By Lauren Lippert
As temperatures begin to drop and corn mazes become popular you know spooky season is upon us. It’s the time of the year where Pumpkin Spice takes over every food and drink and almost every house has a carved pumpkin sitting on the porch. Witches and ghosts decorate the outside and the trees sway in the wind as leaves ricochet down.
It’s Halloween season.
What does this entail exactly besides the costumes and decorations? It’s only one of the best times of the year to watch all your fave movies.
With that being said, narrowing down the selection can be difficult so here are some of my favorite Halloween movies to watch that help me get into the spirit.
10. Double Double Toil and Trouble
Filmed in 1993, this movie stars the Olsen twins who are trying to save their family home by using a moonstone against their evil aunt. Although cheesy at times, it’s a fun movie that reminds me why I love the Olsen twins so much. I first watched this movie in middle school on my iPod and it gives me that nostalgic feeling every time I watch it.
9. Scary Movie
While this isn’t necessarily a movie that’s scary you still get a Halloween feel while also hysterically laughing. It’s one of my favorites to watch with a group of friends because we collectively laugh together at the “scary” moments. It’s a twist on your traditional Halloween movie but rather makes fun of classic movies like “Scream,””The Sixth Sense,” “The Matrix,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “The Blair Witch Project.” Needless to say if you want a nontraditional Halloween movie this a must.
8. The Haunted Mansion
This movie is what a Halloween movie should be, frightening yet entertaining. It tells the story of real estate agent Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) and his family who before going on vacation stop at an old mansion that Jim is supposed to sell. However, behind the doors lie Master Gracey (Nathaniel Parker) and his creepy butler Ramsley (Terence Stamp) who haunt the mansion along with two other servants hoping to break a curse. Between Eddie Murphy’s jokes and the crazy plot twists it makes for an amazing movie that left me on the edge of my seat.
7. Ghostbusters
This is a classic Halloween feel-good movie that is a must watch every year. It’s the inspiration for many costumes and is often referenced in other movies and T.V. shows. This is due to its massive influence on the Halloween culture. With that being said, if you like adventure and ghosts this one is for you. With a sprinkle of humor, this movie follows four ghost hunters trying to save the city after ghosts take over. It’s one that everyone MUST see during the Halloween season.
6. Hotel Transylvania
Now I know what you must be thinking, Hotel Transylvania is a kid movie and well, you’re right. But sometimes those are the best movies especially around Halloween time. It combines iconic Halloween characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, etc but in a light-hearted way. The plotline follows Dracula (voiced by the legendary Adam Sandler) who tries to keep his daughter (played by Selena Gomez) away from the human (Andy Sanberg) who enters Dracula’s hotel. But, ultimately fails when his daughter and the human fall in love with one another. The movie always continues to make me laugh no matter how old I am.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
If I could describe this movie in one word it would be spooky but then again would we expect less from a Tim Burton movie? What makes this movie unique is that you can get into the Halloween and Christmas spirit at the same time. The story follows the notorious pumpkin king Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman) who gets bored scaring people in the real world and stumbles across Christmastown and tries to take it over by kidnapping Santa Claus. Though a chilling feeling at times, the music numbers and love interest between Jack and Sally (Catherine O’Hara) still make this one of the best Halloween movies to date.
4. Hocus Pocus
Honestly what can I say about this movie except for how amazing it is. Three witches come back to life trying to suck the soul out of children… creepy right? It’s a Halloween classic that is always playing on every channel during the fall season making it nearly impossible not to watch. It’s what everyone wants in a classic movie, a dance number choreographed by legendary Kenny Ortega and an endless amount of witty humor. Not to mention, intense moments leaving you wanting more.
3. Halloweentown series
The Halloweentown series is the embodiment of what Halloween is. Between the Cromwell witches and their mystical creature friends, it’s a Disney classic that remains unbeatable. With the Cromwell/Piper family constantly fighting evil in the most mystical way possible it lands in the top three spots of my favorite Halloween movies to watch.
2. The Addams Family (both of them because I couldn’t decide)
Now I’ve over used the term classic but with these movies being filmed in 1991 and 1993 it really is. Between their iconic theme song and strange but hilarious characters, The Addams Family provides a darker twist on Halloween. Every family member brings something new and chaotic to the table that even with their dark yet twisted humor still somehow manages to entertain me. It’s because of that, this movie is one of my all-time favorite Halloween movies ever.
1. Twitches (both, duh)
Now, the time has come for the number one spot. I struggled with trying to figure out what movie deserved and fit this spot. The more I thought about it the more I realized Twitches is one of those movies that constantly makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. As soon as we enter the month of October, I find myself thinking about this movie. In my opinion, It’s one of the most iconic Disney Halloween movies ever made. It reminds me of my childhood and makes me love the holiday even more. Definitely an essential to watch during spooky season, who doesn’t want to see twin witches defeat the evil entity that is the darkness?
With Halloween being two days away, it’s hard to not get into the spirit. Now, I know Halloween plans might be non-existent with everything going on right now but maybe this is the time to catch up on Halloween movies old and new. Hopefully this list helped push you in the right direction.
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