Culture

Christmas is just 19 days away!

If you’re looking for your next Christmas movie to watch, here’s a list of Christmas movies organized from oldest to newest that you’ll enjoy:

1. The Shop Around The Corner (1940)

2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

4. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

5. Frosty the Snowman (1969)

6. Die Hard (1988)

7. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

8. Home Alone (1990)

9. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

10. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

11. The Family Man (2000)

12. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

13. Elf (2003)

14. Love Actually (2003)

15. The Polar Express (2004)

16. The Family Stone (2005)

17. The Holiday (2006)

18. A Christmas Carol (2009)

19. Arthur Christmas (2011)

20. Rise of the Guardians (2012)

21. The Christmas Chronicles (2018)

22. Holidate (2020)

23. Love Hard (2021)

24. Red One (2024)

25. Oh. What. Fun. (2025)

Ho-ho-ho!

We’re less than a month away from Christmas, so I thought I’d get you started on some Christmas movie recommendations.

Here’s a list of classics and new releases to add to your watch list:

The Polar Express

This 2004 film follows a young boy who wakes up on Christmas Eve to find a train bound for the North Pole outside his door. Hesitant at first, he boards the Polar Express and embarks on a journey he’ll never forget. He develops new friendships and learns a lesson that will stay with him for life.

I recall watching this movie in theatres in 3D with my dad. My memory’s a little foggy since I was so young, but my dad said I was reaching for the imaginary snow in front of me.

The most memorable scene from the entire film is when the young girl and Billy start singing “When Christmas Comes to Town” while looking up at the northern lights. It makes me tear up every time.

And guess what? My favourite Christmas song is from this movie. It’s Josh Groban’s “Believe.” Give it a listen; it’ll get you into the holiday spirit!

The Holiday

The Holiday is one of my favourite Christmas rom-coms to watch during the holiday season!

The movie has a great cast with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Jack Black.

Amanda Woods works a lavish lifestyle in L.A. as a movie trailer executive, while Iris Simpkins is an editor from a small village in England. They decide to swap homes for the holidays, and what they thought was a little getaway soon turns into a romantic adventure.

A Very Jonas Christmas Movie

If you’re looking for a newer film to watch for the holidays, check out A Very Jonas Christmas Movie!

This movie leans more towards the comedic side, where all three Jonas brothers: Kevin, Joe, and Nick, face obstacles as they try to make it home for Christmas after their tour in London. Along the way, they strengthened their bond and learn what really matters during the holiday season.

I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m planning to at some point this December!

Home Alone

This classic Christmas movie can’t be beat. No matter how many times you watch it, it feels like you’re watching it for the first time!

The movie follows Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) and his family. The morning his entire family leaves for a trip to Paris, Kevin realizes that he’s been left behind. When his family realizes, they go into full panic mode, but Kevin is having the best time of his life until two men try to rob his house during the holidays. Kevin sets out to protect his home and learns a valuable lesson during that time.

What’s your favourite Christmas movie?

Welcome Dear Reader! I’m so happy you’ve found my column. If you’re returning then you already know, but for those of you just joining us let me catch you up ~ I love movies, I love music and I am over the moon for music from movies. Super stoked to have a spot here on the  yourkenora.ca site to celebrate cinema and soundtracks. And while my first two articles featured my affinity for fall, get ready to read about my absolute favourite time of year for film ~ the Holiday Season!!!

Now I’ll grant you, the time allotted for the Christmas seems to get a little longer each year. Back in my day you never saw a hint of the holidays in the mall before the first of December, let alone around the house. These days, however, I’m counting down the minutes til midnight for November 12^th to arrive. With Remembrance Day in the the rear view mirror that’s when I officially shift into Merry Everything mode, which absolutely includes Christmas Movies!!! And for the record the amount festive films available to view has never been greater. Do I do my best to watch all of them? Yes! Are they all great? Well… let me just say “to each their own.” And with that in mind ~ I humbly submit my TOP 10 FAVOURITE FESTIVE FILMS OF ALL TIME list complete with everything from Hollywood holiday classics to festive family fantasies to the Christmassiest kind of romantic comedies. And for sure I’ll share a sweet selection from each of their respective soundtracks which will include everything from seasonal staples placed in the picture to original tunes written specifically for the film, plus sweeping scores and merry Motown music. Heck, there’ll even be songs that have nothing to do with Christmas at all, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

