Spooky Season Watches

With spooky season right around the corner, it's time to start planning your list of feel good horror and/or classic movies. So tis the season to sit back with a cup of cocoa, relax on your sofa, and binge your favorite cult classics. Even those long forgotten films; give them a watch. I’m gonna list off my top five Halloween films, and tell you exactly why they match the spooky vibes. Or the nostalgia vibes.

Halloweentown (1998)

An oldie (not really), but goodie. Disney channel really did their thing with this one. Set on Halloween night we are introduced to Gwen and her three children Marnie, Sophie, and Dylan. The catch is, these kids aren't allowed to celebrate Halloween despite Marnie's fascination with the holiday. They barely dress up and are forbidden from participating in anything Halloween related... that is until their grandma Maggie shows up.

Like clockwork, Maggie comes by to visit on the same day every year. Halloween. Of course the children wonder why and there's some deflecting. Maggie does some meddling, insisting Gwen allows the children celebrate the holiday, which annoys her. It's right then that Gwen decides it's time for grandma Maggie to head home.

Just after Maggie tucks the children into bed, she continues the argument with her daughter Gwen. It is revealed to us that Marnie is meant to be a witch and supposed to be training, but Gwen had other ideas. If Marnie does not use her powers before the of 13, she will lose her powers forever. Which was the intention. After Marnie decides that she isn't down with her mother's plan, she decides to sneak out of the house and follow her grandmother back home.

While her younger siblings decided to tag along, little did they know that they'd be traveling on a interdimensional bus to another universe called Halloweentown. They are met with all kinds of urban legends and freaky creatures, and thus their journey begins.

This films freaky twist on make believe creatures like the tooth fairy, and even the silly nature of characters like werewolf make it all the more endearing. But don't get it twisted, there is still one freaky thing about this children's film and that is the antagonist. The shadow monster, who we find out is the Mayor of Halloweentown and Gwen's ex-boyfriend, that Maggie keeps seeing in her visions isn't some cheapy monster. I don't know who made that mask, but it was enough to creep me out as a kid and still pretty ugly. It holds up as an intimidating figure. And the whole theatre full of frozen people that looked like mannequins was a damn good idea too.

If you're looking for a 90's classic that has that campy, childish humor then you'll love this. And if you wanna look real deep into this children's movie; the underlying message is to be yourself and to embrace your family's heritage. No matter how weird or unconventional you or anyone else is, always stay true to yourself. It's why this is still one of my favorite Halloween classics. Even as an adult.

Twitches (2005)

Another Disney channel classic, led by Tia and Tamera Mowry AKA the former stars of TV show Sister, Sister. This films starts off a little more frantically as we follow a man running through the halls of a castle in a land called Coventry, with two newborn twins in his arms while someone narrates the scene. Seemingly running from something malicious, this mystery man leaves the twins on the ground with an intertwined sun and moon painted onto the ground.

Then we see two individuals by the names of Karsh and Illeana secure the children, and hide them away an entity named "the darkness". The goal is to keep the twins separated so that the darkness never finds them. They successfully hide them in another dimension, but unfortunately we find that the girls were hidden in the same dimension.

21 years later, on the day of their birth, we see exactly where the twins end up. One named Camryn, who was adopted by a wealthy couple. And the other, named Alex, who was adopted by a struggling single mother until an unnamed illness takes her life, and leaves Alex to move in with her best friend. And funnily enough, the girls were born on Halloween.

Being unexpectedly reunited in a boutique and discovering they have powers, both are thrown into a new reality where they are both very much in danger. The darkness knows they've found each other and wants nothing more to destroy them, and Coventry along with them.

Now there aren't that many scary aspects in this one, but the idea of a big dark cloud that can manifest hands is kind of spooky for a kid. Seriously, kids are already scared of the dark and now this movie is saying darkness can chase them. I'm sure a lot of parents had fun telling their children the darkness wasn't going to get them.

This movie is just as heartfelt as Halloweentown, but is just a tad bit cornier than the 90's film. There are some loony little sound effects and Tamera plays a little bit of ditzy character. The message behind this one is nice, albeit cliché. It's about love. Appreciating the people you love. And while most Halloween movies are spooky, it doesn't mean they have to be.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Now we're gonna start diving into some actual horror, and what better way to start than with this classic right here. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was probably a lot of people's very first horror movie. Now although it wasn't mine, I still put it on a high pedestal because it stuck with me from the very first watch.

