Halloween is arguably the best holiday of Fall, or at least a wonderful start to the holiday season full of decorations, food and classics. Almost every major holiday has some classic movies that, no matter how bad, bring nostalgia and a reminder of the spirit of the season. I’ve asked five of my friends to give me their favorite classic Halloween movies and rated them on a scale from one to ten.
Jess – “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
Rating: 6/10
Although this is more of a television special, this movie brought me right back to childhood and so many memories with it. I don’t normally like Charlie Brown specials now that I’m older, but for some reason, this one just reminded me of how much I love fall and the start of the holidays. Unfortunately, the special isn’t being played on cable programs for the first time in decades, which is so surprising to me since I feel it’s more a classic than many of the other Halloween movies that are being aired. However, the reason it received this score is because it just doesn’t have the substance or flair that other movies or even specials have, and honestly, I can only watch it maybe once a year.
Nicola – “Twitches”
Rating: 9/10
This is one of my all-time favorite movies, Halloween or not. I am so in love with the magic, the family drama, the impending evil in the form of an uncle which I’m sure most of us can relate to around the holidays. I only watched this a couple of times when I was younger, but it definitely secured a spot on my list of favorite movies. However, I must say that the reason this movie didn’t get a perfect score is because re-watching it as I got older kind of ruined the infatuation I had with it all these years. I found myself picking apart the acting, scenes, editing, etc. and essentially comparing it to more modern movies. Apart from that, my love for the two-part series is undying and is for sure a classic Halloween film must watch.
Delaney – “Casper”
Rating: 7/10
I had only watched this movie once in my life, and probably for good reason. I think that although it is definitely a classic Halloween film and seemingly kid-friendly, the amount of death in this movie brought it down a lot for me! I can’t believe how dark this movie is, and although they did seem to portray the characters well from the comics, it amazes me how we were allowed to watch this as children. Almost every major character in the movie is either dead or dies throughout the movie, but it does have a happy and fulfilling ending. Overall, this movie surprised me but didn’t really bring back any nostalgia or feeling of the holidays.
Skylar – “Halloween”
Rating: 3/10
Anyone who knows me knows that I cannot stand horror movies! Skylar is my roommate and she made me watch it with her since I had never seen it, and let me say it was horrible. It wasn’t the worst scary movie I’ve been forced to watch, but I didn’t love it, and they made an entire franchise from it! I read the synopsis of sequels and it sounds intensely complicated for such an average horror movie. How many times can Michael Myers escape death and kill his family? Overall, this did not at all get me in the holiday spirit nor nostalgic, but I must say it did scare me which I guess is the whole point.
Amelia – “Hocus Pocus”
Rating: 10/10
I know the picture above may have given the title away, but this movie has to be in my top 5 favorite movies ever so I saved the best for last. I will watch it on a regular Saturday, on Halloween, on Christmas, I don’t care if it’s one I’m in. To be honest, I slept on this movie for a really long time, and it was only once I grew up a little more that I began to appreciate it for the cinematic masterpiece that it is. I’m obsessed with everything about it like the costume, the actors, the setting, the historical background, etc. Bette Midler plays an older sister of three, which I relate to, and is one of my favorite actresses ever (she’s fantastic in Season 2 of The Politician as well). I don’t want to hype it up too much, but if you have not watched this movie I sincerely question where your Halloween spirit is. If you gain nothing else from this article let it be me saying watch this immediately, you won’t regret it!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube and Pinterest!