Favorite Halloween Movies
These are my favorite movies to watch during the month of October to get geared up for Halloween. Some are scary, some are funny, and some are beyond goofy, but all of them get me in the proper...spirit.
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- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsDonald PleasenceJamie Lee CurtisTony MoranFifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.Classic!
- DirectorRick RosenthalStarsJamie Lee CurtisDonald PleasenceCharles CyphersWhile Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.Classic II!
- DirectorTommy Lee WallaceStarsTom AtkinsStacey NelkinDan O'HerlihyKids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.Classic III: Season of the Classic!
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsKurt RussellWilford BrimleyKeith DavidA research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.So good, I almost can't stand it.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsAdrienne BarbeauJamie Lee CurtisJanet LeighAn unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters.Leprous zombie pirates. Dig it!
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsJason PatricCorey HaimDianne WiestAfter moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.So very quotable and sexy.
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsAdrian PasdarJenny WrightLance HenriksenA small-town farmer's son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is bitten by a beautiful drifter.Um...ditto!
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsDavid NaughtonJenny AgutterJoe BelcherTwo American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.I'm still scared of werewolves because of this movie, but I watch it anyway.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsJoBeth WilliamsHeather O'RourkeCraig T. NelsonA family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.Horror with heart.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.So scary, because everything can be explained away.
- StarsRebecca De MornaySteven WeberWil HorneffA recovering alcoholic must wrestle with demons within and without when he and his family move into a haunted hotel as caretakers.Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the Kubrick version. But The Shining is one of my favorite books of all time, and this incarnation is soooooo much truer to the written word.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsHeather LangenkampJohnny DeppRobert EnglundTeenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.You have to sleep some time.
- DirectorSean S. CunninghamStarsBetsy PalmerAdrienne KingJeannine TaylorA group of teenage camp counselors attempt to re-open an abandoned summer camp with a tragic past, but they are stalked by a mysterious, relentless killer.Yes, it's just a slasher flick, and I usually don't go for those, but it was ground-breaking.
- DirectorJohn HarrisonStarsDebbie HarryMatthew LawrenceChristian SlaterTo stall a witch plotting to eat him, a boy reads her horror tales dealing with a collegian's resurrection of a mummy, a murderous cat, and an artist's pact with a gargoyle.Hokey, yes, but oh so delightful.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsKiefer SutherlandKevin BaconJulia RobertsFive medical students experiment with "near death" experiences, until the dark consequences of past tragedies begin to jeopardize their lives.Creepy and hot!
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsJack NicholsonCherSusan SarandonThree single women in a picturesque village have their wishes granted, at a cost, when a mysterious and flamboyant man arrives in their lives.Again, soooooooo quotable.
- DirectorIain SoftleyStarsKate HudsonPeter SarsgaardJoy BryantA hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.A lot of people pan this film, but I think it's much better than people give it credit for.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppChristina RicciMiranda RichardsonIchabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of three people; the culprit is legendary apparition The Headless Horseman.Admittedly, it's a goth's wet dream, and it bears almost no resemblance to the Washington Irving tale, but it's a fun little romp and it sets the mood perfectly.
- DirectorStephen SommersStarsHugh JackmanKate BeckinsaleRichard RoxburghThe famed monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula, who is using Dr. Frankenstein's research and a werewolf for nefarious purposes.An homage to classic horror movies with the very dreamy David Wenham. Yes, I noticed Hugh Jackman as well, but Wenham has stolen my heart.
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsJulia RobertsJohn MalkovichGeorge ColeA housemaid falls in love with Dr. Henry Jekyll and his darkly mysterious counterpart, Mr. Edward Hyde.Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde through the eyes of a scullery maid. Very true to the book.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsNeve CampbellCourteney CoxDavid ArquetteA year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.An homage to modern horror movies. FOLLOW THE RULES!
- DirectorAlex ProyasStarsBrandon LeeMichael WincottRochelle DavisA man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.Another goth's wet dream, although in a different way. Great music, too.
- DirectorTom HollandStarsChris SarandonWilliam RagsdaleAmanda Bearse"Fright Night" sees a teenager believing that the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire. He turns to an actor in a television hosted horror movie show for help to deal with the undead.Scary AND funny. And cheesily '80s. It's got it all.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.The first time I saw it, I already knew the twist. It is SO good, that it didn't even matter.
