100 Years of Spooky

By Graham Craycraft

I love Halloween. As a Catholic it is enriched even more from what the secular culture offers. I love going into the “spooky” season and hitting “spooky” films. This year I got a comfortable 13 films (including the Cartoon Network gem “Over the Garden Wall”). After the dust settled, I looked over my watchlist. Happily surprised, I found movie(s) from the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. This was not intentional, and in fact a few of these films I watched with a friend and ultimately it was their choice. Let’s dive in with a brief look at each. 

Starting chronologically, we get our movie from 1921: Fritz Lang’s silent film Destiny. The original title actually translates to The Weary Death: A German Folksong in Six Verses. Fritz Lang is one of my favorite directors and this silent film from early in his career was an excellent foray into the silent genre. If you know the history of horror films you know they begin in German-expressionism specifically all the way back to the silent era. This story follows a woman trying to strike a bargain with Death to reclaim the soul of her “beloved.” Death, weary indeed with his task given to him by God, tries to give her a chance but all seems hopeless. Beautifully shot including some truly eerie scenes, one of which comes from the main poster for this film. Well done Fritz. On to the 30s. 

I rewatched one of my favorites, the 1931 Frankenstein, but I would like to focus on another 30s film also directed by James Whale, 1933 The Invisible Man. The story of a man driven on by his insatiable desire to be a scientific phenom, he creates a formula that makes him invisible- but also mad. There are many moral points to focus on but I’d like to highlight the incredible special effects Whale and his team pulls off in making this man invisible. Highly recommend this film. 

1941 monster movie classic The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr. (que Zevon) is next up. Some great practical effects as they transform him into the Wolf Man of lore, legend, and myth. Not too much to say here- easily the weakest of the month. Moving on. 

1954 brings us another classic monster movie and one of the last in Universal’s great run of monster flicks. The Creature from the Black Lagoon finds us deep in the Amazon to discover a living relic. Half man- half fish this creature barely belongs in this world of reason and technology. Some great underwater shots and once again just superb practical effects here with the costume for the creature. A fun movie definitely worth watching. 

Let’s pivot back to Europe with a 1960 gem Eyes Without a Face by Director Georges Franju. A doctor, sick over the disfigurement of his only daughter, will go to extreme lengths to restore her to her former beauty. This is the first truly scary film of the list (although still more unsettling than downright terrifying). Science, madness, murder, surgery, and a mask that creeps right into the uncanny valley of skin-crawling eeriness finds a film on your list for next year’s October. Shoutout Kyle for the shared viewing experience. 

1973. Ah. What a year 1973. I don’t know many facts (or any off the top of my head for 1973) but I do know one reason to look fondly on this year. It gave us one of the all time great horror films ever: The Wicker Man. Directed by Robin Hardy and starring Edward Woodward as the protagonist, a devout Christian policeman called to a remote island of the United Kingdom to search for a missing girl. There he will fall deeper and deeper into a world of mysticism, confusion, lies, and perhaps doom. The people of the island seem to have no interest in helping him and instead claim they have never heard of or seen this “missing” girl. Antagonist Lord Summerisle (played by the wonderful Christopher Lee) leads his people in the Mayday celebration in the chilling climax of this film. If you haven’t seen this folk-horror masterpiece, do so. Thank you Kara, my wife, for yet another repeat viewing. 

1980s brings me into a territory Michael and I often joke is an artistic wasteland. As Bartholomew scoffs “can anything good come out of Nazareth?” so we ask “can anything good come out of the 1980s?” The answer, of course, is yes. You may not have recognized many names so far, but here is a name synonymous with horror: John Carpenter. And 1982 brings perhaps his best film The Thing. Now, I just got done gushing over The Wicker Man, so I won’t do the same thing for this movie, but it is worthy. Set in Antarctica an alien begins to kill and replicate the members of a scientific research team at an American base. Who is human? Who is already taken over? Once again we see just spectacular practical effects. Trust, loyalty, integrity, are all put to the test. Who will crack, who will fold, is anyone who they claim to be?

Did someone say John Carpenter? 1994 In the Mouth of Madness will put you in the mouth of madness. A seething, mind bending film that juggles cause and effect like two ripping chain-saws. We follow an investigator as he tracks down a famous horror author who has gone missing. The catch is this man’s books have started to turn people crazy. The next hour or so we are wheeled around on an absolute nightmare for Sam Neil’s character John Trent. In turn you are left uncertain about what’s first, what’s last, and what’s real. Thank you Noah for a fine suggestion and sharing some scotch through this viewing. 

Almost there. 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In is a modern take on a vampire story. Rather, it is a story about a vampire in the modern world. We follow a young boy Oskar who is constantly bullied (severely) and dreams of rising up to take revenge on his persecutors. A “young girl” moves in next to him and his life begins to change. This is definitely the saddest, most difficult film to watch on this list. Not to say you should not see it- you should. This film strikes at bullying and its effects. The cycle of violence and despair. Bring some tissues and decide for yourself whether this film is a judgement on vengeance or an approval of it. Shoutout Joe for sharing this rewatch with me. 

2014 Cartoon Network brings us a beloved miniseries “Over the Garden Wall.” 10 short episodes spanning under two horrors total this animated story takes us on a spooky journey through fantasy, folk lore, haunted woods, adorable friends, hilariously quotable phrases and ends squarely in the camp of growth, dignity, prudence, and fortitude. This is a rewatch every single year. Shoutout Mol, Kara, Kyle, and Margo. 

Phew. And here we are. Thank you so much for walking through the wooded path on this brisk and dark night to reach the warmth and safety of your living room. I think what this coincidental journey has shown me more than anything is the beauty of God in his people as creators and artists. Good artists come from anywhere and everywhere, through the decades and various subgenres. Silent, foreign, horrifying, mystifying, spooky, sad, and lovely. Cheers to a wonderful spooky season, and here’s to another in 2027.