Best "Halloween" Movies

In honor of Halloween right around the corner, I have decided to compile a list of my top 5 Halloween movies. Not being a big fan of horror movies, this was pretty difficult for me...with a couple of creepy ones, most of them are family-friendly.

5. Halloweentown (1998)

I have fond memories of a young kid watching this movie every October on Disney Channel. Up until that point (around 6 or 7), I always had the idea that monsters were scary and wanted nothing to do with them. Halloweentown changed my perception and all of a sudden they were magical and cool. Even though it is considered a "kiddie" movie, I still make it a point to watch every year.










4. Psycho (1960)

I have never been into black and white movies being only a handful that I enjoy. Most of them I find it hard to sit through. After watching a phenomenal show called Bates Motel on Netflix, a modern prequel of the movie Psycho, I had to check out the so-called "classic". Before watching this movie, I had seen the iconic shower scene spoofed so many times. After seeing it for the first time, the scene was very creepy, mainly because of the musical score everyone has heard by now. I found it silly that we see blood going down the drain, but the woman had no actual knife wounds but that's the 60's for you. Even though I do not find the movie that scary on today's standards, Alfred Hitchcock is credited for setting the tone in modern horror for good reason.






3. Signs (2003)

I consider Signs the first true horror movie I saw. When it first came out I was 9 years old and I remember my oldest sister, Janet, seeing it in theaters and talking about how great it was, so we ended up owning it on VHS. I watched it and it terrified me as a young lad! Some truly scary scenes like the birthday party really stuck out to me. As I've gotten older I've recognized the humor and the spiritual themes of the movie. Ultimately, it's the story of a priest losing his faith after a traumatic experience and his journey to regain what he lost. Director M. Night Shyamalan was in his prime at this time.






2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)


Some are probably thinking, "What does this have to do with Halloween?" Well everything of course. It has trolls, witches, goblins, giants, and more! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is arguable the best out of the series. Chris Columbus captured the magic of the book perfectly. The cast was spot-on and the whimsical feel of the movie was magical to say the least. To tie it in even more with Halloween, a big scene of the trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) taking down a troll takes place Halloween night. This film sparked my interest in the world of Harry Potter and still continues to this day.








1. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

This is more of a TV special than a movie, so why is this number one on my list? Because it's awesome! I, along with many others, make this a yearly tradition to watch. It's a simple, yet timeless tale.