It’s spooky season folks! You know what that means, it’s time to watch some classic Halloween movies and cuddle up on the couch with some hot chocolate.
Sandra Annett, an associate professor in film studies at Laurier, offered her perspective on why some of the same movies are watched every year,
“We probably watch the same movies every year for the same reason that we have holiday traditions: to have some familiar, comforting rituals we can go through together to mark the passing of time.”
She also drew a comparison to the October weather:
“Horror movies, with their themes of death and darkness, seem to match that seasonal vibe.”
Here are some of the “most watched” Halloween movies perfect for spooky season: Halloween Town (1998) starring Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell and Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie Piper is a classic must-watch movie during October.
This movie follows the story of the Piper family and their secret witchy side that Marnie, Dylan and Sophie learn from their grandmother Aggie Cromwell.
Halloween Town takes you back to the Disney and Trick-or-treating mindset with all the childhood nostalgia included.
Monster House (2006) is an animated film that follows two young boys and one young girl on a journey to discover if one of the houses in their neighbourhood is alive and trying to steal children. With Halloween approaching, they try to figure out why the house on their street wants to hurt people and why the old man that lives there is so nasty to them.
Honestly, Monster House used to terrify me as a child.
But the overall theme and the Halloween aesthetics makes this movie the perfect spooky watch for this October season.
If you’re more of a horror or thriller movie type of person, then a better watch for you would be Insidious (2010).
This movie stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as they navigate a new house they believe is haunted.
This goosebump inducing movie gives you all kinds of terrifying jump scares throughout its duration.
If you really feel like taking on a movie marathon, there are two more Insidious sequels that may be worth checking out.
Professor Annett stated that her favourite Halloween movie is:
“Probably The Rocky Horror Picture Show screening at the Princess Cinema, because it’s not just a movie, it’s an event.
I recommend it to anyone who wants a real cult film experience on Halloween!
When asked what her one suggestion for a Halloween film would be, she said she couldn’t possibly pick just one.
Instead, she said, “I’ll suggest one classic film from the silent era, and one contemporary film that students need to see if they haven’t already. For classics, you can’t beat the 1920 film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari directed by Robert Weine. Even though it’s over 100 years old, it’s still visually striking and psychologically twisted.
More recently, I loved Ari Aster’s Midsommar for its reversal of the typical horror aesthetic and a few shocking moments that literally made my skin crawl.
A24 has set a new trend that all horror fans should keep an eye on, and Midsommar is canonical A24.”
October is the month of trick-or-treating and costume parties, and it’s great to be busy and active.
If I could give you any advice, it would be to dedicate one night to Halloween movies this October.
I also suggest taking Dr. Annett’s movie suggestions into consideration if you’ve never watched them before, now is the time to try them.