13 of Our Halloween Movie and TV Favorites
by IMDb-Editors | created - 21 Oct 2013 | updated - 29 Oct 2013 | PublicIn the autumn, IMDb editors' thoughts turn darkly to thoughts of terror - more specifically, the frights that only certain movies and TV shows can inspire. Behold, our list of essential titles that we include in our own Halloween viewing.
(P.S. Our sincerest apologies to Lord Tennyson, on our Halloween repurposing of his classic poem.)
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1. Hellraiser (1987)
R | 94 min | Horror, Thriller
A woman discovers the newly resurrected, partially formed, body of her brother-in-law and lover. She starts killing for him to revitalize his body and escape the demonic beings that are pursuing him after he escaped their underworld.
Director: Clive Barker | Stars: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman
Votes: 139,900 | Gross: $14.56M
Not long after the Rubik's cube was introduced to Americans came this tale of a different kind of puzzle box, the kind you really don't want to solve...or open. While the creepy Cenobites promise their victims eternity in a world of pleasure, pain and suffering, we only get see the pain and suffering part of that guarantee, underscored by the demon Pinhead's assurance that, in his words, "WE'LL TEAR YOUR SOUL APAAAAART."
Watch now on Amazon Instant Video
2.
The X-Files (1993–2018)
Episode:
Home
(1996)
TV-MA | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The remains of a murdered deformed infant lead the agents to a family of murderous, inbred, animal-like brothers living on a secluded farm in a remote section of Pennsylvania.
Director: Kim Manners | Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Tucker Smallwood, Chris Nelson Norris
Votes: 6,587
There are many episodes of "The X-Files" that will keep a person up at night, but "Home" took the show's queasiness factor to new levels of ickiness by liberally playing with the horror trope of backwoods murderous maniacs. Here, we are introduced to the Peacocks, a small-town family consisting of three brothers who keep to themselves... mainly in order to hide a family secret that will make you shudder for hours (or days) after the end-credits roll. Especially if you have space under your bed.
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3. Donnie Darko (2001)
R | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Director: Richard Kelly | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne
Votes: 847,282 | Gross: $1.48M
Watch now on Amazon Instant Video
This film is not your typical scary movie, but Halloween plays an important role in the film. If you haven't checked it out yet, Halloween would be a great time to do so-- and you may also get a few cool costume ideas.
4. House of Wax (1953)
GP | 88 min | Horror
An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.
Director: André De Toth | Stars: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones
Votes: 20,174 | Gross: $23.75M
While Vincent Price is a horror deity, it is not only his performance that makes House of Wax one Halloween must-see. No, what makes this movie a sinister classic is the very idea of murdered people encased in wax, used in displays of historical figures; watching the major characters and the visiting public walk amongst these tableaux, commenting in awe on how real the figures seem only makes the squick factor gradually intensify. The most inexplicably horrifying scene of all comes near the beginning: the visuals of wax figures melting in a fire is at least as disturbing as many axe or chainsaw scenes filmed in the years since. P.S The actor playing Igor, billed here as Charles Buchinsky, might look a wee bit familiar to you.
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5. Häxan (1922)
Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary, Fantasy, Horror
Fictionalized documentary showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in Eastern Europe.
Director: Benjamin Christensen | Stars: Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan
Votes: 16,607
Ostensibly a practical look at the history of witchcraft - and the punishments meted out for practicing it through the ages - this little silent gem is lent a veneer of menace by the visual age of the footage, the bizarre costuming of the witches and the mismatching of the music to the topic at hand. While the title card translations from Swedish to English are fanciful and a riot to read all on their own, juxtaposing that with visual demonstrations of how medieval implements of torture were used is a potent psychological horrorshow. Note: this is an ideal film to screen at your Halloween party, as the visuals alone will set the mood while both entertaining and unnerving your guests in the right proportions.
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6. Alien (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 946,103 | Gross: $78.90M
The original Alien is first-and-foremost a sci-fi movie. However, its last hour or so is a classic haunted house scenario – with a spaceship serving as the house – and director Ridley Scott masterfully ratchets up the tension to an unbearable level. For further proof that this is a great horror choice, look no further than the movie’s iconic tagline: “In space no one can hear you scream.”
