FILM

Join Alamo Drafthouse West Oaks for Graveyard Shift: POLTERGEIST. Welcome to the Graveyard Shift — where night owls come together to enjoy some of the best horror movies ever made. From the classics to unknown gems, every month the Alamo Drafthouse will pick out a favorite from the vault for your enjoyment. The Graveyard Shift isn’t just a simple screening, though — it’s an event. Once a month we’ll bring you games, giveaways and surprises of all shapes and sizes. If you’re a horror fan living in Houston, the third Saturday of the month is reserved for the Graveyard Shift.

This month: POLTERGEIST

"The house is clean."

Legend has it that West Oaks Mall was built over an abandoned cemetery. OK, that may not be true, but what is true is the fact that POLTERGEIST, 30 years after its release, remains one of the scariest, most heartfelt horror films to ever be unleashed upon an unsuspecting public.

This January, the Graveyard Shift moves to a Thursday night for a screening of Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg's classic family-friendly (?) horror film. Yes, it's true that the film, about a California family haunted by malevolent spirits, is rated PG. Remember, though, this is '80s PG — a special kind of film rating where violent and often extremely scary stuff was OK to share with the younger set. We at the Graveyard Shift miss the days when generations of horror fans could come together to celebrate the scary without that uncomfortable feeling that comes with sitting down with your parents to watch naked cheerleaders filleted.

Today, horror aimed at teenagers is often hastily thrown together trash that insults the intelligence of any child unlucky enough to sit through it. Modern teen-centric horror films aren't nearly as scary nor as smart as the ones that were birthed during the '80s and some of the best horror films being released today are nowhere near appropriate to share with the kids. What to do, then, when seeking to create a burgeoning horror movie fan? Introduce him to the classics, of course.

While POLTERGEIST is not a teen-centric horror film by any stretch of the imagination, it is one of those great, classic films where the entire family (provided that all members are old enough to not wet their pants at the sight of a killer tree) could sit down and enjoy together.

This January, we're offering you the chance to bring your friends and family (regardless of whether they're still in braces or not) and watch Craig T. Nelson and family fight back against the dead on the big screen. As with all Graveyard Shift events, we'll have some cool games, giveaways and more surprises to help make the event extra special.

See you on the other side. (Robert Saucedo)