Classic Halloween Movies To Get You In The Spooky Spirit
Halloween in 2020 definitely looks a little different than what the world is used to, however, just because there’s a global pandemic happening outside of our doors that doesn’t mean we still can’t enjoy all the fun festivities the holiday has to offer. And what better way to get you and your quarantine crew in the mood for spooky season than some classic Halloween entertainment?
Scream: This classic teen-slasher film is a trailblazer for modern murder-mysetery scary movies. This cult classic follows Cindy Prescott, a year after her mothers murder, as she fights off an evil ghost-faced killer who’s hunting down her and all of her friends.
Get Out: This newer film has already been highly regarded as a horror classic. Written and directed by Jordan Peele, this film follows a Black photographer who goes home with his white girlfriend to meet her family for the first time. Surrounded by comments of casual racism, the relationship and dynamics of the characters only gets more and more ominous as it progresses.
Beetlejuice: This Tim Burton horror/comedy classic follows a ghost couple who are working to haunt their prior home with the help of a devilish poltergeist spirit known as Beetlejuice. The 1988 film has had multiple modern adaptations, including a Broadway show, but nothing compares to the original classic.
Halloween: It truly isn’t Halloween until you’ve watched the classic 1978 film of the same name. This movie was a part of that classic set of horror movies that were filmed in the 70s and 80s that set the standard for the horror movie genre as we know it today. While there have been multiple sequels, reboots, and spin-offs, the original film starring Jamie Lee Curtis has gone doesn in history as one of the best horror films of all time.
Edward Scissorhands: This movie also comes from the unique and spooky mind of Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. This unlikely love story follows a man with scissor blades for hands who falls for your average girl next door suburban teenager.
Ghostbusters: If you’re looking for a more family-friendly Halloween movie to watch look no further than the 1984 classic Ghostbusters. Or spice it up with a marathon and watch the first, second and third film and top it off with the hilarious 2016 remake starring Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy.
Carrie: This Stephen King novel adaptation follows an introverted teenage girl with a complicated relationship with her mother, and an unexpected secret gift. After being bullied relentlessly all year Carrie finally decides to stand up to herself at the school prom and let’s just say it gets quite … messy.
The Exorcist: You aren’t a real fan of horror movies unless you’ve seen this 1973 classic. This film set the standard for all demon possession type scary movies as it follows a young girl and her mother who attempts to save her daughter from demonic possession. After countless attempts she finally calls upon the church to perform an exorcism.
Hocus Pocus: Another family-friendly classic Halloween movie, this film stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as three witches in Salem, Massachusetts who are resurrected on Halloween and spend the night trying to suck the youth out of all the trick or treaters as a means of staying young and beautiful.
Child’s Play: This movie introduced the infamous Chucky doll horror character to the world in 1988. When Chucky gets possessed by a serial killer, he wreaks havoc on his new owners and changes the definition of “play time.”
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.