I spent the last week of September setting the mood for October with:
Sleepy Hollow (DVD)
I've watched this many times and I'm still in love with the atmosphere. The score is a big part of the appeal for me (even in its overly bombastic moments) as is the desaturation of forests, houses, and costumes. When blood sprays, its satisfyingly garish against the graytones. It reminds me of the Hammer, AIP, and Bava horror films from way back - most notably in the zoom in on eyes staring out of an Iron Maiden (a la
Pit & The Pendulum). Some fun macabre humor and one of my favorite Depp performances makes this a go-to movie for me every autumn.
Lady In White (DVD)
Firstly, what I love about this movie. The Autumnal feel is wonderful. The classroom scenes are some of my favorites with the lit Jack-o-lanterns on each desk, the reactions to the scary story being told (one kid's bunny ear slowly droops in dread), and the dark cloakroom with the fanlight window that overlooks... a graveyard? Strange, but cool! A couple of moments have haunted me for years; the slow reveal of the figure outside of the sleeping boy's bedroom window and the same figure's descent down the stairs in an abandoned cottage. Shudderific! The dramatic sequence of the boy locked in the cloakroom dreaming of his dead mother, waking up crying, then witnessing a spectral apparition is so memorable. And the shocking murder of a man in front of his wife was well played. It's apparent this was a labor of love from the writer/director/producer. That said, I don't watch this one as often as I used to and, having seen it the other day, the reasons are clearer to me.
The tone shifts are frequent and jarring. The accumulated weight of tragedy throughout the story is pretty heavy, so lighthearted or humorous moments often come across as just odd. This is compounded by a score that sounds sometimes inappropriate, forced, or overly sentimental. So, for me, this is a once-every-few-years thing.
Extraordinary Tales (NETFLIX)
A collection of animated shorts based on Poe stories. Not all of the animation styles are to my taste but it's nice to have this on in the background. Listening to Poe's words is quite a moodsetter.
The Ninth Gate (DVD)
At first I wasn't sure how I felt about this movie, but I liked it enough that I rewatched it several times, enjoying it more each time.
I like this guy's video review.
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A movie I want to watch again soon is
What We Do In The Shadows (AMAZON). I rented this a while back and got a real kick out of it. Several vampires cohabiting mockumentary style. I need to own it.
Trailer