What’s say we kick off this countdown with the movie that holds the #10 spot on my TOP 10 FAVOURITE FESTIVE FILMS OF ALL TIME list. Now there are a lot of people, myself included, who’ll say “don’t mess with a classic,” but when it came to the 1994 retelling of the 1947 movie MIRACLE ON 34^TH STREET – I was more than fine with it. Mara Wilson of MRS. DOUBTFIRE and MATILDA fame was amazing as usual in the roll of Susan Walker – originally played by Natalie Wood.  Elizabeth Perkins played her mother and the dreamy Dylan McDermott played the neighbour and lawyer who defends Kris Kringle played by Sir Richard Attenborough. So clearly the cast is stacked – and when you combine that roster with an updated but ‘not-too-far-off-the-original’ screenplay along with absolutely lovely direction, sweet cinematography, scrumptious production design and beautiful costumes the result it’s simply magical. Music plays a major role in this new telling of MIRACLE ON 34^th STREET too, with tons seasonal standards – sung by everyone from Natalie Cole and Dionne Warwick to the King of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis Presley. All so good, but the song that stands out the most is one performed by the Queen of Soul herself and marks the only Christmas hymn in our merry mix.  The song plays just as the movie turns to it’s third act, when the CEO of Coles department store goes on TV to declare they will stand behind Kris Kringle and then proceeds to asks the audience “Do you believe in Santa Clause?” What follows is an emphatic “YES” by way of the merriest kind of montage, packed with messages of “I BELIEVE” written all over New York City, all while a jubilant “Joy to the World” is sung as only Miss Aretha Franklin can sing it (backed by Members of the F.A.M.E. Freedom Choir.)

This seems like the perfect time to tell you – I am a big BELIEVER in Santa Claus, and the Christmas Spirit and all the magic that surrounds the holiday season. And I don’t think I’d be wrong to say Clark Griswald is a big believer too.  In fact from the very first frame of NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION you can tell Clark, played by Chevy Chase,is on a mission to make sure this year is a “good old fashioned family Christmas.” But around every turn he’s met with opposition – from judgmental in-laws to crazy cousins to nose-in-the-air neighbours to a beyond stingy boss. All we can do is watch and pity as things go from bad to way way worse for Clark in the 1989 John Hughes comedy classic.  Who can forget when that rotten RV pulled up and Cousin Eddie (played by Randy Quaid) rolled out? Or when the squirrel sprung out of that way too big tree? Or when the over-cooked turkey collapsed?! All hilariously horrible to be sure of it, but I hope you gleaned the glimmers of happiness in there too. Like when Clark finally gets his Christmas lights to work… all 25,000 of them. Certainly the sweetest moment amidst the madness comes when Clark gets locked in the attic after his family leaves to go shopping. Remember that time when he’s rummaging through a trunk for things to keep himself warm only to discover some long forgotten family films captured at Christmastime when he was just a boy.  It’s a great break in the action and one that first time feature director Jerimiah Chechik said was his absolute favourite moment in the film. On the movie’s DVD commentary he recalls it being a day where it was just Chevy and a small crew, which made it all the more moving.  When it came time to add the music, there was only one song Chechik and Warner Bros. Studios could think to use for that special scene so they worked like crazy to get secure it. The song was “That Spirit of Christmas” by Ray Charles from the film that holds the 9^th spot on my TOP 10 FAVOURITE FESTIVE FILMS OF ALL TIME list.

