Released in 1978, “Halloween” follows the murders of serial killer Michael Myers after he escapes from a hospital.
With 15 days to go, Halloween is fast approaching. The countdown is on for the best day of the year – at least, in the opinion of candy-hungry children and filmmakers with Tim Burton-like aesthetics.
On this list, movies will be creepy and crawly or lighthearted and nostalgic. These seven items will offer something for everyone.
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966)
This is the only Halloween TV show on the list, but it’s such a classic that it can’t be overlooked. The show is only 25 minutes long, so if a student only has a little while to relax and watch a show between assignments, classes and various other activities, they could easily watch this show and get their Halloween fix.
Unfortunately, this show is only available on Apple TV. However, if a person does not have Apple TV, they will be able to watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” for free on the app on Oct. 21-22, 2023.
“Beetlejuice” (1988)
“Beetlejuice” is one of those kind of creepy, kind of funny movies that a lot of people love and a lot of people hate. It’s Tim Burton in his essence.
The movie follows a recently deceased couple trying to rid their house of its new owners. They summon Beetlejuice to help with this, and as expected because it’s a movie, things go awry.
The movie is funny, theatrical and has incredible costume and set design as well as a star-studded cast. With people like Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder playing some of the main characters, a watcher can find something enjoyable in the performance.
“Hocus Pocus” (1993)
“Hocus Pocus” is a Disney Channel original movie classic directed by Kenny Ortega, the same man who directed another DCOM classic, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.”
“Hocus Pocus” can be considered a cult classic since it didn’t make as much money as Disney expected it to on its first release.
The movie follows a boy from Salem, Massachusetts, that accidentally resurrects three witches from the times of the Salem witch trials. The children of the area fight the witches, who of course want to suck the life out of children in order to live forever, and though the kids prevail, the movie ends on a cliffhanger that implies that the witches could return. This does indeed happen in “Hocus Pocus 2,” which was released on Sept. 30, 2022.
“Halloweentown” (1998)
“Halloweentown” is another Disney Channel original movie involving witches.
The main character, Marnie, discovers she is a witch on her 13th Halloween and goes to Halloweentown with her grandmother, Aggie, to train. Witches are not the only supernatural beings in this movie – there are werewolves, ghosts, vampires, goblins and more.
It’s another cult classic that reminds people of childhood. It sparked a number of sequels as well, so if one movie just isn’t enough for a person, they can watch “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge”, “Halloweentown High” and “Return to Halloweentown” as well.
“Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984)
Much like “Friday the 13th,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” is a good laugh. It’s intended to be a scary movie, but it’s not as scary as it once was.
There are seven films in the franchise, but the best one is the first. “Nightmare on Elm Street” follows several teenagers who are targeted by Freddy Krueger – a killer who can murder people in their dreams.
It is also Johnny Depp’s film debut. The movie was even put into the United States National Film Registry in 2021, so if that doesn’t prove its importance, then it’s hard to decide what does.
“Scream” (1996)
“Scream” is one of the most classic slasher films out there, and if a person hasn’t seen it, they’re missing out. Like many of the other movies on this list, it inspired a plethora of sequels.
The movie was conceived as a criticism of the cliché actions of characters in horror films and became so popular that it ended up grossing nearly $175 million dollars. It’s the film where David Arquette and Courtney Cox met, where Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich became one of the film industries’ most loved duos and where Drew Barrymore’s brief performance became one of the most iconic opening scenes of a film ever.
“Halloween” (1978)
Finally, a film synonymous with the holiday – Jamie Lee Curtis’s film debut and most enduring performance and arguably John Carpenter’s most famous film.
This movie inspired 12 sequels, a book, a video game and a comic series. It is probably one of the most influential horror movies ever made, and Michael Myers is one of the most iconic killers of all time.
If a person is going to watch any movie this Halloween, it may as well be the namesake of the holiday.
