As I write this, it’s in the mid-60s and overcast. For the first time this year it feels like fall, and I’m enjoying a rise in spirits and a surge of autumnal energy — this is the season when my power is at its peak.
I know it won’t last; thanks to climate change, the small seasons of fall and spring are pretty much extinct, measurable as a handful of intermittent days rather than solid weeks, and the weathermen are already forecasting temps rising into the 80s and 90s again by the end of the week (ugh).
But I’m savoring this chilly snap while it lasts, and trying to prolong the autumn atmosphere with movies and shows like:
1. “Over the Garden Wall” (2014)
Brothers Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean) travel through a fantastical forest landscape populated by sarcastic bluebirds, singing frogs, pumpkin people, ghosts, witches, a grieving woodsman and a hungry Beast, trying to find their way home.
This Beistle-flavored miniseries is full of folksy music, backgrounds that mimic grisaille paintings and a superb supporting cast, which includes Christopher Lloyd, Tim Curry, John Cleese and Bebe Neuwirth. It’s a charming little story with bizarre characters and some unexpected twists, and you can practically smell the leaves and taste the apple cider in every episode.
2. “The Illusionist” (2006)
The mysterious Eisenheim (Ed Norton) takes 1889 Vienna by storm with his beautiful illusions. But when he reconnects with childhood love Sophie (Jessica Biel), now betrothed to the Crown Prince of Austria (Rufus Sewell), tragedy strikes, culminating in an investigation by Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti).
I’ve sung this film’s praises before, but I can’t help but do it again: this little-known gem is far better than the “Prestige,” the better-known mystery about turn-of-the-century magicians. Eisenheim and Sophie’s lifelong romance is wonderfully passionate, while Sewell once again plays the louche baddie with chilling panache.
With its sepia-toned color scheme and hazy cinematography that evokes gaslights and magic lanterns, “The Illusionist” just feels cozy and warm. It’s a beautiful, poignant bit of mysticism and romance.
3. “The Goonies” (1985)
A group of outcast children set out to find the lost treasure of the infamous pirate One-Eyed Willy in an attempt to save their families’ homes from a greedy developer, only to cross paths with a family of bank robbers.
Childhood nostalgia can be a potent tonic, and “The Goonies” was one of my favorite films as a wee one. The plucky, likable kids led by cutie pie Mikey (Sean Astin), the adventure moments as the Goonies navigate Willy’s traps and dodge the nefarious Fratellis, the sweet dynamic between Chunk (Jeff Cohen) and Sloth (John Matuszak) — it’s all chicken soup for my soul.
Combine all of that with the blustery, stormy Oregon setting and this has long been one of my go-to autumnal comfort watches.
4. “Sleepy Hollow” (season one, anyway)
When Lieutenant Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) sees her mentor killed by a headless horseman, she’s drawn into a supernatural drama that first began 300 years ago, with the now legendary Ichabod Crane.
Crane (Tom Mison), once a spy for George Washington, thought he had destroyed the Horseman at the cost of his own life. But he awakens in 2013 and learns he and Abbie are the two Witnesses of Revelation, prophesized to fight against the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
When I rewatch the first season of this show, it’s very much a bittersweet pleasure. “Sleepy Hollow” started out so strong, with a fun premise, some solid monsters of the week and a pair of leads that had insanely good chemistry.
Beharie’s Abbie is a fantastically complex heroine, while Mison got to play as both capable and the goofy fish out of water. The height difference! The Scully and Mulder dynamic! The great supporting cast that included John Cho, John Noble and Orlando Jones! The misty, foggy, spooky vibes of Sleepy Hollow, a place already synonymous with Halloween and autumn!
But the show went downhill fast, with the studio treating Beharie abominably — she wasn’t invited to official press tours or to do any behind-the-scenes extras, and faced myriad racist issues on set — while the quality of the writing and stories quickly plummeted.
So while I can whole-heartedly recommend season one, I also recommend to stop there and imagine your own ending for Abbie and Ichabod; it’ll undoubtedly be better than the one the show actually gave them.
5. “Little Women” (2019)
The four March sisters — Meg, Beth, Jo and Amy — navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood in the Reconstruction Era, finding love and facing tragedy as a family.
Writer/director Greta Gerwig can do no wrong in my book; her non-linear take on this beloved classic is definitely my favorite adapt to date. She — and actress Florence Pugh, who also can do no wrong; Lord but that woman is an incredible talent — actually made me like Amy March! Truly a miracle.
And while this movie covers every season, both literally and figuratively, the cozy warmth it exudes is perfect for a chilly fall day. When I think of this film, my mind immediately calls up a forest covered in red, orange and brown. The stellar costuming, too, with its many layers and patterns, the snuggly sweaters and shawls and coats, is just so dang cuddly.
6. “Clue” (1985)
On a dark and stormy night, a group of strangers answer a summons to a remote mansion, where they’re quickly surrounded by dead bodies and deadly secrets.
No movie is truly perfect, but “Clue” comes awfully dang close. And who could’ve expected that from an adaptation of a board game?
Just about every line is hysterically quotable and brilliantly clever. Each member of the powerhouse cast, from Tim Curry to Madeline Kahn to Christopher Lloyd and Michael McKean, delivers perfectly zany performances. The slapstick comedy, the cartoonish violence, the convoluted revelations and multiple endings — it’s all just so perfect.
I love a good “deadly house party” story any time of the year, but I crave them the most once the temps start to drop and the sky goes pewter. Murder mysteries just hit differently this time of the year. Pair this classic with its spiritual successor “Knives Out,”
• ANGIE BARRY is a contributing columnist for Shaw Media. To suggest future topics for The B-List, which covers topics in pop culture, history and literature, contact her at newsroom@mywebtimes.com. and you’ve got a superb double-feature to while away a rainy day.