Top 10 Halloween Movies

Courtesy of Starz / Anchor Bay

As Halloween approaches, horror movies will be everywhere you look. Skip the cinema this year and host your own thrill-fest. To set the mood, bake up one or two pumpkin recipes, set out some tasty Halloween treats, and invite over your bravest friends to join you as the credits (and heads) start to roll.

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For Thrill Seekers

Courtesy of Starz / Anchor Bay

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.

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For Families

Courtesy of Warner Home Video

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.

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For Old-Movie Fans

Courtesy of Warner Home Video

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.

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For the Squeamish

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

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.

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For the Not-So-Squeamish

Courtesy of Universal Studios

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.

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For the Adventurous

Courtesy of Lions Gate

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.

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For Horror-Movie Buffs

Courtesy of Image Entertainment

“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.

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For Zombie Fanatics

Courtesy of Elite Entertainment

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.

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For Cheesy Movie Lovers

Courtesy of Universal Studios

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.

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For People Who Hate Scary Movies

Courtesy of Warner Home Video

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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Top 10 Halloween Movies

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For Thrill Seekers

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For Families

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For Old-Movie Fans

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For the Squeamish

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For the Not-So-Squeamish

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For the Adventurous

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For Horror-Movie Buffs

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For Zombie Fanatics

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For Cheesy Movie Lovers

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For People Who Hate Scary Movies

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Top 10 Halloween Movies

1 of 10

For Thrill Seekers

1 of 10

2 of 10

For Families

2 of 10

3 of 10

For Old-Movie Fans

3 of 10

4 of 10

For the Squeamish

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For the Not-So-Squeamish

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6 of 10

For the Adventurous

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For Horror-Movie Buffs

7 of 10

8 of 10

For Zombie Fanatics

8 of 10

9 of 10

For Cheesy Movie Lovers

9 of 10

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For People Who Hate Scary Movies

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