When you're craving a spooky, funny, retro time machine
Happy belated Halloween, everyone 🎃👻🍫
Happy (belated) Halloween!
I hope the spirit of this week’s spooky holiday still lingers, as I’m pleased to share with you a few of my favourite films that you can enjoy over the weekend while you snack on the candy that remains from your Halloween celebration (or if you're a parent, the treats you may or may not have pilfered from your child’s stash).
My kind of Halloween movie is scary-lite, funny, campy, visually creative, and a vehicle that brings me straight back to the ‘80s (or in one case, the ‘90s).
Spoilers ahead.
SNEAK PEEK:
Before I get to the movie recs, here’s what I was up to this week:
Instead of dressing up as my favourite fictional character or celebrity as I have done over the years for Halloween, on Thursday, I took my love of film to set, jumping back into the world of background performing! The last time I worked in a background role was roughly 20 years ago in Toronto, once for The Incredible Hulk (the Edward Norton version), and once for The Love Guru (the one Mike Myers movie that no one watched, and that I don’t recommend). Each experience was vastly different from the other but it was fun to peek behind the scenes at each production. This time, my background role was for a TV series. It was fun to be on set and interact with the crew and the other background performers, and I look forward to doing more of this work. I’ll share here when the episode comes out and let you know if you can spy me in the background or not.
THIS WEEK I RECOMMEND:
The Lost Boys (1987). Writers: Jan Fischer, James Jeremias, and Jeffrey Boam. Director: Joel Schumacher
Travel back to the late ‘80s for this entertaining movie that combines a little bit of spooky danger, great jokes, loveable actors, and a healthy dose of gothic vampire mythology. Despite its age, this movie holds up! The edgy, comedic world director Joel Schumacher creates celebrates the energy of youth, the music and fashion of the day, and in a playful yet dark way — forgive the pun — the ageless longevity of the vampire story.
In the opening scene, we’re pulled by the camera over a dark ocean to a beach-side amusement park, with its roller coasters outlined by dotted white lights. This nighttime aerial shot over the ocean is used more than once throughout the film to foreshadow scenes that feature David (Keifer Sutherland) and his coven of vampires. We then hear a few bars of, “Cry Little Sister” by Gerard McMahon — a song that pairs a goth-rock lead vocal with a chorus of innocent choirboys, as you meet David and his friends at the amusement park. Without overtly telling us that Sutherland’s character David and his friends are, in fact, vampires, Schumacher’s direction of the previous scenes where victims are attacked from above, as well as the costuming and the score tell us so.
Not even 10 minutes in, the film re-starts with a contrasting introductory scene - another aerial shot over the ocean, this time in the daylight, which leads you to the central family of the film — recently divorced Mom Lucy Emerson (Dianne Wiest), and her sons Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim), as well as family pet Nanuk(Cody the dog) — who are relocating post-divorce to live with Lucy’s father. The family and the vampires are destined to meet, and Michael, pulled in by the alluring Star (Jami Gertz), is the first to immerse himself in the dark underbelly of his new hometown.
Kiefer Sutherland is impressive in the role of David. For the leader of a vampire coven, David is pretty understated, more like a cool rockstar who doesn’t have to prove himself to anyone than a villain desperately fuelled by blood lust. His bleach blond, spiky, Billy Idol-esque hair is a factor, but it’s his walk, his sinister smile, his deep voice, and the way he owns the black trenchcoat look that communicates the vibe so effectively.
David: Come with us, Michael…
I love the wardrobe and styling of David’s coven of vampires who sport leather jackets and long, heavy metal hairstyles to help create their punk-gothic-rockstar attitudes. Both the production and costume design in the film bring you right into the ‘80s MTV world of this California boardwalk town. See if you can spot the retro wall clock in Sam’s room and the many examples of totally radical ‘80s eyewear in the film. (Sidenote: also loved the Rob Lowe pinup poster on the wall.)
Of the supporting actors, what would an ‘80s movie be without Jami Gertz? As Star, she exudes the sex appeal necessary to lure Michael to the vampires but also exhibits empathy and innocence. Dianne Wiest is fantastic as Lucy, the sweet, optimistic mom — a role she was typecast in for years but excels in (see: Parenthood, Edward Scissorhands). Edward Hermann (RIP), who some of you might only recognize from his role as Richard Gilmore on The Gilmore Girls, also gives a notable performance as Max, the seemingly safe video store owner.
More of a lead character, Sam (Haim) is the perfect antidote to the world of darkness into which his brother is seduced. The talented Haim (RIP) as Sam brings levity, innocence, charm, and most of the humour to the film. He and Corey Feldman, both 14 at the time, first met on the set of this film. Later, they became unofficially known and well-loved as “The Two Coreys” from their many subsequent movies together.
From the punk-goth wardrobe to the pulsating music that’s just dark enough and perfect for each scene, this quintessential MTV-generation movie provides scary moments, laughter, and heart-pounding energy that will lead you into the mysterious world of teenage rockstar vampires. So, break out the garlic necklace, grab your Kraft caramels and mini Twix bars, and enjoy!
You can stream The Lost Boys on Crave and Amazon Prime.
