Every Halloween, only one seminal rock n’ roll musical comes to mind to celebrate the occasion by doing the time warp with. Yes, people can head to Rocky Horror, but there’s a reasonable gambit of other horror musicals to discover. They range from screen to stage. Some are worth making the effort to seek out, and others are best regulated to the graveyard.
Although the number of products can fit into the palm of Frankenstein’s hand, this list of horror musicals is being expanded out to include television products that are worth rocking out to. The importance here is to reveal what’s fun! Rocky Horror does belong in this list, and a few items are grouped into one entry, but the goal here is to look at what else is available.
Michael Jackson’s Ghosts and Thriller
After watching this pair of shorts, viewers just might as well be afraid. That’s the running joke in Ghosts. In these two entries for this list, there’s no denying that Jackson is the King of Pop. Ever since his passing, fans still show a love by paying tribute to him by pulling out this pair of videos to watch. They will have anyone getting their funk on in strange and bizarre ways—well, mostly in the fact that these two videos stand the test of time.
Even the films itself is a testament of what a great team of makeup artists can do. A lot of makeup was applied to transform Jackson into becoming the mayor of a small town who insists the supernatural does not exist and that he can not be made afraid.
Surprisingly, this musician can act to make for a very convincing antithesis of his typical jovial behaviour. And to see him put on the moves, even with several pounds of prosthetics is impressive.
From a technical point of view, although the digital effects are dated now, there’s still some excellent production instilled into these two extended music videos. And the seminal Thriller is simply known for what the musician can do, and that’s to charm Ola Ray in the middle of the night when all things eerie are crawling out of the ground courtesy of Vincent Prince’s haunting narration.
With talents like Stan Winston and John Landis respectively directing these music videos, perhaps the only shame is that Winston is not known for a lot of films in that role. But if people want to see what’s he’s done, Pumpkinhead is worth exploring.
Moulin Rouge
Although this film is not a Halloween themed film per se, the Orphic tones and descent deep into the Parisian underworld can not go unnoticed. Here, a simple idealistic young man, Christian (Ewan McGregor), arrives at a new city only to ultimately find despair. In the months upon settling in, the people he meets are like ghouls and goblins wanting to pray upon him. They slowly indoctrinate him to their world, and the first courtesan he meets, he falls in love with.
But this dancer, Satine (Nicole Kidman), is destined to be with another man even though a darker tragedy is set before her. The songs are bright while yet hiding a deeper meaning as the movie marches forward, to asking just what are the “Children of the Revolution” about. Although this product is meant to highlight a bright time in young Christian’s life, just what he feels in the end is solemn — as though it’s meant to show that just maybe, in the future a new bright spot to his life can appear.
The Addams Family
Love is grand, love is sweet, and Wednesday is growing up. She’s fallen for
a normal boy, and the entire family is beside themselves! They break out into musical numbers wondering “Where Did We Go Wrong?” and they come to terms with it. That’s where the fun begins as characters like Pugsley no longer has anyone to torment him and Uncle Fester is ready to howl at the moon.
This play never made it into becoming a feature film and it probably can work with the right casting, but during the Halloween season, this item is worth seeking out if only to find a heartwarming tale that only the Addams Family can do in candid morbid style.
Repo! The Genetic Opera
This cyberpunk cum necro fantasy product is a strange one to watch. Ever since it evolved from a stage play to a full-blown movie, maybe there was something lost in the translation that did not help the latter attain the recognition it deserves. Terrance Zdunich is a renaissance man, and his ideas are certainly worth paying attention to. He’s a 21st century answer to Clive Barker for being a visionary, and sadly, not a lot of people have taken notice of his works.
Repo! works because of its comic book style presentation. It’s a treat because of the songs “Zydrate Anatomy” and “Chromaggia.” One is a very traditional heavy metal style song and the other is operatic. Both tracks have a very edgy soul that’s itching to break out.
And besides, there’s no denying Anthony Stewart Head is a talent. Not many fans of his works are aware he played Frank n’ Furter in the 1990–91 London West End revival of The Rocky Horror Show, and to see him sing is amazing. Although this movie does not quite work with nearly every moment detailed in song, it’s worthy of being noted for the criticisms it makes towards consumer culture.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
“Once More With Feeling”
Just how Joss Whedon managed to twist the conventions of the musical genre around in this season six episode is nothing but genius. Television musicals are hardly memorable until this episode came along. Even afterwards, the new stuff never did hit the same levels.
When Buffy and her Scooby gang find themselves singing and dancing out their feelings and are clueless as to why, the hilarity is noticeable.
The episode is like a tribute of all the popular musicals of the past several decades compressed into 45 minutes. The variety perhaps start from the Jazz Singer (the 20’s) to end with Urinetown (2001). Many of the performers in the television series are surprisingly good. None of them may have had the theatrical experience that Anthony Stewart Head or James Marsters had, and to see either sing gives their story an entirely different sense of gravitas that is not typically seen in their roles.
