Greetings! Even though October is officially done I wanted to list some of my favorite movie, short and show binges I’ve had during the month! Some are new, while others I’ve made a tradition to watch every year. So let’s get started.
For today I have cartoon shorts I have found/ continue to watch to this day!
Childhood Shorts:
“Where the Wild Things Are” (1975)
This is one of the shorts my siblings and I watched as kids! It is creepy yet wonderfully nostalgic.
“Teeny Tiny and the Witch Woman” (1980)
So so creepy! It’s a wonder my siblings and I didn’t have problems as we grew older. We quote this short all the time and periodically look back at it for laughs. We can all quote it ver batim.
“In The Night Kitchen” (1987)
This one is creepy for different reasons. Honestly, it probably wasn’t intended to be freaky for kids. For my family we were all more concerned with the fact the boy Mickey falls out of his cloths and is almost baked into an oven.
“The Three Robbers” (1972)
Oh so cute but oh so wonderful!
Cartoon Shorts:
“The Old Man of the Mountain” (1933)
Old cartoons are a wonderful combination of funny and creepy. This one in particular is very odd but a good example of old Betty Boop cartoons from Fleischer studios.
“The Skeleton Dance” (1929)
This is one of my absolute favorite shorts! Urb Iwerks was such a talented animator! I can’t get enough of it!
“The Tale Tell Heart” (1953)
UPA released so many great shorts in their time but this one is my favorite. It honestly reminded me of German Expressionist Films I studied in college. It was twisted and utterly haunting!
“The Hedgehog and the Fog” (1975)
This short is truly charming and visually stunning! It is so amazing what it’s creator was able to do with stop motion paper figures.
Short Films/Film Sequences:
Disney’s “Ichabod Crane” (1949)
This sequence is so vibrant! The headless horsemen is still one of my favorite animated characters to watch.
“Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria” (1940)
I have loved the epic ending of Disney’s “Fantasia” (1940) for a very long time. I love seeing how Satan in all his power cannot withstand faithful people and the coming dawn.
“It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” (1966)
I love The Peanuts cartoons! This is one of my favorite movies. I still have a dream to spend Halloween night in a pumpkin patch.
German Expressionist Films (And those made by their directors):
“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1920)
I LOVE THIS MOVIE! If you ever wondered where Time Burton got most of his designs and ideas this would be it!
“Nosferatu” (1922)
The grandfather of vampire movies! It isn’t scary just really really haunting especially the more one knows about its symbolism.
“The Lodger” (1927)
I’ve seen most of Alfred Hitchcock’s Films but this is the one which more closely shows his admiration and use of German Expressionist film techniques. Love over dramatized shadows and expressions.
“Metropolis” (1927)
May the heart bring together the head and the hands! This movie is bigger than life at visually fascinating.
“The Man Who Laughs” (1928)
This is one of my all time favorite movies! Its creepy but not because of Conrad Veidt’s face. It is more in answering the question “What makes a monster and what makes a man?”
“Waxworks” (1924)
It’s scary because it could be real! Not the sets necessarily but the people and situations.
“M” (1931)
One of the first sound films in Germany but also a very stark warning from director Fritz Lang about fascism. It is haunting.
TV Shows:
“The Twilight Zone” (1959-1964)
All of them. I like watching all of them.
“Over the Garden Wall” (2014)
One of my absolute favorite series! Creepy, mysterious, gorgeous and insightful.
“Adventure Time” (2010-2018)
I’m not quite sure why I watch this show. But it is plenty creepy!
“Gravity Falls” (2012-2016)
“Mushishi” (2005-2006, 2014)
Some episodes are super creepy, others are simply contemplative. Overall, a great show and perfect for October.
Movies:
“Coraline” (2009)
Must see for lovers of stop motion animation!
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993)
Of course I love this movie! I see this every Halloween!
“Metropolis” (2001)
I love this one as much as the original silent film. Great music and visuals
So Many Thoughts 