Celebrating Halloween properly with the best movies

This is the most memorable scene in The Shining which is one of the best horror films ever created.

photo via chainsawcollective.com under Creative Commons license

This is the most memorable scene in The Shining which is one of the best horror films ever created.

Once you see the carved pumpkins illuminating the doorsteps of your neighborhood, the fake cobwebs woven around tree branches and the overflow of packages filled with cavities in the stores, you immediately know what day is coming: Halloween.

But the candy and the decorations aren’t all that make a great Halloween. It’s almost a crime to forget the one thing that makes Halloween worthwhile — the classic horror movie reruns and the old family movie favorites. For those who are staying home on all Hallow’s Eve, there are a plethora of movies that will make your night as spooky as possible.

A poster of Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas
photo taken by flickr.com under Creative Commons license
A poster of Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas

For horror fanatics, it’s best to go old school since many of the best horror and Halloween movies are old classics from the 70s and 80s. Such movies include The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the dreaded Halloween series, all of which are sure to strike such fear into your heart that you won’t want to go to the bathroom without a protector. However, movies as badly reviewed as the Paranormal Activity series are not recommended and will tarnish a good Halloween movie marathon.

Let’s not forget the family friendly Halloween movies that every child, even teenagers and young adults, should watch every year. Growing up watching movies like Hocus Pocus, A Night Before Christmas, or even any Tim Burton movie for that matter, is guaranteed to make Halloween your child’s favorite holiday. These movies are so memorable that even as an adult, watching these films will fill you with the Halloween spirit. Without such films, Halloween wouldn’t be a holiday that is celebrated for a whole month.