Halloween Week Movie Marathon

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love it. Because it is on a Wednesday this year, i figured I'd take advantage of its mid-week position by celebrating all week. So I'm watching as many horror/thriller/scary/creepy movies as I possibly can. Here's my marathon schedule as I watch them. Are you doing anything for Halloween week?

1. Rear Window. 1954. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Jimmy Stuart and Grace Kelly.
     A man with a broken leg spies on his neighbors through their open windows. He sees suspicious activity in one of the apartments that suggest a murder has taken place. An amazing classic Hitchcock film. Also who doesn't want to watch Grace Kelly sneak into an apartment in heels?

2. The Perfect Host. 2010. Directed by Nick Tomnay. Starring David Hyde Pierce and Clayne Crawford. 
     A criminal on the run takes refuge in a house where his host is having a diner party with his imagination. This film is so carefully constructed and full of unexpected twists. A really interesting take on the psychological thriller. [netflix]

3. The Ward. 2010. Directed by John Carpenter. Starring Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Laura-Leigh and Lyndsy Fonseca. 
     A run away teen ends up in a locked isolation ward where she's haunted by a murderous ghost. This is pretty much like a scary version of Girl, Interrupted. The whole thing is pretty predictable until you get into the last twenty or so minutes of the film. The end is kind of a mind-fuck and the very ending is such a well constructed scare. [netflix]

4. The Shining. 1980. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd. 
     A stereotypical American family move into the Overlook Hotel for the winter. The hotel has a dark past which has varying results on the family members. An amazing film, creepy and so carefully constructed. If you haven't seen this, go do it right now.

5. The Birds. 1963. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren.
    A woman travels to Bodega Bay to deliver birds to a man. Suddenly birds start attacking people out of no where. One of Hitchcock's most famous films and a must see. It can be a little cheesy and as well thought out as some of his other films, but still a fun Halloween film.

6. The Wicker Man. 2006. Directed by Neil La Bute. Starring Nicolas Cage.
     A man investigates the disappearance of a little girl in a neo-pagan community. This is probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen, making it so good. This movie is guarenteed to make me laugh because of how ridiculous Nicolas Cage is. If you don't have an hour and 45 minutes of you life to waste this clip is pretty much the best part of the movie.

7. Hellraiser. 1987. Directed by Clive Barker. Starring Andrew Robinson and Clare Higgins.
     A dead man reanimates with the help of his half-brother's wife. This is aesthetically such an 80s horror film but it's also pretty graphic and disturbing considering the cheesy effects.. [netflix]

8. The Nightmare Before Christmas. 1993. Directed by Henry Selick. Starring Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon and Catherine O' Hara. 

     The king of Halloweentown, Jack, discovers Christmasland and takes over Christmas but with a Halloween twist. I adore this movie; it is my all time favorite. The story, the characters, the aesthetics, the artwork (I could go on and on but you get the idea) are all amazing. The film is absolutely incredible considering all the work that went into its production and is what all other claymation films aim to be.

9. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 1962. Directed by Robert Aldrich. Starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

     "Baby" Jane Hudson, a former child star, takes care of her crippled sister Blanche who was a movie star later in life and became much more famous. Jane resents Blanche for this and once she decides to relaunch her career, Jane's control over Blanche increases. This is a great classic Hollywood thriller, horrifying and funny in all the right ways. Also there are really creepy dolls and dead animals on platters. 

10. Coraline. 2009. Directed by Henry Selick. Starring Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman.

     Coraline Jones is transported into a fantasy world where she has an Other Mother and an Other Father and then things aren't so fantastical. This movie is beautiful. It's so scary and explores the concept of the relationship between fantasy and reality and the Real.

11. Underworld. 2003. Directed by Len Wiseman. Starring Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman.
     Selene is a werewolf-hunting vampire who falls in love with a werewolf and does what she can to protect him. This is one of the first vampire/werewolf movies and definetly one of the better ones. Also Kate Beckinsale is so bad-ass in this movie.