Good Halloween Party Episodes?

[Afgncaap5]

I've got a lot of thoughts on what makes a good Halloween episode... but I generally watch MST3K with either only myself, or only a couple of people. And a lot of episodes are different in groups, and I generally think that some of the go-to popular episodes are, uh... "graduate level" episodes that won't necessarily appeal to people new to the show's premise (nothing against Manos, but some people just don't like it.)

I'm trying to limit my own bias towards sci-fi with this since my ideal MST3K episodes are the ones that feature the three Rs (Rockets, Robots, and Rayguns), but I don't think a Halloween should necessarily be deprived of such things either.



The Killer Shrews: This one might have a bit of the Manos Problem by being a graduate-level episode, but I feel like this is a good flick for a group of people. Am I deluding myself while looking for a good Halloweeny Joel episode? Being From Another Planet always struck me as sounding like a good one, but I've never actually watched that episode so I couldn't say.

Bloodlust!: I feel like this episode hits all the elements that a good Halloween episode should... except that there's nothing supernatural in it. Also, the short of a dairy farm at the start isn't exactly in the, uh... spirit of spookiness.

Samson vs. The Vampire Women: This one *almost* feels perfect... but it also kinda veers into super-hero territory. Maybe that's not a bad thing, though. A guy in a costume going out and braving the host of vampires... not too bad for Halloween. Never a favorite episode of mine, but maybe it could work.

This Island Earth: Okay, I know I said I was trying to steer clear of my love of sci-fi flicks, but the MutAnt (Mut-Ant? Mute-Ant?) is a classic Universal monster. That's gotta be worth something, and this definitely hits my high marks for a Halloween episode.

Revenge of the Creature: Hmmm... classic universal monster, not bad as far as riffing goes...

Devil Doll: Perfect thematically, but maybe not a good "party" episode.

The Screaming Skull: No party is complete without Looking For Mickey. I feel like this is a solid contender, but I've always been a fan of it, so I don't want to look at it through rose-colored glasses.

The Beast of Hollow Mountain: I'm not quite done with season eleven yet (I know, I know... I wanna savor it!) but this has a lot of elements I'm looking for, though the beast's screen time might leave something to be desired.

So... those are a few of the ones I'm trying to choose from. Any of these feel like good choices? Or others that I should consider instead?

[Torgo]

As far as Halloween episodes, the first episode that pops into my head is Werewolf. I feel that the movie is bad, but that fun kind of bad so it won't be overbearing to those who aren't used to bad movies. And the riffing is great.

As far as creatures that go bump in the night being represented, the poster children for Halloween will always be vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and zombies. Narrowing that down you have Mad Monster, Tormented, The Dead Talk Back, Zombie Nightmare, Sampson and the Vampire Women, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Incredibly Strange Creatures, The Screaming Skull, It Lives By Night, and maybe by a technicality Wild Wild World of Batwoman. Delving to the roots of these, you have Universal Monsters, which also include The Mummy, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and Creature from the Black Lagoon, which extends us to Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy, Being from Another Planet, Revenge of the Creature, and Riding with Death. While technically they aren't in brand both The Brain That Wouldn't Die and The Atomic Brain are Frankenstein tales at heart.

Stemming from that, Universal Horror is always fun. With that you can also include The Brute Man, The Leech Woman, The Mole People, The Deadly Mantis, and The Thing That Couldn't Die.

As I also mentioned during my Schlocktober marathon, it just isn't Halloween without Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, or Vincent Price. While Karloff and Price aren't represented by the show, Lugosi certainly is with The Corpse Vanishes, Bride of the Monster, and The Phantom Creeps serial. But you can also extend to Lon Cheney Jr. with The Indestructable Man.

And then there are giant monsters. Boy we have a lot to choose from there, so I'll leave that at your discretion.

Out of the ones you've selected, I'd lean toward Bloodlust, Revenge of the Creature, and The Screaming Skull, as those are my favorites from that group. Hollow Mountain might be a good one to hype up the new season with guests, though personally it's not a favorite. But this is what my thought process would be.

[cityofvoltz]

If you want to go the truely frightening route. Touch of Satan followed by Squirm.

I was so freaked out by Lucinda (closet old hag) I think since I taped if off of cable I have only viewed it three times total. Last time was like 9 yrs ago.

[CrowTrobotfan92]

Def Zombie Nightmare or Bloodlust.

You could also throw in Screaming Skull and Squirm.

[sb5]

Being from Another Planet, Zombie Nightmare, and especially Incredible Melting Man are my Halloween favorites.

[zombiewhacker]

Some fans can't stand The Unearthly with John Carradine, but I love it, especially during the Halloween season. Tor Johnson, mad scientists, mutant freaks, Allison Hayes... what isn't there to love?

Just last night I watched The Incredible Melting Man for the very first time. If that isn't a Halloween party movie, I don't know what is.

[crowschmo]

Well, Halloween is over, but...

Night of the Blood Beast, The Incredible Melting Man, The Brute Man, Laserblast (Season 7 had quite a few), Tormented, It Conquered the World, the Godzilla and Gamera movies. I think all those would be enjoyable to newbies.

I'd say The Crawling Eye, The Crawling Hand and The Slime People, but those might be too slow for people unfamiliar with the show.

The Amazing Colossal Man and War of the Colossal Beast - c'mon, what's scarier than Mr. B Natural? Teenagers from Outer Space, Attack of the Giant Leeches, Attack of the the Eye Creatures.

Well, hey, the entire show is about a man - in space - interacting with robots and mad scientists, so, technically, ANY episode would be good for Halloween, 'myright?

[hike'em'up]

the day late and a dollar short list:

Zombie Nightmare
The Thing that Couldn't Die
Bride of the Monster
Giant Gila Monster
Earth vs the Spider
The Brain that Wouldn't Die