Your Daily McMaster: the McMaster fright night terror extravaganza

Though Halloween isn’t until Monday, a large portion of the holiday will be celebrated this weekend. For those who don’t have children or are lacking a slutty kitty cat costume, the night might be less exciting. That’s why I want to provide you with Jason McMaster’s Fun Guide to Halloween Stuff!

After the jump, we get spooky up in this piece!

Movies
Check back tomorrow for my “two days to Halloween” recommendation. But until then, here are a few to tide you over.

Devil’s Backbone: OK, this is a subtitled movie. You have to actually read it. However, it’s also super scary. Based on an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War, Devil’s Backbone sets a dire and horrifying tone early on and ratchets the suspense up until the crescendo. Being directed by Guillermo Del Toro of Pan’s Labrynth and Hellboy fame lets you know that the settings and costumes will be awesome and disturbing. I can’t suggest this movie enough.

The Thing and The Thing from Another World: Either one. Well, not the new one. I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t give a quality judgement but I’m not too stoked. Of the two The Things that exist out there, it’s really, really hard for me to pick a favorite. It’s easy to choose the John Carpenter Thing because it’s awesome and has Kurt Russell. That’s usually enough for me to like a movie. I plead the fifth on Cap’n Ron. The 1953 The Thing, actually titled The Thing from Another Planet, is the same story but the restrictions to film technology forced a more intense method of filming that involved a geiger counter and the sheer sense of horror at knowing something is out there but not knowing where. It also has a very iconic ending.

Games
Since Quarter to Three is a game site, this section shouldn’t be much of a stretch.

Silent Hill 2: The Silent Hill games are famous for their other-worldly monster designs and general sense of creepiness. For people that aren’t fans of the series, Silent Hill is a fictional town based loosely on a real place in Pennsylvania. The town of Silent Hill in the games is, however, very different. Once in Silent Hill you become trapped and are faced with your fears and failings. Silent Hill 2 stands out to me as it introduces Pyramid Head, an incredibly creepy and horrifying figure that inhabits the town. Two is also, in my opinion, the best Silent Hill story. Beware, though, the controls suck.

Condemned: Criminal Origins: Monolith has a thing for horror games, it would seem. I could have mentioned there other big property, F.E.A.R., but I find Condemned is less traveled and, to me, scarier. Set, for the most part, in dingy warehouses and burned out office buildings, you play an investigator that is suspected of performing serial murders throughout the city. The setting and overall sound design of Condemned add a layer of creepy I had not experienced. Condemned launched with the 360 and, since there wasn’t a ton I was interested in at the launch, I bought it and Kameo. I went home that night and played some Kameo. Then, around 2:30 AM I decided to try out Condemned. I had all of my lights turned off and my surround sound thumping. It only took about 15 minutes of play before the bad guys started creeping around in the dark behind me, making scurrying sounds. These, of course, were picked up by my surround and scared the hell out of me. That was the end of Condemned for that evening.

Honorable Mentions

Batman: Arkham City: Though Arkham City isn’t a scary game, it has some awesome themes that fit Halloween. When playing Arkham City, I often get the same feeling I get when walking outside in the fall when the wind blows up around me, forcing me to pull my jacket tightly around my frame. The impending feeling of adventure and excitement is impossible to ignore and always brings a smile to my face.

All Zombies Must Die!: The reason All Zombies Must Die! didn’t make the list is because it isn’t out yet. It’s a zombie-themed shooter that smacks of Smash TV, but with zombies, that supports up to four players. The game also includes character development, questing and weapon crafting. It’s got a slick cartoonish style and frantic action. Look for it this Winter on XBLA and PSN.

Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone!