Cinematic Thrills and Chills: Classic Halloween Movies

As the weather turns cooler and the holiday season begins to peek around the corner, there's no better time to snuggle up with your favorite snacks and enjoy a movie night that promises thrills, chills, and plenty of laughs. We've curated a list of spine-tingling films that cover everything from classic horror to supernatural comedies. So, grab your popcorn, brew some hot cocoa, and get ready for a night of cinematic delight.

Classic Horror

Poltergeist (1982)

Rating: PG | Duration: 114 min Genre: Horror, Thriller Director: Tobe Hooper

Starring: JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight

 A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.

The Shining (1980)

Duration: 144 min

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Danny Lloyd

 When a struggling writer becomes a caretaker at an isolated hotel, he uncovers secrets about the property’s dark past. (Creepy children included.)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Rating: Not Rated | Duration: 96 min Genre: Horror, Thriller

A ragtag group of survivors barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast portion of the United States.

Pet Sematary (1989)

Duration: 102 minutes

Cast: Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne

Another Stephen King adaptation. The movie is a modern-day take on the fictional story about a couple who discovers a haunted burial ground near their home.

The Exorcist (1973)

Rating: R | Duration: 122 min Genre: HorrorWhen a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.

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The Sixth Sense (1999)

 Rating: PG-13 | Duration: 107 min Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

 Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.

Thir13en Ghosts (2001)

 When Cyrus Kriticos, a very rich collector of unique things, dies, he leaves his house, fortune, and his prized collection of ghosts.

Classic Animation and Family Fun

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Rating: PG | Duration: 115 min Genre: Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi

 A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.

Dark Shadows (2012)

Rating: PG-13 | Duration: 113 min Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy

An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 

Rating: TV-G | Duration: 25 min Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family

The Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Rating: PG | Duration: 96 min Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy

A teenage boy named Max and his little sister move to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.

Edward Scissorhands

The story of Edward, a young man assembled in a laboratory whose creator dies before he's complete, is the perfect blend of Gothic strangeness and heart. The movie isn't scary, but it gives us major Halloween feelings thanks to Burton's trademark touches of dark whimsy and the presence of scary-movie favorite Winona Ryder. Burton's movie is a fairy tale for Halloween-lovers and anyone who has ever wished Frankenstein had a happier ending.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Rating: PG | Duration: 92 min Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and they hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.

Halloweentown (1998 TV Movie)

Rating: TV-G | Duration: 84 min Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family

When a young girl living with her secret witch mother learns she too is a witch, she must help her witch grandmother save Halloweentown from evil forces.

The Addams Family (1991)

Rating: PG-13 | Duration: 99 min Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

Con artists plan to fleece an eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long-lost uncle.

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Young Frankenstein

When medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein finds out that he has inherited his grandfather's estate in Transylvania, he moves to the castle and creates his own monster to prove that his grandpa wasn't as wrong (or quirky!) as people thought. This 1974 comedy is a Mel Brooks classic.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Rating: PG | Duration: 105 min Genre: Action, Comedy, FantasyThree parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.

The Little Vampire (2000)

Duration: 95 minutes Cast: Jonathan Lipnicki, Richard E. Grant, Jim Carter

Tony is struggling to make friends at his new school, so he befriends a kid vampire who indirectly teaches him about bravery. (Think of it as the Dracula version of Casper.)

Cheesy Laughs and Guilty Pleasures

The Craft (1996)

- Rating: R | Duration: 101 min Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror

A newcomer to a Catholic prep high school falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft, and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who anger them.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Rating: R | Duration: 1h 39m

The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Duration: 80 minutes Cast: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams

Through archived footage, three film students embark on a wild journey as they search for answers about a local murderer named Blair Witch.

Idle Hands

 If you're jonesing for a little guilty pleasure with your Halloween films, then this one is perfect. Devon Sawa stars as a high school kid whose laziness turns deadly when his hand is possessed. It's got a few gross-out moments, but it's worth it for the cheesy laughs.

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Gremlins

When a young man's mishap with a unique gift leads to the unleashed mayhem of Gremlins in his city on Christmas Eve, chaos ensues.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Two lifelong friends become mistaken for murderers by a group of American college kids who have watched too many horror movies. Hilarity ensues.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Rating: R | Duration: 97 min Genre: Action, Horror

Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees return to terrorize the teenagers of Elm Street. Only this time, they're out to get each other, too.

With this fantastic lineup of Halloween movies, a cup of hot cocoa, and your favorite snacks, you're all set for a cozy movie night that celebrates the changing seasons and the beginning of the holiday season. Enjoy the spooky delights and cinematic wonders that this time of year brings. Happy watching!