- DirectorTod BrowningKarl FreundStarsBela LugosiHelen ChandlerDavid MannersTransylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night.Iconic fangs.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsColin CliveMae ClarkeBoris KarloffDr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.Iconic stitching.
- DirectorGeorge WaggnerStarsClaude RainsWarren WilliamLon Chaney Jr.Larry Talbot returns to his father's castle in Wales and meets a beautiful woman. One fateful night, Talbot escorts her to a local carnival where they meet a mysterious gypsy fortune teller.Iconic fur.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.It's not about zombies. It's about people. You actually have to think when you watch this movie.
- DirectorWilliam CastleStarsVincent PriceCarol OhmartRichard LongA millionaire offers $10,000 to five people who agree to be locked in a large, spooky, rented house overnight with him and his wife.Not a fine film, but the mood can't be beat.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingChristopher LeeMichael GoughWhen Jonathan Harker rouses the ire of Count Dracula for accepting a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses, his friend Dr. Van Helsing pursues the predatory villain.This takes some major liberties with the Stoker book, but it's still fab. You can't beat a good Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing vehicle.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingHazel CourtRobert UrquhartWhile awaiting execution for murder, Baron Victor Frankenstein tells the story of a creature he built and brought to life - only for it to behave not as he intended.Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee again. Like I said, it can't be beat.
- DirectorRoger CormanFrancis Ford CoppolaJack HaleStarsBoris KarloffJack NicholsonSandra KnightA young French soldier cut off from his unit is beguiled by a mysterious woman, whom he learns is the wife of the local Baron - and that she seemingly died twenty years earlier.This is one of the most dreadful films, but I can't not love it.
- DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsJoan CollinsPeter CushingRalph RichardsonFive strangers get lost in a crypt and, after meeting the mysterious Crypt Keeper, receive visions of how they will die.Creepy and hokey. What a fantastic combo.
- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsJames WhitmoreEdmund GwennJoan WeldonThe earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.Nuclear testing produces...giant ants! The best of all of those '50s nuclear scare horror movies.
- DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsBill MurrayDan AykroydSigourney WeaverThree parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.Did they know when they were making it how good it would be? Comedic genius!
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsPeter O'TooleDaryl HannahSteve GuttenbergWhen a hotelier attempts to fill the chronic vacancies at his castle by launching an advertising campaign that falsely portrays the property as haunted, two actual ghosts show up and end up falling for two guests.Yes, I know it's goofy. Yes, I realize it's Steve Guttenberg. It's still awesome.
- DirectorHoward StormStarsLauren HuttonJim CarreyKaren KopinsA vampire Countess needs to drink the blood of a virgin in order to keep her eternal beauty. It seems that all is hopeless, until she bumps into Mark Kendall.Bucks the formula that told us that having sex was the kiss of death. Hey, it was the '80s.
- DirectorFran Rubel KuzuiStarsKristy SwansonDonald SutherlandPaul ReubensFlighty teenage girl Buffy Summers learns that she is her generation's destined battler of vampires.Cheesy, I know, but you can't beat the quotes.
- DirectorJames SignorelliStarsCassandra PetersonPhil RubensteinLarry Flash Jenkins"Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" is a 1988 comedy, horror movie - upon arriving in a small town where Elvira has inherited a rundown mansion, the famous horror host must battle an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.Double D-sized Halloween fun.
- DirectorRod DanielStarsMichael J. FoxJames HamptonSusan UrsittiAn ordinary high school student discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree.I never knew before this movie that lycanthropy improved your ability to dunk. Now I do.
- DirectorMel BrooksStarsGene WilderMadeline KahnMarty FeldmanAn American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.Again, comedic genius.
- DirectorJim WynorskiStarsRobert VaughnTeri CopleySteve AltmanThe nephew of a librarian must go collect a 200 year old book, "The Book of Ulthar." that should have never been checked out by the Evil Count Orlock cause one of the spells in it could bring about the end of the world. During his trip to the castle, he meets Marissa, a gorgeous rock star and heir to the castle's fortune. There they must confront the only other heir to the fortune and the book, Uncle Byron; and Uncle Byron and his 3 adopted nieces all have very, very, very broad smiles.See The Terror before you see this. It will help you appreciate it even more.
