The ‘Spirit’ of Halloween on the Silver Screen

Carving a pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern is a fun Halloween tradition along with scary-movie watching. (Photos.com)

Halloween, celebrated Oct. 31, is the one day in the year set aside to acknowledge the world of the supernatural and the underworld that otherwise people don’t pay much attention to.

Halloween originates from the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints’ Day, when prayers for the dead were offered in exchange for food, or “souling,” by poor folks who went door to door on Hallowmas, which occurred on Nov. 1.

But Halloween has come a long way from prayers for the dead, especially in movies.

Whether friendly beings caught between dimensions, or menacing malevolent entities spooking the human realm with fervor, Hollywood has relished making scary movies that capture our imagination of forces unseen.

Aiming to feed today’s obsession with the dark side, Hollyood can’t produce these horror films fast enough, including as much gore and fear as possible.

But in the true “spirit” of Halloween, my movie list steers away from horror and favors films that explore the afterlife with heart, insight, and imagination.

Ghost

Part comedy/love story/thriller, this big 1990 hit starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg depicts with maximum entertainment the age-old truth that exists in faiths all over the world—that after death, good is rewarded and evil is punished.

What Dreams May Come

A visually magnificent film starring Robin Williams that unflinchingly shows the intricate relationship between the people, choices, and beliefs we hold in this world, and how it affects our experiences and relationships in the next world.

The Five People You’ll Meet in Heaven

From the book by Mitch Albom, this film illustrates the big picture of karmic relationships and life lessons that are never clear from our human vantage point.

After Life

A quiet, quirky 1998 Japanese film by director Hirokazu Koreeda that poses the question: What one memory (and only one) from life would you take with you into eternity?

The Dybbuk

A haunting black and white film made in 1937 based on the 1914 play by S. Ansky that delves into the serious nature of karmic bonds, karmic debts, and soul possession, which have grave ramifications.

Truly Madly Deeply

This 1990 hit offers a humorous perspective on letting go and moving on after the death of a loved one, with ghosts hanging out at the house until all hours making noise and a mess.

On this Halloween, wishing you more treat than trick!