As you’re probably aware… Halloween is just around the corner.
To get you in the mood, we thought we’d take a look at some of our favourite spook-based spectacle wearers of the silver screen.
Freddy Kreuger – A Nightmare on Elm Street
To start things off, we’ve got Mr Freddy Kreuger — that real nasty character from Wes Craven’s ultra-long running Nightmare on Elm Street saga. Freddy may be a murderous ‘dream-demon’ who spends his time hassling people whilst they're trying to nap, but you’ve got to hand it to him… he’s a pretty slick dresser.
And if his trademark get-up of a chunky striped jumper, a fedora and a pair of black jeans didn’t seal the deal as an overlooked style icon, how about those ultra-classic black shades he wears in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4.
Alright, it’s not exactly the best film ever made, but Freddy did look pretty cool.
For that trademark ‘Freddy Kreuger on holiday’ vibe, we’d go with the Garrett Leight Brooks in Matte Black
Brad – The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Up next, we’ve got someone a little bit more pleasant… Brad from Richard O’Brien’s cult horror comedy, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Released in 1975, this bizarre sing-along tribute to low-end B-movies was originally panned by critics, before finding an audience thanks to repeat late-night screenings at an art house cinema in New York. Over 40 years later, it’s still playing — making it the longest running theatrical release in film history.
Anyway, back to Brad. Played by Barry Bostwick, he’s the straight guy in a world of singing transvestites, cabaret dancers and… er… Meat Loaf, and rocks a classic Ivy League outfit of an Oxford shirt, a khaki windbreaker and a pair of chunky frames from the Michael Caine school of eyewear.
Doing the time warp again? Go for the Molino by Jacques Marie Mage.
The unnamed drifter – They Live
No article talking about the role of glasses in horror films would be complete without mentioning John Carpenter’s They Live.
Released in 1988, this film tells the story of an unnamed drifter (played by WWF wrestling hot-head Rowdy Roddy Piper, no less), who stumbles upon a pretty special pair of wayfarers whilst rummaging in a church.
Not only do these things look ace, but they also allow Roddy’s character to see the realities of the world around him. What exactly are these realities? Well, subliminal messages designed to hypnotise and subdue the population are pasted on the walls, and the rich and wealthy are actually aliens with funny-looking skulls for faces. Intriguing stuff, to say the least.
Whilst they won’t reveal the inner-workings of the world, the Yves Sun by Jacques Marie Mage should at least keep the sun out your eyes.
Barb – Stranger Things
Next, how about Barb from Stranger Things? Alright, we know it’s not a film, but this series from last year crammed in so many references to classic horror that it’s definitely worth a mention.
Whether it’s the Carpenter-esque synth score, those sensory deprivation tanks ripped from Altered States or those opening titles straight off the cover of a Steve King novel, the whole series is like one long extended homage to the glory age of late-night frights.
Even the characters seem like nods to 80s schlock, and awkward schoolgirl Barb is no exception. As the bumbling best-friend of main-character Nancy Wheeler, she’s the archetype high school misfit, destined for an unfortunate ending.
That said, Barb’s nerdy stylings won her an unexpected following, and looking at those pink-tinted glasses, it’s not to hard to see why.
For something similar, we’d go with the Garrett Leight Wilson in Rose Pearl
Egon Spengler - Ghostbusters
And finally, what better way to round this off than with everyone’s favourite four-eyed parapsychologist… Egon Spengler?
Played by the late Harold Ramis, Egon isn’t just the brains behind the Ghost Busters team, but with that powerful quiff and those trademark round glasses; he’s also the sharpest of the bunch.
For that time-honoured spectre-bagging style, we’d choose the Ringo frame from Jacques Marie Mage
