KPBS+ has acquired a classic film package, and I am excited to curate some collections for you to watch, starting with 10 Halloween treats (no tricks) for your October viewing.
The diverse collection of horror films is listed in chronological order, so you can see how the genre has evolved over the decades. You can also pair each film with one of my podcasts for added insights, context and other fun details to enrich your viewing.
Click on the film titles to watch, or visit the KPBS+ app."Jamaica Inn" (1939)
No better place to start than with an early Alfred Hitchcock thriller based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel. The film is rich in atmosphere and stars Charles Laughton and a very young Maureen O’Hara. It was the last film Hitchcock made in England before moving to Hollywood. He would go on to adapt two more du Maurier novels: "Rebecca" and "The Birds."
Companion podcasts: TCM Spotlight on Alfred Hitchcock
and Midday Movies celebrates Alfred Hitchcock
This screwball comedy with ghosts was one of several sequels inspired by the 1937 hit "Topper," which spawned a popular TV series in the 1950s. Roland Young returns as the much-put-upon title character, surrounded by a stellar trio of actresses: Joan Blondell, Carole Landis and Billie Burke, who also played Glinda, the Good Witch, in "The Wizard of Oz." The wonderful Black comedian Eddie "Rochester" Anderson plays Topper's chauffeur and makes the most of a stereotyped role.
Companion podcast: Screwball Comedies"Man in the Attic" (1953)
Jack Palance stars as a lodger suspected of being Jack the Ripper. The movie is based on Marie Belloc Lowndes' 1913 novel "The Lodger," which fictionalizes the Ripper killings. The story has inspired multiple film adaptations, including a silent version directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1927. Palance is great in the role.
Companion podcast: Midday Movies investigates serial killers"Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (1956)
This is the American version of the classic Japanese film "Gojira" (1954), a brutal metaphor for the trauma Japan suffered after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on two of its cities. This recut version is less horrific and tragic, but it is probably responsible for turning Godzilla into an international icon.
Here's some interesting trivia: Producer Joseph E. Levine brought "Gojira" to American audiences by inserting American actor Raymond Burr into the film, dubbing it into English and retitling it "Godzilla, King of the Monsters." Inspired by that financial success, Levine bought and repackaged the Italian low-budget film "The Labors of Hercules." That helped propel the “peplum”, or sword-and-sandal, genre into the American market in the 1950s and '60s.
Companion podcast: Official Guide to the King of the Monsters
"House on Haunted Hill" (1958)"
If you don’t know William Castle, it's time to discover this master showman who invented theatrical gimmicks like Illusion-O, Fright Break, Coward's Corner and Percepto. "House on Haunted Hill" features a delicious performance by Vincent Price as an eccentric millionaire who invites friends to a "Haunted House" party. Whoever stays in the house overnight will earn $10,000.
When the film was released, some theaters were rigged with Emergo, an elaborate pulley system that allowed a plastic prop skeleton to fly over the audience during a corresponding scene late in the film. It was delightful! Sadly, the KPBS+ app does not come equipped with Emergo. But feel free to improvise.
Companion podcast: Celebrating master showman William Castle
This Roger Corman horror and sci-fi flick is a precursor to the recent "The Substance," with its tale of a cosmetics executive who tries to reverse aging. But she discovers that the treatment can have a terrifying side effect: transforming her into a murderous, wasplike creature. To a modern audience spoiled by CGI and elaborate effects, Corman's low-budget film will probably look cheesy. But you have to give Corman props for shooting it in two weeks for a mere $50,000. With that in mind, I hope you will appreciate the film's DIY spirit and ingenuity.
Companion podcasts: Roger Corman's 'Wasp Woman'
and Entomologist on scary bugs and sci-fi
"The Last Man on Earth" (1960)
Based on the Richard Matheson novel "I Am Legend," this film may lack flashy effects, but it captures the book's themes and mood better than the more recent big-budget adaptation starring Will Smith. Technically, the creatures here are described as vampires, but they display a very undead, zombielike disposition. Vincent Price plays the titular last man on Earth and is great. Matheson's novel also inspired the Charlton Heston film "The Omega Man." George A. Romero acknowledged both the novel and this film as key inspirations for "Night of the Living Dead."
Companion podcast: Remembering your first scary movie
"Little Shop of Horrors" (1960)
Here's another Roger Corman low-budget horror film, notoriously shot in just two days. This one features a carnivorous plant named Audrey and a very young Jack Nicholson in a small role as a masochistic patient. The film inspired a stage musical and a musical film adaptation. Corman excelled at these quick-turnaround horror films, delivering a lot of cleverness with very little time or money.
Companion story: Audrey II comes to carnivorous life
Until "Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004), this featured more monsters than any other Godzilla film, with 11 in all. Expect plenty of kaiju battles and destruction. And Godzilla returns to the big screen next month with "Godzilla Minus Zero," showing how long the monster has endured and how often the character has been reinvented.
Companion podcast: Godzilla 101 — The Monster is the message
"Night of the Living Dead" (1968)
This is the film that changed everything. George A. Romero helped create the modern zombie and showed how these undead creatures could serve as a blank canvas for political commentary. Here, Romero tackles the unrest of the 1960s and racism, but never in a deliberate or heavy-handed way. Romero, unfortunately, failed to secure the film's copyright, allowing it to enter the public domain. As a result, he missed out on the financial rewards the film's success might otherwise have brought him. But Romero did make five sequels, including the ever more brilliant "Dawn of the Dead."
Companion podcast: RIP George A. Romero, godfather of the undead
You can find the Halloween collection on KPBS+. Enjoy!
