Blustery fall weather has finally arrived. Spooky season is upon us. Pumpkin spice is filling the air.
Some of Velocity‘s staff foraged for the best movies, shows, music and video games to help you get into the fall vibe. Here are the picks from Carol Torrez, Emily Stephens, Camiron Witkowski, Manny Orozco, Kamron Daniels, Eric Rodriguez and Bill Evers.
So put on a cozy sweater, light a candle, and settle in for some fun media.
Movies
Eric recommends Trick ‘r Treat: “The movie is coming back to theaters soon, great movie, very autumn, very Halloween.”
Eric also says all children should watch Scary Godmother: “Such a good autumn movie played every year on Cartoon Network.”
Eric, Carol, Cam and Kamron all recommend Coraline.
Eric says: “Gas. Absolute gas. A majority of people love Coraline. I bet it’s harder to find someone who dislikes this movie than someone who likes this movie. This is the autumn movie!” Cam seconds this idea.
Kamron thinks: “This is the children’s horror movie. Legit is scarier than most adult horror films. Also amazing lore.”
Carol finds it to be “a wonderfully creepy movie that seems to be as timeless as many Christmas movies. I would call it the Halloween movie.”
Eric and Carol recommend ParaNorman.
Eric says: “ParaNorman is a slept-on movie. We need to appreciate it.”
Carol says: “I think it is such an underrated movie that is not talked about nearly enough. It’s spooky, it’s silly and it’s an amazing story.”
Cam recommends Fantastic Mr. Fox: “Gorgeous fall aesthetic, quirky stop-motion characters and a peppy soundtrack and it’s an adaptation of a children’s book. Meaningful and cozy.”
Carol and Cam recommend The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Cam says: “Sorry, but it’s just so self-explanatory, I’m not even sure what to say. It’s just like… The Most Festive Movie Ever and so universally beloved.”
Carol calls it “a fun yet silly movie that blends the lines between the two seasons, just like retail stores.”
Manny recommends Dead Poets Society, saying it has an “overall autumn academia vibe, and it’s an important piece of media pertaining to creativity and life’s purpose. Seize the day.”
Bill and Kamron recommend Halloween (1978).
Bill says, “It takes place during the fall, it’s spooky, literally Halloween night.”
Kamron calls it “the quintessential slasher. Perfect for a Halloween day movie marathon.”
Cam chimes in that it takes place in Illinois so it hits close to home.
Shows
Cam can’t wait to recommend Twin Peaks: “It’s impossible to ignore the aesthetic. The leaves, the trees, the waterfalls, the coffee. It manages to be the coziest show I’ve ever watched while being incredibly creepy and surreal, featuring fourth-wall breaks and shedding light on both a supernatural, esoteric kind of evil, as well as the evil that men do.
“Its jazzy soundtrack is perfect to walk to, to dance to, to study to. The characters have such a unique and quirky charm. Twin Peaks will forever be in a league of its own; there’s a reason it’s often cited as the most influential TV show of all time.”
Carol and Cam recommend Over the Garden Wall.
Cam speaks to its charm: “I hate to say it’s self-explanatory. Good balance of cozy and spooky. The aesthetic speaks for itself, and the characters are quirky, unique, and lovable. Comforting soundtrack.”
Carol says: “One of my top fall re-watches. A silly cast, an amazing soundtrack and the seeds to a plot twist.”
Cam recommends Midnight Mass: “Incredibly spooky, great story involving themes of humanity, isolation, religious zealotry, and best of all, vampires! Takes place on an island with honestly impeccable vibes, gorgeous scenery. Very cool plot twists and incredibly compelling characters.”
Cam, Kamron and Carol recommend Gravity Falls.
Cam calls it “nostalgic. Amazing aesthetic, lovable characters, banger soundtrack, well-known cryptids and monsters of all sorts. Great balance between spooky and wholesome, and just an amazing watch in general.”
Kamron says: “My personal favorite cartoon of all time. Full of lore, mysteries and nonstop fun. A coming-of-age story perfect for a fall binge watch.”
Carol seconds both sentiments.
Eric recommends Supernatural: “Pretty cool, lots of monsters, very long show, highly binge-worthy.”
Music
Bill recommends Phantom Island by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: “I selected this one because it’s simultaneously cold and warm. The strings and horns add to an expansive loneliness of the record floating around in space while the warmth comes from the love the band sings about for their partners and children as well as each other.”
Emily recommends Lullabies to Paralyze by Queens of the Stone Age: “Released in 2005, this album has always had an effect on me as QOTSA are maybe my favorite band of all time.
“This album always gets me in the mood for Halloween and all things creepy and dark. Songs such as ‘Someone’s in the Wolf,’ ‘Burn the Witch’ and ‘The Blood is Love’ have a sinister, spooky and overall campfire-story quality due to both subject matter and sounds of creaking old wood, circus music, breathy chants, and growls used within the songs.
“The album cover’s use of warm lantern lighting of a young girl in darkness perfectly matches this harrowing vibe and thematic woodsy setting.”
Carol recommends Counterfeit Arcade by Shayfer James: “While some songs don’t quite fit the fall vibe, most do. With names like ‘For the Departed’ and ‘Weight of the World,’ it isn’t too hard to see why. With James’ already very dark sounding style, the album’s fall vibe seems pretty obvious, at least to me.”
Cam recommends The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, Michigan indie rock band Lord Huron’s latest album: “It was released just this past July, and they’re still on tour for it. Within, rich bass and addictive guitar underline Ben Schneider’s crooning musings on life’s ‘lottery.’
“At any and every moment, the best, the worst, the most beautiful, the most ugly things can happen. What if the lottery got jumbled? Life is strange.”
Video Games
Eric recommends Firewatch: “Cozy game even though you find a child’s corpse. Very warm, lots of beautiful colors in that game. Very autumn.”
Carol recommends Unpacking: “While not set in fall, it is a nice cozy game about going though life. With autumn being the main transition period between seasons, it feels like a nice break from all the spookiness on this list.”
Eric recommends The Quarry: “Scary, scary, scary. If you like Until Dawn, you would love this game.”
Cam recommends Night in the Woods: “With a town that feels ripped straight out of reality and characters that feel like they could be your neighbors, Night in the Woods is an incredibly poignant, short and sweet game that has everything you could hope for in autumn media. It’s spooky, it’s cozy, its soundtrack is perfect to listen to on a walk during a crisp autumn evening. The aesthetic and art style are unmatched.”
Eric and Carol recommend Fran Bow. Eric says: “Fran Bow is a cult classic. Many people like this game, and we are getting a collab with Little Misfortune.”
Carol hops on the train with: “I have yet to play myself, but I did watch people play it. It’s a spooky story with ghosts and heartbreak, but it is well worth it to see a little girl find her cat. Also, so excited for the next game.”
Eric and Carol recommend Little Misfortune.
Carol says, “While I may not have played it, I watched many YouTubers play it when I was younger. I have thought about playing now that I have my own computer, but it is a good story. A sad story, but a good one. Also, this is connected to Fran Bow and the next game will be a crossover between the worlds.”
Eric and Carol recommend Stardew Valley.
Eric says, “Super cozy. Love playing with my friends. Friendship is magic, dog.”
Carol says, “It’s a fun farming game, great to play with others. There is always something to do and things to discover, NPCs have cute stories and the art is wonderful.”
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