With fall upon us, my only reader wanted a suggestion of the best fall-oriented movies. I don’t know that this is a list that comes readily to me, as it isn’t generally how I think of movies. That made it a nice challenge.
When it comes to fall, I tend to think of back to school, football, and Halloween, so these selections will be largely related to one of those 3 things.
As always, SPOILERS ahead, though maybe not to the same degree as other posts.
To the list!
Most Honored Honorable Mention: I am going to list some scary movies below that are (somewhat) related to Halloween. They are all movies that I’ve seen before, and enjoy. Obviously I’d recommend any of them, but my recommendation here is to watch a scary movie that you’ve never seen before. That is the best way to see how it impacts you, when you don’t know all of the scares and twists.
13. The Shining
I have only seen The Shining one time, and that was back in either 2001 or 2002. Technically, the movie takes place over the course of the Winter season, as a struggling writer (Jack Nicholson) and his family manage/oversee a hotel when it’s out of season.
The reason this movie is included is related to watching scary movies leading up to Halloween. The Shining is kind of different in how it’s scary. It is a slow burn, as Jack Nicholson’s character starts to lose his mind. There aren’t a lot of jump scares, it’s more eerie. There aren’t really any other movies like it. In terms of movies that might scare you, it is a unique viewing experience that should be a part of any fright fan’s lead-up to Halloween.
12. Dead Poets Society
I never went to boarding school, but I grew up in New England, and this movie is hits that nail on the head. Foliage, changing seasons, and layered clothing. Plus, it’s a “back to school” movie.
We follow a group of boys at a prestigious, conservative boarding school. They are inspired by their English teacher (Robin Williams), who is unlike all of the other adults in their life: open and sensitive, he finds beauty in the arts.
For much of the movie, it is an enjoyable and inspirational story. It’s some of Robin Williams’ best work. However, I docked this movie a few spots because it is a bummer. I won’t spoil exactly what happens, but know that it gets heavy. Otherwise, great Fall movie.
11. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Another scare for Halloween. Again, this movie has nothing to do with actual Fall, and takes place in Texas, where, near as I can tell, there aren’t sharp changes in between seasons. However, it is an underrated cult classic.
A group of young adults on their way to family homestead. They run out of gas along the way, and, long story short, a couple of them stumble upon an old house in the middle of nowhere. Like assholes, they go inside. When the original two don’t return, more of them go to the house. It turns out, the people who live in this house are bad news, like murderous, incestuous cannibals, bad news. Most notable among them is Leatherface.
Definitely a scary, creepy classic that is worth a watch before Halloween.
10. The Exorcist
As noted in other posts, I don’t normally go for supernatural storylines and characters, but The Exorcist is dope.
A little girl gets possessed by an evil spirit, and gets progressively more aggressive and evil. The crazy thing is, she’s tied to the bed the whole time! So, it isn’t like she is attacking people or stalking them. She’s scary and horrible while being restrained!
Certain scenes from the movie are likely known/spoiled for viewers watching it for the first time in 2019, but these were torturously scary in 1973. The Oscars don’t mean everything, but how often is a horror/thriller movie nominated for Best Picture?
9. Rudy
As the story takes place over multiple years, we see the seasons change from Fall to Winter to Spring, and back to Fall. As they’re very similar to boarding school movies, college movies are a great reminder of the fall season, as students are back for a new year, filled with hope for what is to come. The weather starts out pretty warms, and slowly gets colder.
Rudy is a football movie that gives us multiple Fall seasons over multiple years. The ultimate underdog story, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger is a dyslexic, “5 foot nothing, 100 and nothing [pound]” scrapper who is trying to get into the University of Notre Dame so that he can walk-on to their football team. Playing football at Notre Dame is his dream.
To be clear, this movie is not necessarily better than the three above it, but it is at its peak watchability in the Fall season, now is a good time to touch base with it.
8. It
I wrote about Pennywise in my last post, but the new It was actually a good movie. It connects really well to being a kid, and is also fraught with both jump scares and slower, more drawn out creeps.
As noted previously, Pennywise is delightfully abhorrent. He is simultaneously silly, creepy, and a complete savage. He was real enough for me to suspend my disbelief on the whole supernatural element to his character.
Overall, the movie is good for laughs, adventures, and camaraderie, but it is on this list for the scares. We are approaching Halloween, this is a movie many can watch and enjoy together.
7. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
It takes place in Southern California, so you don’t really get the Autumn vibe, but Fast Times may be the ultimate “back to school” movie.
The story follows multiple characters of varying ages and social statuses as they all start the new school year at Ridgemont High School. Much like real life high school, some of the characters are fornicating, while the rest of them are trying to fornicate.
We’re with them through their successes and mishaps, and it’s a high school movie that feels more true to form than most. It’s a solid watch as an adult to remind yourself of the promise each new school year would bring. Late August/early September was a new beginning, and though Fall is technically when the plans all die, for kids it’s the start of the next year of their life.
