Ah, the Fourth of July. The best holiday to get drunk and blow up stuff–because if that doesn’t scream patriotism, I don’t know what does. If you’re new here, I have taken the responsibility in turning any moment into a possibility for scares. Therefore, I had to track down what films are appropriate for this American holiday.
To qualify, the films had to have a Fourth of July related plot point that was consequential to the story. With vigorous research, two films came out on top. Both films were coincidentally released in 1985. so that must have been an explosive year. If you’re into celebrating the holiday or you couldn’t care less and want to tuck in for a movie while it sounds like a warzone outside, let me turn you onto Silver Bullet and Return of the Living Dead.
Silver Bullet
This film falls into the category of forgotten Stephen King adaptations (though every cover has his name announced on it). If you’re a fan of the werewolf genre, this is your movie. Silver Bullet is based on King’s novella Cycle of the Werewolf. Starring 80’s wonderchild Corey Haim, who you might recognize from The Lost Boys, it focuses on a paraplegic kid who believes the random, violent murders happening across town have a supernatural culprit: a local werewolf.
This string of murders cancels the local Fourth of July celebration. However, our protagonist Marty steals some fireworks for a personal celebration. These fireworks set of a series of confrontations with the supposed culprit, leading to an investigation on who is the culprit. It’s a film that most of Generation X has on their radar. It was either something that either terrified them beyond belief or inducted them into the horror genre.
I consider this film a clear example of starter horror. It isn’t too intense for younger viewers and is chock full of 80’s nostalgia that parents can enjoy it too–if they haven’t seen it already. It also is a decent King adaptation and has a stellar performance from Corey Haim and quite a convincing villain. Not to mention, the werewolf makeup is quite terrifying. Check this out if your neighbors are annoying you with late night fireworks–maybe consequentially you’ll sic a werewolf on them.
Where to watch: Rent/Buy on Amazon Video and Apple TV. Streaming with subscription on Paramount+. Free with Ads on Pluto TV.
Return of the Living Dead
On the other side of the coin, we have this zany, punk horror comedy. This is one of the most beloved zombie film of all time and has truly ascended with its cult status over the years. It is acutely self aware and takes place over the Fourth of July weekend–so it was practically screaming at me. Released in 1985 and a true riff off of Romero’s zombie flicks, Return of the Living Dead is a true, crazy treat. Two careless warehouse workers accidently lets loose a gas that turns corpses nearby into unkillable zombies. Teaming up with a group of punk teens, they face off against this invincible crowd over the holiday weekend.
I mean, what couldn’t be more American than dropping a nuclear bomb on the problem and labeling it as a solution, despite making things worse? The film also serves as a scathing commentary on the nuclear scares occurring during the Cold War area and how nuclear warfare could lead to more destruction than aid to their cause. This was a common topic that horror films addressed during the 80s–adding further to my “horror-social commentary” point that I’ve made on many posts (if not all).
This is the film that introduced the concept of zombies feasting on brains as well as one of the first that was not a Romero. On top of that, it is a gorefest that is unrelentless in its hour and a half runtime, making this a quick watch for the holiday so you can go out and catch some fireworks. If not, it has plenty of sequels that are equally ridiculous and could make for an entertaining (and possibly drunken) night.
Where to watch: Free with Ads with Tubi and Pluto TV. Rent/Buy on Amazon Video and Apple TV.
Well, whether you enjoy the holiday or not, hopefully these suggestions give you ideas for some new holiday traditions. The macabre never sleeps, so I hope to offer a tradition for those that indulge in it daily like me. What are your favorite nonconventional horror movies? Let me know in the comments and I can feature them next holiday–it doesn’t have to be horror either, I love unconventional matches for every genre.
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