I know it's just now September, but with my favorite holiday inching closer and closer I've already been thinking of the best movies to watch to get me in the mood for the season. I personally watch anything from classic horror to cheesy slasher movies during the fall, but this list will just be focused on films that are set or centered around the holiday of Halloween itself.

Some are made for kids, others are a little on the creepier side but all will certainly get you in the mood for October 31st!

1. Halloween (1978)

John Carpenter's Halloween is the quintessential Halloween movie. Masked madman, Michael Myers escapes from an institution on Halloween night embarking on a killing spree in the in town of Haddonfield, Illinois. Jamie Lee Curtis who plays Michael's sister Laurie Strode, is his main target.

Similar to other popular slasher movie franchises such as Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, the original Halloween I think stands alone as the best film out of the three and is definitely a must see movie to add to your Halloween movie marathon.

2. Trick 'r Treat (2007)

I used to say this movie was a little underrated, but it seems that every year I hear it being mentioned more and more as a must see Halloween film. I personally am a huge sucker for any anthology horror series and films that incorporate multiple stories (ex: Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside movie, Trilogy of Terror, etc.) and Trick 'r Treat is just that.

I don't really want to give away too much about this movie, but all of the Halloween stories take place in the same town on the same Halloween night and at the end of the movie, you find that everything is somehow connected. I remember the first time I saw the movie, my expectations were pretty low but it certainly was a pleasant surprise and a little different than the typical modern day Halloween movies.

3. Casper (1995)

Two movies growing up that were always my favorite childhood Halloween movies were Casper and Hocus Pocus. I am probably going to be in the minority on this one, but I always slightly preferred Casper over Hocus Pocus. Both came out around the same time, about two years apart. I specifically remember seeing Casper in the movie theaters in the first grade and was hooked from there on out. I even named my dog after Casper because I loved it so much (along with the original cartoon).

There was always a little extra spark about this movie that Hocus Pocus didn't have for me. It might have been the father/daughter relationship or the reoccurring theme of death throughout the film, or even how I was able to connect with the characters so well. I would have loved for my childhood crush to be a ghost and then come back to life for a moment in time at a Halloween dance. Forget the Disney princess fairy tale stories, falling in love with the deceased was definitely a far more interesting scenario.

Anyway, I don't think a Halloween season has passed where I didn't watch this movie at least twice. For me the nostalgic factor gets me every time and I know this year won't be any different when I watch it.

4. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Okay, so I really wanted to add the Disney cartoon, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" to this list but figured there was only room for one Sleepy Hollow, so I opted for the R-rated film.

Like 85% of Tim Burton movies, Johnny Depp plays the main role (as Ichabod Crane). And Christina Ricci makes her second appearance on this Halloween movie list as Katrina Van Tassel. The movie is based off of the classic "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and is great addition to your Halloween movie list.

Also, it's probably the least "cheesy" of the movies on this list. Not that it doesn't have its quirky moments, but it's not made for kids and has an interesting and well thought out storyline.

5. Ed Wood (1994)

Another Johnny Depp and Tim Burton combination! Anyway, if you don't know who Ed Wood (yes, a real person) is, do your research and look him up. He was the "brilliant mastermind" behind what has been considered one of the worst movies of all time, Plan 9 from Outer Space. It's basically the epitome of campy 1950s horror, which I'm all about.

Ed Wood basically follows the life of the film maker (played by Johnny Depp) and focuses on his many attempts at a big break and his relationship with Bela Lugosi. The film is shot in entirely black and white which I quite enjoy and includes a rather comical cast of characters. Like a few others on the list, Halloween is not the "main focus" but Halloween night is included as part of the movie. And with all of the classic horror characters making cameos, it's more than enough to get you in the Halloween spirit.

6. Halloweentown (1998)

Another movie that I remember well when it came out. Halloweentown aired on Disney Channel and was so popular that it actually had several sequels (none of which were anything decent). The original was based on Marnie, a 14-year-old girl who discovers she's a witch and follows her grandmother, Debbie Reynolds (who is also a witch) to her home of Halloweentown.

When you watch it again as an adult, since it was a made for TV Disney Original Movie, it is a bit cheesier than what you probably remember. It clearly did not have the same budget as something like Hocus Pocus and the monsters look more comical than scary. Even so, a good one to add to your list and Disney Channel has played it every year so typically not a hard one to find prior to Halloween.

7. May (2002)

I haven't seen this movie in quite some time, so clearly it's not exactly an every year movie for me, but I think it's one worth checking out and can get you into the Halloween spirit. That is if you try not to focus on the fact that you just watched a young woman literally sew body parts of different people onto one person. A modern day Frankenstein? Also, a large portion of the film takes place on Halloween night, hence why it is included on this list.

This movie has a lot of bizarre moments and could quite possibly be considered disturbing if you don't typically watch movies like this. Personally, I'm immune and often like to seek out the "most disturbing movies" lists online and watch. I think this has been on maybe one list that I have came across, so it was a walk in the park for me.

8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

This is every 2003 Hot Topic kid's favorite movie of all time. While that was definitely a category I can say I fit into for a little while at age 14, I was always a fan of the movie growing up. In short, Nightmare Before Christmas is a Tim Burton, stop animation film about a character named Jack Skellington who resides in Halloween Town. He discovers an entrance through a tree that leads him to Christmas Town and begins taking over the role of "Sandy Claws."

And the thing about this movie which makes it cool is that it can not only fit well into Halloween movie lists, but also Christmas movie lists. And the TV stations definitely capitalize on playing it for both holidays.

9. Hocus Pocus (1993)

Nope, I wasn't going to forget this one! Just because Casper beats it out in my eyes, doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a spot on this list. I love Hocus Pocus and always have.

I'm not going to rehash the storyline because I don't think I've ever met a person who hasn't seen the movie, but with three witches who are brought back to life, a black cat and a neighborhood bully named Ice you can't go wrong for your a Halloween must watch movie.

10. Pet Sematary II (1992)

I know I am going to be harshly judged for even thinking to include this movie on the list, but I just couldn't resist. I am quite aware that Pet Sematary II is a really, really bad/cheeseball/pathetic or whatever you want to refer to it as, movie. But, it's one of my favorite bad movies.

You have Edward Furlong's Academy Award winning acting chops paired with the concept from the original (burying pets and people in an Indian burial ground and them coming back to life) and making it even more ridiculous. AMC always adds Pet Sematary II to their Fear Fest lineup and every year, I watch. I always thought it was kind of random that they would play this one and not Pet Sematary, but maybe it's just because it takes place on Halloween night. After Fear Fest, when the urge to watch again happens throughout the year though, no worries...I've got it on DVD as well!