The Halloween Season is among us; a time for tricks, treats, cold nights and worn streets. A time to watch the horror, the mystery, and the Halloween movies that make history; to leave their frights in your mind forever.  Here are my top five suggestions – chosen from Josh St. Clair’s list, “The 43 Best Halloween Movies of all time” in Men’s Health Journal. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993 (Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi)

If you are looking for a feel-good movie with a twist on holiday charm, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” does just that!  Jack, the main character of the movie, is a skeleton of a man that has become bored with Halloween. He wants a new adventure in his life.  Out for a walk, he happens upon the Season Tree in the forest. After tugging the doorknob on the Christmas Tree door, a snowy, brisk wind pulls him into the tree.  He falls through the portal and finds himself in the North Pole. He returns back to his hometown and recruits several of his spooky friends to join him on an adventure in the world of Christmas. Just you wait and see what Santa’s got planned for the good little boys and girls this season. 

Coco, 2017 (Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molino)

Miquel, the music entrepreneur, moves into forbidden territory when he breaks the ban on music. He wants to be like the famous Ernesto de la Cruz, an accomplished musician and Miquel’s Great-Great-Grandfather.  Ernesto de la Cruz had an unfortunate date with death and found solace in the Land Of The Dead.  On The Day Of The Dead, Miguel tries to steal the guitar from the grave of Ernesto de la Cruz. Once he strums the strings,  pedals from the ground, blow upwards in an eerie trickle of events. His quest is to bring music back to life while not losing his own along the way. Music, lights, action… get your groove with this inspiring take on a dead or alive!

Halloween, 1978 (John Carpenter and Debra Hill)

Ah… a classic! Good ole Michael Myers, such a loving, caring brother! How dare they accuse a then 6-year-old in 1963, of stabbing his 15-year-old sister to death. The nerve. No wonder he’s been trying to escape the mental ward and avenge his accusers. He picks the perfect night to get all dressed up; jumpsuit and mask in tow, October 31st.  Now Michael’s younger sister, Laurie, must find a way to escape him or kill him! No one will suspect a thing… until it’s too late.

The Halloween Tree, 1993 (Mario Pilso)

A group of young boys decides to have a night out Trick or Treating together.  Pipkin, one of the boys, becomes enamored by the Halloween Tree. This is no ordinary tree, it’s full of Jack-O-Lanterns. As he climbs, more of the Lanterns begin to light up and Pipkin becomes transparent. He collects the Lantern that looks like himself before jumping down in a pile of leaves on the ground. The friends scurry to dig through the leaves to find him. The creepy neighbor whisks his hands and a magical flare goes over the boys. The pile of leaves rushes up like a tornado with Pipkin inside yelling for help. The boys solicit help through a mysterious character and begin a journey through time. They are out on a quest to find their friend and the secret of Halloween and attributes; ghosts, death, and haunts, that contribute to the spooky holiday. This is a true story of friendship, loyalty, and life.

The VVitch, 2016 (Robert Eggers)

During the harsh lives of Christians stuck along woodlands in 1630, a family falls victim to what lies behind the trees. Thomasin is watching over her baby brother, Samuel. She is playing an innocent game of “Peek-A-Boo”, with a covering of her eyes, just like that, Sam disappears. Speculations in the family lead to paranoia and the family turns on itself. The harvest begins to die, the animals become more human and the humans become more animal-like. Evil swoops in and claims them all in a towering summit to possession.  Don’t get stuck alone or you’ll be lost to the wilderness.