As holiday movies go, nothing beats the stuff they roll out around Halloween. Most, thematically, aren't even about the holiday itself (never mind the Halloween movies) but are simply horror films trotted out during the one time of year it's considered socially acceptable to do so. I used to look forward every year (in those hoary pre-VCR days of my youth) to seeing Night of the Living Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is still my favorite Peanuts special, and there would usually be a marathon of bad Japanese monster films airing somewhere.
People love Christmas movies, which makes no sense to me. Having been constricted by seventy years of traditional X-mas plotlines, Christmas films have to continually reassert the joys of loving your fellow man and acting unselfishly, which may be a fine way to live your life, but it really makes for boring cinema. The statement, "King Kong vs. Godzilla rocks and is ten times better than It's a Wonderful Life, which sucks," is scientifically provable. I'd show you the formula, but I have to head out back and set up some traps for these wolves that apparently want to eat me (look under "Television Ads").
Meanwhile, chew on these Halloween-related movie announcements.
First, the Landmark River Oaks will be airing Dan O'Bannon's 1985 masterpiece, Return of the Living Dead, at midnight October 29th and 30th. There will be a costume contest Saturday night, though - as the press release informed me - no actual zombies will be admitted, for safety reasons.
I haven't seen Return on the big screen since high school, and then on a group outing where I spent half the movie trying my patented adolescent moves on some unfortunate girl.
Then we all got tickets for drag racing. Woot.
Anyway, it's a great film with plenty of gore (integral to the plot) and lots of naked Linnea Quigley (even more integral to the plot). See it with someone you love who hopefully already returns your affections.
Second, the Alamo Draft House at West Oaks will be playing their 100 Best Kills showcase again this year on Halloween. No plots, no setup, just 100 death scenes. Plus beer and nachos.
The ones from Riki-O are pretty cool. I'm going to try and make a comprehensive list, assuming I can still use a pen after #50 or so.
If you are going to see '100 Best Kills' I highly recommend one of the Alamo Draft House's meat ball sandwichs during the film.