Yes, I know, we’re not even halfway through September yet, but I love Halloween so much and after walking past a Halloween decoration exhibit recently, I’m already excited for it. It may be a bit early to be planning for Halloween, but for some people, myself included, the onset of fall comes with an inevitable burst of Halloween spirit. While there’s plenty to look forward to, like dressing up and going to Halloween parties, nothing gets me excited for Halloween quite like some fun and spooky Halloween movies. Whether it’s a fun nostalgic movie from my childhood or a scary thriller, there’s so much to choose from when getting into the Halloween spirit. Here’s just a few of the movies on my watchlist for this year.
1. Hocus Pocus
A fun film for all ages, Hocus Pocus wasn’t highly rated by critics, but went on to become a cult classic. The classic comedy-horror film has been entertaining my family as well as many others for many years.
2. Coraline
I’ll admit, I haven’t seen Coraline yet, but I’ve heard good things about it from my friends and the storyline intrigues me. At the moment, it can easily be accessed via Netflix.
3. Halloween Town
Halloween Town marathons were an annual event to look forward to while I was growing up. Even as an adult, I still get excited whenever I see that it’s on.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
I haven’t seen this movie in its entirety, but I’m familiar with its soundtrack and with its characters. Whether you consider this a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie, it’s still something to watch in October.
5. Any of the Harry Potter movies
Harry Potter will always be a cherished part of my childhood, no matter what time of the year it is. All the same, though, a Harry Potter marathon would be a very appropriate way to spend your time leading up to Halloween.
6. Corpse Bride
This is another movie I have yet to see, even though it’s been around for over thirteen years. I was a bit scared to watch it when I was younger, but now I really want to see it.
7. The Conjuring
Another resident of my to-watch list on Netflix, The Conjuring has been recommended to me again and again and after watching the first half hour of it, I’m intrigued and a little spooked and I can’t wait to finish it.
8. ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
In addition to the fact that it’s a classic Spielberg film, I was able to watch about the first half of this movie when I was younger and to this day, the fact that I haven’t been able to finish it still bothers me. Though apparently more magical than scary, ET is a classic film for pretty much all ages.
9. The Goonies
Another cult classic, the Goonies has been beloved by many for decades. Though I’d honestly consider the Goonies to be more of an adventure film than a Halloween one, it still fits in to the Halloween vibe I get when watching Halloween movies.
10. Poltergeist
Another classic I haven’t seen, Poltergeist has been scaring people since 1982 and I’ve been meaning to see it for a while, if only to finally be able to say I’ve watched another pop culture icon. Nonetheless, it looks like a good movie.