Halloween is quickly approaching. There are only a couple more weeks left to carve pumpkins, plan the perfect costume, and watch all of those horror films. Many of our favorite Halloween movies here at American Songwriter involve cameos from musicians.
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From David Bowie to Aaliyah, find five Halloween tales that star music heavyweights below.
1. The Hunger – David Bowie
David Bowie proved time and time again that there was nothing he couldn’t do. His music career was theatrical enough to make acting an easy jump for him. Bowie had several name-making roles throughout his life, but the most Halloween-centric one came in 1983. The Hunger follows Bowie’s character as he is led astray by a vampire. Bowie’s natural outlandishness made him the perfect choice to dive into the dark, seductive world of the immortal.
2. Videodrome – Debbie Harry
In 1983, Debbie Harry took a break from being a punk icon to dabble in the acting scene for the movie Videodrome. Harry’s character becomes engrossed with a provocative TV show. She swaps her trademark blonde hair for something less distinctive. Despite being a massive name in the music scene, Harry manages to disappear into this role.
3. Queen Of The Damned – Aaliyah
Queen of the Damned isn’t a perfect movie by any means. However, where the filmmakers did get it right was casting Aaliyah. The late R&B singer starred as Akasha, a torso-baring and tantalizing vampire. The movie was released after Aaliyah’s death in 2001. She captivated in her final role–blood and all.
4. The Witches of Eastwick – Cher
Cher has added her innate star power to many movies throughout her career, but The Witches of Eastwick is by far her most spooky. Cher stars alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon in this 1987 release. The plot follows Jack Nicholson’s devil as he comes to the quaint town of Eastwick to help the three women hone their witchy powers. Their mentor-mentee relationship quickly turns south and all hell breaks loose.
[RELATED: The 5 Best Cher Movie and TV Appearances]
5. Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare – Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper has appeared in many Halloween staples, but we’ve chosen to revisit Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. Freddy Krueger is one of the holiday’s most famous faces. The nightmarish villain is akin to Jason or Michael Myers. You don’t need to have seen any film in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise to know Krueger’s iron claw or striped shirt.
Cooper appeared in what was billed as the final movie in the series, though more films would go on to be made. Cooper stars as Krueger’s adoptive dad. One can only imagine what type of father figure would go on to create a monster such as this. Cooper brings his chilling shock-rocker persona to the role, pulling it off in spades.
(Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)
