It’s Halloween, the unofficial gay national holiday. All across the country, men and women alike are dressing up in slutty costumes and behaving badly. But in case you’re just not in the mood to wreak havoc in the streets, and would rather stay in and hang out at home, we’ve compiled some Halloween-appropriate movies worth watching (or re-watching).
Scroll down for 10 of our favorite gayish scary movies…
Hocus Pocus
It’s hard to believe that it’s been been 22 years — 22 years! — since Hocus Pocus first bombed in theaters. Audiences and critics in 1993 just weren’t feeling Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker (pre-Carrie Bradshaw) as the Sanderson Sisters, three Salem-era witches raised from the dead after 300 years only to run amok in the 20th century. Since then, however, it’s gone to to become not only a Halloween caper classic, but a cult favorite among the gays.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The Witches
While we’re on the subject of witches and feeling the ’90s nostalgia, Angelica Huston‘s portrayal of the Miss Ernst, the Grand High Witch, in The Witches, based on Roald Dahl is still wickedly fabulous 25 years after the film was originally released.
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
Cast two aging gay icons who hate each other–Bette Davis and Joan Crawford–as mentally unstable/physically unable protagonists, then have them abuse one another for two and a half hours, throw in a creepy life-sized porcelain doll, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Related: Everything You’ve Always Wanted To Know About “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?”
The Lost Boys
This homoerotic vampire flick by out director Joel Schumacher features a band of randy teenage male vampires with exposed midriffs and single pierced ears who like to suck each other’s blood. Need we say more?
Phantom of the Opera
Gerald Butler plays the title role in the movie version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spooky blockbuster musical. It also features Patrick Wilson looking hot (per usual) as Raoul and Minnie Driver playing the over-the-top diva Carlotta Giudicelli.
The Craft
Four bitchy, er, witchy Catholic school girls establish a coven and use sorcery for their own personal gain and, eventually, to try and destroy one another.
The Covenant
This is sort of like the male response to The Craft ten years later. A group of ridiculously attractive male witches who appear to have very little interest in the females around them take their shirts off and seductively fling themselves at one another for 97 minutes and all in the name of the “Sons of Ipswich.”
The Addams Family
Duh.
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Another macabre must-see Bette Davis picture. This time she portrays a lonely spinster living in a crumbling antebellum mansion whose sinister cousin, played by none other than Olivia de Havilland (a.k.a Melanie Wilkes), tricks her into thinking she’s going crazy in an attempt to steal her riches.
American Psycho
Christian Bale plays a wealthy, over-sexed serial killer who spends about one third of the film either in his underwear or completely naked. ‘Nuff said.
Chris Wrobel
What about Clue?
Milton Appleby
How is it an unofficial Gay holiday? Did you poll us all? Oh the bubble.
AtticusBennett
I’ve got some better ones.
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge
some of the freddy stuff is *meh* (Freddy running around a pool party is not scary) but the film has some great effects and makeup, surprisingly strong acting by the leads, and best of all – it’s LITERALLY GAY. it is the story of a closeted gay teen being tormented by freddy krueger – it can barely be called subtext, it’s right up there on the screen.
Night of the Creeps – from the maker of the classic “The Monster Squad” we have a fun 80s horror film that has zombies, aliens, axe murderers, killer slugs; an homage to the creature films of the 1950s, it’s stylish and fun, and again GAY – there’s massive gay subtext with the protagonist’s best friend and dorm-mate, that culminates in an “oh my this is actually a queer character” moment.
Friday the 13th Part 2 – actually better than the first. good kills, some good big scares, and the best kill in the film goes to a super-sexy dude in a wheelchair; played by an actually-gay actor who has since passed on. it’s a good scary film, honestly!
PSYCHO II – surprisingly witty and scary
IT FOLLOWS – halloween meets Elm Street; a total homage to the horror films of yesteryear, down to the gorgeous widescreen photography, creepy synthesizer score, and a likeable Scooby Gang of kids to root for.
mozzer
Hello? Rocky Horror Picture Show?! The ultimate gay
Halloween movie!
nastypig
@Chris Wrobel: definitely Clue and Murder by Death u sexy devil. WOOF
nastypig
@AtticusBennett: thanx, I’ll check out later half I missed
scace
@AtticusBennett. Excellent suggestion – as long as they get an uncensored copy. I can’t believe it got through the censors in 1985. Clearly someone at the MPAA was sleeping. Mark Patton and Robert Rusler were at the very peak of handsomeness. Terror Train is excellent for anyone into costume horror, alas another slasher film.
skibum03446
What about Rocky Horror?
CivicMinded
Fright Night. At least three gay actors: Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse, and Stephen Geoffreys. William Ragsdale is cute and Chris Sarandon is handsome. Not to mention the relationship between Jerry Dandridge and his man servant seems kind of homoerotic, as well as the scene where Dandrige turns Evil Ed.
jks111375
@Milton Appleby: unofficial or official…it is for me. Halloween would not be what it is today if not for us gays. Thanks to NYC, WeHo and Fantasy Fest in Key West.
AtticusBennett
@CivicMinded: YES YES YES!!!
Fright Night! how could i forget!?!/ another GAY GAY GAYYYYYYYY horror flick! Evil Ed – that’s a heartbreaking character, and yes – Dandridge’s manservant is totally a slave to his sex.
seamus_feeny
How ’bout VAMP? Grace Jones + cute boys + campy 80sness…c’mon!
Joe
Jason Patric is oh so yummy in this film.
Glücklich
Disappointed “Burnt Offerings” didn’t make this list. Eileen Heckart, Burgess Meredith, Karen Black AND Bette Davis in a Victorian mansion Karen Black “rejuvenates.”
KevinG
@Milton Appleby: Learn your gay history. For generations, it was one day when closeted gay men felt safe meeting other gay men. At a time when drag queens were arrested for impersonating the opposite sex, Halloween was a day when they could openly express themselves and the chief of police would openly proclaim it to be “their night.” Here’s a four part essay on the history of Halloween as a gay holiday.
http://www.sfgayhistory.com/?p=992
KevinG
Don’t forget “The Hunger”
KevinG
HellBent
Rogermoore
How can anyone not mention “ONE EYED MONSTER?” I mean, the serial killer is a DICK. It should be the biggest gay horror in the history of Gay Horror!!!