With blow-up pumpkins outside Alston and fake spiders in Evans, everyone on campus knows that Halloween is fast approaching. Whether you plan on dressing up, going to parties, or celebrating with friends, there’s no better way to get into the Halloween spirit than watching movies. So put on your favorite spooky socks, make some hot chocolate, and enjoy one of the best parts of Halloween.
If you’re stuck on deciding what to watch, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re into scary movies, comedies, or old school Disney Channel, there’s something here for you. We asked Scotties across campus to tell us their all-time favorites, and here’s the top ten.
10. The Babadook (2014)
Despite the fact that The Babadook has become a meme after showing up in Netflix’s LGBT category, this movie is actually pretty terrifying. This Australian horror film features a single mother and her paranoid, violent son, who becomes obsessed with a mysterious pop-up book about a monster called the Babadook. The Babadook currently has an astounding 98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and the website’s critics say the movie is full of “real horror.” If you’re ready for a real scary movie or just want to see if the Babadook lives up to the meme, you should definitely check it out. The Babadook is available on Netflix.
The Babadook as a gay icon (dvsross/Wikipedia)
9. Beetlejuice (1988)
This classic Tim Burton movie is a fun one to laugh at with your friends. The story centers around a ghost couple trying to get rid of an obnoxious new family that moves into their home. Beetlejuice stars Alec Baldwin, Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder, and it won an Oscar for best make-up. There’s been talk of a possible sequel lately, so if you haven’t seen it, it’s a great one to watch this Halloween. If you can’t find someone who owns it, Beetlejuice is available on Amazon.
8. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Almost everyone has a least one friend obsessed with Rocky Horror, and there’s definitely a reason for that. Wikipedia classifies it as a “musical screwball comedy horror film”, which just goes to show how crazy this movie is. Music, sex, horror, comedy: Rocky Horror has it all. A whole culture has come out of this cult classic, and every October there are productions of the musical put on everywhere. Whether you’ve never seen it or are just ready to do the Time Warp again, you can see Rocky Horror in theaters across Atlanta or performed live on Fridays at midnight at the Plaza Theatre.
Wikipedia/20th Century Fox
7. The Addams Family (1991)
Based on the cartoon, The Addams Family is both funny and creepy, making it perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit. The 1991 movie has all your favorites: Morticia Addams, Wednesday, and Cousin It, not to mention that annoyingly catchy theme song. You can enjoy this great Halloween movie on Netflix.
6. Practical Magic (1998)
A cheesy romantic comedy about witch sisters may or may not be your thing, but for a lot of Scotties, it seems pretty great. Practical Magic stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as magical sisters under a curse that makes every man they fall in love with die. While this might not sound so bad for some people, it makes life a little difficult for these two. To find out if they manage to break the curse, you can watch Practical Magic on Netflix.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
There’s some debate about our 5th favorite: is it a Halloween movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Or maybe both? Regardless, this creepy but loveable Tim Burton animated film is one of our favorites. Watch as Jack Skellington discovers Christmas and tries to bring it home to his Halloween town, causing widespread confusion and panic. Even though the boogeyman is disturbingly creepy, the movie overall is cute and the stop-motion animation is beautiful. See it for yourself on Netflix.
4. Scream 2 (1997)
While it’s a little terrifying to go to sleep in the same dorm you just watched characters get murdered in, there’s no debating how cool it is that this movie was filmed at Agnes. Who wouldn’t love seeing Courteney Cox on our campus? Not to mention the fact that it’s actually a pretty good horror movie. Rotten Tomatoes gave Scream 2 an 81% fresh rating, and some of the website’s critics say it’s better than the original. You can watch this horror movie with your fellow Scotties on Netflix.
3. Twitches (2005)
It’s hard to believe this Disney Channel original movie came out over ten years ago, but Scotties are still loving it. It makes sense, as this Halloween movie features Parent Trap-esque separated at birth twins, endearing 21-year-old witches, and a whole fantasy world. What better way to celebrate Halloween than reliving your childhood with your best friends? If you can’t catch it on Disney Channel, you can buy it on Amazon or iTunes.
2. Halloweentown (1998)
Very close to winning the top spot, the original Halloweentown wins the number two spot. If you didn’t grow up obsessing over the four-movie saga of Disney’s favorite young witch, you’re missing out. You need to see this family of witches grow up and save their beloved town of magical creatures. If anything, you should watch Halloweentown to just see the late, great Debbie Reynolds play a crazy, magical grandmother. It’s playing on Disney Channel October 28th at 11 a.m., with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movies playing each day after that. You can also get it on Amazon or buy it on iTunes for $3.
1. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus costumes (Pat Loika /Flickr)
It’s no surprise that Hocus Pocus wins as Scotties’ favorite Halloween movie. With three insane witches, awkward teenagers, a talking cat, and Bette Midler singing “I’ll Put a Spell On You”, this movie has everything. It plays all the time on TV in October, and it seems like everybody has dressed up as one of the witches at least once for Halloween. Don’t miss out this year! ABC Family / Freeform has Hocus Pocus playing almost every other night for the next two weeks and literally ALL DAY on Halloween. Gather up your friends and make sure to watch it at least once this Halloween!
So there you have it, plenty of great options to watch this year! Not to mention a non-movie bonus: Stranger Things season 2 comes out October 27 on Netflix. There are eight creepy episodes with Hollywood’s favorite kids right there. Have fun watching, and be safe no matter what you do this Halloween!