Cover image by Alex Boya.

Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. It’s great when you’re a kid, because you get to dress up and collect free candy. It’s great when you’re a parent, because you get to dress up your kid and then steal their free candy. It’s even great when you’re an adult with no kids because you can either a) give out candy and admire cute costumes, or b) shut the lights, pretend you’re not home, and drive kids nuts. It’s really a very special day. Did I mention the candy?

Every year, we put together a collection of our favourite films for Halloween. This year’s selection is a little more silly than scary, but you may still suffer a shiver up the spine or two. Enjoy!

Batmilk

Short but sweet (bad adjective?), this little film from Hothouse 5 makes you want to walk around the house all zombie-like going, “Braaaiiiinnnsss…,” which is exactly perfect for Halloween. It’s a match made in heaven (or hell) between an oafish ghoul and a fresh, pink brain.

Batmilk, Brandon Blommaert, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

The Visitor

This mildly creepy and potentially terrifying film also hails from our Hothouse apprenticeship, making me wonder what it is about extremely short animation that lends itself to scary movies. It shows what happens when a young boy, left alone in a big empty house, lets his imagination run away from him.

The Visitor, David Barlow-Krelina, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Shyness

I’m not quite sure what Mary Shelley would make of this Frankenstein spoof, but I absolutely adore it. I mean, what can be better than a monster born shy, who goes through therapy, and then ends up in a musical romance? Sound weird? It is, but it also endearing as hell.

Shyness, Les Drew, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Land of the Heads

I realize this film makes our Halloween list every single year, but it features a reluctant vampire who goes out every night and severs children’s heads to please his wife. What more do I need to say?

Land of the Heads, Cédric Louis & Claude Barras, provided by the National Film Board of Canada