Great news everyone! Halloween is here, and the Halloween themed movies are all over television. I find myself watching many of the same movies over and over again at this time of year so I have created quite a list. Whether you are a horror lover who loves blood and gore, or someone who prefers something a bit more light family friendly, I tried to incorporate something for everyone.
1. Halloween
It wouldn't be Halloween without John Carpenter's movie Halloween. In the year 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murders his sister in the comfort of their own home and is then locked away. He escapes 15 years later to return home and search for his next victims. If you haven't already seen this one, now is the time!
2. Scream
This is one that I have loved for years and no matter how many times I watch these movies, they never get old. Of course the original Scream is my favorite, but the three other movies that follow it are also great. This thriller is set in the small town of Woodsboro which becomes inhabited with a masked serial killer. Suddenly, no one is safe as the killer stalks and taunts future victims, calling their house phones and asking them questions before attacking.
3. Friday the 13th
There are a ton of Friday the 13th movies, if nothing else atleast watch the original (although after you watch the first one you will probably be hooked.) This movie takes you through the story of Jason Voorhees and the murders he committed at Camp Crystal Lake. The legends do not stop camp counselors from setting up a summer camp here...which turns out to be a horrible idea. These young camp counselors find themselves being stocked by the brutal murderer and killed off one by one.
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street
One of my favorite films by Wes Craven. A group of teenagers fall victim of Freddy Kreuger who, unlike most serial killers, prays on his victims in their dreams which also kills them in reality. They soon realize that they either have to find a way to stop him...or never sleep again.
5. Beetlejuice
This is one of my favorite movies to watch year round, not just during the Halloween season. In this one, a young couple are killed in a car accident. They then find themselves helplessly trapped in their home and unable to escape. Soon, a new family moves into the house and the couple decides to ask the help of a devious, self proclaimed "bio-exorcist," named Beetlejuice...they soon find out that this was not a smart decision. Despite the fact that this movie revolves around death and ghosts, it is actually more of a comedy.
6. Halloweentown
I don't care how old I am, I will always love this movie (and the three movies following it). I continue to watch it every single Halloween. In this one, three siblings named Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie, discover that they are witches and their grandmother (who is also a witch) lives in a different world called Halloweentown. In Halloweentown, it is Halloween all year long! Their mother kept this secret from them their entire lives in order for them to be "normal." Marnie must go to Halloweentown and begin her training as a witch before her powers are lost forever. Who wouldn't love a movie where all of the things we loved about Halloween as children really come to life?
7. Hocus Pocus
8. The Corpse Bride
This one does not necessarily focus on Halloween itself like most of them do, but it is still very popular around this time of year. In this movie, Victor and Victoria are about to be married which their parent's have arranged. As they are both extremely nervous about the wedding, considering they barely know each other, Victor ventures into the woods to practice his vows alone. As he is wandering through the woods, a tree branch comes to live and drags him down into the land of the dead where he meets Emily. Emily was murdered by the man she had planned to marry, and now wants to marry Victor. Victor finds himself caught between two women and two worlds. The living and the dead.
9. Pet Sematary
This is by far my favorite Stephen King movie. But in my opinion, it is a bit more gruesome than some of the other recommendations on this list. Louis Creed moves his wife and two children to Maine. When his daughter's beloved cat dies, Louis is told to bury him in the ground near the Pet Sematary. The cat ends up returning to live...but with a completely different personality than before. Then, when Louis's son, Gage, is killed in a tragic accident, he chooses to bury him in the Pet Sematary as well, hoping he will come back to life just like the cat did. Gage does come back to life...but not as the same sweet little boy he was before.
10. Texas Chainsaw massacre
Every year when I go to a haunted house, the one thing that truely scares me is the guy running around with a chainsaw. This movie is the reason why. Sally, her brother, and their group of friends take a trip to an old farmhouse their family owns. While they are staying in the house, they discover a group of crazed murderers living next door. One by one the group is attacked by a man in a chainsaw called, "leatherface," who wears a mask of human skin. The group has to find away to hopefully escape with their lives.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
