Seth Recommends . . . October 2023

Happy October, everyone! Welcome to this month’s installment of “Seth Recommends,” a monthly series dedicated to recommending a few good films that aren’t new releases. While most of the films I cover on my blog are new releases, seeing a movie in theatres isn’t always the most practical option. This series is a chance for me to mention some other films that you can watch at home right now, either through a digital rental program, your local library, or on a streaming service. Some of them are some long-standing favourites that I’m revisiting and others are films that I’ve just seen for the first time.

For this month’s installment, we’re taking a distinctly seasonal approach. During the month of October for the past few years, I have been making a collection of films for myself called the “Halloween Horrorpalooza,” a program of horror films I haven’t seen yet which leads into Halloween. This month’s “Seth Recommends” is a curated list of some of my favourite films from the past few Horrorpaloozas that’ll draw you into the Halloween mood this October.  It’s a mixture of some highlights from the 70s, a moody period piece, a meta-slasher, and one of the greatest horror comedies of all time. There’s certainly a lot to love.

Happy Halloween!

You can read the September 2023 edition here.

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House (1977)

“Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! Bananas!”

I’ve seen a lot of “weird” movies in my day. I love watching movies with unique visual styles, idiosyncratic editing, and distinctive flourishes. For me, weird movies speak to the endless creativity and imagination that humans are capable of, always ready to challenge the status quo and invent new ways of telling stories. Out of the many weird movies in existence, House might be the strangest of them all. House is one of those movies that’s really hard to describe on paper. In fact, it’s premise sounds rather familiar. The film is about a group of high school students who visit the home of their classmate’s aunt in the countryside of Japan. But it’s in the execution where the film truly shines. The film is shot in 4:3 and utilizes some very soft lighting, unique visual effects, strange score choices, and a demonic cat. But no matter what words I use, you won’t really understand this film until you witness it for yourself. House is the sort of movie that really emphasizes the fundamental importance of visuals in the filmic medium. This movie isn’t going to work for everyone. In fact, it probably won’t work for most people. But if you like the weird and the strange, make House a top priority.

House is now streaming on the Criterion Channel.

Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi.

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Suspiria (1977)

“Bad luck isn’t brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds.”

My other pick from the year 1977 is Dario Argento’s Suspiria. This Italian Giallo film is about an American dancer, Suzy (played by Jessica Harper), who moves to Germany to study ballet (a truly international affair), but only to discover that there is something rotten in the state of the institution. As she spends more time at the school, Suzy and her friends encounter magic, maggots, and murder most foul. It all builds towards a dramatic, bloody conclusion. Upon its release, Suspiria met mixed reviews, with most criticizing its lack of substantial plot or interesting characters (which are, honestly, fair criticisms). However, more contemporary evaluations have been a lot kinder to Suspiria, with many paying attention to where the film does shine: its form and craft. The unique, upsetting score and distinctive visuals make Suspiria a perfect evocation of mood and style. Luciano Tovoli’s cinematography is well-framed, with great attention placed on the use of colour in each shot. There are a lot of great scares and some stunning gore on display here. It’s a little light on the characterization, but Argento’s filmmaking here is so cool and terrifying that it seems to make up for the whole thing. If you’ve never ventured into the neon-soaked world of Argento, Suspiria makes for a great place to start.

Suspiria is available to stream on the Criterion Channel.

Directed by Dario Argento.

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Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

“I have crossed oceans of time to find you.”

Godfather filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola went all-in on mood and style with this adaptation of Bram Stoker’s iconic horror novel Dracula. While it's a narratively faithful adaptation of the original novel, Coppola’s interpretation is different from almost every other version of the famous vampire on screen. Coppola cranks the visual flourishes to 11, making a vision of the story that is among the most visually inventive, bloodthirsty, austere, and grotesque it has ever been. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a deeply melodramatic and Victorian affair, complemented by sequences of violence. The costumes and sets are particularly spectacular, with some very clever trick cinematography thrown in. The performances, however, are a little hit-and-miss, unfortunately. Gary Oldman revels in the devilish nature of Dracula, a young Winona Ryder is excellent as the naive Mina Harker, and Keanu Reeves is just kind of here with one of the most interesting accents I’ve heard in a movie. But on a craft level, Coppola is firing on all cylinders, demonstrating why he’s one of the best in the business. This Dracula telling is a spooky, visual treat.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is available to stream via CTV (a weird place, I know).

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

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Scream (1996)

“What’s your favourite scary movie?”

Self-aware and remarkably clever, Scream is a staple of the horror genre. The premise of the film is pretty simple: high school student Sidney Prescott (played by Neve Campbell) and her friends find themselves stalked by a masked serial killer. Not all that unique, right? But it’s in the execution where Scream really kills. The film is really a meta-commentary on the state of the horror genre, particularly slasher films, by the mid-90s. The film references popular horror films and genre tropes, in an attempt to sarcastically reflect upon them. Twenty-six years later and six films deep into its own franchise, Scream has now become as iconic and parody-able as the tropes and franchises it lampoons in the original film. And yet this film still surprises and delights. It’s so playful with the conventions of its genre, yet executes those conventions perfectly. It’s clever and humorous while still being scary. The performances are great, the film is directed very well, it balances its tones flawlessly, and the movie keeps the viewer on their toes. And that Ghostface mask? Truly wonderful stuff. If somehow you’ve missed Scream until now, be sure to add it to your Halloween watchlist.

Scream is available to stream via Netflix.

Directed by Wes Craven.

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What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

“Yeah, some of our clothes are from victims. You might bite someone and then, you think, ‘Oooh, those are some nice pants!.’”

This one is for all of you horror comedy fans out there. I can’t stop singing the praises of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows. This mockumentary follows a group of vampire housemates living in Wellington, New Zealand. It concerns their complicated friendships, various personal challenges, their rivalry with a pack of werewolves, and the dynamics of the undead community of New Zealand. The film is a riot. Co-writers/directors/stars Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi are at the top of their games here. The movie is a non-stop string of uproarious and macabre jokes. It’s endlessly quotable and forever entertaining. It’s seasonal and spooky without ever really venturing into the realm of the scary. It’s a treat the first time around and a delight to revisit. It also makes for a great party movie. If you like this film and want more of these ridiculous vampires and their antics, be sure to check out the TV spin-off. With five seasons already under its belt, the show compliments and expands the world of the film with a new, but equally as lovable, cast of vampires.

What We Do in the Shadows is available to stream on digital platforms.

Directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi.