Welcome to Non-Horror Fall Movies

 Happy October everyone!

Spooky season is in full swing (even if it unofficially started in August - sigh). I've started compiling my horror movies and Halloween decorations. I'm buying all things pumpkin spice and everything nice. And I just saw Clue at the Kennedy Center.

Wait that last one doesn't scream October movie. It's not scary. It's funny...even with all the murder and mayhem. 

Clue isn't a Halloween movie (or in my case a fun play), but it's aerosphere is full of horror cliches without the scares. A group of people are having a party in a big spooky mansion, a thunderstorm is raging outside, murderer (or seven) are on the loose, and there are secret passages galore. The mansion looks is decorated and lit in a way that invokes warm oranges and dark velvet greens that are associated with a fall color palate. 

The Clue play is very similar to the movie - with about 200% camp and physical comedy. Mr. Green totally steals the show, but Wadsworth and Miss. Scarlett get some great zingers in there too. I also loved their interpretations of Colonel Mustard, with his ability to mix up words, and Mrs. Peacock's "old woman" act. Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Evette, and the Cook are also great performances. Each are given their iconic scenes to reenact. The motorist and the cop, though briefly on stage, have great presence. And the singing telegram girl is perfectly hilarious (her body keeps moving every time the front doors open - I swear this is not a spoiler).

It is also similar to the movie in that it's time at the Kennedy Center was at the start of the Fall season - similar to it's TV run in the 1990s and early 2000s. Many of us 90s kids first saw the movie version of Clue either while flipping between channels in late September or as a rental during a back-to-school sleepover. Seeing Clue on TV meant that school was back in session and Halloween was just around the corner.

Much like Clue, there are several other movies that may not intuitively be seen as part of the Fall season. Either they were often on TV during the month of September or their atmosphere is like a warm apple cider on a crips day. So, here are some of my non-horror fall movies to get a bit cozy with.

1. Clue - I already wrote a bit about this movie and the new play. Clue is such a nostalgia cult classic with a subtle fall feel. 10 out of 10, would recommend.
2. The Princess Bride - for the cult classic romantics out there, the Princess Bride is the perfect movie. For those of us who spent a lot of time watching ABC Family in the 90s and 2000s, the Princess Bride was often shown on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It was one of the first movies my generation learned all the lines too.
3. Matilda - a perfect back-to-school movie for my elementary school self, this movie actually scared me quite a bit as a kid. However, it was guaranteed to be on TV multiple times on multiple weekends during the start of a new school year. I find myself reaching for Matilda right after Labor Day every year, since I don't go to school anymore myself.
4. Jumanji - I'm talking about the 90s version, not the 2010s one. The original Jumanji is full of the same fall atmosphere as Clue, but likely actually takes place in the summer/fall transition period. The style is very 90s Fall fashion and it also was shown quite a bit in September. But this isn't the only Robin Williams entry.
5. Hook - I'll admit that Hook actually takes place in the winter time while everyone is in London. However, much like the previously mentioned movies, this was on all the time in September in the 90s and 2000s. As soon as September hits, I start thinking about Peter and Wendy growing up into adults. I also never fail to cry when Peter starts talking about when he ran away as a baby (not sure why they chose to have him run away as a baby, but it's sad). Hook is one of my favorite fall movies about never growing up and believing in yourself.
6. Dead Poet's Society - one of the few "mature" films on this list, I saw Dead Poet's Society in my 20s. The atmosphere is 100% back-to-school fall. This is another with Robin Williams, but this time its a much more serious role. "Oh captain, my captain" I will never forget this movie during the Fall season.
7. Labyrinth - don't be surprised by this entry, I love Labyrinth. I've always thought of this movie as a coming of age story for a girl trying to navigate the pressures of being a teenager in a world that hates teen girls. You've got a labyrinth built like a maze (a true labyrinth only has one path that takes you to its center and then leads you back out) symbolizing the confusing emotions and feelings teen girls are feeling. You've got the pressure to complete tasks you probably shouldn't be responsible for (saving her brother could symbolize parentification, and creepy old guys creeping on you (hello Jareth). There's a lot to love about this movie and it just looks like fall. From the orange and brown Labyrinth walls, to the Bog of Eternal stench set, and even the puppets this movie looks like something a farm with a corn maze might have.
8. Practical Magic - this is not a horror movie, but it is one about witches, ghosts, and sisterhood (it also takes place in March, but who cares). I love Practical Magic during the October season. It's all about how to be a witch without any of the (extreme) terror. There's even a bit of romance. 
9. Knives Out - this movie's aesthetic is all about fall. The leaves are on the ground, everyone is in sweaters, and hot drinks have been poured. Also there's a mystery afoot. This one isn't a product of nostalgia (at least not right now it isn't). Knives Out is a fall movie minus the Halloween horrors.
10. The Fantastic Mr. Fox - technically this could be considered a Thanksgiving movie (they do have a Thanksgiving dinner at one point), but this movie just looks and feels like fall. The color palate is reds, oranges, and warm yellows with leaves on the ground and the young foxes are in school. This movie is all about the Fall. 

So these are some movies that I consider fall classics without the horror elements (Practical Magic has some, but not enough to qualify as a horror movie). So if you're not a horror fan, check out these movies during the spooky season. They'll put you in the mood for cozy sweaters, apple cider, and pumpkin spice with everything nice tasting.

Let me know your favorite Fall movie in the comments. I know I missed a few. Until the next week.

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