My 5 Favorite Halloween Movies |
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Here's a little horror movie fun fact to kick off your week: Did you know that John Carpenter composed the music to many of own films? It's amazing. The high-pitched synths and wailing guitars in Halloween, They Live, The Fog, Escape from New York, and many more Carpenter classics all come from the mind of the horror director himself. So, I couldn't have been more excited to see Carpenter in a haunted New York City warehouse venue called the Knockdown Center this past weekend, where the 77-year-old put on a concert to celebrate some of his iconic scores. At the end of the night, the director joked that we should all drive home safely because he heard that Christine—the killer car from his 1983 Stephen King adaptation—was roaming the streets. After all these years, Carpenter hasn't lost an inch of cool. If you're thinking about watching something thrilling this Halloween, Carpenter's films are an amazing place to start. I'm sure you'll still see a fair share of Michael Myers masks this holiday season—if people even trick or treat anymore—and I haven't even mentioned The Thing, Prince of Darkness, or In the Mouth of Madness yet. All hits! We're also coming up on the release of two back-to-back Frankenstein movies: Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein with Jacob Elordi (in select theaters this weekend) and Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! with Christian Bale (early 2026). I'm excited for both, as well as the upcoming It: Welcome to Derry spin-off series (premiering on HBO on October 26). Now, I'm a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to horror movies. So, when I list out some personal recommendations to add to your Halloween watchlist below, you won't find any Hereditary's or Conjuring's among them. (Both good films!) For true horror junkies, we have a separate list of the 100 scariest movies of all time. The handful of recommendations below are for those who just want a little scare this Halloween season, as well as a primer on what to watch so that you're fully read up on what's coming out this fall. Enjoy, and don't blame me when you need to sleep with the light on. Halloween (1978) - It's in the name, but I rewatched this one after the John Carpenter show and it still holds up! The '70s slasher was one of the director's earliest films, starring Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and introducing the deranged Michael Myers as a knife-wielding sociopath. Carpenter's films just have this amazing campy and practical quality to them. No jump scare is ever so terrifying that you'll never fall asleep again, and every rising moment of tension holds that classic popcorn blockbuster feeling. You know what I mean. Frankenstein (1931) – Before Frankenstein movies are absolutely everywhere, I recommend turning back the clock to 1931 and revisiting Jame Whale's original black-and-white classic. Following Mary Shelley's groundbreaking horror novel, it was the Boris Karloff-starring film that became the blueprint for one of the most famous Hollywood monsters of all time. Although I'm excited to watch what del Toro and Gyllenhaal have in store, it's going to be difficult to best the original excitement of Colin Clive's Dr. Frankenstein screaming, "It's Alive!" It (2017) – If not solely for Bill Skarsgård's absolutely unhinged performance as Pennywise the Clown, this modern Stephen King remake joins the list as another scary film that had a lot of fun with practical effects. I didn't catch this one for quite some time after it released, and I was pleasantly surprised that the Andy Muschietti-directed film didn't rely so heavily on CGI as many other recent horror films have. The famous town with the creepy clown is also set to receive a spin-off series later this month on HBO. Signs (2002) – Signs is a personal favorite. Not just because M. Night Shyamalan filmed this horror movie in the town where I grew up—Bucks County, PA—but because it's one of the best films ever made about an alien invasion. If you're enjoying Task, I'd recommend putting this crop circle thriller on your TV this Halloween. There's a surprising amount of depth to Signs's mystery that covers faith, destiny, and the ol' Pennsylvania charm. Scream (1996) – Almost more of a comedy than a horror film, Wes Craven's Scream is a satirical slasher that remixes many of the genre's cliches established in Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Psycho. It's one of the most inventive and hilarious commentaries on horror tropes, tackling everything from heavy breathing over the phone to outlining "the rules" characters need to follow if they want to stay alive. Much like the entertaining Final Destination series, the Scream franchise's first three films are perfect movies to watch with friends this Halloween. |
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Martin Scorsese in Mr. Scorsese / Apple TV |
Apple TV is releasing a five-part documentary series on Martin Scorsese this Friday. The legendary director will talk through his entire filmography alongside interviews with Robert de Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, and many more, as director Rebecca Miller pairs clips from his celebrated films with select moments from his life. I talked to Miller for an interview about the documentary that I'm excited to show you later this week. Until then, let me know your favorite Scorsese film at josh.rosenberg@hearst.com. Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here. |
The Continuing Adventures of the Esquire Entertainment Desk |
