Halloween Movie Diary: It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

This is going to be a shorter post, but I have to write on one of the best Halloween movies I've been watching since I was a wee baby child. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was a TV special that was based on the Peanuts comic strip. Watching it now, I am still laughing at the same jokes as I did as a kid whilst understanding jokes I didn't get when I was younger. That's how great this movie is; it stands the test of time and is enjoyable for both kids and adults. Plus, there's nothing greater than thinking there might be a Halloween version of Santa Claus.

Halloween Movie Diary: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Tim Burton is one my of all-time favorite directors and his movies are perfect for Halloween. His 1999 film Sleepy Hollow features Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane and Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel, the classic characters from Washington Irving's story. The movie also includes more stars (a Harry Potter smorgasbord if you will) including Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, and Richard Griffiths. Sleepy Hollow is the ultimate Tim Burton movie, showing off his trademark style. There is misty and dark cinematography, macabre humor, and plenty of over-the-top gore. But these are just a few of the reasons why this film is perfect for Halloween as well as just perfect in general.

First of all, look at this. This is easily one of Johnny Depp's most attractive roles, but he also captures the essence of Ichabod Crane so well. He's smart and reasonable, and yet cowardly and awkward, getting queasy at his own profession. And yet he tries to be open-minded to different ideas and is brave when the occasion calls for it. This picture also gives a good idea of what the movie looks like the entire time. A small, late-1600s town in New England is the perfect setting for a Tim Burton film. The quaint village vibe and overgrown forests give the film an eerie feel.

Christina Ricci also makes a wonderful Katrina Van Tassel. We know she can do creepy; she won our hearts twice as Wednesday Addams in the early '90s. She gives the character of Katrina more depth than we are used to. Ricci makes Katrina cute with a childlike sense of innocence mixed with a darker side that shows off the character's interest in witchcraft. If Sleepy Hollow were a blog on  Tumblr, Katrina Van Tassel would be the feature that brands it pastel goth.

If hexes and decapitation are something you are into, then Sleepy Hollow is the film you need to see this Halloween. Tim Burton truly outdid himself with this aesthetically pleasing, hilarious, and horrific movie. Plus, Christopher Walken is the Headless Horseman. I mean, it doesn't get better than that.

Halloween Movie Diary: Psycho (1960)

I love Halloween with a passion and part of celebrating Halloween is watching a ton of amazing movies. I've already started and one that I recently got to see in theatres as a special treat was the 1960 classic Psycho. This film is about a woman who has stolen a large amount of money and ends up at the mysterious Bates Motel where she finds she has more to deal with than just getting away with the cash. 
Alfred Hitchcock is probably in my list of top five favorite directors and Psycho is one film that I start to love the more I see it. Hitchcock had been making movies for decades before Psycho came along but it is arguably his most popular movie for a reason. It has amazing acting from Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and Janet Leigh; incredible cinematography; spine-tingling music; and great jump scares mixed with an actually interesting storyline.

Psycho was a different kind of scary movie for the day. It broke barriers (you can see the whole story on the making Psycho in the film Hitchcock) and made popular a new kind of villain in the horror movie genre. The bad guy wasn't a vampire, a werewolf, or a giant radioactive lizard. It was just a guy, a guy who seemed nice and normal, if not a bit awkward and shy. Hitchcock's films have always had a sense of realism mixed in with horror and suspense. These events could happen to anyone, anywhere, which in my opinion makes them scarier than a monster or ghost with supernatural powers. There is a Bates Motel in every town and anyone could be working there. In true Hitchcock fashion, the message of Psycho seems to be "don't judge a book by its cover; the seemingly nicest person could really be a serial killer dealing with some serious psychological issues."

Also, whether Hitchcock meant to or not, the film creates a meaningful discussion about the treatment of mental health. Norman Bates confides in Marion Cane that he could never send his mother to a mental hospital because of the awful way patients are treated. It leaves the audience wondering if mental institutions had been better, could Norman have been saved before things got out of hand. It also lets the audience question whether one should check into a creepy motel by oneself, especially if you've been inside the parlor filled with stuffed birds staring at you.
Psycho may be 55 years old this year and in black-and-white, things that many current movie-goers would call boring, but this movie is far from it. The dialogue is surprisingly relevant, the acting is still magnificent, and the story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Psycho is a must-watch during the Halloween season.