Now while John Hughes CHRISTMAS VACATION starred an already famous Chevy Chase, Hughes next holiday hit would serve to launch it’s unknown lead into the superstar stratosphere at the ripe old age of ten, blow the doors off the box office and go on to become a holiday classic. Coming in at #8 on my TOP 10 FAVOURITE FESTIVE FILMS OF ALL TIME list it’s HOME ALONE and HOME ALONE 2 LOST IN NEW YORK. YES – it’s a tie because I love them both so much I simply couldn’t chose between them. Now on the off off off chance you haven’t seen these two gems here’s the deal in the 1990 seasonal smash HOME ALONE Kevin McAllister (aka Macaulay Culkin) is, as the title suggests, left home alone after his family departs for a Christmas vacation in France. That’s when he comes face to face with two knucklehead burglars Harry and Marv who hatch a plan to rob the neighbourhood. Never one for spoilers, let me just skip to the happy ending and move on to the 1992 sequel in which , true to the title once again, Kevin is separated from his clan at the airport and while they board a plane to Florida and he jets off to New York. Only to arrive there alone just as Harry and Marv have broken out of jail to rob a toy store. Again no spoilers, but I can confirm Christmas high-jinks abound in both festive flicks. So yes, there a plenty of laughs and if you’re a fan of slapstick humour then these two are for you! But I gotta say it’s the sweet part of the story in the message that runs through the heart of these films that won me over. The one that let’s you know, after everything the holidays can throw at you – it’s family and friends that matter most. That’s what we must hold onto and cherish. Both films come complete with great laughs, touching moments and amazing music too. The legendary John Williams composed the score and soundtrack reads like a righteous roster of original classics and contemporary covers, featuring everyone from Brenda Lee and Bette Midler to Darlene Love and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. There’s so much to love about HOME ALONE 1 and 2, not the least of which is the incredible cast. A young Macaulay Culkin – yes, but also Catherine Ohara and John Heard as his parents, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as bad guys Harry and Marv, John Candy as the polka player in the first film, and Brenda Fricker as the bird lady in the second. Come on! Plus Chris Columbus’s direction of Hughes stellar script.  Loved those movies  when they premiered and have loved them every year since. 

Onto the movie that takes the 7^th position on my TOP 10 FAVOURITE FESTIVE FILMS OF ALL TIME list – no more ties promise. But this single film does includes ten different storylines of love – all lovingly intertwined courtesy of award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis. Yes, he’s the guy behind FOUR WEDDINGS AND FUNERAL and NOTTING HILL, so you had to know going in LOVE ACTUALLY (2003) was a slam dunk to take a spot on my “Best List.” I mean the ensemble cast alone is remarkable and while they had me at Hugh Grant, it also includes Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, oh and have mercy – Emma Thompson in that Joni Mitchell scene… please! And since we’re shifting to soundtrack, I will tell you a couple of things. Firstly, Curtis is a huge fan of music in movies and is meticulous with his choices.  That includes the song he chose for Hugh Grant’s character –the Prime Minister of Britain to dance to, “Jump (For My Love)” by The Pointer Sisters. As Richard Curtis explained during the DVD commentary – the scene was one Grant absolutely refused to rehearse. Truth be told, he didn’t want to do the scene at all and to this day refers to it as “excruciating.” Curtis however found it mostly frustrating, given the fact that Grant could be scene lip syncing the lyrics throughout each take – which meant they were forced to cut the scene around the song as opposed to the other way around, so as to match up Hugh’s mouth with the lyrics. Ah, cinema secrets.

Which reminds me, I saw all but one of the movies in my TOP 10 FAVOURITE FESTIVE FILMS OF ALL TIME list in a cinema. While movie poster notes the ways in which you can streamed/download each of them these days, I can honestly declare there’s nothing like seeing them on the big screen. I will also confirm I have never laughed harder in a movie theatre than I did the day I saw the film that takes the 6^th spot on my list – ELF (2003) In fact the entire theatre was in stitches. And while I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve watched it since I tell you honestly – I laugh out loud every single time. It’s a beloved Christmas classic for me and so many others – crazy to imagine it almost never got made. You’ve really have to hear the wild story beind how the screenplay made it onto the desk of director Jon Favereau and the ‘gamble’ everyone thought they were making when they cast Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. (Listen to the “Rejecting Elf” podcast here.) But the $33million they paid to make the movie paid off to the tune of $220million in initial world-wide ticket sales and that bank has continued to grow ever since. Still, it’s hard to fault New Line Cinema for being hesitant with a logline that read “Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn’t know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.” Fortunately for us, the team behind the film believed in it 100%, and stopped at nothing to bring it to life together with the incredible supporting cast of James Caan, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, Amy Sedaris and Ed Asner as Santa. Amidst all the hilarity and the fantastical premise, you’re sure to find a whole lotta heart and a ton of tremendous tunes.  Yes, there are plenty of holiday hits woven throughout the movie along with a song that truly encapsulates the joy of spirit Buddy brings to New York, despite all the negativity he encounters. It’s that infectious spirit that guides him throughout the entire movie. A spirit that eventually spreads into the hearts of most everyone he meets. That same kind of unbridled enthusiasm was employed by the production team too, especially when it came time to shoot all those street scenes. With no budget for permits, all those shots when Buddy takes a bite out of the big apple for the first time – those were just Farrell and Favareau and a camera capturing the honest reaction of real New Yorkers when faced with a 6ft 3in Elf. And the amazing music playing during that montage is the Louis Prima  classic “Pennies from Heaven.” Talk about your perfect placement.

