The Nightmare Before Christmas — I'll start off this list with a familiar holiday classic. Pretty self-explanatory, this one. Though Tim Burton was the producer and came up with the concept of this film, it was actually directed by Henry Selik. Nightmare is a holiday staple for most Goths, and it's easy to see why.
Coraline — A frightening and whimsical adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novel, and another Selik creation. I love this film. It's fairly true to the book, with one added character that I think was a very good addition. Some of the more terrifying parts of the book (like Coraline's fight with what became of the Other Father) are toned down, but it's still very creepy and it still captures the surreal, sinister tone of the novel.
Corpse Bride— Yet another creepy stop motion film. This one actually was directed by Tim Burton. Seriously, every film by Tim Burton could be on this list, but this is my favorite of his that I've seen. It's an adorable and romantic film about a socially awkward Victorian boy who accidentally marries a dead woman (it makes sense in context). Hilarity ensues as he tries to figure out what to do with his situation, as he's engaged to another (still living) woman that he very quickly fell in love with. There's also this evil guy called Lord Barkus that gets in the way. Barkus. Don't you want that to be your name? I suppose it's better than Everglot. Is it?
The Haunted Mansion— Based directly on every Goth's favorite Disney ride, this is a particularly dark Disney movie (two people die in the opening credits!) about a family of realtors that get stuck in the titular mansion. Full of ghosts, mystery, and undead armies, it's more of a dream than a nightmare, in my opinion. I loved this one. I swear those dining chairs came from Haunt Furniture. If I had $2000, I would totally get one of those chairs! Until I'm a world famous writer and as rich as JKR, I'll just drool.
Interview with the Vampire— The film of the book. I wouldn't expect Louis and Lestat to be played by Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise respectively, but hey, it actually worked. Altogether a faithful adaptation of the novel. (Unlike Queen of the Damned-- Rice herself condemned that one.)
The Addams Family and The Addams Family Values— DUH NUH NUH NUH *snap snap* DUH NUH NUH NUH *snap snap* DUH NUH NUH NUH, DUH NUH NUH— okay, okay, I'll stop. Seriously, who doesn't love this clan? Their sheer quirkiness and endlessly quotable lines make them so lovable and relatable. Honestly, the films are entertaining, but you should try to find as much of the original show as possible online, if you can. I've been able to find it on Dailymotion.
The Sixth Sense— A classic, and very spooky. I like this film because it's chilling without being an outright horror movie. For those who don't already know, it's about a boy who sees dead people, and a child psychologist that tries to help him deal with all the ghosts that are haunting him. Everyone should see this at least once.
The Phantom of the Opera— A beautiful story with gorgeous imagery and even more beautiful music, this is a must-see for Romantigoths.
Young Frankenstein— That's FRAHNK-in-steen! A classic Mel Brooks comedy that makes fun of gothic horror in general, and uses/reuses all your favorite jokes from other Mel Brooks movies. It's as quotable as all the rest, and entertaining regardless of its relevance to the original novel. If you're a Goth who prefers comedy to horror, you should watch it. ...I wish I had a castle like that.
Something Wicked This Way Comes— An old, fairly obscure live-action Disney movie, based on Ray Bradbury's book of the same name. I haven't read the book, so I can't say much about how it relates to the book (though after reading the summary on Wikipedia, it seems to follow the plot closely enough). Though Disney guarantees a happy ending, this does not feel like a Disney film. This is a story about two boys, Will and Jim, who visit a mysterious carnival that shows up in October. Don't let the slow leadup fool you-- this comes close to being a psychological horror film. The carnival is much more sinister than the boys originally realize. I liked the psychological touch to this film, which reminded me of my own work. Though Le Cirque des Rêves is not sinister, I could clearly see the influence Something Wicked had on The Night Circus. This one's definitely worth watching at least once. (Mr. Dark has excellent fashion sense, and I'm sure that he and his carnival people are particularly nasty Shadows.) I'm definitely going to have to read the novel.
The Black Cauldron— Another obscure Disney film, from the 1980s. This was the first animated Disney film to get a PG rating, if that tells you anything. It was loosely based on a book/series of books, and has a high fantasy setting. If you like Dungeons and Dragons or The Lord of the Rings, you might like it. It's about a wannabe hero and his friends who stop an evil lich king from acquiring the
Dark Shadows— A Tim Burton film based off of a TV show of the same name. Very gothy, with plenty of ghosts and vampires, family curses, beautiful interior design, and the signature style of Tim Burton. However, it does not portray witches well.
What We Do in the Shadows — A hilarious New Zealand mockumentary about a bunch of vampires who share a flat. They dress in styles from their respective eras, have wildly different personalities, and have to deal with paying rent and doing chores in addition to hunting humans. ("You haven't done the dishes in five years!" *cut to huge pile of bloody dishes in the sink*) It's also pretty difficult to get into nightclubs if you can't enter a room without being invited. In short, what would modern life be like for the average vampire?
Pan's Labyrinth— I was excited to watch this. I expected that it would be Alice in Wonderland with darker themes and imagery. It wasn't. I expected that the protagonist would leave her war-torn world for a dark and magical one. Nope. This is not a fantasy film. This is a bloody, violent war drama and a gruesome tragedy, with fantasy elements. Actually, I think this one could legitimately be considered horror, and it does have a well-deserved R rating. Some of those fantasy elements (okay, a fair few) were really predictable. However, it's still a beautiful film with fantastic imagery. I loved the protagonist, and the faun. I'd still recommend it, but you have to know what you are getting into. If you would prefer something lighter, I'd suggest the other Labyrinth. You know which one I'm talking about.
Bram Stoker's Dracula— *sigh* I've been on a crusade to find a good Dracula film, and of them all, this was the most accurate to the book. (In the Bela Lugosi version, Renfield goes to Castle Dracula. Renfield. RENFIELD!) It follows the plot pretty closely, except for the stupid reincarnation thing. I actually would have really liked the love story, if it were its own thing. Mina Harker is not in love with Dracula. Seriously, I need a Dracula adaptation that actually does Mina justice! This film was a bit corny, and there were some characterizations that I thought were off (Lucy, van Helsing, Harker, Mina), but it includes elements of the book that are absent in other adaptations, such as Dracula's imperviousness to sunlight, and the way he gets younger when well-fed, and the existence of Quincy Morris. It also references the epistolary element of the novel. I do love the visuals, and you've got to love Gary Oldman. If you're going to watch a Dracula movie, watch this one, because it is the most accurate to the book, and it has a beautiful gothic atmosphere and visuals.
Dorian Gray— Damn. I watched the 2009 adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. It got mixed reviews, I think mostly based on book accuracy, but it was dark and sensual and sexy. Hedonism, bisexuality, sex, murder, depravity, corruption, all that good stuff. CHRISTIAN Gray? Girl, you ain't seen nothin' until you met DORIAN Gray! Definitely recommend, especially if you want to see an actual film in which two men kiss. (Can't see Ben Barns as anyone but Dunstan Thorne, though.)
ParaNorman— Another creepy stop-motion kids' film by Laika, the same company that made Coraline. At first, it seems like a zombie flick about an I-See-Dead-People kid named Norman, but it turns out to be surprisingly insightful and beautiful. Norman has to use his gift to appeal to the emotions of a malignant spirit, to put off her curse for good. It contains an important message about the way fear affects people. I cried at the end. Worth the watch.
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