Everyone has their Halloween traditions. One of mine is watching the same things every year to get me into the Spooky Season mood. Here are the movies and shows I return to every time there starts to be a ghostly chill in the air.
The Conjuring
The happy Perron family moves into a new home with hopes for a fresh start. However, strange things start to occur when the Perrons find themselves being tormented by the spirit of a satan-worshipping witch that once owned the land they now live on. The family enlists help from paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who aim to exorcise the witch and her demonic presence. This movie is based on a true story, but unfortunately it’s not very accurate. I have watched The Conjuring almost every year since I was 11. Since I’ve watched it so many times, I know when to cover my eyes for all the scary parts. This film does a good job of scaring you while also having you be invested in a happy ending for the Perron family. Overall, it’s a great film that keeps you on your toes.
Halloweentown
This Disney Channel classic follows tween Marnie Cromwell who loves the strange and supernatural. She wants to go trick-or-treating and celebrate Halloween but her mother is strictly against all things regarding the holiday. That night, Marnie overhears a conversation between her mother and grandmother revealing that they are both witches and that Marnie is destined to become one as well. To do so without her mother knowing, Marnie and her siblings secretly follow their grandmother to her home of Halloweentown, where all kinds of ghouls and creatures reside. When a mysterious villain emerges, the Cromwells must master their new powers and defeat him to save to the town. This film is perfect for those who want to get into the Halloween spirit without being scared. I also included this film in my article about female-led Halloween movies if that’s something you’d be interested in.
Blood Fest
Dax is your average teenager that’s weirdly obsessed with horror movies who decides to go to a horror convention/festival with his friends. What is meant to be a fun escape from their troubles turns into a bloodbath as the event attractions are revealed to be real and deadly. Dax and his friends have to find a way out using their horror movie knowledge to survive the night. This movie is a really stupid horror comedy with an incredibly annoying protagonist, but it’s bad in a way that makes it fun to watch. It also has some great one-liners that get stuck in my head. If you’re looking for brainless fun with a good amount of gore, then this film is for you.
It (2017)
This remake of the 1990 classic from Stephen King had the world in a chokehold when it first came out in 2017 and it’s still one of my favorite horror movies. It takes place in the quaint town of Derry, Maine where large amounts of kids mysteriously go missing every 27 years. A group of local middle-schoolers find themselves plagued by visions of their worst fears brought on by a terrifying, child-eating clown. This “Loser’s Club” has to find a way to face their fears and take down the clown once and for all before they too become part of the vanished. This movie has everything: Jump scares, friendship, endearing characters, cool 80’s vibes, humor, and incredible performances from the cast. I do have a couple of gripes with some changes made from the original, but for the most part it’s a very well-done remake that I highly recommend.
Goosebumps (1995-1998)
If you’re not familiar, Goosebumps was originally a popular series of children’s horror novels by R.L. Stine. This TV show consists of episodes adapted from different novels in the series. Sometimes a story gets several parts, but for the most part the episodes are not connected to each other. I was obsessed with this show growing up even though it scared the sh*t out of me. Now, I get to enjoy the nostalgia while watching something spooky but not scary, if that makes sense. Plus, the intro sequence slaps. The episodes are only around 20 minutes long, so if you’re looking for a short and fun way to get into the Halloween mood, then Goosebumps is for you. Also, there’s a musical based on the Phantom of the Auditorium episode/book that’s actually pretty good.
Buzzfeed Unsolved/Watcher
Buzzfeed Unsolved is a series on YouTube that presents unsolved crimes and unexplained supernatural occurrences with plenty of comedy mixed in from its hosts, Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej. They later left to found Watcher Entertainment, or “Watcher” on YouTube, with fellow Buzzfeed alum, Steven Lim. My personal favorite Halloween-related series from this channel are Too Many Spirits, in which Shane and Ryan film a season over the course of one night where they tell ghost stories by a fire while progressively getting more and more drunk off of drinks unprofessionally made by Steven, and Ghost Files which is pretty much just Buzzfeed Unsolved except they investigate on-site at the haunted locations discussed in the episode. It never gets old watching Ryan desperately try to find evidence for ghosts while pissing his pants and Shane trying to piss off both Ryan and the ghost simultaneously. This duo is just gold.
Ghosts To Show You
This podcast is hosted by comedians Emily Panic and Lillian DeVane who investigate paranormal locations and interview friends about their paranormal experiences. You get to learn interesting ghost stories about different haunted places while also having a good laugh. My favorite part of the podcast is that even though they don’t intend to, one of the hosts usually ends up getting drunk by the end of the episode. Do they ever find a ghost? No, but they entertain the hell out of you to make up for it. I highly recommend Season 1, Episode 6: “Interview with Kareem Rahma,” although I have to issue a trigger warning for mentions of sexual assault. In this fascinating interview, you get to learn about how Kareem summoned a spirit called a “Jinn” into his home and how he seems completely unbothered by the potentially fatal consequences of this. If you want something to listen to on a brisk fall walk, then look no further because Emily and Lillian have got you covered.