Essential halloween movies

[Rev. Powell]

I don't actually do October horror movie challenges, but I thought it would be a nice idea to list 31 good horror movies (one for every day) that said "Halloween" to me.

Obviously, something like PSYCHO is a good horror movie, but it just doesn't say "Halloween" to me. I prefer supernatural stuff, and monster stuff that might inspire kids' costumes, but I didn't limit my list to those. There are personal favorites thrown in, too. And even though there are some "bad" guilty pleasure movies with a specific Halloween theme that I like ("Halloween 3," "Night of the Demons") I didn't include them---going for good movies here.

You can make your own list or suggest changes to mine. If you want to add a movie to this list, why not suggest which one you'd take off to make room?

These are listed in order of IMDB rating (because that's what I used as my starting point).

1.   The Shining (1980)
2.   The Exorcist (1973)
3.   Night of the Living Dead (1968)
4.   Freaks (1932)
5.   Nosferatu (1922)
6.   Evil Dead II (1987)
7.   Halloween (1978) - honestly this is not a personal favorite, but it's too seasonally appropriate to skip
8.   Frankenstein (1931)
9.   Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
10.   Hour of the Wolf (1968)
11.   Eyes without a Face (1960)
12.   The Others (2001)
13.   Vampyr (1932)
14.   The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
15.   A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
16.   The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
17.   Viy (1967) - not enough people have seen this Russian movie, but man, does it nail the spirit of Halloween!
18.   The Haunting (1963)
19.   Curse of the Demon (1957)
20.   Dracula (1931) - Again, not really a personal favorite, but quintessential Halloween
21.   Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
22.    Suspiria (1977)
23.   The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
24.   Poltergeist (1982)
25.    House [Hausu] (1977)
26.   The Wolf Man (1941)
27.   Re-Animator (1985)
28.   Black Sunday (1960)
29.   Carnival of Souls (1962)
30.   The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
31.   The Black Cat (1934)

[RCMerchant]

1. HALLOWEEN (1979)
2.NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
3.the DEVIL'S REJECTS (2005)
4.the SHINING (1980)
5.DRACULA (1931)
6. WHITE ZOMBIE (1932)
7.the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
8.the EXORCIST (1973)
9.the THING (1982)
10.the HAUNTING (1963)
11.FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
12.SPIDER BABY (1964)
13.ZOMBIE (1979)
14.SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939)
15.NOSFERATU (1922)
16.EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1960)
17.BLACK SUNDAY (1960)
18.the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
19.PSYCHO (1960)
20.HORROR HOTEL (1960)
21.CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
22.the RAVEN (1935)
23.COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963)
24.MAD LOVE (1935)
25.MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935)
26.the WOLF MAN (1941)
27.ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932)
28.ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)
29.LIVING DEAD GIRL (1982)
30.ALUCARDA (1977)
31.DEEP RED (1975)

[Rev. Powell]

1. HALLOWEEN (1979)
2.NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
3.the DEVIL'S REJECTS (2005)
4.the SHINING (1980)
5.DRACULA (1931)
6. WHITE ZOMBIE (1932)
7.the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
8.the EXORCIST (1973)
9.the THING (1982)
10.the HAUNTING (1963)
11.FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
12.SPIDER BABY (1964)
13.ZOMBIE (1979)
14.SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939)
15.NOSFERATU (1922)
16.EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1960)
17.BLACK SUNDAY (1960)
18.the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
19.PSYCHO (1960)
20.HORROR HOTEL (1960)
21.CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
22.the RAVEN (1935)
23.COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963)
24.MAD LOVE (1935)
25.MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935)
26.the WOLF MAN (1941)
27.ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932)
28.ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)
29.LIVING DEAD GIRL (1982)
30.ALUCARDA (1977)
31.DEEP RED (1975)

Wow, that's pretty darn close to my list. I also thought about ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, but I don't know... great movie, a personal favorite, but it's not Halloweeny to me. I'm not a fan of LIVING DEAD GIRL at all, for a Jean Rollin Halloween movie I'd pick REQUIEM FOR A VAMPIRE (because of the vagina bat torture....  )

[Rev. Powell]

And thinking on it more, I might take out THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (although I love it) and replace it with THE WITCH (2015)... decisions, decisions!

