Halloween is a celebration for the senses. The smell of pumpkin spice latte just cuddles your nose lovingly while the taste of candies tickles your tongue. The sound of people murmuring every ghost story told and retold every Halloween fills up the air while we feel goose bumps rise on our skins. What about our eyes, then? Well, they get to see the compulsory Halloween movies, of course!
Now, let me present to you the Halloween movies that I would recommend.
Halloween Movies for Kids
Keep it light, keep it bright, no need to give the kids the fright. Yes, there are also some halloween movies suitable for kids. Some may be scary but some are truly funny. Here are some kids halloween movies that you should try watching on All Hollow’s Day.
1. Coraline (2009)
This movie is based on a novel with the same title written by Neil Gaiman. It is about Coraline, a girl who wished that she was surrounded by a different set of people, cooler people. She got what she wants when she crawled through the small door in their living room. But it all came for a price: her Other Mother would have to sew buttons over her eyes. Yikes!
2. Paranorman (2012)
Norman is this cliché young protagonist who is having a difficulty with fitting-in and establishing close ties with his family. But what sets him apart from other young protagonists is that he could see ghosts! And suddenly, he was bestowed with the difficult task to help some zombies and to stop a spirit’s revenge. Oh no.
3. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Do you know what happens when you mix Halloween and Christmas together? This movie is produced! This Tim Burton movie is all about the goblins, the ghosts, and vampires being introduced to how Christmas is celebrated and how they have assimilated the Christmas culture so much that they wanted to take over Christmas.
4. Monster House (2006)
It is what it says on the tin. Just remember that when the monster house had gobbled you up, just grab on its uvula to force it to vomit you out.
5. Corpse Bride (2006)
And here is another Tim Burton movie. Pro tip: never leave your wedding rings lying around while practicing your wedding vows for a frustrated corpse bride might think that you are asking her to marry you.
6. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
I admit it: this is the greatest Halloween movie for the kids. It does not bring in the spooky-factor that the other movies has, but this movie shows the kids’ perspective of Halloween. Halloween is about crying when someone cuts the pumpkin because they are killing it. Halloween is the holiday to write letters to the Great Pumpkin as if it was Santa (although Linus said that Santa is waaaay more popular. It’s because of the publicity, he said). And Halloween is for dressing up, collecting candies from your neighbors, and just having fun. Ah, what a great time to be a kid.
Halloween Family Movies
Want to feel the scare and horror that Halloween brings with your family and friends? Here are some recommended halloween movies for the whole family. So grab your popcorns and cola and get started in your movie marathon. Here are some family-based halloween movies to watch for.
1. Ghostbusters (1984)
Who’d you gonna call? I surely hope that it’s the Ghostbusters! This movie is about a trio of parapsychologists who lost their jobs and decided to open a ghost control company (you know, like pest control, but with ghosts).
2. Addams Family (1991)
One could describe the Addams family as a lover of all things macabre. Well, they have The Thing which is a disembodied hand, a butler called as Lurch who looks like Frankenstein’s monster, and they sometimes dress as homicidal maniacs (hint: homicidal maniacs dress like normal people). This is a really great comedy Halloween movie for the family.
3. Casper (1995)
This movie proves that not every family who moves in to a new house are haunted by scary ghosts, because sometimes they get to meet the friendlier ones. And Casper is surely the ghost who will touch your heart (and make you fall in love with him a bit).
4. Ghost (1990)
Ghost is a story about a love that transcends the living and the dead, and this love is enough to ground your soul on earth and help you find revenge your own soul. Warning: bring tissues to catch your tears.
5. Gremlins (1994)
At the start of the movie, the main character was prescribed three things: a) Do not expose the Mogwai to light for this will kill it; b) Do not water it – this will make the Mogwai multiply; and c) Do not feed it at night. But of course, all of these rules were disobeyed. And this movie proves that not everything that is cute and furry should be trusted.
Classic Halloween Movies
Modern halloween movies don’t have appeal to you? Then you may want to try the classic ones. Ranging from early 90’s, here are some of the best classic movies for the Halloween.
