I love horror movies.
I’ve written horror movies.
FEAR OF THE DARK, PROPHECY: UPRISING, PROPHECY: FORSAKEN, HALLOWEEN 9, WASPS, LAND SHARK.
Some of them you can rent, some of them are unproduced, but…yeah, I love horror movies. It’s a job. Actually, it’s more than a job.
It’s my life.
I live with my girlfriend, and she occasionally has to endure a Blu-Ray of ALIEN or JAWS. She’s a good sport.
Living with @lovehappyhour has taught me this:
Nothing compliments a cool horror movie like a good cocktail.
Weather’s changing…
We’re getting that orange-y hue in the sky…
A scent of burnt leaves…
‘Fun size’ candy bars showing up more prominently on the grocery store shelves…
So, here’s my top ten list of the best pre-Halloween thrillers to watch while
sipping on a fun drink.
Watch one a night! Make a specific cocktail for each flick!
Keep the volume down though, because this is when the screaming starts…
John Carpenter’s original is a timeless Halloween film. You can probably tell by the title. Frightening, eerie, tension-filled. Brilliantly directed. It makes pumpkins scary. Every time I hear a synthesizer, I figure Michael Myers is right around the corner. This is a beer flick. Because everyone always drank beers in 70’s movies.
Did I say that Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN makes pumpkins scary? This movie makes pumpkins scary. Like, literally. A pumpkin is a villain. It’s an anthology film that is comparable to a Halloween-set PULP FICTION. I’d try a pumpkin-spice based drink.
Do a shot. Do two shots. Do some hard-livin’ shots. Enjoy Clooney and Tarantino fighting vampires. Maybe even a Bloody Mary? Just watch out for the fangs. It’s kinda neat to see Clooney before he was Clooney.
Not the remake. The original from ’86. I don’t want to keep beating the vampire drum, but this is a great, colorful, lively vampire movie. It was the first R-rated film my parents let me watch. Chris Sarandon freaked me out. Jack and Coke. With ice. Because Jerry Dandrige is cold as ice.
The movie is the best example of a nightmare. It’s a filmed nightmare. In a good way. The story: A young boy discovers the terrifying secret behind his brother’s death, and takes on a malevolent mortician. You want to stay awake for this one. Red Bull & vodka.
Space evil? I’m down with that. An interstellar crew discovers that a ship they've been assigned to salvage has gone to hell and back…and brought something with it. Truly frightening, and a blast to watch. I’d recommend a Jagermeister-based drink. Because space is dark. And dangerous.
The ultimate haunted house movie. A terrifying combination of family dynamics and things jumping out of closets. If you haven’t seen POLTERGEIST, get it on Netflix. Watch it. Then continue reading this article. I’d suggest a ghostly White Russian.
Recipe
Yeah, it’s regarded as the ‘scariest film ever made’. Is it? It’s close. I’m embarrassed to say I saw it for the first time last year. Linda Blair is amazing. It’s a disturbing, dark, spooky film. William Friedkin directs a good thriller. ‘Possess’ a drink with a unique ingredient. Something…devilish.
I’m not gonna lie to you. This movie is weird. It’s not even available on DVD or Blu-Ray. You can watch it on YouTube. It’s a patchwork of two completely different films mushed together. But it’s great. It has great creature effects, and it's joyously strange. The cocktail for this gem would be squeezing out a bar towel into a glass. So…a Long Island Iced Tea?
...I wrote this movie. It’s a shameful plug. It’s about a pair of brothers dealing with some nasty boogeymen in their house during a blackout. It’s a movie largely aimed at kids, so I’d recommend some chocolate milk.
