
Happy Halloween, everybody! I've never been much for it myself. Naturally, I enjoy all the candy, and any excuse to party is fine with me (although I won't consume anything dyed green or orange – that's just gross), but other than that... not much appeal. I don't even like dressing up. It's weird. However: 'tis the season for scary movies, and that
is something I can get down with. While truly frightening movies can be difficult to come by for the jaded cinephile, I have been known to be creeped out by some of the usual suspects:
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
, for instance, is an old favorite, as is
The Ring
.
Paranormal Activity
made me hesitant to venture to the dark downstairs of my apartment for a night or two. Less well-known options are
Ju-On
, the original incarnation of
The Grudge
, featuring some truly creepy imagery. The bookends of David Lynch's career are both frightening in their own ways –
Eraserhead
is shrouded in an aura of darkness, and
Inland Empire
is like watching a nightmare for three hours. I also highly recommend the recent film
– more a psychological thriller than a horror film, I nevertheless found my body gripped in a tension – even a fear – due to the pervasive mood exuded by the thing. It's beautiful.
But perhaps many of you don't want to be quite so scared. In this case I would highly recommend booking it out to Cinemark Tinseltown for their special screenings of Mel Brooks' classic,
. Gene Wilder stars as Frederick Frankenstein, grandson of the original doctor. Ashamed of the infamy surrounding his ancestor, he tries to distance himself from his heritage. However, when he travels to Transylvania to inherit his family's estate, he becomes intrigued in spite of himself... and begins the experiments again.
Young Frankenstein
plays today (Wednesday) at 2:00 and 7:00. Tinseltown is located at 4400 Towne Center Drive, in the Springhurst Shopping Center. Further theater information can be found at the Tinseltown website.
Image: Internet Movie Database
Seriously, watch this movie: