Netflix Film School: Enjoy Halloween with these classic horror flicks - East Idaho News
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Netflix Film School: Enjoy Halloween with these classic horror flicks

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The films referred to in this columns were on Netflix at the time of this being written. They have since been removed. The films are available on Amazon Prime.

You don’t have to peruse Netflix for too long to figure out it’s a treasure trove of low-budget B-movies, little-seen independent films and a whole spectrum of documentaries. But Netflix also has a good selection of classic films. This month, we’ll take a look at two historic horror films: “Nosferatu” and “Night of the Living Dead.” We’ll examine their impact on horror movies that would come later and why they stand as such big cinematic accomplishments.

Halloween is a time for ghosts, ghouls, and the supernatural. The wind moans and there’s a biting chill in the air. And scores of little creeps knock down your door looking for candy. It can all be a real drain on your spirit. Sometimes the best way to combat the strain of the season is to curl up with a cup of cocoa and Netflix.

If you love the spirit of the season but don’t want to deal with the stress, I suggest checking out some of the classic horror films available on Netflix. Two of the most historic and important horror films currently on Netflix are “Nosferatu” and “Night of the Living Dead.” These two films would cast shadows that would stretch way into the future and influence many filmmakers that would wade into the horror film fray.

Released in 1922 and directed by German master F. W. Murnau, the silent film “Nosferatu” is a retelling of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” story. A young estate agent named Hutter travels to Transylvania to close a deal with Count Orloc. Orloc has a secret: he’s a vampire, and death follows him wherever he goes.

Overcome by fear, Hutter bails out a window of Orloc’s castle and embarks on an epic journey home. Meanwhile, Orloc loads himself onto a ship and heads for Hutter’s hometown. How can such a fiend be stopped? There’s only one way, and it involves Hutter’s pretty young wife.

First things first, “Nosferatu” is the only vampire movie that has ever creeped me out. It’s all in the way Orloc was portrayed by Max Schreck. When under the influence of his vampirism, Orloc moves in unnaturally slow and halting fits of motion. His fingers writhe and his eyes bulge with bloodlust. In an age where vampires are super sexy and about as threatening as cotton balls, it’s nice to see vampires can actually be scary.

It’s also surprising how many iconic horror images have been pulled from this film by other filmmakers. The image of Orloc entering a room under a Gothic arch is simple, elemental horror imagery. The way shadows are used in “Nosferatu” would show up again in the 1940s film “Noir.” One image of the vampire’s shadow ascending a staircase has been copied and referenced over and over by directors in the decades that followed.

”Night of the Living Dead” may not have been the first zombie film ever made, but in 1968 it completely rewrote the book for movies featuring the living dead. It’s a simple story. A ragtag group hide themselves in a house in hopes of surviving a night full of attacks from the reanimated corpses of the recently deceased.

Before “Night of the Living Dead,” zombies were living people enslaved by voodoo witch doctors. “Living Dead” director George A. Romero transformed them into mindless flesh-eating monsters. Romero’s zombies shambled along, overpowering their victims with sheer numbers. You can see this approach in popular contemporary zombie fodder, from “Zombieland” to “The Walking Dead.”

Zombies_NightoftheLivingDead

Another unusual aspect of “Living Dead” is that it featured a smart, resourceful African-American character. Ben, played by Duane Jones, is calm, composed and shows leadership and courage that none of the other characters possess. It was still unusual for films to feature African-American heroes when “Living Dead” hit theaters in 1968.

One final note: Most of “Living Dead” focuses on the relationships of the human characters. There’s still plenty of zombie action, but the film is more concerned about the people.

Considering the popularity of both vampires and zombies in contemporary pop culture, “Nosferatu” and “Night of the Living Dead” should be required viewing for anyone interested in pop culture. These films aren’t wall-to-wall gore or monster action like modern horror movies, but they offer a fascinating portal into from whence our current day horror cinema sprang. If nothing else, they offer a great opportunity to sip on pumpkin spice cocoa and ignore trick-or-treaters.

Thanks to Fat Cats in Rexburg for providing screenings for movie reviews on EastIdahoNews.com.

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