The narrator starts by telling us that we are about to witness the tragedy of five young individuals who were not expecting the barbaric chaos they were going to encounter. We're then shown said group of young adults in a van. Protagonist Sally Hardesty is accompanied by her disabled brother Franklin and her friends Jeremy, Kirk, and Pam while head out to the middle of nowhere Texas because apparently, someone's been playing around in their grandfather's grave.

On the way there, the group encounter a random hitchhiker on the side of the road and decide that it's a smart idea to give him a lift. Little do they know, the guy's unhinged and would eventually attack Franklin with a shaving razor. They successfully kick him out of the van, but they have no idea the domino effect they've started by welcoming that one stranger into their space as they're unknowingly marked for death. I think we all know what happens next.

Obviously due to generational differences and how much horror has evolved, it may not be scary for everyone. But I'm imagining the tension for those who saw it for the very first time in the 70's were trembling from the tension. The deaths for brutal for it's time, and there are twists. And of course the Sawyer family (the killers) are as sick as they can be. Not only are they serial killers that take care of a literal corpse, they are also cannibals. So their victims end up their dinner, and that's disturbing just to think about.

This movie definitely made people think twice about hitchhiking, and it definitely made me trust people less. Way less than I already did. It's a film that makes you look at people in a different light. Especially when they're suspiciously hospitable.

Halloween (1978)

You thought this was gonna be number one, huh? Listen, this movie has a special place in my heart but there's another movie that has my whole soul but we'll get to that soon. Halloween (1978) is probably the first movie that pops into everyone's mind when spooky season rolls around. I'm sure it's on almost everyone's watchlist and for good reason too.

The film opens with a house in Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night. We are walked through the house through someone's point of view. They wander the house, picking up a kitchen knife along the way, before ultimately heading up the stairs and into a young woman's room. It's then we hear this strangers name as we watch him butcher the girl we learn is his older sister, Judith Myers. Even worse, we see just how young our killer is. Just a little boy and obsessed with violence.

15 years later, we are told that Michael Myers has broken out of the mental institution he was being held in by Dr. Loomis. He is frantic and terrified. Rightfully so. We are then introduced to Laurie Strode. A high schooler with a sneaking suspicion that she's being watched. Throughout the film, we see the friends carry out their regular day to day activities on this Halloween night until Michael decides it's time to start hunting.

This movie is probably the definition of cult classic, and it's impossible to live in the month October without watching this movie at least once. It's got all the horror movie tropes you could ask for and a spooky tall man lurking in the shadows. That's definitely a real life concern for me. Just some creepy guy stalking me from around a corner, thinking up ways to get rid of me. That's what makes Halloween (1978) so iconic.

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Now this... this one is my absolute favorite. This movie exceeded everyone's expectations in 1984, and definitely impressed me. The film of course starts with a dream sequence. It wouldn't be a Freddy movie without them. A blonde woman wanders around a hallway, following noises and signs that lead to a downstairs boiler room. She investigates only find a psychopathic person sporting knives as fingers, nearly getting cut before jolting awake.

We discover that her name is Tina and that these dreams have become a common occurrence, she confessed to her best friend, Nancy Thompson. When Tina's parents are away, she relies on Nancy and company to spend the night so she feels more secure. After some bonding time and an unexpected visit from Tina's on and off boyfriend, Rod, everyone goes to bed. That's when Freddy is able to close in and kill Tina in her sleep. Literally.

The boyfriend gets blamed for murder (obviously) and ultimately Rod and Nancy start to have the same nightmares Tina was having. Now it's up to Nancy to figure out why these dreams are happening, how to stop them, and find out exactly who Freddy Krueger is.

This is one of my all time favorite spooky season movies because the concept is just so interesting. People die in their sleep, sure. But to die as a result of a dream you had? That's just fascinating. And Freddy is both disturbing to look at (because his face is all burnt) and fun to listen to. The way he taunts his victim with a shit-eating grin and cackle gives him so much personality. And he never forgets to go beneath the belt. Any guilt or insecurity that lurks in your mind, is fair game to him.

This movie (almost the entire franchise, really) is proof that camp can be done correctly while still fitting the spirit of Halloween. Even if you aren't scared by him, there's still a chance that you can be grossed out by one of the scenes. And the concept of him is still spooky. Both when he's dead and alive. Imagine some demon never letting you sleep comfortably at night. Or imagine a parent's worst nightmare when they find that a staff member has been abusing their child. Freddy literally is a walking nightmare, which makes him my number one pick for spooky season watches.

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I hope you guys enjoy my list! I know there's nothing indie or niche on here, but they are my favorite go to movies so I hope you guys enjoy them too. And if by some chance you haven't seen any or one of these, give them a chance! You'll like them... I hope.