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OCTOBER 15, 2008

By the pricking of my thumbs,

For me, October is the most wonderful time of the year. Leaves are changing, temperatures cooling, decorations abound… And it’s no secret that I adore Halloween. However, it’s not the gore or the fright that is the attraction, it’s the imagery: bats and pumpkins, witches and mummies, spiders and … well you get the picture.

I’m not sure when it started, but my love of Halloween has become accepted as a matter of course among those who know me. My best friend has forgone the December holidays and sends me only an annual Halloween present. Another at all significant occasions bestows upon me appropriately themed house wares (ghostly stemmed glasses, pumpkin and bat ice cubes, etc.) Another engages in a now annual watching of The Nightmare Before Christmas, the way some settle in with popcorn in front of It’s a Wonderful Life.

So it is not really all that surprising that when I thought about writing this week, I thought about my favorite October Films. Not the gross, scary films. Although, I have to admit I have sat through all of the adventures of Michael Myers (including remakes), Jason Voorhees (and his mom), and Freddy Kruger, but they are NOT the film stars that make me wish for year round October.

Some of my most favorite films are perfect for this time of year, and so I thought I would share…. But be forewarned, they may not be gory, but they might give you a fright!

No October can be complete with The Nightmare Before Christmas, but it does appear to prove that no one likes a skinny Santa.

For Tim Burton fan’s, Corpse Bride is an equally enchanting Halloween-esque tale. Reminiscent of Burton’s earlier film Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride is better.

We also cannot forget The Stepford Wives, either the original or remake. My preference in this case though, is for the remake. For me it was one of those few movie experiences where I was laughing uncontrollably as I gasped, “That’s so scary!” Not an easy combination to put together. (Also note, Ira Levin, author of The Stepford Wives, brought us another great Halloween story: Rosemary's Baby.)

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posted by Su

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Comments

Mercedes said, on Oct. 16 at 5:51PM
My all-time favorite October movie is the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Disney cartoon version. I have to watch it every October, no matter what. Is there anything better than Bing Crosby lending his voice to the sinister story of the Headless Horseman? We are also Shyalaman fans, and we're looking forward to The Happening. Our favorite though, is Signs. Shiver!!! And of course, good old Something Wicked. When we received that movie at the library, I checked it out and made my husband watch it, who had never done so before. I had seen it as a child and didn't remember much but do attribute my frequent dreams of spiders to this classic film. We were impressed with the story and the film (though the effects may be cheesy by today's standards). It has a wonderful way of making you feel both the dark and the light.