One week down of October and three more to go — just enough time to binge watch all your favorite Halloween movies. From slasher classics to creepy animation to family-friendly films, the Life section has assembled the ultimate Halloween watchlist.
Thaddeus Sawyer, Staff Writer, thaddeus.sawyer@uconn.edu, he/him/his
Every year after going trick-or-treating with my siblings, we would sit on my living room floor, sort our candy for trading and turn on “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
As a kid, the 25-minute runtime felt more like an hour as the film seamlessly shifted from Great Pumpkin lore to Snoopy’s World War I Flying Ace sequence and to Charlie Brown getting nothing but rocks in his candy bag and failing miserably in creating a ghost costume.
Even as I reached the age at which most kids would trade in the family-friendly films for horror movies, Charlie Brown remained a cornerstone of my holiday traditions.
While I can’t say I ever skipped out on trick-or-treating to sit in a pumpkin patch, patiently awaiting the Great Pumpkin’s arrival, the film is ingrained in my memories and picture of Halloween. Like many of the Peanuts animated classics, this film has stood the test of time and likely will for generations to come.
Jaylyn Davis, Staff Writer, iue25001@uconn.edu, she/her/hers
Even though I love Halloween, I haven’t watched many Halloween movies. An amazing Halloween classic I have seen is “Ghostbusters.”
Released in 1984, “Ghostbusters” follows the story of a team that tracks down ghosts and captures them using traps. The movie’s been immensely popular since its release, and its theme song can be heard at every Halloween party.
“Halloween (2018)” is another Halloween movie I love watching. As someone who enjoys jump-scares, this film is right at the top of my favorites list.
Like “Ghostbusters,” “Halloween” has mysterious themes. It’s about a family who tries to take down Michael Myers, a man who can’t die and who loves to brutally murder people. I don’t know if the 1978 version is better than the 2018 version, but I hope to find out as the holiday gets closer.
Eva Nyquist, Campus Correspondent, eva.nyquist@uconn.edu, she/her/hers
I’ve watched the same Halloween movie every year for as long as I can remember: “Mad Monster Party.”
Released in 1967 and holding a 67% Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s a niche stop-motion film that has become emblematic of all the weird and campy aspects of Halloween. For me, stop-motion as a medium already toes the line of creepy, so combined with classic Halloween monsters and the unsettling atmosphere of a rickety mansion on a remote island, it actually makes for a decently spooky watch.
Still, this film is a comedy at heart. Its humor is timeless and rooted in the film’s natural absurdity; I can’t even tell you what the plot is because there’s so much happening with its ensemble of crazy creatures. If you’ve never seen it, you must give it a watch — it’s fun, it’s camp and it’s free.
Hope Melk, Campus Correspondent, hope.melk@uconn.edu, she/her/hers
Naturally, my favorite Halloween movie is the original 1996 “Scream” — not to be confused with any of the prequels that follow (everyone knows they don’t hold a candle to the first anyways).
The combination of the iconic ‘90s aesthetic and the classic slasher trope blend beautifully to create a timeless movie that never loses its charm. The cast is stacked with a lineup of familiar ‘90s faces, like Courtney Cox and Drew Barrymore.
Although it is not explicitly a Halloween movie, Ghostface’s unique signature mask and voice have become instantly recognizable symbols of Halloween.
What I love most about this movie is its ability to simultaneously balance suspense with a lighthearted and nostalgic feeling. This is the comfort movie of horror, and an annual rewatch that always does the trick of reviving my Halloween spirit.
Sean Aitken, Campus Correspondent, sean.aitken@uconn.edu, he/him/his
I’ll be very careful with my choice of words in this roundtable; I don’t want to summon any bio-exorcists.
Tim Burton’s 1988 film “Beetlejuice” is my favorite Halloween movie.
The setting is a fictional Connecticut town that provides such a cozy vibe before turning into a truly bonkers journey.
Michael Keaton is on another level as the infamous Beetlejuice. The rest of the cast is phenomenal too, except for he who will not be named.
All the scenes in the afterlife look amazing almost 40 years later. This film is an all-timer in the makeup effects category, with so many memorable creatures.
The comedy of the film is terrific too; so many memorable lines and scenes live in my head rent free, like ones that involve the football team or when the guy who the film is named after is scaring the Deetz family.
Beetlejuice is a must watch for me every October… Was that three? No!