Halloween is my favorite holiday. What other day can you knock on virtual stranger’s doors and get free candy? Besides, who doesn’t like to be scared? I love the fall colors and the smell of summer’s decay in the air.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite Halloween night movies. Some are scary, some are hilarious, some are important but all of them are a lot of fun.
7. The Thing (1982)
I have to put this on the list because it’s my favorite science fiction/horror film and a tradition. Almost every Halloween night, I watch John Carpenter’s classic with a group of friends (or sometimes just by myself).
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas
This is a great one for all ages. There isn’t anything particularly scary here, but the film is flat-out brilliant. From the music, to the stop animation, to the holiday mash-up, this one really gets the holidays off to a great start.
5. Nosferatu
By far, the best silent era horror film ever made. The dark black and white photography gives a sense of claustrophobia that films today just can’t match. Max Schreck is so creepy as Count Orlok, it makes you wonder if he wasn’t really a vampire in real life.
4. Young Frankenstein
A horror/comedy with Gene Wilder at the height of his genius. This one comes from Mel Brooks who left no classic horror movie untouched as he both lampooned and homaged famous horror films at the same time.
3. Friday the 13th Part III
Why not part 1 or 2? Because Jason wasn’t the Jason we all know and love (or hate). Jason wasn’t really even in part 1. His mom did all the killing. Then in part 2, he wore a bag over his head. It wasn’t until part 3 that we get to see Jason in his iconic hockey mask wielding a machete.
2. The Changeling
This is one of those horror movies that seems to always fly under the radar even though it deserves major accolades. George C. Scott (yes, Patton himself) stars in a story about a haunted house that is genuinely creepy.
1. Halloween (1978)
And of course, nothing captures the feel of Halloween night better than John Carpenter’s slasher masterpiece. It’s been copied countless times but nothing compares to the original. This is what started and defined the slasher genre and it’s still one of the best.