What’s a better way to spend an October evening than watching movies?
There are fewer things finer in life than brewing a warm herbal tea, wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket, having a pet snuggle with you, and watching spooky movies and TV shows.
Growing up, I was pretty squeamish and was not into horror movies at all. I’ve grown an appreciation for them over time through my film studies days and eventually my own curiosity.
Now? I’d say I’m mostly into narratives that have some horror/Halloween narrative to them, but are more spooky than scary at the end of the day.
Below are my picks for a Halloween movie marathon, from a fun stop-motion animation classic to psychological horror.
Young Frankenstein (1974)
You can’t go wrong with a Gene Wilder flick. Whether you’ve read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in high school or not, this movie is a hilarious take on one of the earliest horror stories. Plus, the Putting on the Ritz scene, featuring Wilder and Peter Boyle’s dancing skills, is an iconic one.
Warm Bodies (2013)
Also known as Romeo and Juliet with the fun of zombies.
Back in my university days, I took a zombie film course. Most of the movies were not great. The professor even warned us at the beginning of class that they were not great.
Warm Bodies, with its charm, wit, and engaging dialogue was one of the few I liked. Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but we all need a nice slab of cheese once in a while.
Granted, I’m a bit salty over spending too much money on the DVD because of shipping instead of walking over to my local HMV (RIP) and spending $10 on it instead.
Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
I first watched this one Halloween with my family when I was a teenager and fell in love with the movie’s catchy music and creepy-cute visuals. Young(er) me was also learning how to create stop-motion animation videos in her communications tech class back then, so I admired the amount of work that went into this movie.
Plus, it’s the perfect transition from Halloween to Christmas, so this one is not as time-sensitive as other Halloween movies. Then again, as it’s one of my all-time favorite movies, it’s fun to watch any time of year.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Next up is Hocus Pocus, another film I should have watched much earlier in my life.
Besides the fact “Another glorious morning, makes me sick!” is my everyday mood, this film is a fun and fairly lighthearted tale complete with fun characters. Hocus Pocus is also a great reminder that you’re never too old for Halloween.
Speaking from personal experience, I don’t recommend watching this movie if you decide to be Tape Face for Halloween, or any other character where you have to stay silent. Yes, that is oddly specific. Yes, I watched Hocus Pocus for the first time when I was Tape Face for Halloween and it was so hard to hold in my laughter.
Misery (1990)
I wanted at least one Stephen King film on the list, and picking one was difficult. Why did I pick Misery?
Well, the story is about an author who meets his self-proclaimed “number one fan” of his work and she nurses him after an accident. Without giving away too much, I’ll just leave it at if you know King’s work at all, you know what direction it’s headed.
Coming from an aspiring author and a pop culture enthusiast perspective, I know that
Psycho (1960)
I prefer psychological horror stories to slasher films, but Psycho combines both together well.
I would also like to add to make sure you watch the original Alfred Hitchcock version and not the 1990s version with Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates. I’ve watched both, and trust me, you will save a lot of time just by watching the original.
Brightburn (2019)
I’d like to think of this as “Superman gone rogue in the worst possible way.” I’m always up for watching any comic book film, and the concept is interesting and a dark twist on Clark Kent’s origin story as we know it, with different characters, of course.
Comic book flicks were my go-to when I would go to movie theatres, but this is one that should be watched at home and especially if you scream during gory scenes like I do.
If you’re super squeamish, do not watch this. If you end up watching this one and feel sick after, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Happy Halloween, everyone! If you have any go-to movies for spooky season, I’d love to hear them!
Featured photo by Alex Litvin via Unsplash.
