THE BEST HALLOWEEN MOVIES AND SHOWS TO CHECK OUT FOR THE SPOOKY SEASON

We’re entering that magical time of the year: Holiday Season. It goes from roughly the 1st of October to a week or so after New Year Day because not everyone has gotten their Christmas party in yet. During this time we are offered up plenty of holiday shows and movies to keep us entertained when we’re stuck inside due to the weather. While we can’t get to all these shows as easily as we used to some are more accessible due to cable TV and streaming services. I have listed my favorites for the Halloween season that you can enjoy with frights and fun. Nostalgia is heavy on these picks, but it seems to be that no one can come up with anything new to enjoy.

1. It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown – The pinnacle of Halloween specials and a touchstone to kids since the 1960s. It stinks that Apple TV has it hidden behind their pay services now as opposed to being on TV for decades. I suggest finding it on DVD and paying for it once instead of forever.
2. Hocus Pocus – This has become a huge movie after it made it to home VCRs and then the Disney Channel where it seems to be on a daily/nightly rotation until October 31st. Full of humor and a few memorable lines it still holds up today. (Side note: the sequel from last year falls far short of the original)
3. Halloween – Duh. Michael Myers and his mask are iconic and it’s right there in the name.
4. Friday the 13th Part 2 – Why not the original? Well, for a couple reasons and it’s not because it’s bad. It’s a classic and finding out who the killer is was one of the great twists in movie history. Part 2 ups the gore and the kill tactics and introduces us to the horror icon, Jason Vorhees. While he doesn’t have his signature hockey mask in this film we get to meet him and be scared to ever go camping again.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas – Is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Yes. It really is both and there’s nothing wrong with that. Claymation is creepy and the songs and characters are memorable.
6. Scream – This was the franchise that brought horror movies back for the dead. They had become shlocky gore fests with no real story anymore. They were throw away movies for just the hardcore gore lovers. Then along came Sidney Prescott and the franchise has endured for 25 plus years. Be shocked, but also laugh and caught up in the story.
7. Beetlejuice – The ghost with the most hit the scene in 1988 and is still the best horror comedy you will find. The characters and the story are fun and it is highly quotable. the recent sequel that came out this summer holds up as well. Check them both out if you can before Halloween.
8. Nightmare On Elm St. – Absolutely one of the best horror movies ever made. Freddy Kruger could not be escaped because you had to fall asleep eventually. Full of gore and high stakes moments that were taken straight from most people’s dreams it made millions of teenagers afraid to ever go to sleep again.
9. Totally Killer – This recent addition is peak scary and peak funny. Imagine time traveling back to when your mom was caught up in a serial killer episode and trying to figure out who the killer was while trying to not screw up history. Get this on your list for a great mashup of nostalgia.
10. Freaky – Take a serial killer and a teenage girl and have them get body switched. What do you get? Freaky Friday with a horror twist. If you don’t get a kick out of a pretty teenage girl getting revenge on all the jerk kids at school you will get a laugh out of Vince Vaughn acting as a teenage girl trapped in a serial killer’s body.