Film Squirrel

Most people will tell you a sequel never measures up to the original. The Squirrel doesn’t necessarily disagree with this widespread belief. But sometimes, every now and again, it takes a sequel or twelve to really take a franchise to the next level. Thus is the case with Witchcraft 13: Blood of the Chosen.

Capturing the reckless passion of Witchcraft IX: Bitter Flesh with the soaring gravitas of Witchcraft XII: In the Lair of the Serpent, Blood of the Chosen is the sort of monumental effort that changes the way a generation views themselves and their world. Well, at least until Witchcraft 14: Blood of the Chosen II comes out.

Ranking perhaps as my favorite Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho has shocked and delighted audiences for fifty years come 2010. It’s not by accident, the film holds up spectacularly well.

Anthony Perkins is creepy in the truest sense as Norman Bates and Janet Leigh as the ill-fated Marion Crane was never better. Make sure you get the original and not the shot-for-shot Gus Van Sant 1998 remake.

But be warned, you may never want to take a shower again.

It’s hard to fathom, but The Shining wasn’t a success upon its release in 1980. The critics were lukewarm, audiences didn’t show, and Stephen King even went on record bashing it. Today, it’s regarded as a horror classic and a cultural touchstone- who can forget Jack’s “Here’s Johnny” (ad-libbed, no less!)? Sure, you’ve seen it a hundred times, but I bet you still haven’t figured out what the deal is with the dude in the bear suit.

Hal Ashby’s classic satire tells the tale of an illiterate gardener who improbably rises to political prominence. The film takes a minute or thirty to get into, but once you commit you’ll be rewarded. It’s worth staying awake until the end just to see the famous closing shot.