FILM

Let’s be honest: Halloween in town can be scary for all the wrong reasons, and if you too are dreading the unwashed masses of Harley Quinn costumes roaming the streets, you may want to join me in hosting your own Halloween night. And what better way to do so than to host your own camp cult classic movie night? And we have done the legwork for you and looked up all the films you will not want to miss on your list.

For me, horror films served as the perfect escape growing up and LGBT+ audiences have always been drawn to horror with a queer angle; whether it was a revenge thriller, subversive archetypes being examined through the lens of a demonic director or just a high camp classic, queer horror cinema is to be celebrated.

We have included the very best spine-tingling classics to make your Halloween one to never forget. No need to thank us. Costumes are still mandatory, and your host should theme their house accordingly: that’s the Snack Halloween way.

ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK

While not an explicit horror movie as such, B movie legend Elvira leads this bonkers fish out of water comedy following her as she moves to a small town where her spooky shtick and penchant for the macabre do not go down so well. It. Is. Brilliant.

DRACULA’S DAUGHTER

An underrated classic, this 1936 movie rejects any Bela Lugosi (legend) style shenanigans in favour of a more subtle focus on Dracula’s daughter, played by Gloria Holden, who is desperate to rid herself of her murderous addiction but has to accept her destiny and the person she was meant to be. If that doesn’t lend itself to queer subtext I don’t know what does.

ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES

We recently re-watched this camp classic and learned it makes for essential year-round viewing. Somehow better than the original, this sequel follows a little family going by Addams who indulge in the macabre and sinister, who find themselves infiltrated by a murderous gold digger after Uncle Fester’s fortune. With an all-star cast, one-liners you will be quoting incessantly after viewing and the alternative hero known as Wednesday Addams, this film is essential viewing.

HOCUS POCUS

Yes, your favourite childhood Halloween film certainly holds its own in the harsh light of 2018. Gay icons Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy cut the comic ham an inch thick is this high-camp tale of three resurrected witch sisters who reek Halloween havoc on Salem, Mass. If you didn’t sing along to the witches’ rendition of I Put a Spell On You…did you really have a childhood?

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE

As mainstream horror films go, it doesn’t get much gayer than this. Actor Mark Patton is often touted as the first male” scream queen,” seeing as rather than having a teenage girl in jeopardy, the audience sees a bisexual male who, intentionally or not, finds himself in untraditionally homoerotic situations as well as peril. Terrifying? Yes. Super gay? Indeed. Plus Freddie Krueger is the quintessential horror villain, especially when he delivers camp one-liners.

PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE

One of my all-time favourite films, Plan 9 is a jewel in the crown of infamous director Ed Wood, often cited as the worst filmmaker of all time. Starring Bela Lugosi in his final role and horror hostess Vampira (the inspiration behind the aforementioned Elvira), this berserk horror-sci-fi hot mess boasts vampires, aliens, zombies and terrible special effects. 60s B movie horror at its best.