As you’ve probably already heard, a little TV show called Stranger Things comes back Friday (October 27) for its second season, and if you’re anything like us, you’re probably going to stay up until three in the morning and binge-watch it the second it drops, work and responsibility be damned.
But let’s say you’ve finished the season all in one sitting and you’ve decided you’re still hungry for more '80s science-fiction/horror -- what do you do then? Stream some other show from the era it’s influenced by? Post about it on the internet and get mad about stupid shit like Barb’s death? Well, The Brattle has a way better option prepared just for you nerds out there: They’re showing a week-long program of films that inspired the look and feel of the show, timed to coincide with the release of the show. They’re calling it “Strange Inspirations,” and you should start clearing your calendars now.
The series kicks off on Friday with a double feature that’ll make any nerd worth their salt salivate at the very thought of it: Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece Alien, followed by the man of your dreams, Kurt Russell, in The Thing.
From then on, it’s a buffet of genre delights served up to you piping hot. Like children screaming? Well, check out the double feature of Stand By Me (a classic!) and The Goonies (bleh!) a few days later, and be sure to come back for Joe Dante’s utterly bizarre Explorers when it shows later in the week. Like hyper-entertaining science-fiction with a campy bent and a great soundtrack? Go ahead and buy a ticket for their screening of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. Want to cry your eyes out? See the Spielberg double feature they’re doing on Sunday, with E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind melting hearts and reminding you of your parents’ divorce. Are you a horror-head looking for shit to do on Halloween? Go to the double feature of Ghostbusters and John Carpenter’s extremely underrated Prince of Darkness that they’re doing that night.
That’s only a meager listing of some of the films they’ll be showing over the course of the next week, and you should head over to the Brattle’s website if you’re interested in seeing the rest of the line-up. Seriously, though -- even if you don’t like Stranger Things specifically, this is an awesome way to get into the Halloween spirit and a really great opportunity to catch up on some of the greatest genre films ever made if you’ve missed any. Just make sure not to forget your Eggos.
'STRANGE INSPIRATIONS' :: Friday, October 27 through Thursday, November 2 at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St. in Cambridge, MA :: Various times, all ages, $13 for the public, $11 for Brattle members :: Ticket info :: Featured image via MovieStillsDB.