And I guess this is a pretty perfect place to end the first part of my TOP 10 FAVOURITE FESTIVE FILMS OF ALL TIME. I look forward to sharing my top five faves in the next instalment. In the meantime, I sure hope you’ll watch those ones I’ve listed above – for the first time or maybe the hundredth like me! Merry watching everyone!

PS – If by chance you’re looking for something new to view here are a few I highly recommend A MERRY LITTLE EX-MAS, SINGLE ALL THE WAY,  ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE IRISH

The first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 are premiering Wednesday, Nov. 26 at exactly 7 p.m. our time!

The next three episodes are out on Christmas and the final episode on New Year’s Eve, so it’s gonna be a busy holiday season.

What’s Season 5 about?

Based on the official synopsis, in the final season, “Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: Find and kill Vecna, but he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown.” Their mission becomes more difficult as the government locks the town under military quarantine and intensifies its search for Eleven, which forces her to stay in hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance gets closer, familiar feelings of fear returns. The ultimate battle is creeps up on them, bringing a darkness stronger and deadlier than anything they’ve seen. To defeat it, they’ll need everyone together to face it one last time.

Here are the Season 5 episode titles:

• Episode 1: “The Crawl”
• Episode 2: “The Vanishing of…”
• Episode 3: “The Turnbow Trap”
• Episode 4: “Sorcerer”
• Episode 5: “Shock Jock”
• Episode 6: “Escape from Camazotz”
• Episode 7: “The Bridge”
• Episode 8: “The Rightside up”

Recap

To prepare for the final season of this iconic show that’s aired since 2016, you might want a recap.

First, take a fun little quiz to test your knowledge (click on the GIF to be redirected):

If you’re still feeling a bit rusty after that quiz, here are some recap videos to refresh your memory:

Stranger Things Season 4 came out in 2022, so it’s easy to forget what happened in the last season. Watching recap videos is a must!

Are you excited to watch the new season this week?

Nobody Wants This Season 2 has secured the No. 1 and 2 spots on Netflix for three consecutive weeks since its release on Oct. 23.

This romance-focused show leans on the relationship dynamic between Joanne, an agnostic sex podcaster, and Noah, a rabbi. Along the way, they face their own struggles while learning to understand and love one another.

Seeing how two people can learn to appreciate one another, despite their major differences, is what makes the show so captivating.

Season 2 explores how their “relationship deepens” through the ups and downs of each episode.

Cast

What enticed me to start Season 1 back in 2024 was the cast. Kristen Bell, who plays Joanne in the series, is a multi-talented actress and voice actress. She starred in The Good Place, narrated Gossip Girl, and appeared one of my favourite movies, You Again (now thinking of it, I need to rewatch that). She voiced Anna in Disney’s Frozen, so even your kids will recognize her voice.

Adam Brody plays the boyfriend, Noah. At first I didn’t recognize him, but I just found out that he’s the antagonist band member, Nikolai Wolf, from Jennifer’s Body…I know, right? He also starred in Gilmore Girls and The O.C.

Music

What makes this season special is that there’s a dedicated soundtrack from various artists, including Selena Gomez, Teddy Swims, Alessia Cara, FINNEAS, Kacey Musgraves and more.

Here’s the full list of songs from the series soundtrack in order:

1. “In the Dark”: Selena Gomez
2. “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”: Teddy Swims
3. “who’s your boyfriend – Acoustic”: Royel Otis
4. “Heart Letting Go”: Chris Stapleton
5. “If the World Burns Down”: Kacey Musgraves
6. “That’s What I’ll Be”: Baylee Lynn
7. “Palomino”: FINNEAS
8. “Your Girl”: Towa Bird
9.  “My House”: Alessia Cara
10. “Saddle Again”: ROLE MODEL
11. “Climate Change”: Just Jayne
12. “This Version of Us”: Ella Langley
13. “What”: BENEE
14. “Reach You”: Portugal. The Man
15. “Dancing in the Smoke”: GIVĒON
16. “Melodies”: Dermot Kennedy
17. “Homesick”: Cuco
18. “Bite My Tongue”: Cassandra Coleman
19. “Nobody Wants This Score Suite” – Duncan Blickenstaff

My favourite song from it all is Alessia Cara’s track “My House.” The instant I heard it, I had to pause the show and add it to my playlist…it’s that good. Give it a listen!

So if you’re looking for a cozy romance show with an awesome original soundtrack, add Nobody Wants This to your Netflix watch list.

P.S. They just announced the renewal of Season 3, coming in 2026!

Duncan Keith is a hockey hero to so many people across Canadian and beyond.

He is one of the most high performing and decorated defensemen to ever play in the NHL.

He is a three time Stanley Cup champion, a town time Olympic gold medalist, a six time All-Star and two time Norris Trophy winner.

In 2015, as a part of the Chicago Blackhawks third championship win in six years, Duncan scored the Cup winning goal and was named the Conn Smythe winner.

On Nov. 8 2025, Duncan was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Watch his speech…

Right away he mentions Fort Frances, the northwestern Ontario town were he spent his formative years growing up and playing hockey!

Looking back to that 2015 Stanley Cup win…

Aug. 1st 2015 was an incredibly special day in Fort Frances.

Duncan chose to celebrate his offseason “day with the Cup” in person with his family in the community!

For me personally, even before I got this radio job and moved here to northwestern Ontario, Duncan Keith was my favourite player.

I was beyond fortunate enough to be part of the “media convoy” that got to travel around with Duncan and Lord Stanley all day long as he visited various places within the Fort Frances area.

To this day it is one of the coolest career experiences I have ever had.

It’s awesome to see Duncan Keith’s career come full circle and to see that he hasn’t forgotten his roots in our region.

It’s Saturday, usually everyone’s favourite day of the week. What better way to spend it than watching some movies or TV shows? It doesn’t get much better than some chilling, snacking and bingeing.

Here’s what everyone’s watching on Netflix right now:

Shrek Forever After

This 2010 film is the fifth installment in the franchise, following Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek the Halls (2007).

This franchise follows Shrek, an ogre who lives in isolation from the rest of society. One day, Donkey bumps into Shrek as he’s being chased by guards. After Shrek scares them away, Donkey follows Shrek home. Just when Shrek thought he’s finally getting some peace and quiet, he’s mistaken. Fairy tale creatures invade his swamp after being exiled by the ruler, Lord Farquaad. That’s when he sets off on an adventure to reclaim his home and one thing leads to another.

After seeing the franchise added back to Netflix, I decided to rewatch it for old times’ sake and it never gets old.

If you’re looking for a great family movie, go ahead and rewatch the Shrek franchise!

Selling Sunset

Season 9 of Selling Sunset is out!

If you’re not familiar with this series, it’s a reality TV show following real estate agents at The Oppenheim Group. The show is all about drama, from their work to their personal lives.

Whether you’ve been following the series or just heard about it, it’s one of those shows you can watch in the background while you’re busy around the house.

Frankenstein

Frankenstein was released yesterday and has been a highly anticipated by fans, especially since fan favourite Jacob Elordi is playing the iconic monster. This role takes his acting career to a whole new level.

Guillermo del Toro is the writer-director of the film. He’s directed several others, including Pinocchio, Cabinet of Curiosities and The Shape of Water, which won Best Picture at the Oscars. Given his mastery of the “monster” theme, it’s no surprise he took on this project.

As You Stood By

A new Korean thriller limited series has made it to Netflix!

As You Stood By is directed by Lee Jeong-lim and stars Lee You-mi (you might recognize from Squid Game and Mr. Plankton), Jeon so-nee (Parasyte: The Grey) and Jang Seung-jo (The Good Detective).

The series follow Eun-su (played by Jeon so-nee), a housewife who survives years of abuse in her marriage. Eventually her best friend Hui-su (played by Lee You-mi) helps her break free.

The life and times of the iconic “King of Pop” will be told in a Michael Jackson biopic that will hit theatres in April.

The film will star Michael’s real life nephew Jaafar Jackson.

Check out the first trailer that was just released…

Hollywood continues to go all in with biopics of some of music’s biggest acts.

