Why So Blu?

Gerard’s Top-3 Halloween Horror Treats!

2014 is just flying by as we are already in my favorite coveted month of October. The leaves have started to turn red and yellow and the ghosts and goblins are out there creeping about. This short list is made up of my favorite horror films that I like to watch during the Halloween holiday season. A slice of pumpkin pie and nice pumpkin craft ale and a nice horror movie hits the spot perfectly. This obviously isn’t a comprehensive but just a tasty sampler of films that are relatively short in running time but hit you right in your fear spot. In any event sit back and enjoy my Top-3 Halloween Horror Treats!  

As I’ve said in the opening intro this piece: this is just a sampler of my favorite horror films and nothing more. I will say that if I had to create a comprehensive Top-10 horror list then these three films would certainly make it on the list, as well. This is just compressed list for time’s sake. Alrighty then let’s get to it!

 

Yeah, John Carpenter’s Halloween has already been imitated and thankfully never duplicated or have come close to the sheer power simplicity of the original. This is a good thing! A serial killer who is little more than a shape or evil incarnate ravages a small town. The film that started the slasher genre still holds up more than 35-years later and the quality of the Blu-ray, which you should already have, is stellar in quality and supplements. If you’re a horror fan then John Carpenter’s Halloween is required viewing and you should already own a copy of the Blu-ray. Nuff said.

 

 

 

My second film on this abridged Top-3 list has to be Trick ‘r Treat. Time flies when I think back to the original and effective trailer that premiered in front of the released for 300 all those years ago. It looked great but for some strange reason Warner Bros had a brain fart and could not come up with proper theatrical marketing, so they shelved the film for a few months before premiering it at San Diego Comic-Con and then finally releasing it on Blu-ray and DVD directly. Well, it sold very well and is now considered a classic. It’s definitely a horror classic in this household. Trick ‘r Treat is a horror anthology that follows Sam, the spirit of Halloween, as he transcends time and makes sure that everyone he comes into contact with dutifully represents the holiday. I LOVE this flick!

 

My final pick on this Top-3 list is the extremely underrated Exorcist III, which is technically the real sequel to Friedkin’s original film based on William Peter Blatty’s novel: Legion. Some familiar characters and familiar faces make appearances in this sequel, which was most recently released on Blu-ray after who knows how many years on DVD. I may review the Blu-ray at a later date. Exorcist III stars George C. Scott as Detective Kinderman, who is investigating a series of brutal killings in Georgetown. These gruesome killings all have religious overtones to them and he gets a hunch that they’re somewhat related to the events that happened 15 years prior. You all know the stories off how Blatty had trouble with the studio about what should and should have been left in the final cut, but honestly, I like this film for many of the reasons that some don’t. Let’s not forget that Exorcist III has one of the greatest “shock” scenes of all time. On that alone it’s worth the price of admission.

 

There you have it – a short and sweet look at my required viewing for Halloween 2014, or any Halloween (or not) in general. I’d like to think that each of these films, separately, or as a whole, would touch upon your sensibilities in one way or another. At one point they were all overlooked horror gems and now they are all available on Blu-ray and should experienced in that way for maximum impact. That does it for my list – be safe and have a happy Halloween!