Grab your costumes and candy: Halloween is almost here. From trick-or-treating to carving pumpkins, this spooky holiday offers a rich selection of time-honored traditions. But for the Arts & Life staff, no act is more compelling than watching the perfect Halloween film. Read below to discover our suggestions — if you dare.
‘Practical Magic’ (1998)
In “Practical Magic,” there is nothing scarier than romance. If you are not counting the demon you accidentally made with your sister, that is. From curses to poison to midnight margaritas, “Practical Magic” has the recipe for the perfect fall film. After accidentally murdering ex-boyfriend Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), sister witches Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman) resurrect him to avoid jail time. This plan goes awry when the malicious Jimmy returns as a powerful spirit set on possessing Gillian and haunting the Owens’ house.
Despite the title, “Practical Magic” is less about sorcery than it is about sisterhood — between Gillian and Sally, Sally’s two daughters and the women in the town who learn to shed their prejudices against the peculiar family. In addition to the harrowing and heartwarming plot, the film offers a spellbinding soundtrack. As a saturated landscape unfolds across the screen, Gillian sings along to “A Case of You” (1971) by Joni Mitchell from behind the steering wheel; when the adult sisters dance around the kitchen sloshing their frozen alcoholic beverages, Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut” (1971) envelops the scene in a soft, silly hue, and when Sally runs to her lover under the golden sun, “This Kiss” (1998) by Faith Hill bursts in the background. If this playlist is not enough to inspire a watch, we have discovered something truly spooky this Halloween: your poor taste.
- Catherine Goodman, Managing Editor
‘Blue Velvet’ (1986)
Donning costumes during Halloween originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain, during which participants would wear costumes and light fires to ward off evil spirits. But seldom do we think about what goes on under the bright street lights and happy faces during Halloween. “Blue Velvet” explores that notion, peeling back the layers of peaceful American life. In the opening sequence, Bobby Vinton’s rendition of “Blue Velvet” (1963) plays as a man waters his lawn. The initial serenity becomes dark and sinister as he suffers a stroke. Vinton’s song becomes increasingly distorted as the camera zooms into the grass, revealing beetles climbing onto each other.
David Lynch, known for transporting viewers into often surreal and dreamlike worlds in films such as “Eraserhead” (1977) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001), is no stranger to the dark and terrifying. “Blue Velvet” follows college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan), who returns home to Lumberton, N.C. and finds a severed and discolored ear in a vacant lot. Sandy Williams (Laura Dern), the daughter of detective John Williams (George Dickerson), discovers that the ear might be connected to singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini). Dennis Hopper provides one of the most convincing performances in film history as the psychopathic antagonist Frank Booth, whose obsession with ’60s ballads such as “Blue Velvet” amplifies his character’s complexity. The film eventually transcends from simple, American small-town peace into a morbid nightmare.
As the film progresses, viewers discover that the suburban myth is not what it seems with depictions of human and drug trafficking, corruption and psychological trauma. Beaumont becomes corrupted by the sinister world around him, and we are too. While not a traditional Halloween movie like “Scary Movie” (2000), “Blue Velvet” is not for the faint of heart. In fact, after watching, there is a chance you may never want to go trick-or-treating again.
- Clement Lee, Senior Editor
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)
Picture this: It is Halloween night, and you have no plans — just a box of candy from CVS and a random cape you found deep in your closet that you have not worn since one of the Bushes was president. Do not think of yourself as aimless, because you have unlocked the perfect situation to waltz into your local cinema and not just watch, but experience, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Halloween movies that do not spark goosebumps on the viewer’s skin, allowing them to sit back unperturbed, commit injustices against the spooky holiday. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” wakes up viewers, inviting them to dress up as their beloved characters and dance through the theater aisles to Richard O’Brien’s disco and pop rock music. Fortunately for a first-time viewer, the punk-era ghouls welcome viewers into a line dance with the song “Time Warp” (1975), in which they instruct and sing, “ With your hands on your hips / You bring your knees in tight.”
Tim Curry plays Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist hailing from the galaxy of Transylvania with flamboyant and comedic charm. He sports drag-inspired makeup and fishnet stockings, defying social norms of that time. Curry leads the ragtag cast of vampires, aliens and meta-humans through a feverish trance, bursting with horror motifs from haunted houses to murder mysteries. Between Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s salacious and Dracula-esque outfit, the punk rock maid attire of Magenta (Patricia Quinn) and ancient Greek-inspired gold boxers that just barely conceal Rocky Horror (Peter Hinwood), there is no shortage of iconic costumes to choose from as you enter this world of fandom, drag, horror and melodrama that is “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
- Jacob Muscolino, News Editor
‘Clue’ (1985)
Nothing is quite as terrifying as a family game night, especially if the game is Clue. The board game-inspired film may not have the bloodiest, most gruesome murders, but it has something better: humor. In the film, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving) invites six eccentric strangers to his secluded mansion, but he never appears at the table. A classic whodunit situation follows as the mansion staff die one by one and the strangers search for the killer.
“Clue” offers all the elements of a Halloween film: an eerie, atmospheric house, a dark and stormy night, blackmail, spooky scenes and a murderer on the loose. Where another film might fall prey to cliche jump scares and slasher scenes, “Clue” pivots, focusing on comedic timing instead. With each chandelier crash, blackout, secret passage and dead body, the witty butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), always has something to say — or do. Whether dragging the crowd from room to room, dramatically re-enacting the potential murderer’s actions, making poignant jokes about the political climate or leading Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn) up a staircase — only to drop her — Wadsworth stands out as an impeccable character. For every murder, there is melodrama, and for every possible ending, there is an alternative choice. “Clue” keeps viewers on their toes with exemplary suspense.