1. Frankenstein (1910)
This short film was inspired by Mary Shelly’s book of the same name. One of the most common misconceptions about Frankenstein is the entire premise itself. First, Frankenstein is the name of the scientist, and his goal is to create a perfect human being. In pursuing his goal, he created a monster instead. But this is not just a story about the creature. This is a story about devotion, love, and of battling the monsters inside us. This film is surely a must-watch this season.
2. Dracula (1931)
Now I must make the mandatory declamation and say that this is the original vampire film. If you want to watch a movie with your loved one that contains neck-biting, love affairs, and sticking a stake through someone’s guts, then this movie is for you. (Pro tip: Do not stick a stake on your loved one’s guts though. That is illegal.)
3. Mad Monster Party? (1967)
Mad Monster Party? Well, it’s a rad monster party, I must say. Because what do you call a party that has Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, Mummy, and Invisible Man? You call it rad, totally rad.
4. Wizards of Oz (1939)
This is the traditional fantasy film that everyone must watch. And do you know what else should everyone do? They should follow the yellow brick road and befriend The Scarecrow, The Tinman, and The Cowardly Lion.
Scary Halloween Movies
Halloween is all about the fright, scream delight and horror! Feel the eerie atmosphere that halloween brings and scream on the top of your lungs while watching these scary movies for Halloween.
1. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
What make this movie scary are not the gruesome effects, the slashing, or Freddy Krueger’s face. Rather, what brings the scary factor is the nature of the haunting itself. Freddy haunts you in your dreams, and nobody could forego their sleep forever (yes, even college students have to sleep sometimes).
2. The Ring (Japanese Version) (1998)
Ah, The Ring. This is the movie that made me abstain from watching the television and from answering phone calls for about two months. Yep, this movie scared me shitless. It’s a good thing that they have not remade the movie where the cursed clip is available on youtube as a viral video and Sadako will crawl out of your LCD. Yikes!
3. Shutter (Thai Version) (2004)
This is another movie that made me fear technology. The main character is a photographer, and after being hospitalized, he found out that his weight is enough for two persons. Later, when he took a picture of himself, he found the ghost of his ex sitting on his shoulders. Taking a selfie has never been scarier.
4. One Missed Call (2003)
What do you do when you receive a voicemail from dated two days into the future? And that voicemail was even sent by your own phone number? And to make it worse, the voicemail ends with the horrified scream of your friend. If that were to happen to me, then I’ll go smash my phone into pieces and go live a hermit life free of technology. But apparently, the main characters of this movie just laughed it off and thought that it was nothing. Oh how wrong they were.
5. The Eye (Chinese Version) (2002)
After being blind for a long time, Mun undergoes a cornea transplant. But instead of making her life better, the new eyesight made her life hell. She was now able to see and feel supernatural being. One of the scariest parts of this movie is the elevator scene. Pro tip: Never ride an elevator when the other passenger is levitating.
6. Coming Soon (Thai Version) (2008)
What is scary about watching this movie in theatre is that the haunting in the movie happens in a theatre. It will make you look at your adjacent seats to make sure that those who sit beside you are still humans. And it also has a scary elevator scene. Yep, I’m never riding an elevator ever again.
7. Ju On: The Grudge (2002)
Oh god, this movie. For goodness sake, if you hear strange noises coming from the attic, please don’t check it out. But if you still checked it out, and saw someone crawling to you, then don’t try to get a better view. ‘Oh, let me check if the ghost that is after my blood is pretty.’ Just run, and run as fast as you can. And this movie has a scary stairs scene. What is with these ghosts and their obsession with machines that lifts you to the next floor?
8. The Exorcist (1973)
No list of scariest horror films ever made would be complete without The Exorcist. The parents in this movie have seen their daughter changed. She started swearing so much, cuts started appearing on her face, and her bed shakes a lot. And no, she is not just on her rebellious stage. Her cuts did not appear because she’s emo, and her bed does not shake because she’s having premarital sex on her bedroom. Nope, she is possessed by the demon. I guess her head’s 360-degrees spinning is enough proof. And yes, there is a scary stairs scene complete with spider crawl and all.
So, that’s it. I hope that you get to enjoy the movies listed here. Just remember to keep your pumpkin spice latte covered with the lid. You don’t want to spill your drink everywhere when the scary part of the movie surprises you. Or if you throw your drink to the TV. Whatever suits you best.
Happy Halloween!