The strongest numbers has to be with “Going Through the Motions” and “Walk Through the Fire” because they set the tone for the actions to come. Because of the revelations, the gang’s relationships have inevitably changed. Some for the better, but others for the worst. Whichever case it may be, fans are in for a treat because this episode makes for a great launching point to reacquaint themselves with all things Buffy.
The Devil’s Carnival
Terrance Zdunich and Darren Lynn Bousman considered making a sequel to Repo! the Genetic Opera but somewhere along the way, they lost the rights and a continuation is not possible. Instead of lamenting in what they could not do, these two decided to make something new that feels like Dante’s Inferno meets Aesop’s Fables but only revisited in a musical format. Instead of one person’s journey, the tale looks at three ill-fated individuals looking for redemption. Although the plots are intertwined, this movie is meant to be more of a sensory experience than a cunning narrative. In terms of style, Zdunich and Bousman are in their A-game for this genre bender, which makes this film a must catch for a dark and windy season.
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Phantom of the Opera / A Monster in Paris
The original story Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux has seen many adaptations since its original publication as a seminal work of traditional horror. Most of the updates have overshadowed the original work. From Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical version with its hauntingly sensual song, “The Music of the Night” to “A Monster in Paris,” that’s found in animation of the same name. The melody has a crafty sad but dark quality that must be noted.
The main reason why these two are lumped together is because the latter film is very loosely based on the original novel than adapted from later versions.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Who can’t doo-wop with Little Shop? This fun throwback to the early 60’s and it’s sound will get many viewers wanting to sha na na along to a formerly dark tale about an alien plant attempting to take over the planet Earth. But new viewers to this 1986 version will not know that the original Roger Corman tale is simply a horror comedy. The music was simply added later.
The best songs out of this remake has to be with “Da-Doo” which introduces the film goers to the premise of the film. But for some extra colour, or rather blood, “Dentist,” “Feed Me Seymore” and its followup “Suppertime” has that blood thirst quality to build up to the climax. Steve Martin is fantastically sadistic with his tune in how he became a tooth puller.
Although the film is a fun watch because of Rick Moranis nicely selling his nerdiness up as the lead character Seymour, the better choice is to seek out the stage version that shows the plant getting his way. Who knows, maybe it’ll snare audiences with its rubbery tendrils too!
Young Frankenstein the Musical
Mel Brooks crafted a wonderfully joyous product that celebrates the golden oldies. In the case of adapting his own cinematic work, he made certain that all the chuckle worthy bits of one version existed in the other.
Thankfully, theatre groups can buy the license to obtain the rights to put on their own version. Casting is important because without the right person to play the blind hermit, the number, “Please Send me Someone” just won’t hit the emotional depth it needs to be. It helps the rest of the audience get prepared for the Ritz too!
Evil Dead the Musical
This cult favourite initially crafted by Christopher Bond will never get a cinema treatment for a simple reason: this musical has to be experienced for the splatter that true Dead-heads want! They will wear all that blood proudly.
If people have not seen all three films yet, then they should do so now! Evil Dead, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness are referenced in this cabin in the woods scenario where five college kids discover an ancient evil. Objects come to life and the stage is well-used. The trap door that audiences are not meant to see gets used to house a supernatural spirit, and the shows are far better when this prop is utilized.
But to decide which tune is the best is a difficult choice. “Cabin in the Woods” sets up the story and it delivers a great mojo to set up the mood for the night. If all one wants to hear is a great doo-wop, “All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons” fits the bill nicely.
Phantom of the Paradise
Brian de Palma crafted this Faustian rock opera that fuses more than a few concepts from Phantom of the Opera into a Picture of Dorian Gray style narrative. Beauty comes at a price and the blood pacts made are more than just binding. It eats away at one’s soul. The music is very rock n’ roll, but there are times where it hits the glam rock stylings of the 70’s.
“For the Hell of It” is a really enjoyable tune to hear even now. And if fans love glam rock, this movie makes a loving stab at KISS with their own heavy metal band parading around like rejects from a science experiment. The humour is understated even now and it’s worth owning just for the hilarity of the fact that de Palma crafted this product.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
When Jack Skellington, the leader of Halloween Town becomes tired with the mechanics of being the cheerleader for his own holiday, he decides to create a new tradition out of Christmas. But everything he does goes deliriously wrong because nobody in his little part of the universe gets it. This movie is a great watch in showing how Skellington recovers from depression and finds passion again. The song “What’s This?” is simply an eye opener in the sense of how self discovery can lead to new pursuits.
As a very unique film for its time, this movie has it all. It entertains for two reasons than just one. The debate as to which one it celebrates more is moot.