6. Get Out
Get Out is a very interesting horror/thriller movie with a social message. It isn’t overly preachy in this regard, but the story is completely unique, and unlike other movies of its ilk.
The movie isn’t pure horror, as there isn’t a high death toll, and there aren’t many jump scares. However, this movie is completely filled with dread. You watch the events of the movie unfold and every single thing feels uneasy, and you’re waiting for something to be revealed about why certain characters act so strange.
Suffice it to say, in some ways, it goes even a step further than Texas Chainsaw, but with less violence and murder. It is also very rewarding to re-watch, as you can pick up hints and subtleties that you missed on the original viewing. Similar to The Shining, it is a different kind of movie, one that is peerless in what it is trying to do. The tension builds to actual fear, which makes it worth watching at this time of year.
5. Scent of a Woman
Another New England boarding school movie that does a remarkably good job of capturing the season. I don’t necessarily like it better than all of the movies that are lower on the list, but New England in the fall…
We are with Baird student Charlie (Chris O’Donnell), who is in an awkward position, having witnessed a prank gone wrong and being called on to testify against those responsible. The trial is after Thanksgiving break, and while Charlie mulls over what he should do, he takes a job caring for a blind war veteran, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Al Pacino).
The movie is probably best known today as the movie that finally got Al Pacino an Oscar. Regardless of whether or not it’s disappointing that this is the movie that he won for (it is), Pacino is still good, and plays a convincing blind crazy person.
It gets serious in spots, but it is nowhere near as much of a downer as Dead Poets Society, which I believe is actually a better movie. So, we have beautiful fall weather depicted at a boarding school in New England, while not being completely depressing. Pretty decent combo for the Fall.
4. Scream
I’ve mentioned this movie before as maybe the one movie that truly scared me when I was younger. It still holds up, especially the opening scene! Sure, there is a dependence on the land line, but wouldn’t it work the same way if they were cell phones? Instead of carrying around a larger portable phone, the 2019 version would have them carrying around a slightly smaller, flatter smartphone. It’s basically the same.
The mysterious caller toying with the unsuspecting victims on the phone feels like a unique premise, and the idea that they can get you at home, before help can arrive, will always up the stakes for me. There are a couple of twists, including one all-timer, for me – not in terms of shock value, but in terms of what it means for the plot.
Scream is simultaneously a meta-satire, and a legitimate slasher movie. It walks that tightrope throughout the whole movie without going overboard in any one direction, and can therefore be enjoyed in both manners. Even though there are “inside jokes”, the scares are real and this movie can still be enjoyed at home, at night, with the lights out.
3. Animal House
There are many enjoyable aspects to Animal House. The story starts out with freshmen trying to find a fraternity to pledge. It isn’t so much “back to school” as it is showcasing the “new beginning” that all freshmen feel when they enter this new environment.
Eventually these freshmen end up in the Delta fraternity, and the rest of the movie stays with this fraternity through their parties and antics.
This movie is often looked at as the original “frat boy” “gross out” hard R (rating) comedy. There’s cursing and nudity and horse-slaughter. More than most, this movie actually does exude a feeling of Fall, as we see the students start to layer up as the weather gets cooler and leaves fall to the ground. The college atmosphere helps connect to it as well.
2. Remember The Titans
As a big football fan, Fall is my favorite time of year. Although it’s a white-washed Disney movie, Remember the Titans, is one of the most enjoyable movies for the sport. There are some pretty good “pro football” movies like Any Given Sunday or The Replacements, but those don’t really capture the Fall season. There’s something about high school football that hits closer.
The movie technically starts in the late summer, as the team comes together for their preseason camp. There is a different, albeit oversimplified, take on “back to school”, as T.C. Williams High is starting its first year as an integrated school. Soon the Titans are into their season, the weather starts changing, and we see the town start to rally around the team as they’re stacking up wins and making a push for greatness.
There’s comedy, tragedy, and inspiration. I won’t say the characters are nuanced, but there are enough likable guys on the team to rally around. A non-Disney version would’ve been interesting, but this movie hits its mark every time.
1. Halloween – pair it with Halloween II (1981) or Halloween 2018
You were expecting Casper? Halloween, or Michael Myers, have made their way onto three of my first four posts on this young blog, including a #1 ranking on my last post. The holiday, Halloween, is a big part of fall, especially as a kid in the suburbs.
We’re in the Midwest, and kids are out trick or treating. There are some leaves on the ground, and the air is brisk. There’s candy, and costumes, and a recently escaped psychopath is walking around stalking teenagers!
What follows is a minimalist, slow burn of a movie that kicks off the slasher genre in earnest. Later installments have a higher body count, more creative kills, and many silly plot points and characters, but the original stands alone as a masterpiece. Halloween is simple, it is well-paced, and the threat is a little too real. It is the absolute best movie to enjoy in the Fall season.
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