Fright Night #2
If you're staying in on Halloween and want to celebrate the classics without being afraid to go to bed later, then you may want to consider some of these semi-humorous classics.
1. Bride of Frankenstein
James Whale directed this sequel to his original Frankenstein and created a camp classic. Yes it has horror, but it
has flamboyant fun too. The music, the sets and the delicious Ernst Thesiger as Dr Pratorius are incomparsble.
2. Arsenic and Old Lace
Frank Capra (yes that's right) directed this movie that can best be described as a black screwball comedy. It all
takes place on Halloween night and stars Cary Grant who endures shock after shock dealing with dead bodies,
escaped killers and a family of loonies.
3. Young Frankenstein
Without the Universal horror legacy, Mel Brooks could not have made this satirical tribute those horror classics.
There are so many nuggets in this film that it's almost impossible to list them.
4. Rocky Horror Picture Show
30 plus years later this horror musical satire still holds up. It'sa hilarious gender-bending pre-Goth sendup
of horror movies & movie musicals.
5. Gremlins
Sure, it takes place on Christmas but this darkly comedic horror classic is likea Warner Bros cartoon gone
horribly wrong.
6. Nightmare Before Christmas
That goofy goth Tim Burton created a stop-motion animation musical (with Danny Elfman) that can be watched
now and during the Yuletide season. The inventive flipside of those Rudolph TV specials.
7. Fright Night
Not quite a laughfest but it does feature Chris Sarandon as a vampire and Roddy McDowell as a TV horror show
host battling it out for overacting honors.
8. Night of the Comet
Think of it as Valley Girl meets Night of the Living Dead as as comet wipes out much of the world except for a
ditzy valley girl, her older sister, a Latino hero and world full of zombies and mad scientists.
9. Return of the Living Dead
An unofficial sequel/send-up of Night of the Living Dead with a punk zombies and hapless goofs who don't
even kniow they're dead.
10. Evid Dead 2
This was Sam Raimi's sequel of an earlier movie that beats the first and sets up a darkly hilarious third movie
1. Bride of Frankenstein
James Whale directed this sequel to his original Frankenstein and created a camp classic. Yes it has horror, but it
has flamboyant fun too. The music, the sets and the delicious Ernst Thesiger as Dr Pratorius are incomparsble.
2. Arsenic and Old Lace
Frank Capra (yes that's right) directed this movie that can best be described as a black screwball comedy. It all
takes place on Halloween night and stars Cary Grant who endures shock after shock dealing with dead bodies,
escaped killers and a family of loonies.
3. Young Frankenstein
Without the Universal horror legacy, Mel Brooks could not have made this satirical tribute those horror classics.
There are so many nuggets in this film that it's almost impossible to list them.
4. Rocky Horror Picture Show
30 plus years later this horror musical satire still holds up. It'sa hilarious gender-bending pre-Goth sendup
of horror movies & movie musicals.
5. Gremlins
Sure, it takes place on Christmas but this darkly comedic horror classic is likea Warner Bros cartoon gone
horribly wrong.
6. Nightmare Before Christmas
That goofy goth Tim Burton created a stop-motion animation musical (with Danny Elfman) that can be watched
now and during the Yuletide season. The inventive flipside of those Rudolph TV specials.
7. Fright Night
Not quite a laughfest but it does feature Chris Sarandon as a vampire and Roddy McDowell as a TV horror show
host battling it out for overacting honors.
8. Night of the Comet
Think of it as Valley Girl meets Night of the Living Dead as as comet wipes out much of the world except for a
ditzy valley girl, her older sister, a Latino hero and world full of zombies and mad scientists.
9. Return of the Living Dead
An unofficial sequel/send-up of Night of the Living Dead with a punk zombies and hapless goofs who don't
even kniow they're dead.
10. Evid Dead 2
This was Sam Raimi's sequel of an earlier movie that beats the first and sets up a darkly hilarious third movie
Honorable mention:
11. Abbott & Costelo Met Frankenstein
Ok, so we couldn't limit the list to ten. But how could we leave off this perennial classic that's a satire
and a tribute at the same time. Besides it's another chance to see Bela Lugosi as Dracula!
12. Ed Wood
A biography of the man some of the worst movies ever. Ironically it's better than his own films. Funny &
weird & creepy. Who else but Tim Burton.
We already told you about Sci-Fi's "Ghost Hunters Live" on Halloween. Also on cable:
Discovery Channel offers 9 episodes of A Haunting (featuring real haunted house stories)
Discovery Channel offers 9 episodes of A Haunting (featuring real haunted house stories)
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