Left of the Dial: My 31 Favorite Movies for Halloween

Ok, so this is not exactly a movie, but it is ten minutes long and I enjoy it more than half the movies on this list. Its just so damn good! And now that Michael's joined the ranks of his zombie counter-parts, I thought I might "throw him a bone."

Or perhaps, 'give him a piece of my mind?'

12. Cabin Fever

11. Teen Witch

*So bad its scary

10. My Best Friend Is A Vampire

9. Ghostbusters

8. Beetlejuice

7. Idle Hands

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas

5. A Nightmare On Elm St.

This is probably my favorite of the whole slasher genre, mostly because it actually scared me. The beginning is super creepy, and it just keeps getting better from there. The special effects are awesome, the women are beautiful, and its even got Johnny Depp. Instant classic.

4. Donnie Darko

This is my favorite movie of all-time. But as far as Halloween's concerned, there's a few movies I'd like to watch more. The whole story takes place in October of 1988, and everything comes together on Halloween. During the party you can hear Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (or Echo and the Bunnymen in the director's cut). Its not a teen-slasher flick like it was marketed as--its much better. Frank the bunny is really creepy, and Donnie takes Gretchen to see The Evil Dead during a Halloween Frightmare Double-Feature. How much more Halloween can you get? I guess we'll find out...

3. Hocus Pocus

I don't care who you are, you gotta love Hocus Pocus. I remember seeing this in theaters and absolutely loving it. And Thora Birch (its ok, she was older than me). Its got Sarah Jessica Parker and a cat that gets smooshed. C'mon, what could be better?

Stupid virgins.

2. The Monster Squad

Its the Monster Squad. What more can I say? I grew up on this movie and its one of my favorites of all-time. Nothing beats the group of kids in this cast and the dialogue written for them. Somehow they found the perfect balance- its like a sincerely edgy kid's movie. Its not too gruesome for children, and its not too stupid for adults. Its just...perfect.

1. Halloween

Yes, that's right. And not just Halloween, but Halloween 2, 4 & 5 as well. I love the entire series (except 3 of course--we all know that one doesn't count). And although it may seem cliche, they truly are my favorite movies to watch this time of year. I've watched them every Halloween for probably the past 10 years. Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis just never gets old. (Ok, he gets really old by the 6th movie) He always acts with the same intensity--without him, Michael would only seem half as scary. And the absolute best part of these movies: The music. There is an atmosphere to the original series that is unlike any other. It has single-handedly changed the holiday for good. When I was younger, I would look forward to hearing it every time I'd trick or treat. Now its the whole reason I go to Fright Fest. Halloween just wouldn't be Halloween without the Halloween soundtrack.

It just so happens that the best movies to watch on Halloween are the Halloween movies.

Honorable Mention:

These are classic Halloween movies that everyone can enjoy. Each one of them however, I've only seen one time and don't remember very well, so it wouldn't be fair to consider them "favorites." Either way, you should definitely check them out if you get the chance...

>Universal Studios Classic Monsters

>Young Frankenstein

>Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

>Halloweentown

>Earnest Scared Stupid

>Nosferatu

>Psycho is one of my all-time favorite horror flicks, but I don’t necessarily like to watch it around Halloween. Its good any day of the year.

>Poltergeist, but only because I forgot to put it on the list of Scariest Movies Ever. Again, I’ve only seen it once, and “it was all a long time ago.”

And these aren't really 'Halloween movies,' I just like to pretend they are:

>The Burbs

>The Stuff

>Troll 2

So that's my list. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, make sure to leave a comment. Also, if you feel so inclined, leave me a list of YOUR favorite movies for Halloween!