A continuation of the list of creepy or Halloween-ish films that I watched in October. {You can find the first part here.}
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Hitchcock. This is a biopic about Hitchcock and the making of Psycho. There's a big emphasis on his marriage at the time, the difficulties he had getting the film made, etc. It was interesting enough but I didn't love it. (I love his films but I don't know much about Alfred Hitchcock as a person, so I don't know how accurate this film was. From some things I've read, it sounds like maybe it was toned down a bit?)
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Psycho. One of the creepiest Hitchcock films and one of my favorites. I usually end up watching it every year around Halloween. I especially enjoyed it this year, having just watched the previous film I mentioned.
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Arsenic and Old Lace. I love this movie so much! It's basically the best Halloween film ever. It's over-the-top and spoofy and absurd. Cary Grant is at his kookiest here...it's completely different from his usual type of role, but it's wonderful. There are so many random elements to this story that all come together in a hilarious way. :)
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The Mummy. My attempt to watch the "classic horror" films continues. I didn't really like this one, to be honest. I was expecting a creepy, moaning mummy stumbling around, dragging along his wrappings. But instead it was about Egyptian curses and people from ancient Egypt coming alive again, but not in the way I expected. I was a bit distracted during the first twenty minutes or so, and I spent the rest of the film trying to figure out what exactly was going on.
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Rear Window. Another of my favorite Hitchcock films! This one isn't particularly scary or suspenseful until the last five minutes or so, but there is an overall menacing feeling throughout. It's basically a mystery, and I do love those. And Jimmy Stewart is always great, of course.
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The 39 Steps. After watching the original movie, I watched the Masterpiece remake again. I hadn't seen it in years, and it was better than I remembered! (And more entertaining than the original, I think.) It definitely had a lot in common with the original, but there were some different little twists, too.
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Casper. I loved this movie as a kid. It's so cheesy and there are lots of plot holes and inconsistencies, but it's still fun and it makes me feel nostalgic.
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It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Such an awkward, charming classic. :)
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Spellbound. This was the first Hitchcock film I ever watched, back when I first started getting into old movies, so it will always be special. It's more of a psychological thriller, and it's very dramatic and has some nice twists. I really like the dream sequence (designed by Salvador Dali).
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The Invisible Man. By far the best of the classic horror films I've watched! I enjoyed this one so much. It was entertaining and easy to follow (especially compared to The Mummy), but my favorite parts were the special effects. I was so impressed with them! We don't even think about special effects today, but back in the 30s, they had to be really creative. And while a lot of old special effects don't hold up, these do. There were lots of familiar faces in bit parts, and this film had a great sense of humor: it was funny when it intended to be (not funny like Dracula because it was so melodramatic and cheesy). The Invisible Man was a pleasant surprise, though the man himself was a lot more intimidating when his face wasn't bandaged up. (I can't take him seriously looking like that.)
Hitchcock. This is a biopic about Hitchcock and the making of Psycho. There's a big emphasis on his marriage at the time, the difficulties he had getting the film made, etc. It was interesting enough but I didn't love it. (I love his films but I don't know much about Alfred Hitchcock as a person, so I don't know how accurate this film was. From some things I've read, it sounds like maybe it was toned down a bit?)
Psycho. One of the creepiest Hitchcock films and one of my favorites. I usually end up watching it every year around Halloween. I especially enjoyed it this year, having just watched the previous film I mentioned.
Arsenic and Old Lace. I love this movie so much! It's basically the best Halloween film ever. It's over-the-top and spoofy and absurd. Cary Grant is at his kookiest here...it's completely different from his usual type of role, but it's wonderful. There are so many random elements to this story that all come together in a hilarious way. :)
The Mummy. My attempt to watch the "classic horror" films continues. I didn't really like this one, to be honest. I was expecting a creepy, moaning mummy stumbling around, dragging along his wrappings. But instead it was about Egyptian curses and people from ancient Egypt coming alive again, but not in the way I expected. I was a bit distracted during the first twenty minutes or so, and I spent the rest of the film trying to figure out what exactly was going on.
Rear Window. Another of my favorite Hitchcock films! This one isn't particularly scary or suspenseful until the last five minutes or so, but there is an overall menacing feeling throughout. It's basically a mystery, and I do love those. And Jimmy Stewart is always great, of course.
The 39 Steps. After watching the original movie, I watched the Masterpiece remake again. I hadn't seen it in years, and it was better than I remembered! (And more entertaining than the original, I think.) It definitely had a lot in common with the original, but there were some different little twists, too.
Casper. I loved this movie as a kid. It's so cheesy and there are lots of plot holes and inconsistencies, but it's still fun and it makes me feel nostalgic.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Such an awkward, charming classic. :)
Spellbound. This was the first Hitchcock film I ever watched, back when I first started getting into old movies, so it will always be special. It's more of a psychological thriller, and it's very dramatic and has some nice twists. I really like the dream sequence (designed by Salvador Dali).
The Invisible Man. By far the best of the classic horror films I've watched! I enjoyed this one so much. It was entertaining and easy to follow (especially compared to The Mummy), but my favorite parts were the special effects. I was so impressed with them! We don't even think about special effects today, but back in the 30s, they had to be really creative. And while a lot of old special effects don't hold up, these do. There were lots of familiar faces in bit parts, and this film had a great sense of humor: it was funny when it intended to be (not funny like Dracula because it was so melodramatic and cheesy). The Invisible Man was a pleasant surprise, though the man himself was a lot more intimidating when his face wasn't bandaged up. (I can't take him seriously looking like that.)