“Shaun of the Dead”: The tagline for this film describes it as a “romantic comedy with zombies,” and that’s probably the best descriptor. Shaun, as played by Simon Pegg, is a deadbeat salesman with a struggling relationship who breaks away from the monotony of his life when the dead start walking the streets. It’s the first major film from writer/director Edgar Wright, and blends uproarious British humor with the gore and thrills of a conventional zombie flick, even managing some satirical comedy by comparing the hordes of zombies to the dullness of modern life. This one’s a crowd pleaser for both fans of comedy and zombie films.
“The Haunting”: This movie’s an absolute classic ghost story. Based on the Shirley Jackson book The Haunting of Hill House, the film details the investigation of a supposedly haunted mansion by a group of investigators, each with their own traumas. It’s the kind of psychological horror that will make you wonder exactly how much of the haunting is actually taking place, and how much is in the heads of the protagonists. Uncertainty is at the heart of this terrifying film, and it is definitely worth a watch.
“Prince of Darkness”: While not a critical success upon its release in 1987, this film is one of many cult classics by famed director John Carpenter. The story follows a priest recruiting a quantum physics professor and his students to investigate a mysterious cylinder and liquid. The group later discovers a sinister secret, as the liquid infects the group with reoccurring dreams, creates an army of bewitched homeless citizens and leads them to a sinister possession that could bring Hell on Earth. If you liked classics like “Halloween” and “The Thing,” you’ll be at the edge of your seat.
“House of Wax”: Vincent Price stars as a sinister sculptor in the first color 3-D film “House of Wax”, first released in 1953 and remade in 2005. The film centers around a Professor Henry Jarrod, a sculptor of a wax museum in 1900s New York that specializes in Historical wax figures. However, with a masked killer on the loose at night, one of the guests finds the wax figures to be very luscious and uncovers an ominous truth. Unlike the remake, “House of Wax” delivers a suspenseful environment with Price’s eerie acting to make the audience feel uneasy.
“Zombie Land Saga”: This work is a currently running Japanese anime that features horror comedy with a dash of social satire. The series starts off with protagonist Sakura Minamoto being run over by a truck as the opening credits start, awakening as a zombie ten years after her demise. Finding herself in a mansion filled with zombie girls from different eras, Sakura is recruited by a talent agent who aims to create an all–zombie pop group to save their city. With over–the–top acting, physical comedy and a satirical look at Japan’s idol industry, this series is a spooky good time.
“Young Frankenstein”: Often considered one of the greatest parodies of all time, “Young Frankenstein” is a loving pastiche from director Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder. The plot concerns Frederick, grandson of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein, who has grown to resent his family name as he struggles to make a name for himself in science. But after inheriting his grandfather’s old castle, the young Frankenstein finds himself drawn back into the family business. The film recreates the tone of the older classic monster films and the original novel, while also sprinkling in tons of humorous twists as the legend of Frankenstein is turned on its head.
Contributors: Joseph Calamia and Noah Wright
