Zena S. Dixon’s Top Five Films to Watch on Halloween

It’s no secret, I watch a lot–I mean a lot–of horror movies and I’m glad I’m not the only one. Leading up to Halloween is the most magical time of the year simply because there’s always something to do or watch. Always. Why can’t it be Halloween all year? In general, I’m constantly watching new horror movies, therefore the list below are films I really love to watch during the Halloween season.

Night of the Demons (1988)
This is one of my absolute favorite movies! Sure, this film is full of cheese but how can you not love it? It’s a horror feature that takes place on Halloween with hot-in-their-crotches teenagers that just want to party and bang each other. But the teens soon learn that there are consequences for their actions! Night of the Demons was made at a time when creatures/monsters were created with actual make-up and not CGI. The sequels, although fun, don’t have the same awesome feel as the first. And there’s a remake that just sucks. There. I said it. In spite of what came after it, this flick is a staple for Halloween viewing in my household.

Candyman
A lethal spirit with a hook for a hand and an insanely dusty trench coat is accidentally summoned to reality by a cynical grad student. Doesn’t that sound like a ton of fun? I love being scared and this film can still do the trick. Candyman is a myth that lived for many years. Do you know anyone who is brave enough to say “Candyman” three times in the mirror? Not to mention, the score for this flick is out of this world!

Pet Sematary II 
Jeff’s beautiful mother dies and he moves to the middle of nowhere to live with his father. Once Jeff finds out about the Native American burial ground that brings people/animals back to life, he wants his mother back. The Native American burial ground led to the unfortunate events that effected the Creed family from the first film. And while this follow up isn’t as scary as the first, it’s still creepy, which I find irresistible. I know many people disliked this film but I have a thing for dark horror movies that mix malice with humor to soften things up. What can I say?

Trick r’ Treat 
When it comes to Halloween, you can’t go wrong with anthology horror! This film demonstrates that traditions aren’t always what they seem. Residents in a small town face off against a murderer, real ghosts, vampires, goblins and more! If you never seen this film, the less you know the better. This is much more recent then the previous entires on this list but definitely defines Halloween for many horror fans!

Halloween (1978)
There’s should be some kind of rule that everyone in the universe–not just the planet–must watch John Carpenter’s masterpiece Halloween on Halloween! The film about an escaped killed, his obsessed Dr, and a teenage babysitter is Halloween perfection. There isn’t much gore to speak of but there’s plenty of suspense! Halloween is still widely considered the greatest slasher movies ever made and for good reason.