Happy Halloween, everyone! While today marks the beginning of the “Holiday Season”, Halloween holds a special place in people’s hearts. Trick or Treating, candy, costumes, and…scary movies! And while you don’t have to wait until October 31st to watch them, it just feels right to watch your favorite horror films on Halloween. With that in mind, here’s 10 of my favorite Horror films for Halloween! (In no particular order or ranking)
1. Halloween H20. If you were disappointed with how Halloween Ends concluded the story of Michael Myers, Halloween H20 is for you. 20 years after Halloween 2, we see Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) back and Michael Myers is chasing her again. This time, she’s a school professor, trying to deal with her trauma from the first two films. While the gore is lacking, what’s fun is the final stand Laurie has with Michael. Fighting off Michael, even slicing off his head, the showdown was just perfect…until Halloween Resurrection.
2. The Thing. Set on a military outpost in Antarctica, several men must do battle with a parasitic organism that can change forms. The isolation of the setting, the near-endless paranoia dealing with who’s human and who’s the Thing. The special effects team really earned their money with this one, because every transformation is gruesome. From the “split-faced dog”, to the “blood test”, The Thing is still nightmare fuel.
3. Predator. While not a traditional Horror movie, Predator falls under the “action-horror” sub-genre. A group of Special Forces soldiers are being hunted by an alien with a savage code of honor. One by one, the movie shows us that no matter how tough the soldier is, that means little to the Predator. Only by the grace of plot armor that Arnold Schwarzenegger survives. His team, however, is less fortunate.
4. Us. Director Jordan Peele’s second film asks the question of what we see when looking in the mirror. It also asks how society treats the unfortunate. While a family on vacation must do battle with their evil doppelgangers, the matriarch of the family (played by Lupita Nyong’o) is hiding a secret that no one saw coming.
5. Wishmaster. If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be? And are you prepared for the consequences of that wish? That’s the question raised by Wishmaster. The entire film puts the whole “be careful what you wish for” thing in a whole new light. With an evil Genie or Djinn, causing mayhem, wishing gives a twisted vision of one’s desire.
6. Tales From The Hood. Let me tell you, this movie had me SHOOK, as a kid. Blending social commentary with horror tropes like zombies, voodoo dolls, and devils, Tales From The Hood is a certified classic.
7. Candyman. While I love the recent sequel, it’s the original with Tony Todd that earns a spot. From the legend of saying his name five times to the horror behind the legend, Candyman is an urban myth that no one dares to defy.
8. Blade 2. Another “action-horror” film. Wesley Snipes, plus vampires, plus action equals cinema.