From personally scoring those creepy sounds you hear on the grounds of Universal Studio’s famed Halloween Horror Nights, to devoting his body of work to the genre with his famed Monsters series, it should come as no surprise that Joshua Gard—the hard-hitting bass don known as Figure—is an educated fan and horror film lover.
In honor of the season, we checked in with Gard to see what kind of horrifying flicks and television shows he recommends for the dark and stormy nights ahead. Sit back, grab a bag of popcorn and prepare for a spooky night of Netflix and kill.
When I get married, you best believe my reception will be at the Overlook Hotel.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
When it comes to the good old days—black and white, no real budget—compared to movies today, I would have to say you can’t do better than the original House on Haunted Hill. Vincent Price is such a boss in it. From the witchy woman floating around to the walking skeleton, it’s such a great timeless movie. I actually enjoyed the remake as well.
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
I [also] have to mention all the George Romero films. He made such an impact in my world with Night of the Living Dead. This one is a must-see.
The Thing (1982)
When it comes to practical effects, I have to give the cake to the original The Thing, directed by John Carpenter. Everything about that movie is perfect, and the new version isn’t too bad either. I’ve read in a lot of places that it’s technically a remake of The Thing From Another World. If that’s true, Carpenter outshines the original without a doubt.
The Shining (1980)
I still watch this movie a couple times a week; I get some odd comfort from it. I watch it on my iPad on planes to go to sleep; I watch it at home when I can’t decide what to put on. The way it just slowly builds the entire time, almost droning into each plot twist or shock. When I get married, you best believe my reception will be at the Overlook Hotel. I still haven’t been!
The Best of the Rest (1960s – 1990s)
I have to combine a couple here. I wouldn’t call them horror, per say, but The Addams Family, The Munsters, and Beetlejuice were my best friends growing up. That’s all I would watch for about nine years when I was younger. I’d watch them on VHS, take one right out and put the next one in and sit there and draw monsters while I was watching them. I wasn’t a fan of all the goofy cartoons like Angry Beavers and shit like that. I love The Aaahh Real Monsters, Ghostbusters, and the Beetlejuice cartoons, though. I was actually watching The Addams Family TV show when I started writing this.
I also can’t decide what to choose from when it comes to series like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. All of them are very important to me, even if some of the films kind of missed the mark. I can’t imagine the world of horror today if those three bosses never decided to attack the world. I love all the classics of course: Black Sabbath, Dracula, Frankenstein, White Zombie, and Suspiria. I could think about it for days and I will still forget so many classics. There is a whole other article sitting in my head when it comes to B-movies and stuff that’s just not popular, but I’ll save that for next time.