I’m really not sure why I decided to check out this book. I am a HUGE scaredy cat, Halloween is probably my least favorite time of year (aside from all the awesome candy, of course) and scary movies give me nightmares for days. (And in rare cases – severe arachnophobia that I’ve yet to be able to kick…) So reading a book about “The Best Movies for Halloween” was probably not my greatest idea ever, but at least there were only a few photographs of the movies and their posters throughout the book and I was able to flip to the next page rather quickly if I thought it might freak me out! 😉
Each movie has its own listing which includes the Title, Director, Cast, Length, Rating and then a Synopsis. I was happy to see that movies that seemed rather harmless like Abbott and Costello and Daffy Duck were also included. Perhaps there are some movies out there that I can watch and not be up all night for 14 days after! I was also surprised that I had seen around 10 of the movies that were listed! (I mean – Casper? I don’t even consider that a Halloween movie – it’s hardly scary and while they are ghosts they are the cutest ghosts I’ve ever seen…)
In addition to movies there is also fun-sized mini series included, TV episodes and then some Top 5 lists.
If you love yourself some Halloween and scaring the bejesus out of yourself every year – then this is the book for you. Or, since I am posting this in November and you want to spend time making Halloween never end – pick up the book now and see how many of the movies you can watch before Halloween time rolls around again!
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
People celebrate the magical holiday of Halloween in a wide variety of ways, but most will, at some point, turn off the lights and allow a movie to take the excitement to the next level. Pumpkin Cinema recommends over 100 titles that are guaranteed to make your Halloween fun and frightening! Halloween only comes once a year, so you can’t afford to waste precious thrill time on a lousy movie! However, a great horror movie doesn’t necessarily translate into a great Halloween flick, and Pumpkin Cinema uses a simple set of guidelines to help you avoid the “boo!” blues: the films included here are fast paced, have essences of autumn (if they aren’t set on Halloween itself!), and have a trim run time (under two hours). Avoiding the mean-spirited and cruel movies more typical of horror offerings, Pumpkin Cinema also includes Halloween treats from multiple genres, in addition to horror: comedy, animation, science fiction, silent era, and foreign films, all ranging in popularity from blockbusters to the obscure. The films included are, above all, fun to watch and share with others! In addition to descriptive film reviews, you’ll also find plenty of quirky trivia, various top 5 lists, and a special chapter devoted to the greatest Halloween television episodes of all time.