Thursday Movie Picks: Halloween Edition: Period Drama Horror

A weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves

It's finally October which only means one thing in the Thursday Movie Picks series, it's time for the Halloween edition. Starting off this year are period drama horrors, a genre I'm not particularly fond of — mainly because I'm not a fan of period movies. Despite this, I still was able to find three films that not only fit the theme but that I didn't mind watching.

Apostle (2018) - Review

1905. Former missionary Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) travels to a remote Welsh island to rescue his sister, Jennifer (Elen Rhys), who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult demanding a ransom for her return. In order to find her, he pretends to be a follower of the cult leader, Prophet Malcolm Howe (Michael Sheen). I’m not into period movies and yet I really enjoyed this Netflix original. You should check it out if you haven’t seen it yet. 

Crimson Peak (2015) - Review

Buffalo, New York, 1880s. Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), a young woman who strives to be more than just of marriageable age, falls in love with a mysterious English entrepreneur, Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). They eventually get married and as Thomas's sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), moves in, Edith soon comes to realise that not everything is as it appears as ghosts of the past start haunting her. Although as a whole del Toro's film is a bit disappointing as the story is quite predictable, it's visually outstanding and the acting is superb. 

Interview with the Vampire (1994) - Review 

Spanish Louisiana, 1791. After the death of his wife, Louis (Brad Pitt) accepts Lestat's (Tom Cruise) offer to turn him into a vampire. His life changes completely only when he meets a little girl, Claudia (Kirsten Dunst). It's a great vampire film with an intriguing, compelling story that addresses serious philosophical questions.
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14 comments :

  1. Brittani Burnham3 October 2019 at 15:19

    We match on the first two! I really like Interview with a Vampire but I'm so taken aback at how bad Tom Cruise is in it. I never really realized that until recently. lol

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    1. Sonia Cerca3 October 2019 at 16:54

      I guess I was too focused on Pitt to notice Cruise haha

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    2. Wanderer10 October 2019 at 22:24

      I love Interview with a Vampire, but haven't rewatch it for some time...I guess Tom Cruise just doesn't do villains.

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  2. joel659133 October 2019 at 16:48

    We match on Interview which was quite the sensation when it came out. Not being a horror guy I liked it more than I expected though it would have worked better for me with another actor in the lead than Cruise.

    I haven't seen the other two but they are popular today, especially Crimson Peak.

    I am a fan of period films which made coming up with three easier since I'm not much for horror.

    The Others (2001)-On the English coast during WWII Grace (Nicole Kidman), a young mother with strong religious beliefs lives mostly in darkness with her two children who suffer from a rare photosensitivity disease hoping to hear word of her husband who is missing in action. A sense of dread permeates the house as the daughter claims to see ghosts and ominous events continue to transpire. I’m not a fan of Kidman but she’s good in this solid creeper.

    Interview with the Vampire (1994)-In a San Francisco mansion 200 year old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) tells the story of his transformation at the hands of the seductive Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise) to reporter Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater). He spins a tale of bloodlust, domination and his attempts to break free only to be further enslaved by Lestat’s conversion of Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) a girl Louis holds dear. Cruise is miscast but not a bad adaptation of the book.

    The Haunted Palace (1963)-In the 1760’s condemned warlock Joseph Curwen (Vincent Price) curses a New England village just before being burned alive. Jump forward a century and the kindly Charles Ward (also Price), Curwen's great-great grandson and his wife Ann (Debra Paget) arrive in town to take up residence in Curwen's old mansion assisted by caretaker Simon Orne (Lon Chaney Jr.). But before long the ancient curse overcomes Charles who is driven to evil deeds. Roger Corman directed pastiche of a Poe poem and H. P. Lovecraft novella is a boilerplate 60’s AIP release with Price chewing the scenery most enjoyably.

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    1. Sonia Cerca3 October 2019 at 16:57

      I wasn't much of a fan of The Others because of the story's simplicity. However, I did love Kidman's performance, she is so good in it.

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  3. s.3 October 2019 at 18:50

    Interview with a Vampire is so so good. And I wish crimson peak was written as well as it looked

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  4. thevoid994 October 2019 at 01:00

    Apostle is the only film in that list that I haven't seen yet we do share a pick in Crimson Peak (a film that I fucking love).

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    1. Sonia Cerca11 October 2019 at 12:17

      Really? The writing was just a mess for me.

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  5. Birgit7 October 2019 at 19:42

    I don't know the first one but we match with Crimson Peak which is the popular one this week. I felt it lost its way near the end. Interview With The Vampire is a good choice and I remember all the hoopla surrounding it when it came out. Cruise was miscast as Lestat.

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    1. Sonia Cerca11 October 2019 at 12:18

      It never really worked for me. The visuals are great, but the script... oh boy!

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  6. Sara8 October 2019 at 14:34

    I loved Crimson Peak! Feels very underrated as a horror film. Jessica Chastain was fantastic.

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  7. Katy20 October 2019 at 21:09

    Nice reviews! I thought Crimson Peak could've had a little more horror to it, but I really appreciated Guillermo's passion for a Victorian gothic romance. It's an understated movie. The set and costume design is beautiful, and the cast was marvelous.

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