Over the last few years we’ve seen the lives and careers of the likes of Queen and Elton John told in cinematic form.

More recently it’s been film chronicling artists like Bob Dylan and Bruce Sprinsteen.

I did some digging and here is a list of just some of the other music acts who have biopics in the works…

The Beatles 

Madonna

Frank Sinatra

Ozzy And Sharon Osbourne 

Billy Joel

Kiss

Britney Spears

Snoop Dogg

Bee Gees 

Linda Ronstadt 

Janis Joplin

Boy George

Randy Travis

Queen Latifah

Air Supply

Scorpions

The artists gain renewed interest in their music, which likely generates more sales and more concert tickets sold.

Hoping to make successful films, the movie industry takes less of a gamble by telling the story of someone well know and beloved.

It’s like their is this synergy going on huh?

The Call

The Call is a 2020 Korean psychological thriller film in which the main character, Seo-yeon, connects with someone living 20 years in the past through a random phone she discovers. What she thought was a friendly encounter soon turns dark.

I discovered this film during the pandemic when everyone was streaming movies online, and it was a golden find. I’m a sucker for psychological horror, so if you’re a big fan of twists and turns and love surprise elements in film, this one’s for you.

Get Out

It all starts when Chris and his girlfriend, Rose, head up for a weekend to meet her parents. Throughout his time there, he has mysterious encounters that are inexplicable. Just when he thinks he’s taking the necessary steps in their relationship, Chris discovers the disturbing truth behind his girlfriend’s family.

Get Out was released in 2017, and ever since, I’ve always looked forward director Jordan Peele’s next projects. Soon after, Peele released Us in 2019 which also falls under the psychological horror/thriller genre. If you’re looking for a movie with a grand final surprise reveal at the end, you have to check this one out for your Halloween weekend.

Train to Busan

If you haven’t watched this classic 2016 Korean zombie film, you’re missing out!

The film takes place during a zombie apocalypse, following a dad, Seok-woo, and his daughter, Soo-an, who meet other survivors along the way. Their destination is Busan, the only city that’s safe from danger.

Something South Korea does really well is zombie films, and one thing to know about Korean zombies: they are fast. If you want to watch something similar, look for Peninsula, #Alive, or some popular TV shows like All of Us Are Dead, Sweet Home and Kingdom.

The Perfection

The Perfection is a movie I stumbled upon randomly while scrolling through the horror section on Netflix and it is a must-watch!

It’s another horror/thriller film, but it get real twisted (which I love), and might leave you confused as you watch. Charlotte, a musical prodigy, returns to her former school after caring for her ill mother. When she meets Elizabeth, the school’s rising star, their connection leads them down a disturbing path.

It’s one of those movies that you can watch once, give it some time, and then rewatch. It was one of the few films that really hones in on psychological thriller, and it uses that to it’s advantage to make it more twisted than you can imagine.

Weapons

Weapons is a relatively new film released this year, and despite how critical I can be with horror movies, this was really well done. Sometimes, horror movies might capture the right idea but execute it poorly, but this movie proved otherwise.

The horror begins when an entire classroom of kids goes missing, except for one, and the community sets off to figure out what happened.

Are you going to add any of these horror/thriller films to your weekend watch list?

Every spooky season there are a handful of tunes that go hand in hand with the haunting holiday of Halloween.

These aren’t the kind of songs you can listen to from November through September, the simply don’t fit.

Like the creepy and festive decorations, these tracks get put away into the back of our mind, waiting to become relevant again.

But once the calendar turns over to October, these musical offerings pair perfectly with pumpkins, the crisp night air and the promise of costumes and candy and good natured scares.

Here’s my personal top ten Halloween song list…

10. Feed My Frankenstein – Alice Cooper 

Some famous musicians appear on this track. Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are on guitar, while Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue plays bass.

Alice performed this song as part of a classic scene in the film Wayne’s World. The original plan was to have Alice perform “School’s Out” in the movie, but two weeks before filming Cooper’s manager informed the filmmakers  and star Mike Myers that Alice would be performing a new song instead.

At 4:12, the female voice that says “he’s such a psycho” is Cassandra Peterson, who I better known for her horror movie TV presenter character “Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark”.