[Trevor]

I'd add the national embarrassment film The Demon to this list.

[RCMerchant]

^ Yeah, I considered alot of films on your list as well, including HOUSE (1977), EVIL DEAD II, or the Original, CURSE OF THE DEMON, FREAKS among them.
I also considered ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), the INVISIBLE MAN (1933), the OLD DARK HOUSE (1932), TOURIST TRAP (1979)...

[Alex]

1 Phantasm. 1979
2 The Devils Rock. 2011
3 Frankenstein. 1931
4 Trick R Treat. 2009
5 Near Dark. 1987
6 Undead Or Alive. 2007
7 The Burrowers. 2008
8 Hellraiser. 1987
9 Jaws. 1975
10 Saw. 2004
11 Halloween 1978
12 Prince of Darkness. 1987
13 The Thing. 1982
14 In The Mouth Of Madness. 1995
15 The Fog. 1980
16 Dracula 1931
17 An American Werewolf In London. 1981
18 The Monster Club. 1981
19 Night Of The Living Dead. 1968
20 Creature From The Black Lagoon. 1954
21 A Nightmare On Elm Street 1984
22 Deathwatch. 2002
23 The Howling. 1981
24 The Frighteners. 1996
25 Event Horizon. 1997
26 Maniac Cop. 1988
27 The Keep. 1984
28 Killer Klowns From Outer Space. 1988
29 King Kong. 1933
30 The Haunting. 1963
31 Nightmare Before Christmas. 1993

[RCMerchant]

^ Man, PHANTASM and NEAR DARK are classics as well...!
I also considered Fulci's GATES OF HELL,  any of THE BLIND DEAD movies, NIGHTMARE CASTLE...
For some reason I think of KING KONG as a Thanksgiving movie..! Mebbe because they usta air it on Thanksgiving when I lived in NY in the 60's.

[Rev. Powell]

1 Phantasm. 1979

8 Hellraiser. 1987

17 An American Werewolf In London. 1981

18 The Monster Club. 1981

20 Creature From The Black Lagoon. 1954

23 The Howling. 1981

31 Nightmare Before Christmas. 1993

I'd consider all of those (NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a great one I didn't think of).

I'd disagree with JAWS, though, that seems more appropriate for summertime.

[Alex]

1 Phantasm. 1979

8 Hellraiser. 1987

17 An American Werewolf In London. 1981

18 The Monster Club. 1981

20 Creature From The Black Lagoon. 1954

23 The Howling. 1981

31 Nightmare Before Christmas. 1993

I'd consider all of those (NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a great one I didn't think of).

I'd disagree with JAWS, though, that seems more appropriate for summertime.

I have fond memories of watching Jaws at Halloween as a child and I always try to watch it around this time of year, although I'd agree it doesn't immediately suggest that time of year. If I was to replace it, I suspect I'd go the The Hitcher.

[claws]

Modern:

 1. It (2017)
 2. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
 3. Hereditary (2018)
 4. The Witch (2015)
 5. Halloween (2018)
 6. Scream (1996)
 7. The Conjuring (2013)
 8. The Lords of Salem (2012)
 9. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
 10. It Follows (2014)
 11. The Craft (1996)
 12. Saw (2004)
 13. Don't Breathe (2016)
 14. Insidious (2010)
 15. The Descent (2005)
 16. The Mist (2007)
 17. Evil Dead (2013)
 18. The Others (2001)
 19. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
 20. The Babadook (2014)
 21. Sinister (2012)
 22. The Ring (2002)
 23. Mama (2013)
 24. Trick 'r Treat (2007)
 25. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
 26. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
 27. Crimson Peak (2015)
 28. Final Destination (2000)
 29. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
 30. The Strangers (2008)
 31. Let the Right One In (2008) 

[Archivist]

What's that awful looking Italian horror movie where everyone goes to Hell? The Beyond (1981)

I'd also add:

Equinox (1970) - only knew it as a description in an old movie book until the 2000s. Since then, it's been high on my list of cool horror movies.

