Written by: Hannah Nasluchacz, Staff Writer
HALLOWEEN: Movies that should be watched to get in the Halloween spirit.
Halloween is a special time of year where people of all types can celebrate in different ways. Usually little kids go trick or treating with their parents while older kids and adults prefer to stay in and party by watching movies or celebrating with food. Even though Halloween is technically over, we can still appreciate the films that get people in the spooky season spirit. Here is a list of my favorite Halloween movies.
Spoiler Alert: This article contains many spoilers read at your own risk!
CORALINE (2009)
Movie poster from Laika Studios
Written by Henry Selick, the movie, Coraline, follows Coraline Jones, an eleven year old girl who just moved into a new home. There, she explores and discovers a secret door that leads to an alternative world. Although this world eerily replicates the real one, Coraline discovered small differences in this unusual world: one being that all of the people have buttons for eyes. She then falls asleep in the alternate world but wakes up in the real one. She pushes to find a way back to the alternative world, believing that it is better than the real one. She eventually succeeds when she discovers mice that help her go back. Coraline seems happy in the alternative world but when the “other mother” wants to force her to stay there, she fights to go back to the real world. She then realizes that in order to be happy she needs to have her friends and family around her. She incorporates elements of the alternative world to build better relationships with the community around her. Along the way she meets characters, Wybie Lovat, Mr. Bobinsky, Miss Spink, and Miss Forcible.
Even though on the surface it is an animated science fiction horror movie, Coraline accurately depicts real childhood emotions and experiences while following the protagonist, Coraline Jones.
IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN (1966)
Picture from Simon & Schuster
Adapted from the comic strip written by Charles M. Schulz, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the children from the Peanuts comics are celebrating Halloween when Linus leaves the celebration to go to a pumpkin patch.Linus does this all in an effort to wait for the legendary Great Pumpkin. The animated special also depicts Lucy stealing an American football from Charlie Brown, as well as the classic imagery of Snoopy flying on his dog house as a World War One pilot.
The Charlie Brown series is a timeless way to celebrate halloween with friends and family.
PSYCHO (1960)
Poster from Original Film Art
Written by Joseph Stefano and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho begins with a secretary named Marion Crane stealing money from her boss to run away with her boyfriend. The boyfriend, Sam Loomis, becomes tired from the rainstorm and when they were traveling attempting to avoid the police they stop at a motel called the Bates Motel. There they meet a man named Norman Bates whose mysterious hobbies include taxidermy. Norman has a difficult relationship with his mother. In a shocking reveal, the audience learns that his mother is a corpse sitting in his house. Bates is compelled to get back at his mother by hurting other women.
Psycho is one of those classic thriller movies, perfect for creating that spooky Halloween atmosphere.
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)
Movie poster from IMDb
The movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, by Tim Burton and Michael McDowell, shows Jack Skellington, the town’s pumpkin king, who has recently become tired with the continuous routine of making people scared. He discovers a Christmastown and is attracted to it. Jack wants to take over Christmas by kidnapping Santa Claus and replacing him.. He rides around in a sleigh and creates destruction. He later realized that he was wrong and aimed to set his wrongs right.
The movie teaches people that change can be a good thing unless it is taken too far where the person completely loses their identity and since or self.
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S (2023)
Poster from Universal Pictures
Story by Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy’s follows Mike, a security guard, struggling to hold down jobs in order to provide for his little sister. While working a shift at his new job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, he falls asleep and his dream links to his surroundings. Connected to the 4 children in his dream, the 4 animatronics come alive when searching for a new victim from the person controlling them. Mike sees the danger in them and attempts to help his sister stay away from them once she discovers them. He fights to find out who killed his brother.
This movie was released right before Halloween so people who intend to watch it as a halloween movie. The movie attracts following of the books and games that this movie is adapted from.
During Halloween I want to be scared but not all the time. That is why my choices for the best movies are carefully constructed to give me the best viewing experience. By having cute movies like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It balances out more scarier movies like Psycho. Then by having movies like Coraline, and The Nightmare Before Christmas that are entertaining and not that scary, it ties all of the movies together to create the best atmosphere to celebrate Halloween.