Some of the films described below contain content that could be too intense or triggering for some individuals. TW: suicidal ideation, suicide, death, violence, weapons, school shootings, body-shaming, sexual assault, and necrophilia.
I ALSO RECOMMEND:
Death Becomes Her (1992). Writers: Martin Donovan and David Koepp. Director: Robert Zemeckis.
Despite its misogynistic storyline, Death Becomes Her remains a hilariously campy cult classic, which is largely due to the iconic performances of its legendary stars, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn (not to dismiss Bruce Willis in an uncharacteristic role in which he shines).
A film that blends the spooky supernatural with diva-worthy glamour, frenemy drama that rivals that of Bravo’s Real Housewives, and clever, hilarious writing, Death Becomes Her will undoubtedly entertain you from start to finish and leave you asking yourself, "Would I drink the potion?”
What retro spooky movies do you love?
Tell me in the comments:
Even more retro movies that will make you laugh and scream:
HEATHERS (1988) — Stream on Amazon Prime and Crave
For obvious reasons, I have an egoic affinity for this movie, although I relate more to Veronica (the pre-murder version) than to any of my namesakes. If you remember it as the funny high school movie with the croquet scene where revenge is sought on the cool kids, you may forget or be surprised by how dark this movie truly is, so you’ve been warned! Warnings aside, what I love about this movie is the clever, subversive dialogue, the use of colour in the wardrobe and lighting, and the Lynchian juxtaposition between the perfect, polished high school world of the popular and the hidden dark side inhabited by its social outcasts.
Forgive the hyperbole, but Winona Ryder is perfect in this movie. A dark, funny film that inspired decades of Halloween costumes, Heathers is a creative, original movie driven by great writing and the excellent performances of (then) young actors Ryder and Christian Slater. P.S. Between this movie and his role in Pump up the Volume, I partially blame Christian Slater for creating my bad habit of crushing on handsome bad boys.
🥤Fun facts:
In both Heathers and Reality Bites, each of Winona Ryder’s characters has a scene in a brightly-lit convenience store, and they both enjoy drinking massive big gulp slushies.
You might notice that the same talented actor who plays the priest in Heathers also plays the interior designer in Beetlejuice — Glenn Shadix (RIP).
LISA FRANKENSTEIN (2024, but set in 1989) - Stream on Amazon Prime
Stylistically hip and whimsical, this movie takes the classic Mary Shelley tale to 1989 where we meet Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton), a high schooler grieving her mother's death. An unapologetic weird girl, Lisa likes to make art in cemeteries, and upon a strike of lightning, one of the inhabitants of the graves she visits comes to life and thus enters hers.
Is “dead heartthrob” a type? If so, Cole Sprouse nails his performance as The Creature, a mostly mute musician who died young in the Victorian age. Although the plot was somewhat slow-moving, screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) and first-time director (and Robin Williams’ daughter) Zelda Williams created a stylish, colourful world combining Victorian style with candy-coloured pops of ‘80s neon. The attention to detail in the costume and production design is a visual feast for the eyes. The nods to Edward Scissorhands, Heathers, and Beetlejuice are obvious, but any fan of those movies will appreciate them. There are great music choices too, particularly The Promise by When in Rome and Can’t Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon (sung in the film by popstar Jojo, who recently starred in the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge).
🌈Fun fact: The rainbow suspenders worn by Sprouse in the final scene are a nod to Robin Williams’ role in the TV series Mork & Mindy.
BEETLEJUICE (1988) — Stream on Crave
We all know and love Beetlejuice. If you haven’t seen it, please stop whatever you’re doing and correct this! I don’t know what can be said about this iconic movie that hasn’t already been mentioned, so I’ll echo what is widely known:
Michael Keaton brought Tim Burton’s wildly original character Beetlejuice to life with such a perfect mixture of irreverent humour and sympathetic likeability, that audiences fell in love and are still enjoying Beetlejuice in the form of a Broadway musical and a recent cinematic sequel.
Catherine O’Hara is, was, and always will be a legend. Her performance in this movie is iconic.
Winona Ryder brings a sense of authenticity to the roles she plays, so much so that even if she’s playing a goth teenager who sees ghosts (Lydia Deetz), she’s relatable. Her talent is immense, and it’s highly likely that I’ll continue to recommend many of her films on this Substack in the future.
I’m obsessed with the miniature model of the town in this movie.
Production design, costume design, music, writing — this film truly has it all — including legendary former talk show host Dick Cavett in a supporting role!
👻Random Question/Observation: Upon my recent rewatch, I couldn’t help but get Saul Goodman (Better Call Saul) vibes from Beetlejuice — anyone else? I wonder if this performance inspired Bob Odenkirk.
Let me know what you think:
Thanks for reading!
Enjoy the movie(s),
~Heather
If you’re new here…
About watch this feel that:
My goal here is to create a vibe, an aesthetic, a mood that I hope will help you get to your desired emotional state. Maybe it’s not that serious for you, and you just want some movie & TV recs — and if that’s the case, that’s perfectly fine too! But, if you’re anything like me, movies & TV are more than just entertainment to you.
So, when I say “watch this: feel that” — it’s because I truly hope you get to feel all the feelings you need to feel, process, and understand when you watch the films & TV series I recommend.
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