Kelley Lebahn, Editor in Chief
When it comes to Fall films, I have a long list of choices I would recommend. However, if I had to choose one, I would go with the 1998 direct-to-video animated mystery comedy horror film, Scooby on Zombie Island. The film excels in many ways from its soundtrack including the signature Pop Punk song, “It’s Terror Time Again,” to its more Victorian aesthetic. The movie is not Halloween-themed, rather it takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana as Daphne Blake searches for an actual haunting, rather than the classic man-in-a-mask villain the Mystery Inc. gang run into. This film isn’t just the height of Scooby Doo- It’s an ode to Louisiana cajun culture that turns the mystery genre on its head.
Brigid Barry, Content Editor
It’s exceedingly difficult to pick just one movie that encapsulates fall in all its glory. I think we’ll keep it simple with the iconic Little Women, specifically the most recent version directed by Greta Gerwig. While the story itself places the perfect image of fall, this particular version emphasizes the season with its coloring and scenes. In itself, it’s a heartfelt story with a cozy vibe, and certainly one of the better stories when talking about sisterly love and family. I love recommending this film as there are so many opportunities to feel and really understand the characters fully. On a different note, there’s the iconic Over the Garden Wall, a cartoon following the events of two brothers trying to find their way out of the strange woodland they’ve found themselves in. Both are beautiful pieces and deserve as much recognition as they can get.
Andrew Dully, Staff Writer
When I think of fall, I think of flannel, falling leaves, and It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Peanuts has always been a part of my childhood, but the holiday specials stand out, and were always on in my house. Every year after trick-or-treating as a kid, my mom and I would watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown while I counted up my candy. Although I am too old to trick-or-treat now, watching Charlie Brown and his friends on Halloween every year brings me back to my adolescence.
Adrian Randall, Staff Writer
For me, the quintessential Autumn director is Tim Burton. Be it his way of making the love between a skeleton and a stitched-together woman feel real, to his way of making Sleepy Hollow into a gothic mess with the most well-regarded Wednesday Addams. However, it’s his show of love for the legendary and dearly missed composer Stephen Sondheim that takes the cake for me. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street takes 1800s London, and makes it not the romanticised version we’ve seen in the media, but rather the serious, dangerous, and disgusting place it truly was. Transferring the stage-play to the silver screen was a hard feat, as it’s a massive show worth seeing if given the chance. The film sees the casting of Johnny Depp as Todd, Helena Bonham-Carter as Mrs. Lovett, Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford, and Sacha Baron-Cohen as Alfonso Pirelli, alongside all singing done by said actors, with full support by Sondheim. Until I saw the recent Broadway production with Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, this was the definitive way to see Sweeney Todd as a character, and a story. It remains high on my list of films for Autumn, with Corpse Bride by Burton coming in at a close second.
Amanda Woods, Staff Writer
When it comes to thinking about fall films, my mind tends to go in more of a horror direction. Now, although there are many great horror films, Scream (1996) tops the list for me. Directed by Wes Craven, who is one of the greats when it comes to horror, Scream serves as a meta commentary of the slasher movies that came before it. Not only did Scream revitalize the concept of the slasher movie, it broke many of the preset rules that came with the genre while spawning one of the most iconic movie killers in the form of Ghostface. As well, Scream, as a franchise, is incredibly strong cinematically. All six of the films to date bring something interesting to the franchise, whether it be a fun new character, an unexpected killer, or introspective commentary on some aspect of society. However, nothing will be able to top the 1996 original and the giant impact it had on the horror movie genre.
Tanya Lee Stone, Advisor
Depends on my mood. If I’m looking to curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and re-watch a comforting classic, I’ll rewind all the way back to 1999 for Notting Hill, without a doubt. So many lines from that film have found their way into my family’s vernacular. If I want to remember a scene that hits all the right notes for me when it comes to capturing the heady, inexplicable feeling of creative inspiration, it’s Mark Ruffalo’s drunk, defunct character of a producer in a musical trance as he watches Keira Knightly’s character sing her bare, original song at a single mic while he conducts a full-blown imaginary orchestrated accompaniment for it in Begin Again. This 2013 film mixes themes of redemption and creative collaboration to deliver both believable and truly satisfying story lines.
