October is right around the corner and that can only mean that it's time to start celebrating Halloween! As usual, I will try to post a new review everyday of the month. If there's time, I will try to add extra posts whenever possible. For those unfamiliar with the format, I typically have themes for each week. This year's themes will be:
Week 1: Zombies
Zombies are everywhere now, some might even say there's an oversaturation of them. There are two different shows on AMC (The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead), they can be found in video games, books, toys, and nearly every medium imaginable. I must admit I love zombies myself, so I embrace the proliferation of zombie culture.
Week 2: Aliens
During the second week of October, we'll be celebrating creatures from outer space. Most people don't believe in the existence of intelligent life in our universe anymore. Back in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, an alien invasion seemed like a very real possibility. Orson Welles did a Halloween radio broadcast in 1938, based on H.G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds, and had people believing an alien invasion was really in progress. Nowadays, most "evidence" is just written off as a hoax and immediately discredited. I think they deserve a little more respect, so they're getting their own week.
Week 3: Wes Craven
I was sad to hear that Wes Craven had passed away earlier in August. I've never met him personally but those who have all say what a great person he was. Although I don't have any personal experiences to speak from, his movies have been a major part of my life as I'm sure they have been in all horror fans. Freddy Krueger was one of the scariest movie monsters I can remember from my childhood. Although Craven didn't have much to do with the sequels, I can't imagine not having that character. I used to go to the Spirit stores around Halloween to admire the Freddy glove. The only reason I never bought one was because it was made of plastic instead of metal. I also remember spending the summer before middle school at my uncle's house in Vancouver and watching Scream over and over again. (along with Space Jam and Batman Forever) That line, "What's your favorite scary movie?" was so popular when I was in middle school. When I really started getting into horror movies during high school, The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise was one of the first ones I revisited, coming full circle as a horror fan. The man was truly a master of his craft and to pay tribute to him, I am dedicating a week to his movies. I originally had a different line up for Halloween but I shifted them around to make room for his movies. I feel like this was the only thing I had to offer the man who had such a monumental influence on my love for this genre.
Week 4: Mixed Bag
Anything goes.