By Christina Armeni
How can you hate fall? It is the perfect temperature outside, not too hot or too cold. Everything is pumpkin flavored or sprinkled with cinnamon. Thanksgiving and winter break are just around the corner, which means no school and home-cooked turkeys and mashed potatoes. But there is no denying that the best part of this season is the one day of the year where is it socially acceptable to scare your neighbor and take candy from strangers. Here are a few of the best Halloween movies to watch on Oct. 31 (or really any time of the year).
- Halloween (1978-2018)
If you’re into horror movies you can’t turn away from one of the originals, Halloween. The film was released in 1978 and quickly became one of the most popular movies of its kind. The story revolves around a man named Michael Myers who escapes from a mental hospital and goes on a killing spree Halloween night. Myers is known for his infamous white mask. The film was so well received they made a second film and a third film and a fourth. Actually, there are a total of 11 movies in the Halloween series. It is the Harry Potter of horror movies. The most recent film was released this month, starring Jamie Lee Curtis.
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
This 1993 classic is my personal favorite Halloween movie. For starters, who doesn’t love Bette Midler. She stars alongside two other big names, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, as a Salem coven of evil witches from the 1600’s who get resurrected in 1993 by a group of local kids. The film is full of funny moments as the witches adventure on in the modern world. But don’t be fooled by the Disney movie, it has just the right amount of spooky and creepy moments to classify it as the perfect Halloween movie for everyone.
- Halloweentown (1998)
Five years after Hocus Pocus, Disney channel gave another go at Halloween movies, except in this one the witches are good. Halloweentown is about a young girl named Marnie who finds out on her 13th birthday that she and her whole family are witches. She quickly gets involved with a world of supernatural creatures and fighting evil. Debbie Reynolds plays the lovable and sneaky magical grandmother Aggie who helps Marnie learn to use her powers. The film is a great way to get you in the fun Halloween spirit. The characters also learned some valuable lessons along the way. Aggie notably says that “being normal is vastly overrated,” a lesson we all could learn.
- Coraline (2009)
Coraline made us realize from a young age how scary animated movies actually could be. In 2009, Dakota Fanning voiced Coraline, a young girl who discovers a secret door that leads to a new world. This new world seems like a better version of her own until her new family wants to keep her there forever. The main character is spunky, curious and adventurous, exactly what every little girl and boy wanted to be when this movie came out. If you are looking for a trip down memory lane that will still give you a few chills, go for Coraline.
- Ghostbusters (1984)
Don’t deny that you aren’t already singing the catchy theme song. Ghostbusters was released more than 30 years ago but we still see a fair share of ghostbusting costumes and references made every Halloween. The popular film tells the story of a team of scientists, including the hilarious Bill Murray, who put together high tech equipment to battle ghosts and monsters. The stakes are pretty high and the team has to save New York from complete destruction but not before a few battles from another dimension. Ghostbusters is another one of the great movies that came out of the 80’s.
Featured Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hocus Pocus’s Facebook page.
Christina Armeni is a freshman journalism major and can be reached at christinavarmeni@gmail.com.
