Werewolves
‘Teen Wolf’
You know the show and you probably even love the show, so take 90 minutes to watch the movie that (loosely) inspired it! It’s a rather typical ’80s teen movie, though possibly a bit more ridiculous. Nonetheless, it’s fun and funny (when it means to be and when it doesn’t) and an easy popcorn flick if you’re in the mood for some ’80s romp.
‘New Moon’
That’s right, the second Twilight film! Well you’ve watched the first one, might as well keep the momentum going, especially if you’re more into werewolves than vampires. These aren’t comical werewolves either. No men dressed in silly costumes. These are wolves, albeit big wolves. Picture a horse. Now picture that horse as a wolf and you’ve got Twilight werewolves. Even if you’re not into wolves, surely you’re into fit men who walk around shirtless. Are you convinced yet?
Witches
‘Hocus Pocus’
All of you ’90s kids will no doubt have childhood flashbacks when you think about this movie. Perhaps it’s too juvenile to watch for the first time as a teen or adult, but those of us who were obsessed when it first came out will surely remember what made it great, even now.
As a kid it was just creepy enough, it was funny, and it had juvenile fun befitting a Disney horror movie. The real treat though are the performances from Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. They’re wickedly funny and such a delight to watch.
Related: 13 life lessons learned from Hocus Pocus
‘Practical Magic’
A severely underrated witch film (at least to this author, who watched it many times in her youth), Practical Magic stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in this ’90s film about two sister witches who try to overcome a curse that’s been placed on them.
While classified as a romantic comedy, there are definitely spooky moments sprinkled in with all the laughs. It’s an easy watch, and a good film to see with a group of friends. Not to mention how great it is to see two women band together and fight against the evil man who’s ruining their lives.
‘Harry Potter’
There can’t be a list of witch movies without Harry Potter being on it. That would be blasphemous! Of course the recommendation is to watch all the films, but realistically you’ll want to watch some other movies too. In that case, if you can only watch one, choose Prisoner of Azkaban. It’s the ‘spookiest’ and most Halloween-esque Harry Potter film, thanks to Alfonso Cuaron’s dark and moody style. Also there’s a werewolf, so it’s the best of both worlds!
Ghosts
‘Beetlejuice’
An off-kilter haunted house ghost story, Beetlejuice is wacky and funny, showing that Tim Burton knows how to rejuvenate an overdone tale and spin it on its head.
A newlydead couple must live in their old home before they’re granted access to the afterlife. Easy enough, until new people move in and start to change everything they loved about the house. Unfortunately, the couple isn’t so good at haunting so they hire Betelgeuse for help. That’s when the real trouble starts. Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse is so creepy and kooky, you can’t help but kind of like him even though he’s disgusting.
‘Ghostbusters’
It’s such a classic, you probably don’t even need encouragement to watch it. Yes, Bill Murray is amazing. Yes, it’s hilarious. Yes, it’s a lot of fun. What more can be said about Ghostbusters that hasn’t been said already? Honestly, what are you still doing here, just go watch it!
Miscellaneous
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’
The great thing about Nightmare Before Christmas is that it’s both a Halloween and a Christmas movie! You get two excuses to watch it each year (assuming you don’t watch it throughout the year just because it’s a great movie, which it is).
Yet another Tim Burton film (have you picked up on the author’s bias yet?), this one is a holiday classic with a great story, great music, great animation, and a great balance of spookiness and humor for kids and adults alike.
‘Gremlins’
You can’t look at that little mogwai and say he isn’t adorable. Who wouldn’t want that as a pet? They’re fairly low maintenance too. There’s only three rules: Don’t expose them to bright light, don’t get them wet, and don’t feed them after midnight. Of course, we wouldn’t have a film if everything went smoothly, so what happens when these rules are broken?
Enter gremlins, the creepy, reptilian, batlike creatures who terrorize the neighborhood and must be stopped. Gremlins is a fantastic horror/comedy that’s incredibly clever, with a lot more wit and grit then you’d expect.
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