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7. The Shining (1980)
R | 146 min | Drama, Horror
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Votes: 1,101,891 | Gross: $44.02M
The elevator! The twins! Room 237! Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King novel The Shining is legitimately terrifying, and it always makes for a strong choice around Halloween. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also a pretty great movie – it ranks 48th on IMDb’s Top 250 list, which is second-best for a Kubrick movie behind Dr. Strangelove (Kubrick has eight movies on the list, six of which are in the Top 100).
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8.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Episode:
Hush
(1999)
13+ | 43 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
When everyone in Sunnydale loses their voice, the Scooby Gang must silently solve the mystery of the monsters who stole their ability to speak.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, James Marsters
Votes: 8,215
For the most part, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was not a scary show. Even the vamps died cleanly: One stake in the general region of the heart, and they neatly dissolved into a puff of ash.
Not the case for The Gentlemen: floating, ghoulish creatures with sunken-in eyes and unnaturally tight smiles whose modus operandi was the stuff of nightmares. Using magic, The Gentlemen rendered mute the citizens of Sunnydale in order to harvest their still-beating hearts without having to deal with any inconveniences like screaming. But that doesn't mean you can't yelp a little while you're watching.
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9. Trilogy of Terror (1975 TV Movie)
Unrated | 72 min | Horror, Thriller
Three bizarre horror stories, all of which star Karen Black in four different roles playing four tormented women.
Director: Dan Curtis | Stars: Robert Burton, John Karlen, George Gaynes, Jim Storm
Votes: 8,654
Trilogy of Terror may have consisted of three separate stories, each starring Karen Black playing markedly different characters, but the one that stuck with me through the years is the finale piece, in which an African tribal doll comes to life and hunts a woman in her apartment.
As a child who grew up in a home filled with small African sculptures, this film added a more sinister dimension to one's fear of the dark. And dolls.
Buy now on DVD
10. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966 TV Movie)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
The Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin.
Director: Bill Melendez | Stars: Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Sally Dryer, Cathy Steinberg
Votes: 21,954
No Halloween is complete without a viewing of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", arguably one of best Charlie Brown specials (after "A Charlie Brown Christmas"). And don't forget Lucy's wise advice: A person should always choose a costume which is in direct contrast to her own personality.
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11. The Imposter (2012)
R | 99 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.
Director: Bart Layton | Stars: Adam O'Brian, Nicholas Barclay, Carey Gibson, Bryan Gibson
Votes: 50,285 | Gross: $0.89M
As unnerving as the best fictional horror is this true story of a pathological Frenchman's successful attempt to pass himself off as a Texas family's long-missing child. His deceit sets the stage for what translates as a potential murder cover-up, and the mix of documentary and re-created footage adds serious ick factor thanks to Adam O'Brian's portrayal of Frederic Bourdin, also known in the real world as "The Chameleon".
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12. American Horror Story (2011– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, showcasing different aspects of horror.
Stars: Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson
Votes: 342,140
IMDb Editor Michelle started watching the first season of "American Horror Story" when the first five episodes were replayed on Halloween. By the end of the marathon, she was hooked and it's still one of her favorite shows. The series has only gotten creepier over time, and this season has taken the gore to a new level. Be forewarned: you may experience some strange dreams after viewing.
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13. Dracula (1931)
Passed | 75 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Transylvanian 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.
Directors: Tod Browning, Karl Freund | Stars: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
Votes: 58,370
Watching Dracula each Halloween serves as a fine mental palate refresher of sorts from all of the vampire variations that have come along in the decades since it was filmed. We're fans of so many of those different vampire incarnations, but there's just something perfect about Bela Lugosi's interpretation of Count Dracula as a mysterious, menacing continental gentlemen, complemented by the gorgeously gloomy visual atmosphere created inside the Abbey by Tod Browning and Karl Freund. The chilling work of these three early horror masters combined makes this an ideal film to watch in the dark long after the trick-or-treaters have gone home.
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