In the spirit of Halloween, I racked my brain for the definitive film to celebrate this macabre holiday.  Putting the radiant beacons of cinematography, “Hocus Pocus” and “Halloweentown” aside, I considered the iconic “Psycho” or the far more light-hearted “Bell, Book and Candle.”  Although both are wonderful films, I settled on an 84-minute movie about a German vampire, whose “name alone can chill the blood.”  His name is Nosferatu.

German films are notoriously dark.  Adapted from the novel by the infamous Bram Stoker, the film is quintessentially Halloween. This silent film, although punctuated by slides of dialogue, is prolonged by lengthy takes which escalate the level of suspense.  More importantly, the contorted face of this leading villain is constantly on the screen, his soul-less eyes and glowing skin becoming creepier with each passing minute.  The Germans are masters of manipulating the viewers’ sense of fear.

Having said this, I will admit that the first time I watched this film I laughed the entire way through.  My dad created his own dialogue instead of waiting to see what the actors were really saying.  Additionally, the special-effects and silent-film acting can seem slightly ludicrous at times, but for the period it was one of the most frightening films ever made.

The plot of the iconic, “Nosferatu,” differs from the typical vampire films seen today.  It will definitely surprise with its creative twists.  Watch it on Netflix or YouTube!