‘I am the shadow on the moon at night, filling your dreams to the brim with fright.’
28 October 2014
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Halloween books/films, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
That no account Oogie-Boogie!
This week over at the Broke and the Bookish the theme for Top Ten Tuesday is:
Top Ten Books/Movies To Read Or Watch To Get In The Halloween Spirit
Well – I’m going to go with a split of books and movies – and they might not necessarily be super spooky but I love em:
Books:
- Dracula, Bram Stoker. An absolute must read.
- Frankenstein, Mary Shelley. Frankly, another must read.
- The Woman in Black by Susan Hill – creepy and sinister.
- Longlankin by Lindsay Barraclough- down right scary!
- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury- a fantastic book and totally apt for the season!
Films:
- Coraline – this is one of those rare occasions where I actually prefer the film to the book (although I like the book the film is such a visual feast).
- A Nightmare Before Christmas – this has to be one of my all time favourite films
- Witches – you have to have witches on Halloween
- Night of the Living Dead – this film I can always watch. A strange blend of creepy horror and humour plus such great quotes! ‘that thing in the cellar is not my mother!’ Not often you get to throw that into a casual conversation but still….
- Fright Night – the 1985 version with Chris Sarandon – downright cheesy and brilliant! Don’t be judging me! Just watch it. The scene with Evil – so funny! OMG – American Werewolf in London – another classic I’m having this on the list as well!
Books and travelling with Lynn 
Nightmare Before Christmas…yesss. I just want to watch it now!!!
I know – I love that film. I could have just chosen 10 films to be honest. Don’t have Hocus Pocus on the list or anything!
Lynn 😀
An American Werewolf in London is such a classic! I also agree with reading Dracula and Frankenstein. I would also add the film Hocus Pocus great spooky fun 🙂
I had fun with this list – and I can’t believe I haven’t put Hocus Pocus on the list – should have stuck with films!
Lynn 😀
Night of the Living Dead is such a great movie!
I know – I’ll swallow your soul!!
Lynn 😀
Coraline is so great. Have you seen ParaNorman? It’s by the same studio and equally as awesome.
Yes, I enjoyed it! I love this style of film.
Lynn 😀
‘You’re kidding me, you gotta be, this can’t be the right guy.’ I love the Oogie Boogie song.
I know, ditto! I’ve been actually humming this song to myself all day long. I love that film and I think the songs are brilliant!
Lynn 😀
Great list! I like how you did both books and movies. My TTT Happy Halloween!
To be honest I could have easily just stuck with movies.
Lynn 😀
Great picks, I love horror novels, but gotta say I’m not so much of a big horror movie watcher 🙂
Yeah – no horror movies on here. They’re all ‘big softie’ choices.
Lynn 😀
I thought about Coraline for my list, but it narrowly lost out to the other Gaiman book I chose, and a couple others I thought of. He does creepy ghosties so well.
That mother figure with the button eyes – so creepy!
Lynn 😀
I think the addition of Wybie in Coraline was pretty value-added and really elevated the whole story!
Cheers,
joey via. thoughts and afterthoughts
Great list.
Of course, Dracula and Frankenstein are must-reads. What did you think of the film adaptation of The Woman in Black?
A Nightmare Before Christmas is watched every year in my house… AT Christmas because the BBC screen it then 😉
I watched Coraline not expecting too much from it and ended up enjoying it tremendously.
Night of the Living dead is a classic but I never found it funny! It’s claustrophobic and unrelentingly grim! I think it has only been topped by Dawn of the Dead. It’s scarier than Day of the Dead and the Dawn remake.
I actually haven’t seen the film of the Woman in Black, partly, if I’m honest, I can only see Daniel Radcliffe as HP! (which is something I have to get over) but also I had this horrible fear that they’d try to make it more appealing to the mass audience by injecting more horror type scenes (whereas the book isn’t really like that!) Have you seen it – do you recommend??
We always watch the Nightmare Before Christmas – at Halloween and Christmas – plus we always have to watch the Muppet Xmas movie in December ‘light the lamp not the rat’!
I can’t believe it but I actually prefer the film of Coraline to the book – the book is good but the film is just so visually appealing. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
I’m such a maniac – I’m always doing this – Night of the Living Dead isn’t funny – The Evil Dead is funny!! Doh. Both great films and I’m always getting them the wrong way round!
Have you been to see Nightcrawler? What did you think of it?
I reviewed The Woman in Black and enjoyed it a lot. I haven’t read the book but my mother has and she liked the film as well. Will you see Horns?
Don’t worry! I find most horror films funny and get strange looks from people when I describe horrific but blackly comic scenes! I don’t even attempt to describe titles like Suicide Club to norms. That written, the downbeat ending for Night of the Living Dead leaves me feeling bad!
Evil Dead 2 is a laugh a minute! You should watch You’re Next and The Guest – both by director Adam Wingard and both funny, especially The Guest:
I haven’t seen Nightcrawler yet. The last four films I watched were Black Butler, The World of Kanako, Ghostbusters, and The Furthest End Awaits.
I will defo watch Woman in Black then! I know you’d have a review.
Lynn 😀
Great list! I haven’t read/seen The Woman in Black, but it looks totally creepy! Not sure if I’d be up for it.
The Woman in Black is a very good read. Well I thought it was. I haven’t seen the film yet though.
Lynn 😀
Witches… Do you mean The Witches from 1990? The movie adaptation of the Roald Dahl book. I remember I read that book as a child, it was really cool, and just enough scary for me as a child.
It’s a great book and I love the film!
Lynn 😀