Once again it’s that time of year, everyone dressed up in creepy or funny costumes consuming more candy than anyone should and last but not least sitting down to a good horror movie. I figured it was the perfect day to make a list containing some of my favorite horror movies and TV shows, If a movie has sequels I will be including them all together in the one section. I’m mostly into classic horror and as far as newer stuff goes I’m really only into Sci-Fi these days so most of this list will be older stuff but still great to watch with a few newer things sprinkled in here and there.
Halloween
How could we possibly talk about creepy and scary movies to watch on Halloween without mentioning the movie named after the holiday. The first Halloween movie was released in 1978 and will forever be the role I remember Jamie Lee Curtis in most fondly. Directed by John Carpenter the movies revolve around a masked killer named Michael Myers and keeps the audience wondering what his motives really are for all these murders. The movie would spawn 7 sequels and a few remakes the most recent of which was released in 2018. As far as your mainstay slasher flicks from back in the day Halloween is probably my personal favorite from the group of classics that most everyone knows. If you’re looking to be creeped out this Halloween any of these movies are a great pick, all except for part 3….don’t even bother with that one as it’s a departure from the entire series.
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Friday The 13th
The first Friday The 13th film was released in 1980 as an attempt to cash in on the success of Halloween 2 years prior and it would blow up into a phenomenon that would go on to spawn sequels galore, remakes, a television series and multiple video games. The movie revolves around the story of a young boy named Jason Voorhees who drowned at camp one year and how he comes back from the dead to punish any and all who dare to stay at Camp Crystal Lake. The films have grossed $529 million worldwide and Jason is a household name to this day. The perfect movies to sit and be scared by cheesy horror, just stay away from Jason X as it’s a clusterfuck of a movie.
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A Nightmare On Elm St.
The first A Nightmare On Elm St. was released in 1984 and would follow the same formula as the last two movies I listed here except this time focusing on a child murderer named Freddy Krueger who is burned alive and then comes back in their children’s dreams to seek revenge but unlike the other killers so far on this list Freddy isn’t the strong and silent type , he has a personality and so many one-liners it hurts, making it a little bit more fun than the other two films so far. The film created by Wes Craven has spawned numerous sequels, a television series,novels and comics.
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Child’s Play
Released in 1988 Child’s Play would follow the usual slasher film formula with one exception, the killer was a possessed evil little doll named Chucky and for whatever reason that makes it so much creepier. The first time you hear the line “I’m Chucky, wanna play?” you’ll forever be creeped out by redheaded little dolls. The film had multiple sequels but sadly they just got worse as they went on and the remake that just came out wasn’t any better as they totally ruined Chucky but the original will always be worth watching , especially on Halloween.
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Hellraiser
Released in 1987 Hellraiser is a supernatural horror film that takes us ona twisted journey involving strange puzzle boxes, torture beyond imagination and wicked creatures called Cenobites that will rip a man apart just for the enjoyment of it. Directed by Clive Barker and based on his Novella The Hellbound Heart the film has had multiple sequels and never failed to creep me the fuck out as a kid and although it may not have the same status as the other films listed above I will always consider these films key to any horror collection.
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Event Horizon
Released in 1997 Event Horizon is a Scifi Horror film about a group of space explorers sent to check out a distress beacon at which they find a derelict ship named Event Horizon, upon boarding the ship all sorts of chaos ensues and things get pretty twisted and macabre, it has a bit of a Hellraiser feel to it and really flew under the radar, although it does have a bit of a cult following now I believe it deserves to be right up here with the rest of the greats. Starring Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne this movie is worth watching and rewatching if you’re in for a scare.
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Saw
First released in 2003 and consisting of a total of 8 films total the Saw franchise redefined horror movies and became an instant classic. Depicting the works of a madman called Jigsaw the films show us countless characters trapped and tormented by Jigsaw by little riddles and dangerous traps he sets up, it brought a fresh new kind of twisted to the horror genre and certainly deserves a place up here right next to the rest of the classics.
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The Thing
Released in 1982 and directed by John Carpenter The Thing is based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. and revolves around a group of researchers stranded in Antarctica with a parasitic alien that can take the form of anyone. The film does a perfect job of keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering who might be an alien and who isn’t and any list about horror movies just has to have this film included. Starring Kurt Russell this film is the perfect late night Halloween movie and even the 2011 remake is pretty decent.
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Feast
Released in 2005 and certainly the least known of all the films on this list Feast shows us how a group of strangers tries to survive the night in a bar surrounded with horrific creatures outside. The thing that makes these films stand out and made me decide I just had to add them here is the way it perfectly balances humor and twisted gore , the entire movie you will go back and forth from disgusted to laughing your ass off. The first film stars Jason Mewes and Henry Rollins and spawned 2 sequels which are equally as good as the first film, if you haven’t seen these films they are the perfect 6 hour binge on Halloween night.
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Poltergeist
Released in 1982 and starring Craig T. Nelson Poltergeist is more of a psychological horror than one that relies on gore and murder and whatnot. Focusing on a family living in a house built on a Native American burial ground and the battles they have with the evil spirits trying to get them to leave. It was its own kind of creepy and will always stand up to the test of time, I get just as creeped out now as I did as a kid watching these films. The film had 2 sequels and a remake in 2015, if you’re looking to be scared this Halloween this is a great place to start.
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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Released years before any other film on this list The Texas Chainsaw Massacre brought a new kind of horror at the time and is one of those films you just have to close your eyes or look away at certain points. The film shows us what happens when a group of friends comes across a family of murderous cannibals and the character Leatherface would become a favorite of many horror fans, the character is inspired by the real life serial killer Ed Gein. There are very few movies that stand up to the test of time like this one does. The film has spawned multiple sequels and remakes and will always be one of the best horror films of all time.
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The Collector
Released in 2009 The Collector flew under the radar and wasn’t a huge success and even now not a ton of people know about the film but I’m including it here because it was one of the few horror movies that ever freaked me out so badly that I can’t watch it a second time. The film shows us a burglar that finds himself in a home that a killer has targeted and he finds himself trying to maneuver through twisted traps and survive the night. It is similar to the Saw movies but unique enough to stand on its own, it also has a sequel titled The Collection that is very good as well, If you’re looking for a new movie to be scared to death of this Halloween this film is a great choice.
Watch free with Amazon Prime Video here https://amzn.to/36n3e8c
So it isn’t a definitive list and I’m sure I left off plenty of great movies but honestly the list could go on forever if I included everything good, these are just my personal picks for what I love to watch on Halloween and there is plenty here to keep anyone busy all day and night on Halloween.
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The Listerzine 
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