It's only one week to All Hallow's Eve!
My favorite Anglo Saxon celebration. In the rest of Europe and most of the world on October 31st and November 1st we take time to think about those who passed away.
It's rather sad and very melancholic time. But Halloween is
different. It's optimistic and it appeals to me as something that
doesn't demonize this time of year. It originates back to Celtic
Samhain and was believed to be a border date between days of light
(summer) and days of darkness (winter). It was believed that on the
night of October, 31st the spirits of dead were returning
to Earth. The veil between the worlds was believed to be thin and
ghosts had easier access to us than normally. At the same time it was considered good and bad. Good: because it made divination and
prophecy easier. Bad: because the evil spirits were looking for
people to take revenge on, to destroy crops and play all kind of nasty
tricks. Costumes were most probably supposed to confuse spirits
looking for specific people. Same as in all pagan religions. Same as
in Basque Carnival: we are dressing up not to be recognized by
magical creatures, ghosts and witches who come looking for us.
With time, as our beliefs in wicked
ghosts dissolved, fancy dresses became just this: an opportunity to
have fun. Here you have two videos from History Channel explaining
better the origins of Halloween:
- A shorter one:
- A longer documentary (about 41 minutes):
Because of these celebrations there is
a long tradition of watching more horror films at this time. And I love a good scary story. Nothing better than an evening on the sofa, under the blanket with a hot tea and a good film. Here are
some of my favorite. I hope you will enjoy them! Add your own propositions in the
comments!
Psycho (1960)
A classic! I don't know a single person who hasn't heard about this title. Hitchcock at his best!
The Birds (1963)
Well, Hitchcock... Again... What can I say ;)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
A wonderful psychological horror written and directed by Roman Polanski. Not many know that it is based on a really good novel with the same title, written in 1967 by Ira Levin.
The Exorcist (1972)
The girl walking on the ceiling and vomiting green hmmm... stuff became an unforgettable image of our pop culture. Also based on a William Peter Blatty novel of the same name from 1971.
The Shining (1980)
Looks like the best horrors are based on excellent books. That might be actually a clue! Wonderful Stephen King, wonderful film and, oh, so scary, Jack Nicholson!
The Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Who in his/her time didn't fear Freddy Krueger? Still one of the best fancy dresses for Halloween.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
I know, I know. It's not a horror. It's a psychological thriller. Again, based on a book by Thomas Harris. A true masterpiece.
Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?
The Ring (1998)
The Japanese one, not the American remake. The tension is incredible. Black and white. Impressive. I couldn't sleep in a room with TV the whole month after seeing it...
28 Days Later (2002)
Zombies. Dystopia. End of the world the way we know it.
30 Days of Night (2007)
Well, vampires. Not the shiny ones. And not nice or attractive either...
I can't wait to see your recommendiations!!!
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