Fabien Frankel and I had another great conversation over some beers for Task episode 6. The actor behind Anthony Grasso talked about his character's duplicitous twist, filming House of the Dragon season 3, and downing Yuenglings with Mark Ruffalo. Read the interview here. Veteran entertainment journalist Anthony Breznican spoke with Derek Cianfrance, the director of Roofman starring Channing Tatum. The film follows a real-life thief who earned his name by hiding in fast-food joints and department stores after-hours. Tatum and Cianfrance's take on the tale is light and full of heart. You can read the story here. I also talked to Colin Hanks—you may have heard of Tom, his father—about his new documentary on the late comedian John Candy. He got started on the film following a cold call from Ryan Reynolds, which he told me all about in an interview here. |
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Fabien Frankel for Task / photo by: Eli Schmidt |
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The Cliff-Hanger's Winners and Losers of the Week (All Losers Edition) |
Loser: Tron: Ares Not only did this sci-fi film bomb at the box office by only making $60 million worldwide on opening weekend despite a $180 million budget, but it didn't even have Tron (the character) in it! Loser: Kevin Costner A new report from The Hollywood Reporter detailed an alleged fight on the Yellowstone set between Costner and actor Wes Bentley, further dampening the Dutton family patriarch's reputation behind the scenes of the hit TV drama. If Costner keeps up these feuds, who will be left to fund the release of Horizon: Part 2? Loser: Saturday Night Live Every year, Saturday Night Live makes a big hoot about all their new cast members. Then, the season begins, and they refuse to put them on screen?! I love Kenan Thompson but let me see the new kids in action! Loser: Jonathan Lithgow The actor playing the next Dumbledore stood out on some beach draped in what looked like over a hundred pounds of heavy robes in leaked images from the new Harry Potter TV series. With all this mess around J.K. Rowling making headlines every month, I just feel so bad for all the actors who will be forced to address it nonstop once the show airs. Those poor kids. Loser: + Apple's streaming service dropped the "+" from its name. From now on, the streamer will simply be referred to as "Apple TV." Whatever it's called, I just hope Tim Cook doesn't make me wait another three years for Severance season 3. |
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 We're living in a golden age of personal hygiene. There are more ways to smell nice, feel moisturized, and look squeaky clean than ever before. And yet, there are some people—men, mostly—who've sworn off soap. A cohort has even given up showering altogether. Is this a good idea? In a column today, I explained the genesis of this … interesting lifestyle, and why some dudes have embraced it. – Michael Sebastian, editor-in-chief Plus: |
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There are people in your life—healthy, successful, attractive men—who wash themselves with water only. Are they actually getting themselves clean? Do they smell? Should you consider trying this method? |
I had dinner in Paris recently with a photographer friend, who said something that shocked me. We ate at a noisy and delicious brasserie called Le Vaudeville, where my friend shared stories from his front-line reporting in places like Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan. Then he told me he hasn't used soap in years. How did this come up? He was telling me about a business opportunity he entertained. An artisan had approached him about collaborating on a soap; the money was good, so he took the meeting, smelled the product, and enjoyed the scent, but ultimately rejected the offer because, as he said to me, "I don't use soap." I assumed he was joking. Who doesn't use soap—especially someone whose job involves intense movement and stress? The expression on his face, however, betrayed nothing. He was serious. "You … what?" I asked. "I don't use soap," he repeated. "Haven't for years. I take a hot shower. The water is enough." Later, I started asking around and learned that for some men and women, not using soap is, in fact, a thing. Yes, there are people among us who don't lather up, including some very prominent celebrities. And the more I've researched it, the more intriguing the idea becomes. |
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Few watches have a following as broad as the Seiko 5. Collectors respect it. Beginners start with it. And most people who buy one end up keeping it for life. With prices starting as low as $315, you can't really go wrong. What makes the Seiko 5 special isn't just value for money, it's the consistency. The movement's reliable, the design rugged and unfussy, and the value literally impossible to beat. That's why the Seiko 5 isn't just some starter watch. It's the watch people come back to, be they newcomers or hardcore collectors. |
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It's been a long day. The sun is setting, and Fabien Frankel has been through a whirlwind round of interviews for his new HBO crime drama, Task, before it's even my time to talk with him. So I figure that we need a strong palate cleanser to reset the evening. I suggest a literal one: two beers. "Mate, that's a great idea!" Frankel says, eyes widening. He asks his team to run downstairs at New York City's Plaza Hotel and pick us up a round. Minutes later, we're clinking bottles. "A proper cheers, man," he says, laughing. "I love it." Frankel deserves a proper cheers—and a beer that isn't Yuengling. "It's very yeasty," the 31-year-old from London says before our beers arrive, "but if someone brought up a couple of Yuenglings now, I wouldn't be pissed off about it." He drank a lot of the Philadelphia brew filming Task, which is set in the Delaware County area. Although Yuengling is certainly an acquired taste, it's another detail that makes Brad Ingelsby's (Mare of Easttown) second Delco drama one of the best TV shows of the year. "It's such a special piece of television, and I just hope that it gets to reach the audiences that I think it deserves to reach," Frankel tells me. "I'm biased, obviously, but some of the performances in this are so special. You get to see a bunch of actors in a completely different light." |
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