Not a Criterion but Robert Wise’s The Haunting from 1963 is fantastic. The horror comes from the amazing use of sound, camera angles, editing, cinematography and the performances. Like a lot of great movies it uses the viewer’s imagination to the maximum while actually showing little to nothing explicit.
The Vanishing is unforgettable (avoid the remake though!). Wrote 2000 words on this masterpiece for a We Belong Dead book. The Innocents Blu-ray is a work of art too, while Come and See is possibly the most powerful film ever made.
For me its all about the vibes. Not every horror or thriller film gives me a Halloween feel. Definitely not Come and See, although it is amazing. If you want Hitchcock vibes but with actual macabre from Criterion, I recommend Sisters. I would also add The Uninvited, The Others, Eyes Without a Face, Peeping Tom, Rebecca, Rosemarys Baby, Silence of the Lambs, Memories of Murder, Cat People and Diabolique. Night of the Hunter would work, but I actually consider it Christmas viewing. Looking forward to getting I Walked With a Zombie. Its maybe my second favourite Lewton.
It goes to show you how many Horror and horror related titles there are in the entire collection, even though at first glance yo would say there was a lack of representation. Totally agree about The Vanishing, even though it's more of a thriller in tone, it may have the MOST chilling scene(s) in any movie. Really enjoyed your picks as always Elliot.
Carnival of Souls, Kuroneko, The Innocents, plus non Criterion movies like Theatre of Blood ( Vincent Price , Diana Rigg), Black Sunday ( Barbara Steele) directed by Mario Bava, The Devil Rides Out ( Christopher Lee.as a good guy) and many Hammer films with Lee and with Peter Cushing .
Halloween Criterion recommendations would be Freaks/The Unknown/The Mystic, Cat People, Night of the Living Dead, Carnival of Souls, I Walked with a Zombie/The Seventh Victim, The Uninvited, The Night of the Hunter and All That Money Can Buy.
I don't know if you have ever done a video before on the studio canal vintage classics collection but i have been loving watching some of them recently and would love to see if you have any and would recommend any as i think it's a very underrated label .
I just watched Onibaba on the criterion disc for Halloween season, and it blew me away!! Way different than I expected, but so wonderful to discover what it was doing. Great ominous mood building to some really haunting imagery
Have you ever watched Kuroneko? It's another horror film in the Criterion Collection by the same director and some of the same themes. It's one of my favorite Japanese horror films.
Great video, I/m definably going to check out House & The Innocents, you sold them ones to me :) You probably already know about the upcoming Radiance Daiei Gothic - Japanese Ghost Stories blu ray set, I've seen 2 out of the three and they are really good ghost stories, perfect for Halloween :)
I dig House so much - it is a film that I also often watch during the Halloween season. I have been hoping for years that someone like Vinegar Syndrome does a definitive 4K remaster of this film with all the audio and special features bells and whistles. Every time I watch House I also think that Sam Raimi must have seen it before he did The Evil Dead, because there are things in The Evil Dead that just scream as nods to House.
I can't tell from the image, but I assume that's the original, Dutch version of "The Vanishing (Spoorloos)"? That movie pops into my head to haunt me from time to time. One thing I noticed that is relevant is that early in the story she asks her boyfriend not to abandon her. "House" is not exactly scary, but it is unhinged and unnerving. I love "I Married A Witch". Fredric March is one of my favorite actors, and it's my favorite Veronica Lake role; she is delightful. I wonder if the TV show "Bewitched" was inspired by this? Speaking of HItchcock, when I was a kid I happened to see the last scene, with the merry-go-round, of his "Strangers on a Train", which my parents were watching on TV. It horrified me so much I went to check on my little brother in bed. I had no idea what the film was. Fifty years later I watched the movie and when that scene came, I thought, "Oh my god, this is that movie!". I've had this experience a few times of rediscovering a film that I glimpsed when younger. It's great to know these great films are still around to see, and I prefer older films for that reason. Murnau's "Nosferatu" always does it for me. "Shadow of The Vampire" is a good companion piece.
Hi was looking at getting some Criterion Collection Blu-rays for Christmas (specifically Barry Lyndon), but live in the UK and know that they are region locked. How wouldyou recommend getting them and how can I watch them do you know if a PS4/5 would work?
The Innocents is a masterpiece. The Vanishing meanwhile is one the biggest wastes of time I have ever endured. Come and See meanwhile is a manipulative film that dives into the sensationalist arena to acheive its gratification. As for my choices: easily Repulsion and Rosemary’s Baby, the latter of which may well be my favourite horror film of all time.
