This is a question we all ask ourselves at least one time a week. You can run to Twitter or Facebook for suggestions, but then you always get bad suggestions from the wrong people. You could just trust your streaming service of choice, but let's be real: you'll just go back to that one sitcom you enjoy binging all the time.
Here's my attempt to help you out. This list will be put out monthly with up to 5 suggestions to stream on a variety of services and sites, giving you a wide variety of ideas for those times you get really stuck. This month we're rolling with some semi-scary picks (or are they pics? Shoot, dad joke. my bad) to help tickle your fancy.
If you'd like to see a list from 2015, that is available HERE. And now, on with the most scary of all choices.
The Tingler (1959, Not Rated, Daily Motion.com)
Yes, you read that correctly. This Vincent Price gem in which he discovers that there is a small creature that lives inside each human being that feeds on fear is called "The Tingler". That little "tingle" you feel when something is scary? Yep, that's the fabled "tingler" that resides inside you. The only way to keep it from growing and taking over completely, however, is by communicating your fear through yelling or gasping or making some sort of sound.
A fun anecdote about this film: this came out in 1959, a time when theaters were experimenting with a variety of gimmicks to help enhance the theater going experience (this time brought about the birth of the 3D film). One of these gimmicks was the "Percepto!", little devices placed in each seat, row by row, in the theater that could be used to cause the seats to vibrate in a variety of ways (If you have gone to Disney and done the Bug's Life show in Animal Kingdom, it's very similar to what happens to the chairs in that). There's a point in the film where the tingler gets out in a theater, and all the lights in the theater go out, meaning the screen is now dark. All you can hear is the voice of Vincent Price yelling about where the tingler is. This is cheesy, until you realize that Price is simply instructing the theater operator (in reality) to turn on the seats in a certain order, giving the appearance of the tingler running in the audience watching the film. This resulted in many screams, shrieks, and a surprisingly fun time at the theater (read more about it here).
I am not going to lie, this is a film that falls very comfortably into "bad b-movie/super cheesy" territory. In fact, it is the mayor of such a territory. There's a couple of reasons I include it on this list. First, it is a very good choice for kids that are looking for a scare but not a scarring. But second, the very concept of "the tingler" is an interesting study in communicating fear. The very premise of this creature's existence is thought provoking: it is inside all of us, and does not feed off of fear, but rather a refusal to communicate those feelings. In a strangely poetic and deep way, this film helps teach us that it is not only ok but healthy to let others see that we are afraid and that we should embrace it, but not to let that consume us.
More on this same lesson later from a much higher quality film.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016, PG-13, HULU)
"Monsters come in many forms" is the tagline of this film, and truer words could not be spoken. This is a loose relative of the Cloverfield film that came out nine years ago, and actually seems to have more in common with an episode of Twilight Zone than anything else. It's a very slow burn, but tension riddled burn that will have you on the edge of your seat every single time John Goodman comes on the screen.
The story is simple: a Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in a car accident that may/may not have been cause by John Goodman, who saves her (or kidnaps?) and takes her to a bunker (or is it basically a prison?). While there, she meets John Gallagher Jr, and they find out that a nuclear war has broken out and this is the only place they can survive (or nothing has happened and this Goodman guy is bonkers?).
That fine line between reality and falsehood, truth and "fake news" is one that is used to mess with your mind and build tension. If you know the truth and are given "facts" that are directly opposed to that, what would you do: conform or seek to defend the truth you know? This struggle for survival is what drives the film forward, and the ending is one that is full of twists and turns and is more than satisfying. This is a must see. Do it. NOW.
Or not. I guess.
Side note: this film was directed by Dan Trachtenberg who was simply a guy on YouTube that made an outstanding fan film that caught the eye of J.J. Abrams, who gave him a chance at this film. Amazing when you think about it.
It is a miracle that we even have this film today to make funny jokes about on Spongebob. This silent film was almost whiped off the face of the planet thanks to a lawsuit. To give you an idea of how old this film is, it was involved in a law suit with the widow of the author of Dracula. Yes, THAT book from 1897. Not a remake, mind you, the original. Here to tell you about how the entire film was almost erased from history, here's Turner Classic Movies.
Hellboy would be the one to talk about a horror film.
Anyways, the film today is a testament to the persistance and resilience of the human spirit. Nosferatu has been preserved and cared for and brought back to life, much like the vampire the film is about. While it is a German impressionistic silent film that may appear to be boring to many modern day viewers, it is required viewing in my eyes. Why? Well, you need an opportunity to grow patience, right? You need to see where Great Lakes Brewing Company got the name for one of their fall drinks?
But in all seriousness, looking back to see how this film inspired many modern filmmakers through the use of lighting, jump scares, and story is a great thing to simply be aware of. Plus, it's available for free on YouTube, so what's there to lose?
The Babadook (2014, R, Netflix)
Yeah, this sound is scary enough. Go ahead and listen to it. I'll wait.
Now, change your pee pants. I'll wait again.
A mom finds a book called "Mister Babadook" in their home and reads it to her son for bedtime. Suddenly, strange events begin to transpire as the monster begins to take over their lives. This features amazing performances by the mom and son that will leave you saying "wow, those were amazing performances". You need to check it out, but remember: once you let him in, HE NEVER LEAVES.
I had a strange dream after watching this movie where the Babadook visited and haunted me all day long, which was not fun to try and sleep through. Even stranger is the fact a friend of mine had the exact same experience after watching the movie. So I will let you think about that fun haunting detail a little bit.
Ok, back to it.
As a horror/thriller, this film is great. It has a memorable monster, great performances from everyone, and memorable moments. What takes this Australian film to the next level for me is the underlying theme that is not overtly there upon first viewing. Unlike many scary movies that are all about the scares and little on the story, this one has a purpose for why it is scary, a purpose that challenges all of it's viewers to look at themselves and look for the Babadook within.
Look, I will not spoil the film for you with particulars. Feel free to comment if you do not care about a spoiler, and I will message you with the details, ok?
For those not wanting spoilers, I will simply leave you this: it tackles similar issues as "The Tingler". Yes, that's right. The super cheesy film that started this list is thematically similar to the film that will scare your pants right off of you. Watch it and you will see what I mean.
That's the list for this month! What do you think? What's your favorite October films available to stream? If you'd like to have lists like this monthly, leave a comment, share, or retweet this post, and I'll take it as a yes!
I want this every month for sure! Always looking for films to watch that I haven't seen before. Excited to check these out--especially The Tingler!
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