As Halloween approaches, fanatics search for new (or old) things to fulfill their festive needs. Haunted houses, Kennywood’s famous Fright Night, horror movies, scary decorations, the list goes on and on. A classic route people lean towards is the timeless (and countless) movies.
As there are so many different kinds of Halloween/Horror movies it makes it hard to describe them in just one way. Here they’re broken up into what I think are the most notable categories. Compiled here is a massive must-watch list for any Halloween lovers.
First off, is the wicked and dark mind of Tim Burton. While I know this isn’t technically a “genre” per-say, Burton is one of the main creators and an inspiration to many within the Halloween/Horror movie making process, giving him enough credit to be his own category.
Burton’s range of movies makes it almost impossible to list them all here, so a few fan-favorites include: “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Addams Family,” “Beetlejuice,” “The Corpse Bride” and “Coraline.” Released earlier this year is a continuation of one of these classics – “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is still in theaters near us, and it is definitely worth the watch.
Next, and potentially controversial, Disney’s Halloween. The movie making powerhouse Disney appears on this list because of the countless children’s Halloween movies they came out with in the early 1990s through the 2010s; making many of these nostalgia central for Disney kids of this era. Some of the classics include: “Hocus Pocus,” “Halloweentown,” “Twitches” or “The Haunted Mansion.” In addition to the classics, some have been revamped and made into sequels within the last few years, notably, “Hocus Pocus 2″ in 2022 and “Haunted Mansion” in 2023.
Now for the part many of you have been waiting for, classic horror movies, the oldies but goodies. Many horror movie and halloween buffs could probably name tenfold what I can but some of the most recognizable names include: “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th,” “Chucky,” “Scream,” “The Ring,” “The Blair Witch Project,” “The Purge,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Saw” – the list could truly continue forever. Many of these movies also continued into franchises or ongoing storylines, the most recent are “Halloween Ends” in 2022, and the newest addition “Friday the 13th: Blood Loss” which was just released on October 8th of this year.
The fine line between thrillers and horror movies is like walking a tightrope, however many still find them just as enjoyable. Most of these are newer movies, as thrillers have had a resurgence in movies within the last twenty-or-so years. A few movies in the spotlight currently are “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Trap,” “Blink Twice,” “Twisters,” “The Crow” and “Oddity.” Funnily enough, all of these movies came out this year. Yes, this year, some you may have heard of, some maybe not, however they have all hit the spotlight at some point in the last couple of months.
To close off I wanted to shout out my top four (old and new) and one of which I love but couldn’t justify putting onto the list. My number one pick for horror movies would have to be “A Quiet Place: Day One.” As an avid fan of the “A Quiet Place” franchise I saw this movie on release date, in Dolby, truly an amazing and unforgettable experience.
My favorite classic horror movie however is “The Blair Witch Project.” This movie, frankly, terrified me the first time I saw it but not much has come close to it since landing it at number two.
My next two are from the mind of Tim Burton making “Coraline” number three and the original “Beetlejuice” number four. My fifth and also the honorable mention is “The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” While not necessarily a horror or Halloween movie, it still holds a great place in my heart and will for a long while.