The film’s light-hearted nature makes it the perfect palate cleanser for any movie binge. While still holding the allure of a Halloween film, both in setting and plot, the preposterousness offsets the fear. And what else is Halloween about if it is not a little absurd?
- Amelia Bush, Arts & Life Editor
‘Hocus Pocus’ (1993)
As October approaches, the indulgence of seasonal activities emerges: We begin racing through corn mazes, picking apples, carving pumpkins and, in rare cases, even casting a spell that awakens a trio of 17th-century witches.
Most of us, if not all, have never engaged in witchcraft and many doubt its existence. However, after watching “Hocus Pocus,” you may be convinced — I was, at least. “Hocus Pocus” unfolds in Salem, Mass., a town notorious for executing alleged witches, adding to the movie's mysterious ambience. After moving to this peculiar town, the main character, Max Dennison (Omri Katz), begrudgingly takes his little sister Dani Dennison (Thora Birch) trick-or-treating, ignoring the town's history of supernatural occurrences.
That night, Max discovers Salem’s dark magical history after accidentally casting an age-old spell, reviving the Sanderson sisters — three evil witches who tormented the town centuries before. Max’s night turns into a whirlwind of concealment, conflict and collision.
With elements of both humor and horror, “Hocus Pocus” hones its approachability to audiences. Nostalgia and fear ease the audience into the uncertainty of the Halloween season and pose the timeless question: “Is magic real?”
- Mia Hamon, Music & Live Art Desk
‘Girl Vs. Monster’ (2012)
My favorite Halloween movie, hands down, has to be “Girl Vs. Monster.” A Disney Channel Original Movie, the movie portrays Skylar Lewis (Olivia Holt), a 15-year-old girl whose strict parents mysteriously refuse to let her go out on Halloween until she is 16. Skylar soon discovers the purpose of this peculiar rule: Rather than mold doctors, her parents are monster hunters. When Skylar was a child, her parents trapped the monster targeting her since birth, so, unlike her best friends, she has never known fear.
During the film, Skylar especially wants to go out on Halloween because her love interest, Ryan Dean (Luke Benward), invites her to sing with him at his Halloween party after the lead singer of his band injures herself by falling down the stairs. However, in Skylar’s efforts to escape her house, she causes a power outage. Subsequently, all of the captured monsters escape her parents’ high-tech holding facility — which looks like a Big Green Egg grill and a water boiler had a baby.
One of the monster escapees is Skylar’s personal fear-gobbling monster Deimata (Tracy Dawson). So Skylar, who now feels 15 years’ worth of fear alongside raging hormones, must defeat Deimata to rescue her parents and the world from all of these monsters running rampant. The best part is by far the end, though, when Ryan faces his incredibly romantic fears, which you will have to watch to find out.
- Sasha Melamud, Sports Feature Desk
‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ (1966)
Nothing conjures up memories of elementary school Halloween parties quite like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Just hearing the opening notes of “Linus and Lucy” (1964) by Vince Guaraldi takes me back to sitting in my kindergarten classroom with a little paper cup full of popcorn and M&M's, watching in awe as Snoopy (Bill Melendez) flew through the air and chased down the infamous Red Baron. From iconic lines to its classic hand-drawn animation, the made-for-TV movie is 25 minutes of pure nostalgia.
The light and fun plot follows Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins) as he attends a Halloween party that Lucy (Sally Dryer) hosts, Snoopy as he attempts to complete his mission as a World War I flying ace and Linus as he prepares for the arrival of the benevolent — and definitely, 100% real — Great Pumpkin. There are no real stakes here, other than the Great Pumpkin potentially snubbing Linus’ pumpkin patch, but that is exactly what makes the film so comforting. It is impossible to worry about tests and term papers when you are watching Snoopy soaring through the sky on top of his dog house or Charlie Brown cutting way too many holes into his ghost costume. If you need a quick pick-me-up after midterms or a palate cleanser between two horror movies, grab a fuzzy blanket and give “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” a watch. I promise it will not disappoint.
- Katie Weaver, Contributing Writer
‘Monster House’ (2006)
As the months get colder and college students scramble to find a Halloween costume, I feel a pang of nostalgia for my childhood. During that time, I spent my Octobers curled up on the couch with a burning pumpkin-scented Yankee Candle, flipping through classic kids’ channels such as Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network on TV. Cartoon Network was the weird channel in my household, with popular sitcoms like “The Amazing World of Gumball” (2011-2019) and “Regular Show” (2010-2017) causing my mom to worry about my social development. Cartoon Network is also where I first watched “Monster House.” From its eerie yet realistic animation style to the terrifying plot, “Monster House” is one of those childhood movies that will traumatize you well into adulthood.
The plot is simple: Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi), an old man, lives in a decrepit home and has a reputation for scaring children off his lawn and stealing their lost belongings. Meanwhile, a group of neighborhood kids, DJ (Mitchel Musso), Chowder (Sam Lerner) and Jenny (Spencer Locke), discover that Nebbercracker’s house is sentient, and the pre-pubescent trio embark to put the house’s soul to rest. After a wild journey of acceptance and grief, the film arrives at a wholesome conclusion between the kids and the old man.
If you are like me, your yearly Halloween must-watch list features a mix of horror and sentimental childhood favorites. “Monster House” charms in its ability to inspire a nostalgic yet spooky feeling, cementing it as a true Halloween classic.
- Arabella Taylor, Contributing Writer
