering scares at some unexpected moments. Craven, much like John Carpenter, is a master of fright films and proves so here with this very adult thriller. Not recommended for anyone under 16.