We’re halfway to Halloween already as the month of October continues to fly right by. This is a month that ends with a spooky bang on Halloween and I have a lineup of scary movie suggestions ready for perusal on that very day. The month itself isn’t really known to be thematically scary, much like November isn’t completely focused on turkey and February isn’t a love filled month. So far, what’s been scariest for me is the amount of floor space already turned over to Christmas decorations when you’re out shopping! I thought we could start enjoying the scary theme a little early though, but with something that mixes in the humor and absurd in doses just a little heavier than the scary. Today, we’ll focus on:

MOVIE: “The ‘Burbs” (1989, PG, 102 min, watch it: DVD, Prime)

Tom Hanks stars in the movie, one of his most underrated comedies in my opinion, as Ray Peterson. Stressed out at work and done at home, he has a week off and just wants to relax before getting some actual productivity in. Instead, his neighbor Art (played by comic co-star Rick Ducommun) starts bending Ray’s ear about their reclusive new neighbors, the Klopeks. Another neighbor, Mark (played by Bruce Dern) and his hired handyman Ricky (played by Corey Feldman) get in on the theories as well and pretty soon they’re all convinced the Klopeks are ritualistic murderers.

Well, convinced might be a little much. Ray’s wife, Carol (played by the incomparable Carrie Fisher) tries to keep Ray grounded in reality, playing down the fears Art and Mark keep stoking. Events continue on to make Ray waver back and forth. When a neighbor goes missing and Ray finds evidence of the Klopeks being involved somehow, he determines their trio need to take action.

Probably doesn’t sound like the spookiest of movies, and it isn’t. This is just something to start getting in the spooky spirit and have a good time watching a movie. The laughs are plentiful and the timings of the acting and editing are often masterful. Joe Dante directed this and if the name doesn’t sound familiar, perhaps the movies “Gremlins” and “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” ring a bell? Those are also spooky movies that are predominantly comedy. I love those movies, but adore this one as something even better.

What really works well in this movie is how absurd the initial assertion is, that satanic murderers are living next door, but how easily small tidbits are put in to make the audience wonder if it might actually be true. Then, an explanation is given to make everything reset to sounding absurd. And then some more things crop up that cast doubt once again. You have to be willing to give in to the absurdity on some level to be sure, but it is easy to get carried away with this group of guys who are either trying to protect their neighborhood or desperately trying to find things to do other than their responsibilities.

Everyone in the movie also turns in a great performance, towing the line well between grounded and relatable people (like Carol), guys who think they’re doing the right thing (Ray), absurdist caricatures (the entire Klopek family) and even the audience incarnate in the movie (Ricky, who is egging them on to continue the story while sitting back and inviting friends over to watch and eat pizza). The story is well thought out and excellently paced and packs several surprises along the way.

When it was released, the critical reviews were pretty mixed and the movie turned out a decent profit, but it was far from a blockbuster success. Do a little internet digging, however, and you’ll find this movie has a cult following. Just for the record, not a murderous cult like the characters think the Klopeks are a part of, but rather just a dedicated fan base that loves to share the joy of this movie.

So, is this What2Watch tonight? If you like being entertained by a good comedic movie and are in the mood for just a little spookiness, this is a great choice. Remember that PG ratings in the 80s doesn’t automatically make it younger kid friendly, depending on your preferences. While there is no gore, there is a relatively large amount of swearing, more than you’d expect for a PG movie. Still, I think it’ll get you in the mood for the upcoming frights of Halloween without getting your daylights scared all the way out.

Kent Kraft is someone who can quote an alarming amount of the movie, particularly while it is playing. Though he would be hard pressed to single out his favorite line of dialogue, he certainly can point to his favorite moment: At the end of the movie, when Tom Hanks is coming out of the house, he doesn’t walk down the stairs like a normal human being. What actually happens defies explanation and is worth quite a few viewings.