- DirectorFred DekkerStarsAndre GowerRobby KigerStephen MachtA group of young monster fanatics attempts to save their hometown from Count Dracula and his monsters.Ghostbusters meets The Goonies, with a fair dash of hokey thrown in.
- DirectorKenny OrtegaStarsBette MidlerSarah Jessica ParkerKathy NajimyA teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.Very cute.
- DirectorBill MelendezStarsPeter RobbinsChristopher SheaSally DryerThe Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin.Cuteness squared.
- DirectorClyde GeronimiJack KinneyStarsBing CrosbyBilly BletcherPinto ColvigIn a small town, a brewing romantic rivalry with a local tough and a school-teacher culminates in a terrifying ride in the night.Disney does Halloween. Awesome.
- DirectorBruce BilsonStarsJudd HirschMariette HartleyHenry GibsonUpset by rumors that Halloween may end, Dracula calls his mild-mannered monsters together and delivers an ultimatum - either regain their frightening image, or leave his Transylvania castle forever.Very, very goofy, but worth it.
- DirectorJohn LeachStarsGilda RadnerBob ChurchJohn LeachA witch, disgruntled by the fact that no one takes Halloween seriously anymore, decides to stir things up and disrupt the social gathering in her old house as well as turn a couple of kids who love monsters into actual monsters.Weird and wonderful.
- DirectorRobert YoungStarsDiana RiggCharlotte RaeTim CurryMildred Hubble (Fairuza Balk) is one of the young girls at a prestigious witch academy. She can't seem to do anything right and is picked on by classmates and teachers. The headmistress of the school, Miss Cackle (Charlotte Rae), has an evil twin sister (Agatha) who plans to destroy the school. Can Mildred foil the plan before the Grand Wizard (Tim Curry) comes to the Academy for the Halloween celebration you'll never forget?Tim Curry MAKES this movie with his musical number.
- DirectorNicolas RoegStarsAnjelica HustonMai ZetterlingJasen FisherA young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.Angelica Huston as the Grand High Witch. Awesome!
- DirectorDavid DetiegeFriz FrelengChuck JonesStarsMel BlancJune ForayBugs Bunny and his friends face With Hazel and other scary characters on All Hallows Eve.A favorite from childhood.
- DirectorPhil RomanStarsLorenzo MusicThom HugeGregg BergerWhen Garfield and Odie are out trick-or-treating, they end up at a haunted house.Another one.
- DirectorGil KenanStarsMitchel MussoSam LernerSpencer LockeThree teens discover that their neighbor's house is really a living, breathing, scary monster.Great mixture of kid and adult humor.
- DirectorNick DoobCathy OleanRobert WiemerStarsDaphne YoureeDara BrownJim FlemingLynn Morley, a ten year old girl with quite an imagination, believes that her older sister, Judith, is being trained as a witch by their odd neighbor, Mrs. Tuggle. No one else seems to notice Judith's strange new behaviors and habits, like reading tarot cards and spending time with a mysterious young man whom she raised from the lake near their house. Convinced that she alone can stop her sister from falling completely under Mrs. Tuggle's influence, she and her best friend Mouse attempt to gather evidence. But before they can find a way to vanquish their foe, Lynn's mother is called away unexpectedly, and Lynn and her siblings are left in Mrs. Tuggle's care...on a dark and stormy night. Will Lynn be able to break the spell before Lynn's little brother becomes Judith's victim?Not the greatest acting, but it's definitely worth a viewing...if you can find it.
- CreatorEd HaasNorm LiebmannStarsFred GwynneAl LewisYvonne De CarloA family of friendly monsters have misadventures, never quite understanding why people react to them so strangely.Monsters living in the real world...and they don't get it. Fabulous!
- 1988–19991h 33mNot Rated9.0 (1.5K)TV EpisodeDirectorJoel HodgsonStarsTrace BeaulieuJoel HodgsonJim MallonThe Mads present the satellite people a film so bad that apologies are sent, and Tom Servo goes off his nut from it.The original film, if I dare to stretch the truth with that label, is pretty much unwatchable. However, give it the MST3K treatment, and it's magical.