halloween – Studio Libraries

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, since I was a little kid growing up in the suburbs of Milan; my schoolmates and I would go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, even though in the late 90s and early 2000s it wasn’t very popular to celebrate Halloween in Italy, as it is a tradition that originates from the Anglo-Saxon world.

When I was ten years old, I remember spending Halloween night reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, whose Italian edition had just been published; I have always loved reading and, as with movies, I often enjoy reading books according to the current season.

I have just picked up a book from the Goosebumps series that I used to love as a kid; it’s called Ghost in the Mirror and it’s giving me 90s vibes!

Here are five books which belong to the horror/thriller genre that I have recently read and loved, so hopefully you too will get to enjoy some of the titles I am recommending.

1) My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix: I bought this book after seeing the trailer from the Amazon Prime Video movie adaptation and I didn’t know what to expect, but I had a great experience reading it. While it has plenty of horror elements and some parts of the book are quite creepy, it is really about friendship and how much one is willing to put on the line to help a friend out. Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since they were little, but things change during high school, when Gretchen starts treating her group of friends badly and generally behaving weirdly with the people around her. Abby fears Gretchen might be possessed by an evil demon so she embarks on a quest to save her best friend, going against an entire community that does not believe her.

This supernatural horror story is set in the 1980s, therefore it is enriched with 80s pop culture references, which you will probably enjoy if you grew up in that decade or are fascinated by it. Maxwell, one of my friends on Goodreads, described the novel as “Mean Girls meets Fear Street” and I think it is perfectly fitting for this mood (plus, fans of Stranger Things will definitely appreciate it). I am looking forward to reading more from Grady Hendrix!

2) Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman: this was the fourth book I read by Neil Gaiman (I am a big fan of The Graveyard Book, which I read eight years ago for Halloween and would like to reread someday) and I enjoyed the story and its meanings. Neverwhere was published in 1997 and it is now considered one of the best works in the urban fantasy genre. It tells the story of Richard Mayhew, a young Londoner who lives a pretty normal life, working in Central London and spending time with his fiancée Jessica. While the two are going to a business lunch with her boss, they stumble upon an injured girl named Door, who has been abandoned in the streets. Richard decides to rescue the girl and takes her home against Jessica’s will, as she gets angry and breaks off their engagement. Richard’s life begins to get very chaotic when he discovers the existence of London Below, the dark world Door comes from…The two of them embark on a journey through London’s Underground as Richard gets stuck in London Below and tries to help Door and the other creatures in the fight against evil forces.

I have always been a cinephile and I enjoy watching movies according to the current season; since I am a huge fan of Halloween, I watched John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween movie when I was fifteen years old and every October I like to discover new horror movies or rewatch my favorite ones.

While I usually prefer horror movies that veer towards the thriller genre, I find it cathartic to be able to observe from a distance some of humanity’s ancestral fears.

I tend to watch all kinds of horror movies but I generally stay away from the ones that are too disturbing (even though I have come to appreciate a few slasher movies among the classics, like the Scream series).

I have rounded up five favorite movies to watch for Halloween; most of them are available on DVD/Blu-Ray or on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

1) In Fabric (Peter Strickland, 2018): I recently watched this underrated horror gem on Prime Video and I enjoyed it beyond my expectations. The story revolves around a cursed red dress as it switches from owner to owner, with devastating consequences for the people who purchase and wear it.

The movie is set at the beginning of the 90s but its atmospheres and set designs are very reminiscent of the 1970s; it is a satyrical horror that serves as a critique of extreme consumerism and self-image obsession, also touching on the subject of our bosses’ excessive and sometimes ridiculous analysis of our workplace. The vivid color palette and overall atmosphere reminded me of Dario Argento’s Suspiria, a masterpiece of the horror genre which I included on this list as well and whose electronic score by Goblins is very similar to the In Fabric soundtrack by Cavern of Anti-Matter. Some critics have also stated that it would be a great watching experience for people who enjoy filmmaker Ari Aster’s movies.

I work in the fashion industry so I really enjoyed watching a horror movie about fashion, and I think many people will appreciate the narrative and symbolism of a movie that has humorous notes in it as well.

2) Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987): this was Kathryn Bigelow’s first movie and I think it was masterfully directed, to the point that I didn’t notice this was her directorial debut. Not only is this a movie with vampires as main characters, but also it is a road movie that has excellent cinematography and gothic vibes; it was mainly shot in Arizona and the wonderful desert landscapes contribute to making it a horror western, something very unique in its genre.