Top 10 Horror Movies to Watch on Halloween:
Hey there everyone! Halloween is fast approaching, and if you guys know me at all, you know Halloween is one of my favorite all time
holidays. I love all things scary, frightening and horror filled, and one of my favorite pastimes is to watch horror movies. On Halloween,
I pick a handful of movies to watch, grab some tasty snacks, and then settle in for a scary night. So in that spirit, I thought I’d share
my top 10 favorite movies to watch around Halloween time!
10) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: Before you say anything, I know this is not the scariest film in the world. Yet I love
watching this because I love music, I love musicals, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton together is awesome, and the serial killer/comedy vibe is
just so addicting to watch. From beautiful scenes like the “Pretty Women” song sung between Johnny Depp and Alan Rickman, to the rage fueled,
emotional performance of “Epiphany”, this is a true masterpiece of horror comedy and musicals, and one of my favorite films to watch around
Halloween.
9) Stay Alive: One of the best parts of the horror genre is watching truly cheesy, poorly acted horror movies and laughing and jumping at the
film. One such film for me is Stay Alive, a horror film based on the video game industry and the legend of Elizabeth Bathory. While I love
the video game aspect of the film and the twist on a true serial killer like Bathory, the acting, the script and the pace of the film are
odd, challenging and downright silly at times. What makes this great though are the creepy atmosphere, the terrifying jump scares and the
brilliant integration of the video game scenario. If you want a film to make fun of and enjoy a few jumps, then watch Stay Alive.
8) Silent Hill: One of the scariest video games got a truly scary film adaption, and that is Silent Hill. While some of the acting was
choppy and the backstory wasn’t gripping, the creature of the film and the scares were definitely creepy, and there were some good actors
in this film that brought out the scare factor. Definitely worth a watch this Halloween.
7) Rob Zombie’s Halloween: This film became an instant hit for me when it came out. I’m a longtime Rob Zombie fan, (shoutout to House of a
1000 Corpses and The Devils Rejects), and getting to see his take on the classic film franchise was something I was excited to see. Bringing
a realistic, brutal sense of murder to the classic serial killer, Mr. Zombie took Michael Myers, gave him a terrifying origin story and then
brought true terror to a group of teens who’s innocent holiday turned into a nightmare. Beware of the brutal violence and nudity guys for
those who are squeamish, but it is worth the watch I promise.
6) The Houses That October Built: A new edition to the Halloween slate, this film really did a great job of capturing my attention. The
found footage style of the film was always a big draw for me, but the setting of the underground horror maze scene was a great change of
pace, and the film did a great job of building up the suspense. The film follows a group of friends who are trying to find the scariest
underground horror maze, but as they go through the circuit of horror mazes, they begin to see that certain “dedicated” horror actors are
taking the mazes to a whole new level, leaving behind the maze and bringing the horror directly to the friends. The characters are creepy
as hell, and the scares are definitely legit, so be sure to check this film out this Halloween.
5) Insidious: One of my favorite new horror franchises began with the first, Insidious. Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrn were great in this
film, bringing a connective feel to the film, but the paranormal entity in the film is terrifying, and the jump scares definitely will have
your heart pumping. This is one of my must watch films for sure.
4) 28 Weeks Later: While I love the Walking Dead and the slow zombie trend, what truly scares me is the fast paced, running zombies of the
28 Weeks Later film. A sequel to the popular British horror film 28 Days Later, the film features powerful actors and set an emotional tone
to the series overall. The character development is great in this film, as are the heart-pounding action and scares that come out of nowhere.
This is one of my all time favorite zombie films, and is a must watch for me.
3) Paranormal Activity: I am one of the people who personally love the entire Paranormal Activity series, but the first is something truly
special. I remember the hype about the film beforehand, in which the trailers showed horror-stricken audiences screaming at the shocking
scenes of the film. The low-budget film packs a might punch, bringing a real fear of the killer ghost that can’t be seen or fought. It is
one of the best films to truly scare me, and I watch it every year.
2) Scream: The late Wes Craven created what is truly one of the best horror films to date. The twist on the horror genre in which previous
horror films serve as a handbook to survive a real killer was and still is the greatest inspiration for future horror films. The cast is
amazing, and the pop culture references sprinkled throughout the script make this one of the most delectable scary movies that one can watch
on Halloween night. So grab the popcorn, get your drinks, turn off the lights, and be ready to watch the legendary Ghostface come to life!
1) Halloween: The original John Carpenter film is still the best horror movie to watch on Halloween. The legendary Michael Myers remains an
enigma for much of the film, never going in depth on his backstory or the cause of his killer nature. With nothing but his heavy breathing
to warn you, audiences cringe in terror as the monstrous man stalks his victims, walking casually as if sure of his kill. He never hesitates,
never speaks, and never runs away. He is a force of nature, a force of evil, and the essence of the things that go bump in the night. Plus,
the title kind of makes it the obvious choice for the number 1 spot on this list.
There’s my list guys. These are my top films to watch on Halloween. I could watch horror movies all day long, so there are a plethora of
films that didn’t make this list that will be watched on the day of or up to the day of Halloween. Yet these 10 films are something special
to me, and I hope they are to you as well.
What is your favorite film to watch on Halloween?
Author Anthony Avina's Blog 