The difficulty with Halloween falling midweek is that most of the horror movies are shown at the book-ending weekends. However if you are looking to get your scare on there are a few films and programmes worth checking out.
Film 4 are showing Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922), a Swedish/Danish silent horror movie. Häxan is a study of how superstition and the misunderstanding of diseases and mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. The film was made as a documentary but contains dramatised sequences that are comparable to horror films. Film 4 are showing their Dark Arts season throughout the week. Films included in this season are:
Season of the Witch (Tues 29th), End of Days (Wed 30th), Antichrist (Thurs 31st).
RTE 2 usually comes up trumps with a horror movie on the night of Halloween and this year their offering is Friday 13th ,the 2009 remake. For anyone who doesn’t know the premise for this movie, a group of young adults discover a boarded up Camp Crystal Lake, where they soon encounter Jason Voorhees and his deadly intentions.
TCM are showing Urban Legends followed by The Omen. I have a bit of a soft spot for Urban Legends, a 1996 slasher movie staring Alicia Witt and Jared Leto. All of the murders are based on common urban legends such as waking up in a bath of ice with your kidneys removed. It’s an enjoyable B movie trying to ride the coat tails of Scream.
3E are showing UnXplained Ireland Halloween Special where they are investigating paranormal activity around the country. Families tormented in their homes by ghostly spectres, interviews with ghost hunters and supernatural stories around Leixlip Castle are included in the programme as well as a profile on Ireland’s most famous witch Dame Alice Kyteler.
Finally More 4 are repeating A Very British Witchcraft at 11pm on Thursday in which Pagan Studies professor Ronald Hutton studies the creator of Wicca Gerald Gardner and investigates why paganism is becoming more popular.
No More Workhorse 