We are officially a third of the way through October, which means spooky season is upon us! With the cooler weather, the sun setting earlier and pumpkin spice in the air, there is no better time to grab your significant other, or your favorite blanket, and curl up in front a screen for some spooky classics. Whether you are looking for some lighthearted family favorites or some downright bone-chilling horror flicks, we’ve got you covered!
Although fear-features are a staple of the Halloween season, they aren’t for everyone. If you are looking for a more easygoing film to get you in the mood for Halloween, look no further than some of our all-time favorites like Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, “Beetlejuice.” This comedy follows the “life” of recently deceased couple Adam and Barbra as they try to rid their house of the Deetzes, a wealthy family from the city whose move brings new difficulties as they try to adjust to their existence as ghosts. When they are unable to scare the new family out of their house, the couple are forced to call on Beetlejuice, a dangerous evil spirit whose existence threatens the safety of the couple as well as the Deetze’s strange daughter, Lydia, whom they have become fond of. Beetlejuice has something for everyone — comic relief, haunting spirits and a disgruntled gothic teenager.
If parody is what you’re looking for, no movie does it better than “Scary Movie (2000).” This comedy perfectly captures and mocks the faulty logic embodied in nearly every horror movie. Whether it’s choosing the worst option in a life or death scenario, or getting high with the killer, this classic, starring Anna Faros, Regina Hall and Marlon Wayans, that inspired four sequels is definitely the most absurd film on this list.
If you’re looking for something more intense, look no further than Steven Spielberg’s horror classic, “Poltergeist.” This horror flick has inspired countless other films and features scenes that will horrify its viewers today just as much as when it was released in 1982. Watch as a normal suburban family is subjected to the evil in their house, whose power takes hold of their youngest daughter. This feature has been a genre-defining classic and has stood the test of time. But be warned, it will definitely make you want to unplug your TV before you go to sleep.
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with any Tim Burton-Johnny Depp pair up. Whether it’s the lovable outcast “Edward Scissorhands,” the claymation classic “The Corpse Bride” or, if your stomach is up to it, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” This cult classic showcases Depp as more brutal and sadistic than you have ever seen him before. As he is robbed of his wonderful life with wife and daughter and betrayed by the British bourgeois, witness as Todd sings his way through his brutal, murderous crime spree in the streets of 1700’s England. Will Todd get his revenge or will his insanity get the best of him?
Finally, no Halloween movie list could be completed without its three most iconic and emulated characters, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. Each of these three are staples in Halloween costumes across the country. Freddy, as seen in “Nightmare on Elm Street,” is a fictional character that lives in your dreams and, after one viewing of this classic horror flick, is sure to stay there. Jason Voorhees and his iconic hockey mask made their first appearance in the 1980 slasher classic “Friday the 13th.” This film, like “Nightmare on Elm Street,” has spawned many sequels, and the two horror icons have been featured in movies where they have faced off and fought to the death. The final of these three icons is Michael Myers, whose presence in movies is the embodiment of Halloween. A film with the same name as the holiday, “Halloween” has had 13 installments in its franchise, each more unnerving than the last. No matter which of these horror icons you choose to watch, all three will definitely get you in the mood for spooky season.
If none of these mentioned films above peaked your interest, feel free to check out our complete list of recommended Halloween flicks.
