In which of these movies can you find goth god Peter Murphy? (Image CC by SA, via pfig on Flickr)

Today is World Goth Day! Says who? Says, um, various loosely affiliated factions on the Internet. Apparently it all grew out of a UK radio special that aired May 22, 2009, and ever since, various eager promoters, bands, artists, and such have used the day as a reason to organize various events around the world.

Unsurprisingly, there aren’t any happening tonight in South Florida. It’s a Tuesday, anyway, and goth nights here have always tended to fall on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It’s also likely to rain again tonight, which gives great goth points for gloominess, but makes actually going anywhere a huge pain in the ass. (It’s also bad for leather boots and any kind of fun fabric.)

How about a movie night? You could go serious and obvious and check out the great vampire flicks — the original Nosferatu, Interview With a Vampire, whatever — but we recommend schlocky. Contrary to popular belief, the goth-inclines are also inclined to pretty smart senses of humor — so we suggest these B-grade spooky movies for a little light with the dark.

The Doom Generation (1995)

While this isn’t particularly goth per se, it’s great for anyone who likes watching nubile, vaguely punk-rock-type drifters get into wanton sex, drug use, and violence. There are stories of machete disembowelments, gangs of neo Nazis, and cameos by real-life porn stars. Oh, and lots and lots of junk food-infused anomie. Anyways, whatever happened to Johnathon Schaech?

The Doom Generation | James Duval | Rose McGowan | Gregg Araki | Movie Trailer | Review

The Craft (1996)

If you haven’t watched this since the days of knee socks and mini backpacks, it’s worth another look at this classic teen-witch-coven drama. If you thought this was scary in middle school, it’s patently ridiculous now, and painfully, deliciously mid-’90s.

Repo! the Genetic Opera (2008)

This 2008 horror rock opera isn’t quite as genius as its rabid, Rocky Horror-style fans might have you believe. Blame this probably on funding, though — a lot of the cinematic flaws come from obvious budgetary limitations. The premise is based on a dystopian world in which a large, family-run corporation, GeneCo, sells organs to people on payment plans — and when they can’t pony up, yes, their body parts get repo-ed. Besides the overall dark-cyber visual aesthetic, this gets extra rivethead points thanks to the appearance of Skinny Puppy’s Ogre as Pavi Largo, an heir to to the GeneCo fortune. Joan Jett (not goth but awesome) and Melora Creager of Rasputina play on the soundtrack. Just ignore the fact that Paris Hilton also “acts” in this.

The Lost Boys (1987)

No run-down of goth-punk-vampire-’80s shlock is complete without a mention of this 1987 cheese-fest starring the two Coreys — Haim and Feldman — alongside Kiefer Sutherland. The Coreys spend a lot of time on a boardwalk, listen to rock bands with awful saxophonists, and fight off teenaged fang gangs. The original is terrible-awesome, and the later sequels (2008′s Lost Boys: The Tribe, and 2010′s Lost Boys: The Thirst) are just terrible.

The Hunger (1983)

In what is probably the most goth opening sequence to a movie, ever, David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve stalk a dark dance club while Bauhaus performs “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” This is followed by a ridiculous fuck-kill scene in a lavish Manhattan apartment. The plot line goes that feasting on young pale things keeps them young, but Bowie’s character starts aging anyways. It all gets confusing for no real cinematic reason and winds up laughable, but still — Bowie as sexy, rich vampire with great real estate!

Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, goth, Repo the Genetic Opera, Skinny Puppy, the Craft, the Doom Generation, the Hunger, The Lost Boys, World Goth Day