Movies that summon the spirits of Halloween

Halloween is the time of year when parents need to remember that children are psychologically resilient. No matter how much you scare them, there’s nothing that can’t be healed by decades of expensive psycho-

therapy.

Horror fans have a smorgasbord of movie options available to them this weekend. “Saw 2,” the sequel to the trashy yet beloved “Saw,” opens in theaters on Friday. This is the new horror franchise from Lions Gate Films, and you can bet that “Saw 3” will be hitting theaters next Halloween. The story centers on a serial killer named Jigsaw who torments his victims by promising to let them live if they can solve his puzzles and mind games. Even if they succeed, the results will be messy.

There’s a ton of Halloween horror on TV this weekend. AMC and TCM are opening their vaults and dusting off priceless gems like “Zombies on Broadway.” The Sci-Fi channel is running a nonstop orgy of horror flicks, including some of the good ones by John Carpenter, Wes Craven and George Romero. The downside to watching these movies on TV is that after the FCC cuts out all of the good stuff, you’re left watching commercials for toenail fungus remover.

Your best bet is to go to your neighborhood mom-and-pop video shop and rent horror flicks. Here are some recommendations for a bloodcurdling Halloween night.

“Dracula” (1931, directed by Tod Browning), “Frankenstein” (1931, James Whale) and “The Wolf Man” (1941, George Waggner): These are the black-and-white monster classics that made Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. into household names. You can tell a lot about someone by asking them which of these three is their favorite. “Dracula” fans think they’re sexy. “Frankenstein” fans think they’re smart. “Wolf Man” fans think they’re misunderstood. All three of them look down their noses on the “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954, Jack Arnold). Monsters in rubber suits get no respect.

“Night of the Living Dead” (1968, George Romero), “The Exorcist” (1973, William Friedkin) and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974, Tobe Hooper): This triple feature puts together the three most notorious and scariest horror films ever made. Most horror movies don’t age very well, but these three movies have been scaring the pants off people for over 30 years. “Night of the Living Dead” was banned by half of the world for being too intense for fragile audiences. When “The Exorcist” was first released, it scared people so badly that they needed psychiatric care -- no joke. It wasn’t uncommon for people to throw up in the theater. “Texas Chainsaw” almost made me into a vegetarian the first time I saw it. It has spawned more imitators than any other horror movie. The 2003 remake is also pretty fun.

“Halloween” (1978, John Carpenter), “Friday the 13th” (1980, Sean S. Cunningham), “A Nightmare On Elm Street” (1984, Wes Craven) and “Scream” (1996, Wes Craven): If you want to do a slasher night, these are the ultimate movies to watch. “Halloween” with Jamie Lee Curtis spawned the genre. She’s still a goddess, and any excuse to worship her is a good one. “Elm Street” has special effects that were amazing for their time and is probably the best of this bunch. “Scream” is a wonderful satire on the genre. Stay away from “Freddy vs. Jason” unless your backyard compost pile needs some additional organic content. All of these movies are ripping off “Psycho” (1960, Alfred Hitchcock), and it’s a better movie than all of them put together.

“Jacob’s Ladder” (1990, Adrian Lyne) and “The Hunger” (1983, Tony Scott): This is a Hollywood power-couple double feature that will make you wonder what someone put in your Kool-Aid. “Jacob’s Ladder” stars Tim Robbins, and “The Hunger” features Susan Sarandon -- two people that you don’t typically associate with horror. “Jacobs Ladder” has great visuals and a story that’s eerie and freaky. “The Hunger” is still a favorite with the goth kids who like to play vampire. The sexy scene where Catherine Denueve seduces Sarandon into becoming a vampire caused quite a stir 20 years ago. This one also features rock legend David Bowie in a leading role.

“Blade” (1998, Stephen Norrington) and “Constantine” (2005, Francis Lawrence): This is an action-horror double feature that’s sure to get your blood pumping. Both of these movies are based on comic-book characters who are trapped between two worlds. They see the evil that most of us don’t know exists and choose to be warriors to destroy that evil. “Blade” stars Wesley Snipes as a half-man/half-vampire who can walk in the daylight. “Constantine” stars Keanu Reeves as an exorcist/demon slayer trapped between heaven and hell. “Constantine” has an extra scene after the credits that adds an interesting detail to the story.

“Plan 9 from Outer Space” (1956, Ed Wood), “Two Thousand Maniacs!” (1964, Herschell Gordon Lewis) and “The Corpse Grinders” (1972, Ted V. Mikels): This is the horror marathon for anyone who knows that sanity is overrated. “Plan 9” was originally titled “Grave Robbers from Outer Space” and is universally hailed as the worst movie ever made. “Two Thousand Maniacs!” is kind of like a bloody version of “Brigadoon,” but with poorly done gore instead of musical numbers. The band 10,000 Maniacs tried to name themselves after this movie but got it wrong. “The Corpse Grinders” is a story about kitties whose canned food makes them develop a taste for human flesh. Sitting through all three of these movies back-to-back will have the same effect as a frontal lobotomy.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.

‘Elizabethtown’ is predictable but fun

By Peggy Rogers

Cameron Crowe tells stories about wounded heroes portrayed as the root cause of their own humiliation, ostracism and emotional implosions. John Cusack in “Say Anything” hurts himself when he hurts someone else. Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire self-destructs when he underestimates his lack of self-awareness. Crowe’s newest film, “Elizabethtown,” has its hero crash and burn by his own hand as well, but with an added twist.

Drew Baylor (Orlando Bloom) designs a revolutionary shoe for a multibillion-dollar company that turns out to be a fiasco of titanic proportions. Once the story breaks, the entire nation will know what Drew knows -- that his eight-year career is a monumental failure. Preoccupied with his devastating blunder and pending public humiliation, he is unable to react to the unexpected death of his father. Drew goes through the customary motions, but not the normal emotions, of preparing for the services and burial.

Saddled with flying to Elizabethtown to claim his dad’s body from his estranged in-laws, Drew also chooses to keep his career problems to himself. His distraught sister, hyperactive mother and colorful aunts and uncles never penetrate Drew’s world of trauma. Even Claire (Kirsten Dunst), who secretly loves him, fails to break his emotional freefall. No one can fix his situation except himself.

“Elizabethtown” captures the best and goofiest of small-town America, complete with family reunions and late-night drinking and carousing in hotel hallways with strangers. This dramatic comedy with a love story twist contains Cameron Crowe’s familiar trademarks, from the righteous rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack to the montage scenes of the hero discovering who he is while cruising cross-country in his car. There is so much that is familiar in “Elizabethtown” for fans of the writer/director that it is easy to guess what comes next. However Susan Sarandon, as Drew’s mother, steals the spotlight at her husband’s memorial. Sarandon’s performance is original, bittersweet and one of the few unexpected pleasures in “Elizabethtown.”

Orlando Bloom’s non-emoting personification of Drew throws the audience’s attention to the supporting cast, most notably Claire, the aggressive flight attendant. She puts her entire life on hold when she meets Drew, misses sleep, cancels a vacation and manages to wiggle her way into his life. Too needy at times, Claire has an endearing flip-side the audience sees even though Drew does not.

This slice-of-life story will appeal to the over 25-age-group through its funny yet affectionate treatment of the ups and downs of life for parents, children and in-laws.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 40, produces commercial videos and documentaries.

20051027h0g0znke(LA)20051027h03bw3ke(LA)20051027ioxz33knPHOTO BY NEAL PRESTON(LA)Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst star in the film “Elizabethtown.”