BALTIMORE — Trick-or-Treating is around the corner. So this spooky season, WMAR-2 has come up with a list of our 15 all time favorite Halloween movies to watch.
This list in no particular order includes some of the most legendary horror movie franchises from past and present.
It's completely opinionated, so let us know some of your favorites.
Halloween Franchise (1978- Present):
Yes, we know how to cliche it is to start a Halloween list with a movie titled Halloween, but it has longevity. The series follows Lauri Strode, the last remaining member of her family, as she tries to stop her rampaging serial killer brother Michael Myers. Myers is seemingly invincible as he finds a way to return the big screen year after year. At the end of every movie, he's either shot, stabbed, run over, or set on fire, and still manages to return to Haddonfield to terrorize more unlucky Halloween goers every year. He also does a really good job at finding whoever it is he's stalking. Halloween Ends is set the be the final movie as we follow Michael Myers for another Halloween season.
Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise (1984- 2010):
We promise this list isn't filled with only old slasher movies. This series was something different in an era dominated by silent killers like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger actually talked! The crispy slasher delivered puns and witty one-liners before he ends his victims. Before he was a dream hopping serial killer, Krueger was a just a regular serial killer. Which, admittedly isn't much better, but for the residents of Elm Street, things didn't get much better when they burned him for his crimes. It's impossibly difficult to fend off a dream stalker.
Dark Skies (2013):
This film follows the life of an everyday family as they live in a peaceful suburb. This peace is quickly interrupted when they find that strange things start happening to them. They wake up one morning and their alarm system is activated and all their furniture is turned upside down. One of the children even wakes up with strange markings all over his body. They soon find out they're being targeted by an alien threat.
Conjuring Franchise (2013- Present):
Can't have a scary movie list without ghosts. The Conjuring Universe is made up of several movies, all based on true events. The franchise follows Ed and Lorraine Warren as they investigate paranormal activity. They encounter haunted dolls, possessed people and a demonic nun. The latest addition to the franchise follows the couple as a young man is accused of murder, but claims demonic possession as his defense.
IT (1960-2019):
This movie takes a fear of clowns to the next level. Seven kids in Derry, Maine battle an evil that takes form every 27 years. Primarily in the form of a clown known as Pennywise, the creature feeds on personal fear. Even when the kids move out of town, the evil clown still finds a way to terrorize them and suck them back into town.
Chucky (1988-Present)
If we're talking about horror, we cannot forget about the infamous killer doll Chucky. His story begins in 1988 in the film 'Childs Play'. Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer, uses black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky. Karen Barclay buys the doll and gives it to her son, who late realizes that Chucky is alive. For years Chucky seems to find a way to terrorize people as he comes back in multiple films. The latest installment is the series 'Chucky' which serves as a sequel to the 'Cult of Chucky', which is now in its second season on Syfy and USA.
Scream (1996-Present)
It's hard to bring up Halloween movies without talking about one of the most iconic slasher figures of the generation. Ghostface made his debut on the big screen in 1996 in film 'Scream". A year after the murder of her mother, Sidney looks into a series of murders as she believes they have a connection. Sidney is haunted by Ghostface for years, the latest installment came out this year showing the cast all grown up still battling their past ghosts. Scream was Also made into a series, the next installment is set to be released in 2023.
Unfriended (2014, 2018)
We all love hopping on group video calls with our friends, whether it's FaceTime, Skype, or even WhatsApp. Trouble came for a group of friends when they decided to hop on their traditional Skype call and were met with an unexpected visitor. Laura Barns was a young student who took her own life after suffering from bullying. The ghost of Barns joins the Skype call to exact revenge on those who bullied her. The next installment came in 2018. Unfriended: Dark Web takes a more realistic approach as a young man discovers a laptop that is actually the source of trading on the Dark Web. The movie is set from another Skype call where a group of friends are in for a horrific ending.
Candyman (1985-2021)
We've all heard his name, but we wouldn't dare utter it without fear. The legend of Candyman dates back to 1985 with his first appearance in the novel 'The Forbidden'. The original film released in 1992, with actor Tony Todd portraying the myth. The myth of Candyman is closely similar to that of Bloody Mary, if you look into a mirror and chant his name five times, he appears. Summoning him often costs the individual their own life. The 2021 portrayal of the film digs deeper into the legends and its parallels as Jordan Peele put his own spin on it.
Insidious (2010)
The further is a place we all would not want to go, that's why a family goes through a paranormal quest to save their comatose son. Married couple Josh and Renal Lambert, with their sons Dalton and Foster, and infant daughter Cali recently moved into a new home. Dalton sneaks away to explore the attic where he encounters a frightening entity and falls form a step stool, he then enters into a coma. Three months without any result, they take the child home. Once home, the family begins to go through different paranormal events that lead up to a quest to save Dalton from many different spirits.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
A cult classic that never gets old no matter your age. Almost 30-years later, its popularity still remains. So much so, that Disney Plus finally released its highly anticipated sequel. This Halloween flick takes you on a journey from the 1600s to the 1990s. That's how long the evil Sanderson sisters have haunted Salem, Massachusetts. The movie starts off with a young man trying to save his little sister from the sinister witches, but instead they turn him into a cat. Fast forward three centuries, when new kid Max moves into town, and unknowingly lights a candle that will change his life forever.
Halloweentown (1998)
This Disney Channel Original follows teen siblings who have no idea they're witches. Their mom doesn't want to spill the beans and prefers to raise the children as mortals. Grandma has other plans and chooses to reveal the family secret. The Cromwells come from Halloweentown, a magical place where ghosts, witches and werewolves live. But lately something has been going terribly wrong there, and it's up to the young siblings to help grandma get to the bottom of it.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
Adam Sandler stars in this Netflix comedy. Hubie is a deli counter worker who cares deeply about his hometown of Salem, especially around Halloween time.
Most in the neighborhood often bully and make fun of him, for his many quirks. But when a kidnapper starts terrorizing the town, it's Hubie that steps up big to protect his fellow residents, earning the admiration of his life-long crush!
Ghostbusters Franchise (1984)
Who you gonna call? You can't have a list of classic Halloween films without including Ghostbusters! Starring comedy legends Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, the movie follows a group of friends who start a paranormal investigation service when reports of ghost sightings begin haunting New York City. The original movie led to billions in merchandise sales that later turned into television series, video games, and sequel movies.
The Exorcist (1973)
Despite not being about Halloween, this movie is an all time favorite among horror fans and was partly filmed in nearby Georgetown, It's about a young girl named Regan who becomes possessed by demons. Doctors can't figure out the problem, so her mother turns to a pair Catholic priests. Their only hope to set Regan free is through an exorcism. The movie is responsible for launching multiple sequels and television series.