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The Gate (1987) - surprisingly effective kid-horror movie.

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5 Million Years To Earth aka Quatermass And The Pit (1967) - construction unearths an alien ship underneath London, and unleashes demon-like Martian and destruction. Loved this movie as a kid!

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Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) - starring the very sadly underappreciated Robert Quarry, who was tipped to be the next Vincent Price, but this was never realized due to a decline in horror movie popularity. He suffered a number of tragedies later in life, being struck by a car, mugged, and having his money embezzled by a criminal 'investor'. Director Fred Olen Ray found him destitute, and gave him work in many of his films. Robert passed away in 2009.

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[claws]

Classic:

 1. The Shining (1980)
 2. Alien (1979)
 3. The Thing (1982)
 4. The Lost Boys (1987)
 5. Halloween (1978)
 6. Carrie (1976)
 7. The Exorcist (1973)
 8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
 9. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
 10. The Wicker Man (1973)
 11. The Evil Dead (1981)
 12. Friday the 13th (1980)
 13. Child's Play (1988)
 14. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
 15. Interview with the Vampire (1994)
 16. Creepshow (1982)
 17. Fright Night (1985)
 18. Pet Sematary (1989)
 19. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
 20. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
 21. Hellraiser (1987)
 22. Poltergeist (1982)
 23. The Fly (1986)
 24. Candyman (1992)
 25. Suspiria (1977)
 26. Sleepaway Camp (1983)
 27. The Monster Squad (1987)
 28. Eraserhead (1977)
 29. Christine (1983)
 30. Halloween II (1981)
 31. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

[claws]

Golden Classic:

 1. Psycho (1960)
 2. Freaks (1932)
 3. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
 4. The Birds (1963)
 5. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
 6. Them! (1954)
 7. The Thing from Another World (1951)
 8. The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
 9. The Haunting (1963)
 10. The Fly (1958)
 11. Horror of Dracula (1958)
 12. The Blob (1958)
 13. Wait Until Dark (1967)
 14. Carnival of Souls (1962)
 15. The Innocents (1961)
 16. This Island Earth (1955)
 17. The Bad Seed (1956)
 18. House of Wax (1953)
 19. Curse of the Demon (1957)
 20. Village of the Damned (1960)
 21. Tarantula (1955)
 22. The Last Man on Earth (1964)
 23. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
 24. Tales of Terror (1962)
 25. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)
 26. The Phantom Carriage (1921)
 27. The Tingler (1959)
 28. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
 29. It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)
 30. The Gorgon (1964)
 31. Scream of Fear (1961)

[bob]

1 Dracula (1931)
2 The Omen (1976)
3 The Invisible Man (1933)
4 The Thing (1982)
5 The Evil Dead (1983)
6 Rosemary's Baby (1968)
7 Alien (1979)
8 A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
9 The Mist (2007)
10 Saw (2004)
11 The Blob (1958)
12 The Brood (1979)
13 Psycho (1960)
14 The Fly (1986)
15 The Night of the Living Dead (1968)
16 The Ring (2002)
17 Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
18 The Others (2001)
19 The Exorcist (1973)
20 Nosferatu (1929)
21 Jaws (1975)
22 The Island of Lost Souls (1932)
23 The Conjuring (2003)
24 House on Haunted Hill (1959)
25 Frankenstein (1931)
26 Get Out (2017)
27 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1973)
28 Us (2019)
29 The Cabin in the Woods (2013)
30 The Shining (1980)
31 Halloween (1978)