Many in the UFO/ paranormal community are Halloween / horror /sci-fi movie buffs, which should come as no surprise.
This year punkrockandufos.com has enlisted the help of some of our friends of the site to give their Halloween viewing recommendations with a paranormal angle. First, here are the punkrockandufos recs:
“Midnight Mass” (Netflix)
OK, while not traditionally “paranormal,” the flipping of religious mythos of angels to tie in with an ancient horror allegory, makes “Midnight Mass” a much-watch this October. There’s also dialogue that heavily digs into our psyche regarding life after death and consciousness, social commentary on religion in general, and a look at anomalous events. The seven-episode series starts slow, but delivers as a thought-provoking and clever take on angels.
“Killer Klowns From Outer Space”
Go down memory lane in this camp-cult classic about alien invaders from space who wreak carnival-like chaos on a small town. The “Killer Klowns” costumes are better than today’s CGI, and the film still holds up for what it is all these years later.
CHEAP PLUG: Mike Damante’s young adult horror fiction novel “Pumpkin Spice and Nothing Nice” is a perfect book to read during Halloween. Order here.
-Mike Damante
“Dark Skies”
Though I hate that this movie ripped its title from the cult-hit NBC television series created by Bryce Zabel, I must admit this movie really surprised me as being a super suspenseful and well-thought out film about a family being plagued by strange poltergeist-like activity in their home until they realize that it's actually aliens preparing to abduct them from their home. Playing off the lore of alien abductions and using the family aspect, this film has slivers of Spielberg inspiration throughout, and some terrifying imagery. The cast does a fantastic job, and the structure and writing is, while somewhat formulaic, tight and to the point, helping to build the suspense and dread that will eventually befall this family. I'd highly recommend it.
-Ryan Sprague
“Halloween III: Season of the Witch”
I absolutely love 80s slasher films, and I'm a big fan of the Halloween franchise. And, although it's an unpopular position, that includes the polarizing “Halloween III: Season of the Witch.” This third installment in the Halloween franchise is a complete departure from the first two films. It has nothing to do with the first two movies, and the iconic antagonist known as The Shape and/or Michael Myers is completely absent. Rather than a storyline filled with teens fleeing a relentless killer, the plot of Halloween III goes rogue and turns up the paranormal. And that decision was quite intentional. John Carpenter and Debra Hill, the creators of the Halloween franchise, really wanted to turn the franchise into an anthology of standalone films, each with their own storyline focused on Halloween night. This film was received poorly, and fans just couldn't get on board with a Halloween film that didn't feature Michael Myers (that's why they elected to bring Michael back in “Halloween IV”).
Although “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” essentially bombed at the box office, it's since established a strong cult following. And, I'll admit, it did take some time for the film to grow on me, and to appreciate it as an awesome movie separate from the established Halloween/Michael Myers franchise.
-Jason McClellan
“Hereditary”
“Hereditary” is one of the rare modern horror films that doesn't tell you immediately off the bat why you should be afraid, instead growing in tone and tension until a crescendo of horror brings the story together. This is one of the few movies that really gets the occult horror genre right, with an ending that changes the entire film on subsequent rewatches.
-Chris Cogswell
-Punkrockandufos “spooky szn” playlist.
-MIKE DAMANTE
If you are a fan of paranormal, Mike Damante’s latest book “Punk rock and UFOs: Stranger Than Fiction” features exclusive interviews with Greg Newkirk, Diana Pasulka, Jeffrey Kripal, Leslie Kean, Tom DeLonge, Peter Levenda, Kevin Day, Sean Cahill, and others Order now.