Top 10 Halloween Movies

Start the night off with Halloween (and not just because it’s named after the holiday). Stacie Ponder, a columnist on AMC’s Horror Hacker blog, highly recommends director John Carpenter’s tale about an escaped masked murderer creeping around the fictional town of Haddonfield. Anxiety-inducing without being gory, the movie “relies more on atmosphere than graphic horror,” she says.

To buy: $15, amazon.com.

From Linus’ unflagging belief in the Great Pumpkin to Charlie Brown’s disappointing rock-filled trick-or-treat bag, the heartfelt animated classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is full of good friends, faith, and fun.

To buy: $20, amazon.com.

The Haunting

is “one to watch under the blankets with the lights off,” says Ponder. The spooky movie has it all―sinister music, lighting, and special effects―without a drop of blood.

To buy: $15, amazon.com.

Take a classic novel, add Gene Wilder and an offcamera horse whinny, and you’ve got director Mel Brooks’ masterfully funny Young Frankenstein. This spoof of Mary Shelley’s famed story about a mechanical monster trades in ghouls for giggles.

To buy: $15, amazon.com.

In Drag Me to Hell, a loan officer turns down an aging gypsy’s application only to face down a dark curse that threatens to steal her soul. There are plenty of jump-out-of-your-seat moments, lots of gore, and a surprising amount of laughs. “Scary movies are rarely this fun,” says Ponder.

To buy: $15, amazon.com.

Reminiscent of the daring Goonies before them, the kids of The Monster Squad attempt to retrieve a magical amulet, fighting off a domination-seeking Dracula and his frightening minions. Great special effects and witty writing have made this flick a cult favorite.

To buy: $15, amazon.com.

“Some people like their vampires all handsome and sparkly,” says Ponder. “Me, I like ‘em monstrous and truly frightening.” Well, frightening is what you get with Nosferatu, a chilling silent picture from the 1920s adapted from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, about the eerie Count Orlock, who relentlessly preys on victims bite by bite.

To buy: $15, amazon.com.

Night of the Living Dead

was released in 1968, and still holds its own today. “These flesh-eating ghouls are just as terrifying as their modern-day Technicolor counterparts,” says Ponder.

To buy: $15, amazon.com.

Yes, Halloween III is missing the infamous Michael Myers character, but it’s still worth watching. With a silly plotline involving a small, California town run by a Celtic joke tycoon, business suit-wearing robots, and killer masks (literally), the movie “has all the hallmarks of creepy corniness,” says Ponder.

To buy: $10, amazon.com.

Written by Stephen King, the five short films in Creepshow are inspired by E.C. Comics from the 1950s and use comic-book conventions such as story panels and exaggerated lighting to dramatize tales of peril. Soaking wet zombies, plant mutations, and a cockroach infestation are “guaranteed to make you laugh as much as they’ll make your skin crawl,” says Ponder.

To buy: $6, amazon.com.

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