Thrilling Halloween Scares by Brandon Priddy, Public Services Librarian Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so I compiled a list of the best scary movies the Library has to offer streaming on demand with Library services Hoopla and Kanopy. I also hope you can join us on Wednesday, October 14th at 7PM for the virtual program “The History of the Salem Witch Trials” with lecturer Todd DePastino. He’ll discuss one of the most infamous events in American history. Come hear the gruesome details and consider whether this was, in fact, a case “mass hysteria” or something more sinister? You can register for his program here. I hope you enjoy these films!: The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2016): Anya Taylor-Joy stars as a girl whose family is expelled from their Puritan settlement in America and forced to live on the outskirts (conveniently adjacent to the local witch). Kanopy. Black Christmas (1974): If you’re like me and resent Christmas intruding on Halloween’s time, this film is the perfect holiday crossover event. “As the residents of sorority house Pi Kappa Sigma prepare for the festive season, a stranger begins to stalk the house. One of the earliest examples of a slasher film, this creepy holiday classic is sure to terrify and delight classic horror lovers everywhere.” Kanopy. Halloween (1978): A classic example of the slasher genre and certainly the scariest film involving William Shatner cosplay; root for Jamie Lee Curtis as she is stalked by the infamous Michael Myers. Hoopla. Night of the Living Dead (1968): The movie that traumatized me as a kid (thanks, Dad!). This classic, shot right outside of Pittsburgh by George A. Romero, essentially established the modern day Zombie genre. The film follows a group of people stranded in a farm house in western Pennsylvania surrounded by the undead (relatable!). Kanopy. Under the Skin (2014): Scarlett Johansson plays an emotionless alien in disguise sent to abduct men for nefarious purposes. But what happens when she starts to empathize with her victims? A disturbing and surreal film that’s sure to keep you captivated. Hoopla. Suspiria (1977): “A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders.” The 2018 remake is excellent as well, but it’s not for the faint of heart! Kanopy. Carnival of Souls (1962): “In this surrealist cult-classic, Mary Henry mysteriously survives a car wreck….However, her fresh new start is interrupted by the haunting, relentless presence of a strange man who seems to follow where ever she goes. As her sightings of the man increase, she finds herself drawn to the dilapidated carnival on the outskirts of town. It isn't long before she discovers the terrifying secrets it holds… Kanopy. |
