Who Loves Halloween Season?

The Better Question Is Who Doesn't?!

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I just love the creepy vibe, the scary movies, the trick or treating, and the freedom to dress up as anyone or anything you wish. I also own a great deal of scary movie soundtracks, which I listen to periodically all year. I think most of us would agree that, as far as movie directors go, John Carpenter is the man. I would like to rate my top 5 favorite John Carpenter movies, and I encourage you to chime in and either tell me where I am wrong, or give me kudos for 'nailing it.' Now, there is a difference between a 'Best Of' list versus a 'My Favorites' list. The following are my favorites.

Number 5 - Prince of Darkness
This may have been the last truly great John Carpenter scary movie, and was part of his unofficial 'Apocalyptic' trilogy. The movie has the Carpenter patented eerie standing-still-staring people, which began with Michael Myers and culminated in The World's End paying homage to it. The blend of religion and science was befuddling, but fascinating. I have the soundtrack and absolutely love it. The end is truly freaky, and fulfilling. It is fairly well periodically set up throughout the movie, and the payoff is very satisfying. The last thing I will say if you are not convinced yet is ... Donald Pleasance.

Number 4 - In the Mouth of Madness
Sam Neil and the sexy vampire from Fright Night 2 carry this movie, but just as good are the practical effects. The creatures are very well made, the story is unique and creative, and the conclusion is truly maddening. This film gets overlooked, but is genuinely scary. Hollywood has not done anything this original and fearless in a long time. This is an overlooked gem in Carpenter's canon.

Number 3 - The Fog
This was Carpenter's first project after Halloween, and has a terrific vibe throughout. The film begins with a spooky story around a campfire, and maintains an eerie atmosphere during it's entire playtime. Again, the soundtrack is great, and the cast is stellar: Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, and Adrienne Barbeau may be the best female trio in any scary movie. My favorite scene is when Barbeau's kid gets rescued by the two protagonists, but once they realize the truck is stuck in the mud they give a knowing look to one another, and you really feel their fear. This is a definite must see.

Number 2 - Halloween
While a tad slow for modern audiences, this is the 'gold standard,' which set the bar for horror movies for decades. The sequels ruined the franchise by explaining Michael Myers, but what made the original so good was the enigma of Myers. Not knowing much about his motivation was what made him so cool and terrifying. As a child of the '70s myself, I can really relate to the kids in this film, the feel of the times, and the general vibe. The directing by Carpenter was groundbreaking, and the flick made a shit ton of money in relation to its budget. Do I need to bother mentioning how good the soundtrack is?

Number 1 - The Thing
While unappreciated in it's time, this is truly a classic, and Carpenter's masterpiece. The mood of the film is fantastic with the almost constant wind blowing in the background constantly reminding you of the harsh environment the characters are stuck in. The film expertly captures the isolation, paranoia, and claustrophobia. The pace is perfect, the acting is stellar, the mood is horrifying, and the soundtrack is phenomenal. Kurt Russel has never been better (except as Snake Plissken possibly). The film ends with two survivors who are doomed, and it does not spell out for you who is 'the thing' and who is not. Hollywood would never end a film on such an enigmatic sour note today, and that is unfortunate. I absolutely love the grim finale here.

So there it is. I should probably cover some honorable mentions. They Live was very compelling, but not really scary. The Village of the Damned gets ripped on, but I thought it was okay, and was surprised how good the young girl who played the main villain did. The Ghosts of Mars is not as bad as some say, but Jason Statham is good in it as is Natasha Henstridge. Now, John Carpenter did some other terrific films, but they are not included here because this is for scary movies only. I encourage you to leave comments, and disagree or agree with me.