Halloween is my favorite time of year. I love maple spice lattes, roasting pumpkin seeds after gutting my pumpkin, and dressing up in some tv-show-referenced-costume. My dream is to live in a continuous fall in a small, New England town. A girl can dream, okay?
So, I made a Halloween movie and TV show list that I think will help those faint of heart, but still longing to join in on the scary-fun season! Because I do not like slasher films or extremely-violent ones either. I watched VHS with some friends and it was messed up and horrible. Halloween is for a good scare not a disgusting and life-scarring one!
Goosebumps
This is a classic. I love re-watching episodes during Halloween. Although the acting and writing isn’t always sound, it still serves as a campy romp for most episodes. It always have enough cheesy-ness to it so you can never be extremely scared. Although, some scenarios and stage make-up are a little disturbing.
Favorite Episodes: ” Stay Out of the Basement” “Phantom of the Auditorium” “Ghost Beach” “The Ghost Next Door” “Let’s Get Invisible” “The Haunted Mask”(pictured)
Rating: 1 Scream
R.L. Stein’s Haunting Hour
If you can’t get enough of Goosebumps, there was a recent series made from the same author. This series has a little bit more meat to it and you might even see a couple young Disney or ABC Family stars. While it lacks the cheese of the prior 90’s nostalgia cult show, it does have better production value, it’s not filmed in Canada and it’s present day. Those are the biggest differences besides the darker premise. This probably won’t be a cult show itself, but it’s the closest thing you’re going to get for a new series of Goosebumps (the Movie Goosebumps does not count!!).
Favorite Episodes; “Lily D“(pictured) “Scary Mary” “The Golem” “Nightmare Inn”
Rating: 2.5 Screams
Coraline
This movie is absolutely one of my favorites. I am a huge fan of animation and especially stop-motion. The artistry is beautiful and story is well told and imaginative. I could even go as far as to boast that when it comes to this genre it is as good, if not better than, A Nightmare Before Christmas. Even the soundtrack relays the right amount of creepy that compliments the movie nicely.
Rating: 2 Screams
Scream 1 and 2
Scream is that great 90’s nostalgia flick that you have been looking for. Right in the middle of the decade it was released and was pretty popular for the time. Of course, I wasn’t even born until a year later after it’s release, but I know a good film when I see one. This Film is really not too scary or over the top. It can be a little predictable but the quality of a horror flick makes up for it. The first and second were good, but after that it just goes down hill.
Rating: 3 Screams
Beetlejuice
As much as I don’t want to be predictable I can’t deny a classic and Tim Burton has a staple on them when it comes to creepy (or at least he used to). This film has my favorite Actress, Winona Ryder and she does an excellent job along with Alec Baldwin and Michael Keaton. The film is really eccentric and the costuming is pretty amazing too.
Rating: 1 scream (if that)
Stranger Things
This Netflix Original show debuted about a year ago and the second season is set to come out in late October this year. The show has great acting from a gooney-style gang to the older cast as well, 80’s nostalgia is on-par, and the writing keeps you binge watching all night long. It really deserves all the hype it gets.
Rating: 3ish Screams
Twin Peaks
While we are talking 80’s nostalgia, Twin Peaks comes to mind. Another cult classic from the odd mind of David Lynch. It is a really cool show, but often lags and things don’t always add up. Still it has an eerie feeling throughout the show and plenty of weird things to keep your spooked for the Halloween season.
Rating: A couple shocks and a couple head scratches
Monster House
This film used to freak me out a lot as a kid. For once there is a creepy animation that isn’t Casper the friendly ghost or a film produced by Tim Burton. It may side on the edge of cheesy but it still is a nice, scary film for its genre.
Rating: scare-rific!
Twilight Zone
This show is classic and timeless. There are twists and morals to the story most of the time. I would presume R.L. Stein got some of his inspiration from this show as a kid.
Rating: 1 Scream
Black Mirror
This is my other favorite Netflix original show. Each season has around 3-6 episodes that deal with a lot of predictions for future technology advancements and how they would effect the future world and individuals for the most part. It’s really amazing some of their predictions like a 1-5 star rating system where people give you a rating every time they have an interaction with you. Even buying a nice house is based on having a good rating. It’s a really dark show at times but not always scary.
Favorite Episodes: “Fifteen Million Merits” “White Bear” “Nosedive”(pictured)“Play Test” “Hated in the Nation”
Rating: varies from episode to episode from heart skips a beat to heart stops beating
Get Out
A great film that came out just this year that plays on the old movie concept from Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, where a white girl shows up with a black boyfriend and racism ensues (and a later version but the sexes reversed). This dark skinned fellow goes away with his girlfriend to meet her parents in a secluded, predominately white community. Little by little he enters into weird situations and has odd encounters that are sometimes on the brink of being racist. It’s good for a laugh and for reflecting on the social commentary.
Rating: 1 body in the Sunken Place
Rear Window
This is a great classic film directed and produced by the legend, Alfred Hitchcock. Staring James Stewart, who you might see every Christmas on TV in What a Wonderful Life, appears in this mystery/thriller. There’s nothing too creepy about it just suspenseful and the story telling flows nicely.
Rating: 1 heart beating quickly
North by Northwest
Another Alfred Hitchcock film starring another A plus actor, Cary Grant. This film was a favorite of my fathers. We would watch it often. In the film, Rodgers identity has been associated with a transgression he’s never committed. The men behind this try to kill him, but he falls in love along the way with the woman associated with the identity thief.
Rating: 2 hearts pounding fast
The Shining
Stanley Kubrick’s thriller contains great cinematography and acting. The film is a beautiful masterpiece. It can be a little slow at times, but all in all entertaining.
Rating: A Couple Screams
Rosemary’s Baby
He’s in on it. Or is he? Does my neighbor know? Was that dream real? These are the things you’ll be saying to yourself once you start watching Rosemary’s baby. An amazing film done by Roman Polanski. Of course he’s committed his own horrors in life, so you can see where he got his inspiration!
Rating: 1 scream 1 faint
American Horror Story seasons 1-3
American Horror story was really popular a few year ago. Each season has a different horror angle whether it be placed in a haunted house, circus, or cult, the show has really captured it all. The first season, Monster House, is a little creepy but altogether not too bad. Season 2 is the creepiest and season 3 is when the writing started to go down hill, but it was still an enjoyable season. After that I really didn’t like the following seasons, but feel free to give them a try and prove me otherwise!
Rating: 5 screams and a loss of skin
Edward Scissors Hands
Tim Burton’s odd classic is a very touching film filled with laughs, interesting story development, and cute actors (I still ship Winona and Johnny). I’m sure you can find this on ABC Family around Halloween time if you don’t already own it.
Rating: Smiles followed by crying
The Others
Play by Nicole Kidman, the mother, hides her children from the light of the sun because she claims them to be allergic to the sun. It’s creepy but not over done.
Rating: 1 Scream, 1 Surprise
Silence of the Lambs
Silence of the Lambs is a great intellectual film on the horror genre subset. Hannibal Lector is creepy himself, but not too much. Jodi Foster’s acting is top notch. This film went onto receive several awards. It’s a great watch!
Rating: Mildly scary
That’s the list! I have delved into slightly darker films such as The Conjuring and The Ring. I like them but, I need to be around sunlight and friends to watch them. Comment any good shows or films you think I missed!
A Little Adventure Is All You Need 