In observance of that autumn spell when we celebrate the primal instinct of fear, Rainestorm highlights 31 days of spooky scares to season the eerie atmosphere of Halloween.
Reign of terror: 2004
The horror… the horror: You would think that by their very nature (demonic worship of sorcery and witchcraft) all of the Harry Potter films would qualify for the harvest moon hall-of-fame. However, this third chapter is the most Halloween-themed movie of the series. In addition to the standard-issue witchery on display, this one highlights the classic Halloween tropes: the werewolf fearful of the full moon; the shape-shifting animagus wolf (which is peculiarly different from a werewolf); the spectral dementors, who turn the very air to an icy chill. Lets not forget the bats that haunt the Forbidden Forest (curiously, the students seem to spend a lot of time there, belying its name). For many, this entry is their favorite Harry Potter movie. While I cannot claim that distinction, I will say that it’s grown on me in the years following my initial viewing and it has since become a Halloween staple.
Halloween Haunt: The film positively radiates Halloween charm, photographed in rich autumn colors, often shrouded in a spooky gray or moonlit night. The Shrieking Shack offers the Harry Potter version of a haunted house. Harry himself befriends a would-be monster called a hippogriff (Buckbeak) while Hagrid’s pumpkin patch provides the perfect backdrop for its execution.
Tastiest treat: Harry’s ride across the Black Lake astride Buckbeak’s back, with the delightfully charming touch of watching the creature dip his claws in the water as he glides low across its surface.
Devilish discourse: “Ah, yes. The Dementor’s Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure. It’s said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I’ll do my best.”
Goes great with: Van Helsing (2004). Yup, I’m puttin’ it out there. Make no mistake, Stephen Sommers’ Universal monster mash-up is a terrible film. But it’s also kind of fun and campy, not unlike the original monster movies (and their endless sequels) that spawned it. While Prisoner of Azkaban is an infinitely superior film, Van Helsing is a loud and brash tribute to the creature-features that enthralled an entire generation of Halloween horror lovers.
3 responses to “31 Nights, 31 Frights: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
I’m glad you included this for those of us who can’t take the really dark and scary films! The HP series is the best and perfect for the Halloween season. The Dementors are freaky and GREAT in this particular movie. I also agree with Van Helsing. Fun campy film!
@Kym: Maybe you’re ready for some other scary films now. Azkaban scared the crap out of me–far more than most horror films.
I thought Prisoner of Azkaban was heads and tails above the other films in the series. As for Van Helsing, as I was watching a climactic scene in the film I had the same assessment you had. Terrible but kind of fun and campy, but then I looked at the clock and saw that there was an entire hour left in the film. I watched the rest of it in a slack-jawed stupor of complete and utter boredom. One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.