Underrated Halloween Movies

Its almost here - my favourite holiday of the year! It's tradition in my family to watch at least one themed movie during Halloween so for those looking to organize a scary (or maybe simply Halloween-themed) movie night among friends/family, here are some that I've enjoyed throughout the years. Some may not be movies you've heard of before or they may be classics within your own home.

In no particular order:

• Hocus Pocus (Bette Midler, Sara Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are hilarious and my childhood ideal of what witches should look and act like. The whole movie reminds me of the good ol' days of the 90's.)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107120/

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (It's extremely cheesy, but a cult classic and worth watching just to see Paul Reuben's hilarious death scene.)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103893/

• Shaun of the Dead (I know its new and known, but is it still popular? I feel zombies have become so dramatic or scary now on TV and in movies. What happened to them being a source for comedy? What happened to just bashing them over the heads with cricket bats? Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are an amazing duo in this comedy horror flick! Possibly the best zombie movie ever!)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/

• The Thing (I know people must know about The Thing now becuase of the new prequel that just came out, but the original movie by John Carpenter is scary good! Even with sometimes laughable graphics! A must see for sci-fi nerds!)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/

• The Exorcist (It's still my favourite horror movie of all time. After watching it, I am embarrassed to admit that it can still make me look over my shoulder when going to bed) 

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/

• Once Bitten (This movie goes back to the hilarious 80's and stars a very young Jim Carrey. It includes dance scenes and raging teenage hormones amongst a backdrop of ridiculously dressed vampires!) 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089730/

• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (It's a 1978 suspense/sci-fi/thriller with Donald Sutherland! Need I say more?)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077745/

• An American Werewolf in London (I'm guessing that many people under the age of 20 will not know about this one! But it is again hilarious and classic, with a car wreck scene that was [so I've been told] very scary to its original viewers of 1981.)

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/

• Rosemary's Baby (This movie isn't scary for its makeup or gore but for the mystery and suspense it builds up.)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063522/

• House on Haunted Hill (The 1959 original with Vincent Price is a masterpiece and, as the oldest movie on my list, still stalwartly worth watching today.) 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051744/

•  Young Frankenstein (It's a Mel Brooks comedy starring Gene Wilder that is an excellent parody of the original Frankenstein story) 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072431/


Better known movies that are good to watch around Halloween also include:
Poltergiest, Dracula, Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Silence of the Lambs, Alien, Psycho, Scream, The Birds, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gremlins, & Ginger Snaps


Enjoy!
Happy Halloween!!

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PR adventures thus far...

So I've joined the program - that is, Mohawk College's Public Relations Post-Grad Certificate Program!

What's been happening?

• First off, I've met a lot of interesting people in my classmates and my professors.
• I've been thrown into an environment that I can only compare to high school! I mean, there are lockers in the hallways! Not to mention, full days of classes with the same small group, and small assignments that basically serve for nightly homework. But I'm not complaining. It has me learning a lot and in a short amount of time.
• I've been listening to lectures whose topics are real to me and actually interest and excite me (somewhat different from my experience with some university classes which were more theoretical and nap inducing)
• I've been listening to and getting to know guest speakers who've been in the PR industry and have valuable experiences to share.
•   Lastly, I'm working and will work on amazingly interesting and fun assignments (including work on this blog and the programs blog at http://pratmohawk.blogspot.com, work with twitter, and fund raising).
• I've been accepted into the Canadian Public Relations Society and their Mentorship program. I just recently met my mentor at their orientation event along with all the other individuals involved in the program. It was a great experience minus the part where my name tag wouldn't stick to my blazer and chose my hair instead. I'm sure I made a great impression for the 30 seconds it took to pull it embarrassingly out of my hair. Anyway, I plan on talking with my mentor a great deal over the next couple of months and I'm really excited about the program.
• I've gotten an internship with the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA. I start this Friday and hopefully I'll get to help out with many an interesting job there! 

All in all, I'm having a great time so far and that makes me feel assured in myself and my decision to pursue PR as a career.

As more interesting things happen in the program, you can expect my commentary on them to appear in this blog!

Blockbuster Review #4: Brotherhood of the Wolf

Before getting into the nitty gritty, I should give a little background to this series for those just clicking in. The story begins with the sad declaration of Blockbuster Canada going out of business. It ends with me, the avid movie lover, mourning the loss of my local Blockbuster and going home with an arm full of their orphaned movies. Since my family members were involved in the splurge, movies I've never seen or would never have picked myself came home with me too. I thought it would be fun to review the movies on this blog and so began my Blockbuster Series. This is the fourth movie I'm delivering a verdict to.


So what's this movie all about you ask?

The Brotherhood of the Wolf is a 2001 French film that I watched dubbed in English but there was also the option to have English subtitles. It is inspired by the popular French myth of the "Beast of Gevaudan".

It takes place in 18th century France, in Gevaudan province. Villagers are terrorized and killed by a mysterious beast that no one has ever seen. Upon hearing of the killings, the King of France orders the Chevalier de Fronsac and his native american friend, Mani, to investigate the matter. What they discover is completely unexpected.  

Here's the trailer:

What did I think?

This is a rated-R movie definitely not made for kids (even if it is somewhat historical/educational). That said, I think it is a good movie, but perhaps, because of this, good for a selective audience only.

Its violent, visually spectacular, with good character and plot development (and for a mystery that's a must), and it put a really interesting twist on the action hero by making him an 18th century taxidermist. It is very original in a lot of aspects.

It can be classified under so many genres (horror, romance, mystery, action, adventure, history, etc.) so I can't imagine anyone being bored by it. The jacket cover describes it as a sort of historical "Matrix" but after watching for myself, I can't agree. The only resemblance, in my opinion, is a rather corny, slow-motion fighting scene in the first few minutes that reflects the fighting in The Matrix. And I believe this scene actually takes away from the movie's better qualities. I'd market it as more of a French Pirates of the Caribbean. Regardless, I thought it was a fun and entertaining movie, that isn't meant to be taken too seriously. I think viewers who understand that will enjoy it the most.

7 out of 10.

What do you think about my review?
Do you agree with my score?
Let me know in the comments!