Retro Horror Films For Halloween
Scary Movies Based on Classic Literature and Myths Are For All Ages
Aug 19, 2009
Film-makers in the 1930s, ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s understood that it is more frightening to watch a single drop of blood stream under the door than to watch someone get decapitated in all its gory detail. The imagination can conjure up far more scarier images than can a scene of “blood and guts.”
That is why older horror and mystery films are still fresh today, and will add a delightful, piquant touch to any Halloween celebration.
Horror Films Based on Classical Literature
Many of the retro scary films are based on classical literature, including many stories by Edgar Allen Poe, and novels by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Bram Stoker. For more details on each film, visit Wikipedia.
- “The Pit and the Pendulum,” based on Edgar Allen Poe’s story of the same name, 1961. This film is about a man searching for his missing sister and, finding her home to be a nightmarish castle, endured many ghoulish adventures only to end up chained to the horrific torture device by his mad brother-in-law (Vincent Price).
- “The Premature Burial,” based on Edgar Allen Poe’s story of the same name, 1961. The first-person unnamed narrator describes his phobia of being buried alive. He deals with this horrid fear throughout the film until a surprise ending makes him face his fears, dead on.
- “The Raven,” based on Edgar Allen Poe’s poem of the same name, 1963. This film, which traces a man’s descent into madness, exacerbated by a talking parrot who repeats, “Nevermore,” is based on one of the most famous poems ever written.
- “The Masque of the Red Death,” based on Edgar Allen Poe’s story of the same name, 1964. This is a complex tale that also has elements of Poe’s short story “Hop-Frog.” The wicked Prince Prospero invites nobles into his castle to escape the Red Death, which is wiping out the peasant villages. But by the end of the film, Prince Prospero learns a lesson in humility that will last him for eternity.
- “Frankenstein,” (or “The Modern Prometheus”) by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, became a film in 1931, with Boris Karloff in the title role. This film, whilst chilling, also is sad and a testament to the harmful and cruel effects of mob mentality.
- “Dracula,” by Bram Stoker, was made into a film in 1931, starring Bela Lugosi in the creepy title role. Though Dracula has been played by many famous actors, including Peter Cushing, Bela Lugosi’s version still remains the undisputed classic. Many spin-off films, and even a well-done television series called “Dark Shadows,” were made after the original, but none can quite match the eerie atmosphere and horror of the original film about the walking dead. However, for variety, after watching the original “Dracula,” try the 1960s television series “Dark Shadows.” The theme music sets the mood for a creepy experience.
Classic Horror Films
Some older classic films simply transcend time and remain ever fresh. Listed below are several films that fit into this category.
- “The Wolfman,” 1941, with Lon Chaney, Jr. in the title role. This film is as sad as it is frightening, exploring the dark side that exists in all humans. This original film, though not necessarily all of the spin-offs, is still painfully poignant and eerie.
- “Nosferatu,” 1922. This German-made film shows vampires in quite a different light than does “Dracula.” Count Orlok (as opposed to Count Dracula) is not eerily glamourous but is decidedly creepy, both in appearance, movement, and motive.
- “The Haunting,” 1961. This film is adapted from the novel The Haunting of Hill House and involves a clash between a team of paranormal investigators, especially the naïve and vulnerable Eleanor, played by Julie Harris, and strange happenings in the house. This film was remade in 1991, but the newer version does not match the suspense and horror of the original.
- Any film by Alfred Hitchcock. This list goes on and on: “Psycho;” “The Birds;” Vertigo;” “Rear Window” “North by Northwest; “The Man Who Knew Too Much; “Notorious;” and many others. Search Alfred Hitchcock’s name on a search engine to come up with a comprehensive list of his films.
- “The Shining, 1980. This is a modern horror classic that can still cause viewers to sleep with the lights on. Stephen King, author of the novel, knows what is scary – wide open, empty spaces, long hallways with lots of doors, the descent into madness. Save for one scene that could have been left out or done better, “The Shining” is still as scary as when it first came out. And parts of it, including a boy’s vision of murder, which he understands backwards as “redrum,” have become iconic in films and television series.
During the Halloween season, it is good to be able to gather as a family and watch films that are not all violence, blood, and gore. Older horror and suspense films based on classic short stories and novels could offer just the solution for families with children.
The list of films above is intended to introduce or re-introduce those seeking horror films in the richness of older productions. In fact, watching older films just may change the outlook on some of the weaknesses of today’s horror films. Less is more, and the older films use this tenet to create truly horrifying and suspense-filled productions.
Remember – one drop of blood running under the door, a pair of eerie twins suddenly appearing in a long, deserted hallway – can be more frightening than watching someone get hacked to death.
Source: Wikipedia.
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