Guest Author - Andy Boxall

If you are holding a Halloween party this year, then you will want to make sure the scary movie you choose hits the right spot. The choice at your local rental store is huge, and it is all too easy to fall in to the trap of believing what it says on the box. But with the right guidance beforehand, you will select only the cream of the crop.

Firstly, if your party is just for kids then picking a quality movie with the right level of scares is tough, but there are several great films that both kids and adults will enjoy. My personal recommendation is the evergreen Ghostbusters. With its family friendly PG rating, often hilarious script, the fantastic Bill Murray and several scary moments, everybody will enjoy this 80s favourite.

If Ghostbusters is a little to mature for your audience, then how about the recent animated Pixar release, Monsters Inc. Great for the little ones and featuring plenty of Pixar’s trademark adult friendly humour to keep the parents from getting bored, Monsters Inc. keeps the Halloween theme going without scaring anyone stupid. Want to know what to avoid? Resist picking up The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy. If you are after that theme park feel, visit Disney instead of watching this.

So, that’s the kids taken care of, but what about when they are sent off to bed? Or what if your party is a no-child zone? Well, this is where the fun starts. I am going to go against tradition here and not save the best for last. Without a doubt, the best recently made horror movie for this Halloween has to be the Hollywood remake of The Grudge. The secret ingredient that made this remake actually worthwhile was using the same director as the Japanese original. Get past Sarah Michelle Geller’s comatose performance and what you have are a lot of scares, grab-your-partner jumps and a creepy, oppressive atmosphere. Great stuff, and my number one recommendation.

For all you old school horror fans, The Grudge may not ring you bell, so how about picking something a little more edgy, a little more violent and more European. Italian horror maestro Dario Argento made many superb horror pictures, but the best one for repeat viewing will always be Suspiria. This tale of a witches coven hidden in the corridors of a dance school is unnerving, violent and beautifully shot. The vivid Technicolor opening is fantastic, as is the spooky score by odd Euro-rockers Goblin. Even if you are not a horror geek, then Suspiria is still well worth seeing.

There are two more categories that should be considered for a successful Halloween party, that of the horror-comedy and the horror-oddity. Horror comedy does not have to mean the dire Scary Movie franchise, pick up a copy of Shaun of the Dead instead. A zom-rom-com, Shaun is a British production and riffs on almost every zombie movie made. It is full of likable characters and some amusing, and gory, situations.

The horror oddity is your hidden film. Perhaps you want it playing in a room of people talking, or you want to attach a spooky story to how you first saw it. Whatever you want to do, the film has to be both horrific and very, very strange. Perennial odd person David Lynch made Eraserhead many years ago and most who have seen it are still trying to figure out what it was all about. I shan’t go into the plot (as it will put you off) but be prepared for improbable characters, improbable effects and improbable hair.

Well, that wraps up my Halloween recommendations and I’m proud to say I didn’t mention John Carpenter’s Halloween, as every other party will be showing this. For those who want to know more about the slasher movie that started them all, see the link on your right. Other than that, enjoy the movies and enjoy Halloween!