9. Season of the Witch – Donavan 

It’s about Donovan looking out of his window in 1966 and seeing drug dealers moving into his neighborhood. Hard drugs starting to infiltrate the rock and folk scenes in England and in the US. Things were moving beyond pot and into heroin and it was ominous to him.

During the recording session, engineers  wouldn’t cut the bass the way producer Mickie Most wanted it — hot to tape and pushing the VU meters “into the red.” They were afraid of breaking the equipment. Mickie, who had a lot of industry clout at the time, had to threaten their jobs and they finally gave in. The resulting sound is compressed and round and fat.

8. Psycho Killer – Talking Heads 

It was originally written in 1973 at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where David Byrne and drummer Chris Frantz had a band called The Artistics. 

David originally wanted a Japanese section in the bridge. However, when he asked a girl that he knew, who spoke the language, to come up with some murderous words, she understandably freaked out.  Chris’ girlfriend, Tina Weymouth, spoke French, so they had her write a French part for the bridge instead. She drew inspiration from the Norman Bates character in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho. She also went on to be the Talking Head’s bass player.

Years later, during the recording session for this song, one of the producers got a carving knife from the kitchen in the studio and asked David to hold it while he sang so he could get in character. He refused.

In the summer of 1977, month before this song was released. There really was a psycho killer on the loose. David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam,” terrified New Yorkers before he was caught on August 10 after killing six people. Many suspected the song was about him, but it was written much earlier.

7. Witchy Woman – The Eagles 

Band member Don Henley was partially inspired to write the lyrics for this song while he was reading a book about the novelist Zelda Fitzgerald, who struggled with mental health issues and ended up spending a lot of time in psychiatric hospitals. 

It was also partially based on a woman who Don once knew. She was the roommate of his girlfriend and she practiced “white witchcraft,” dabbling in the paranormal with good intentions.

It is not meant to portray the woman as devilish, but as more of a seductress.

6. Time Warp – Rocky Horror Picture Show 

The most famous song to come from the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, was originally written to fill time as the original production of the theatre show ran only 40 minutes long. 

The movie has inspired a wildly popular ritual all over the world, where people go to the theatre to and act and sing along with it using props and costumes. 

5. Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo

The concept behind this song is a clever take on a funeral.

Oingo Boingo was fronted by Danny Elfman, who is probably best known as a film and television musical composer. He has worked extensively with filmmaker Tim Burton and written the theme for “The Simpsons”.

Danny was scoring the comedy movie “Back to School” when the creators invited he and his band to play this song in one of the scenes.

Oingo Boingo was known for its annual Halloween concerts and use of skeleton imagery until they disbanded in 1995. 

4. Werewolves Of London – Warren Zevon

Warren recorded roughly 50 takes in the studio before he had a version that he was  satisfied with.

The final version, features Mick Fleetwood and John McVie of Fleetwood Mac

Warren did not want it to be the album’s first single and later spoke ill of its his creation, but the record label pushed for its release and became his biggest hit.

3. Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.

Written for the hit 1984 movie of the same name.

Columbia Pictures had reviewed and vetoed roughly 60 other potential songs before they Ray Parker Jr. in a panic. He was then given the impossible task of creating a theme song in only two days

It was written at 4:30 in the morning after Ray was inspired by a TV commercial for a drain company that helped him coin the line “Who you gonna call?”

Parker and Huey Lewis sued Ray for plagiarizing the sound of his band’s song “I Want a New Drug”.

2. Monster Mash – Bobby “Boris” Pickett

It was written as a Halloween mix of two famous dances at the time, the mashed potato and the twist. 

It  was initially banned in the UK by the BBC for being “too morbid”. 

The song’s spooky sounds were created with simple, everyday items…

Cauldron bubbling: A straw bubbling in water

Coffin sound: A nail being pulled from a piece of wood

Chains rattling: Chains being dropped on a tile floor

A creaky coffin opening: Pulling a rusty nail out of a board

1. Thriller – Michael Jackson

It was originally titled “Starlight Sun”.

The 13-minute music video was directed by  John Landis, who made the cult classic horror-comedy, “An American Werewolf in London”.

The video includes a disclaimer warning viewers about the occult necessitated by Michael status as a Jehovah’s Witness at the time.

Due to Michael’s of his religious beliefs. for this reason, Jackson intitially wanted to destroy the music video before its debut.

So add these spirited tracks to your Halloween party play list…if you dare!