The night of the living dead will soon be upon us. In order to prepare for the madness of monsters, witches, clowns, serial killers and haunted houses galore, here are the top seven Halloween movies that will prepare you for the blood curdling screams echoing through the city on Oct. 31.:
- 1. Hocus Pocus (1993)
This is a perfect children friendly movie to watch if scary movies are not your cup of tea. It is the story of three witches who return to Salem. While exploring an old house in Salem, Mass. with his younger sister Dani Dennison (Thora Birch), teen Max Dennison (Omri Katz) accidently releases a spell that bound a coven of witches. It has been 300 years since the witches were hung for their spell-work in the seventeenth century. Now, Dani and Max must try and save Halloween from these evil witches before they try to destroy the town. Hocus Pocus brings the spirit of Halloween into the home along with some light comedy.
- 2. Young Frankenstein (1973)
Dr. Fredrick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder), a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein, finds the journals of his late grandfather’s experiments. He decides to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and complete his unfinished work. This is a parody of the classic horror movie Frankenstein, which was based off Mary Shelly’s novel of the same name.
- 3. The Addam’s Family (1991)
Fester (Christopher Lloyd), the long-lost brother of Gomez Addams (Raul Julia) finds his way back home. The story follows the family’s reaction to Fester returning home. Something is not quite right with Fester, and Gomez’s wife Morticia (Anjelica Huston), notices this. She does some investigating and finds out that Fester is an imposter who is trying to get money out of Gomez. It is a fun, family approved movie that is perfect way to spend Halloween.
- 4. The Shining (1980)
Directed by famous filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, The Shining is based on Stephen King’s novel. The story follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), an alcoholic novelist, as he has accepted a position as a caretaker at a hotel in the Colorado Rockies. During his family’s stay at the hotel, things become weird, and paranormal activity begins to occur. It is terrifying and one of Jack Nicholson’s best performances.
- 5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a cannibalistic serial killer, is serving time in prison. Clarice Starling (Jodi Foster), a new cadet in the FBI, tries to connect with Lecter on an intellectual level so she can understand him. She does this to catch serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) who is on the prowl. It is intense and highly recommended for all of those who like to be scared to the point that you won’t be able to sleep without a nightlight.
- 6. IT (2017)
This movie is based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel. Bill Skarsgard stars as the notoriously creepy clown, Pennywise, who has lived in the Derry, Maine sewers for decades. He comes out every twenty-seven years to feast on the children of Derry. Pennywise is able to shapeshift into the scariest fears of each individual child. This is a coming of age story where we learn about the Loser’s club and how they combat against this evil force that is haunting their lives.
- 7. The Conjuring (2013)
This movie is absolutely terrifying. It is based on the true story about paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren. The movie follows their investigation of a home the Perron’s recently moved into. The house has weird occurrences such as doors slamming shut, lights flickering, etc. It is a dark movie dealing with hauntings, ghosts and paranormal activity that is perfect for Halloween time.
