Sure, Halloween is fun. You get to dress up, get candies, go partying. But you know what’s not fun? Not being able to sleep with the lights off, and looking over your shoulders every once in a while because you’ve just seen a scary AF movie and now you can’t shake the creepy face of the monster or ghoul off your mind. Okay, I admit it. I’m a scaredy-cat. Always have been. I want to say it’s because I have a pretty wild imagination. When I was young, I always had nightmares, especially if I’ve just seen or heard a scary story. I know some people love being scared off their sits. But, eh. That’s not me. When I was younger, I wanted to prove I could handle it so I would torture myself into watching these films. But not anymore. I prefer not to voluntarily stress myself out over a movie, thank you very much. If you’re a scaredy-cat like me (acceptance is key), and Halloween becomes a pain because you’re pressured to watch all the scary films, as is custom, you need to stop. Why not watch these films instead? They still embody the Halloween spirit—without the scare.
Ghostbusters
A team of scientists decide to wage a high-tech battle with the supernatural for money, after their academic careers went down the drain. It’s a comedy film about “nerds” who end up saving the world—and it stars Bill Murray (Personally, for me, that’s enough). If you haven’t seen it yet, you should. This one’s a classic for a reason.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
A cult favorite, it’s about a young couple who accidentally stumbles upon the house of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. Along the way, they meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler, and eventually, the mad scientist’s creation: a muscular man named “Rocky.” Oh, and there are also elaborate costumes along with dance and song numbers—now that is how you’d want to spend your Halloween.
Hocus Pocus
Another cult favorite, this has all the ingredients to a classic Halloween movie: a coven of evil witches, a magical cat, kids saving the day after exploring an abandoned house (and accidentally freeing the witches). This comedy-horror- fantasy film was directed by Kenny Ortega—the same dude who directed the High School Musical movies—which explains why it’s such a hit to my fellow Disney kids.
Shaun of the Dead
Think Zombieland, but British. And instead of Columbus, you have Shaun, a 30-something “loser” who’s had a mainly boring life. He gets the greatest action of his life when a zombie apocalypse inexplicably happens and he steps up to protect both his girlfriend and his mother. Don’t worry, this film will make you double over with laughter, not fright.
Frankenweenie
Tim Burton is the man for Halloween movies. If you loved the classics like A Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, you’ll love this. This 3D stop-motion-animated film is about a smart, introverted boy who used science to bring back to life his pet dog. Things go wrong when his classmates copied his successful experiment. This fantasy, horror will make you laugh and cry, and it’s perfect to watch with your family.
Art by Marian Hukom
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