As the tree leaves begin to fall (several hundred miles to the north of Winter Park, Florida), and when the moon ignites the dark night sky, whispering winds call out to the inhabitants of the human world, beckoning us to the movie screen where infamous creatures reside in wait for All Hallows Eve.
Since the early 1900s, horror has been a staple of cinema and the backbone of one of the largest film studios of all time. Although originally horror was produced and watched all year round, with no direct correlation to a specific time of year, in 1978, a director by the name of John Carpenter created the iconic film “Halloween.”
This is widely credited as one of, if not the first horror movie to be associated with the holiday. Since then, Halloween has become well known for allowing people to explore what truly scares them.
Horror, though, is not for everyone. Some elements may be too gory, disturbing, gross, or just simply too scary to some individuals. This list is comprised of 10 movies I have researched and watched repeatedly to introduce some to the joys of what horror and Halloween can bring to the silver screen. Each of these movies earns their position on this list for dealing with themes of horror without the use of excessive gore and intense imagery.
Starting this week’s Count-Down to Halloween is Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) follows a tall dapperly dressed skeleton by the name of Jack Skellington as he grows tired of the repetitive nature of Halloween Town’s festive parades and celebrations. In this musical orchestrated by Danny Elfman, the stop motion animated film depicts a world full of monsters, witches, goblins, and ghouls that aims to thrill you and make you laugh. This movie acts as a great introduction to the ensemble of creatures and critters associated with Halloween, without jump scares and disturbing sequences.
Following in the footsteps of Jack Skellington, Disney Channel’s Original Movie “Halloweentown” (1998) focuses on encouraging younger audiences to see in live action the faces of monsters and witches as the three protagonists board a magical bus that takes them to the place of fairytales and bedtime stories called “Halloweentown.” This movie is perfect for those who want to experience a lighthearted Disney Halloween movie as we move into the area of live action.
Speaking of live action Disney Halloween movies, a list of this nature would not be complete without the tale of the Sanderson Sisters in Disney Channel’s “Hocus Pocus” (1993). These three witches board their broomsticks to wreak havoc on an early 1990s Salem, Massachusetts with a wicked song that will for sure “put a spell on you.”
If you want a non-Disney Halloween, the next movie on my list is a blend between dark comedy and a feel-good family flick. “The Addams Family” (1991) is a cult classic of family-friendly Halloween movies. Follow Gomez and Morticia Addams as they find the former’s long-lost brother Fester after 25 years apart, but a greedy loan shark plans to disrupt the spooky family in an attempt to get the money they are owed. “The Addams Family” maintains the security of the previously mentioned movies but does have several references and remarks to death itself.
“Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family ever seen a spook, specter, or ghost?” If this 1980s television ad starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Dan Aykroyd has you answering yes, the fifth movie in my Countdown to Halloween list is sure to be the perfect comedy for you. “Ghostbusters” (1984) follows four scientists as they attempt to bring light to paranormal activities threatening the safety of New York City. Although it is a very fun movie, be prepared for sudden supernatural elements to pop out of the screen as you face the first set of jump scares and romance apt for a PG-rating.
The 1980s were rich with comedies themed around creatures of nightmares. While “Ghostbusters” focuses on ghosts and ghouls of all shapes, sizes, and colors, “Beetlejuice” (1988) tells the story of the Maitlands, a happily married couple who die in a tragic car crash and whose spectral bodies contact an evil demon to help them get rid of a new family attempting to re-model their home. The character of Beetlejuice is a gratuitous demon who specializes in bio-exorcism. Trigger warning for this movie: “Beetlejuice” contains many scenes about death (including one reference to suicide), several sex jokes, some gory images, and mild language.
A little over a decade before “Beetlejuice,” a black and white comedy movie takes a classic piece of horror and turns it into an absurd comedy complete with a full tap-dancing sequence and musical number. “Young Frankenstein” follows Gene Wilder’s Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Fronkensteen), as he travels to Transylvania and discovers his grandfather’s procedure to reanimate the dead. This movie is not gory or as dark as “Beetlejuice,” but it is riddled with sex jokes and references throughout, as well as two sex scenes, and it involves the process of digging up a dead corpse and collecting separated brains. However, it is all in the name of humor rather than horror.
For the last three movies on this list, the thrill and horror factor will be turned up and progressively become more intense as the humor dies down for a more serious viewing. The first of these three, and the eighth overall, is the 1982 movie, “Poltergeist.” This film focuses on a family of five as their house becomes a vessel for several ghosts and demons. It utilizes a combination of scares and heartfelt family dynamics to create tension and suspense all while maintaining a PG-rating. This movie features a couple sequences of strobe light effects as well as some intense imagery.
The second to last movie is a personal favorite of mine. “The Lost Boys” (1987) is a story of a recently divorced mother moving back in with her dad to a Californian coastal city with her two sons (one is a high schooler, and the other is in middle school). Shortly into their stay, the older brother falls into a stereotypical teenage biker gang, while the younger brother discovers the town is full of vampires. Complete with a killer soundtrack, featuring original songs by Gerard McMahon and INXS, the movie has some intense moments and imagery as vampires hunt their victims and slowly become hunted themselves. Trigger Warning: the movie features some intense moments of gore and death and has an R-rating.
The final movie to top off this list is the first that truly dives into what horror can be. “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” a 1991 adaptation of the original novel, follows a young lawyer on his way to finalize a deal for Dracula’s land, when the vampire catches a glimpse of the lawyer’s wife and imagines her as his own, sending him on a hunt to find her and take her under his wing. This movie features intense and gruesome moments as its ensemble of characters are met with the legendary vampire and his killer brides. Trigger warnings: this movie features several deaths and gory sequences, sexual scenes, several moments of nudity, mild use of language, and jump scares.
While movies such as “The Nightmare Before Christmas” act as the first step toward the bridge connecting you to the island of horror, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” is the first step on the other side once you have fully crossed into horror. It is not as intense or frightening as some, but it is more so than the first several on this list and should only be watched if you are easily able to handle the previously mentioned films.
For those who can watch all ten films and are invested in the horror genre, Countdown to Halloween: Volume Two will be a collection of my personal top favorites of the subcategories of horror, such as slashers, haunted house, religious horror, creature features, and so on. If this is anyone’s first experience with the horror genre, welcome and don’t be scared to explore the genre deeper.
The opinions on this page do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandspur or Rollins College. Have any additional tips or opinions? Send us your response. We want to hear your voice.
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