With Halloween less than a week away, I think it’s about time we talk about the supernatural aspects of Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, as it was once called way back in the day. One of the stories about Halloween is that the reason why people dress up at this time of year, is because the line between this world and the next is thinner and basically allows spirits from the next world to come into ours. Dressing up as ghouls and goblins was supposed to protect people from evil spirits while also allowing people to remember those that have passed. While most people would associate Halloween with Trick or Treating and parties, the actual meaning of the holiday was far more spiritual, especially for the Celts in ancient Ireland. It is very much a religious holiday for certain groups. That being said, the element of the supernatural has permeated many things including literature and film. For this post, I’m going to be going over my favorite supernatural movies. These tend to include all aspects of the supernatural including magic, Hell, demons, angels, possession and all other sorts of good stuff involving the supernatural. So…let’s conjure up some fantastic movies.
Warlock
My first true introduction into the horror genre actually belongs to Warlock’s sequel, The Armageddon, but this is the better film. While it’s not a absolute classic by any stretch of the imagination, Warlock definitely has its fans, with me among them. In Warlock, a 17th century warlock is transported to the 20th century to find the Grand Grimoire, the bible of black magic. On his trail is a witch hunter named Redferne, also from the 17th century, who is trying to find and kill the warlock before he destroys the world. The setup for the film is pretty unique, and it really toes the line between fantasy and horror. The two standouts of the film are Julian Sands as the warlock and Richard E. Grant as Redferne. Julian Sands makes for an incredible villain and Richard Grant actually plays a good guy this time around, and he’s very convincing. The film definitely has a sense of humor, because of the whole “fish-out-of-water” thing, but it’s done in a way that feels real and not winking at the audience. The visual effects, while not overly grand, are still pretty good even nearly 30 years later. It’s a pretty solid film, if flawed, that fans of the genre should check out.
Wishmaster
It’s not very often that you get a film about an evil genie. Wishmaster is about a Djinn, an ancient demonic entity, who can grant wishes in a very twisted way, but only granting three to the one who woke him. On the granting of the third, the gates to the Djinn’s world will open and the apocalypse will begin. Wishmaster differentiates itself from other slasher films in a number of ways. The Djinn has unlimited power, but he can’t use it unless someone wishes for something. He grants it, but in a very gruesome way, and takes your soul as a result. Andrew Divoff just nails it as this evil genie. The film also has cameos from other big-name horror icons like Tony Todd, Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, and Ted Raimi. The effects are mostly good, with some really questionable CGI every once in a while. The opening scene of the film is absolutely bonkers. This is a franchise that really could have taken off if it had gotten more attention. As it stands, the original Wishmaster and the sequel are pretty good, and come highly recommended.
End of Days
Now, some people might wonder why I’m putting an Arnold Schwarzenegger film in a post about supernatural movies. Shouldn’t Schwarzenegger movies belong in the action genre? Yes, and no. This one definitely belongs in this list because Arnold Schwarzenegger is going up against the most powerful villain, Satan. The film is about Satan being released from Hell every 1,000 years to hunt for a woman that will give birth to the Anti-Christ. Doing so would unlock the gates of Hell, destroying the world. Have you noticed a particular theme about the supernatural and the end of the world? While I wouldn’t say that End of Days is a classic Schwarzenegger film by any stretch, it’s still a pretty different film for him, given the complex themes that are involved with the story. He actually plays a relatively normal person in the film. However, it’s Gabriel Byrne that steals the show as this film’s interpretation of the Devil. He delivers that swagger and charm that you would expect from the Devil taking human form, while being extremely threatening at the same time. While this is definitely an action film, there’s more than enough dark religious imagery that sets this apart. Some critics who like the film have tried to compare the film to The Exorcist. It’s not even close. Speaking of which….
The Exorcist
I don’t what it was about the 1970’s, but the horror movies released during that decade were insane. The Last House on the Left, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Alien were absolutely incredibly terrifying horror movies. The one that stands above them all in my opinion is The Exorcist. Released in 1973, this shocker followed a woman whose daughter’s behavior was getting stranger and stranger as time goes on, to the point where she thinks the girl is possessed. As a result, she requests an exorcist to help. What makes this film so unique and special is in its approach to exorcism. Any Catholic priest, when confronted with the idea of a possessed person, would tell the family of that person to seek a psychiatrist first. The first half of the film builds tension to the point of it becoming unbearable, and then the film really goes bat-shit crazy. It’s all handled in a way that’s done realistic. The make-up effects are incredible and Linda Blair’s performance is extraordinary. The reaction to the film was as shocking as the film itself with a lot of people really loving the movie and others fainting or vomiting because of it. Others took to threatening Linda Blair and her family. When things settled down after, a lot of people would agree that The Exorcist is one of the greatest horror films ever made. It has made such an impact that nobody has dared to remake this film. Somebody made a TV series a couple of years ago, but it’s not the same.
The Omen
While I wouldn’t put The Omen on the same level as The Exorcist, it’s still a pretty solid thriller in its own right. While the events in the film seem to indicate a supernatural presence, the film actually goes out of its way to answer those questions directly, instead relying the audience to come to its own conclusion about what’s going on. Are the murders the result of some demonic presence trying to protect Damien, or are they just a series of random coincidences? This is definitely more of a psychological thriller, but it does leave you questioning how much of the supernatural is involved. While the film does point to the supernatural at certain points, you’re never 100 percent sure. It’s that level of uncertainty that really ups the tension in the film. How they managed to get Gregory Peck involved in the film is beyond me, but it works. It’s a pretty dark ride. Definitely recommended.
The Witch
The best horror films don’t rely on jump-scares to scare the hell out of people. It’s often the slow-burn, tension-building, and atmospheric detail that gets under people’s skin. Unlike End of Days, I would actually compare The Witch to The Thing in certain respects, especially about the unknown. Is it better? No, but in some ways it’s on the same level of power. The film is about a Puritan family so extreme that the other Puritans have exiled them to the country side, leaving them to fend for themselves. While out in the wilderness, the family begins to notice strange things happening, and when the baby goes missing, all fingers are pointing to one of their daughters, event though an actual witch may be involved. The isolation, paranoia and the danger of religious fundamentalism all play a part in the film’s events. I’ve only seen the film once, but it definitely left an impression. It’s an incredible thriller, but you have to have patience. It’s slow-going, but it is outstanding. I would actually argue that The Witch is the best film of its kind since The Exorcist.
While there are other movies out there that deal with the supernatural, these are the ones that I think are the absolute best. Four days, folks. Four days until the big day itself: Halloween. I have to admit, I’ve had a lot of fun with these October posts. I’ve actually had more fun making these ones than some of the posts I made earlier in the year. I’ve got one, maybe two more Best of October posts in me before I wrap all this up. For Halloween, I’m planning a special review. I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s going to be good, so stay tuned.