With the holiday season approaching and Halloween now behind us, there’s no better time to get in the fall spirit with some festive films.
While this may be a biased list and everyone has their favorite spooky movies to watch, if you are looking for something new or a good movie marathon, this is the article for you.
From horror to comedy to romance there is something for everyone. After asking multiple DU students, this list basically made itself.
“The Corpse Bride”
Directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, “The Corpse Bride” is a classic Gothic love story using stop-motion animation to express the confusion of love in the afterlife and in the present. Starring Johnny Depp and Helen Bonham Carter, this is the story of Victor Van Dort.
The film takes place in a Victorian Village that is dark and dreary, matching the aesthetic of Victor, a young man who is nervous about his upcoming arranged marriage. After the wedding rehearsal Victor flees to the woods where he recites his vows and unintentionally places a ring on a finger of a deceased bride named Emily. She rises from the grave and believes that she and Victor are married.
Emily takes Victor on an incredible journey to the surprisingly lively land of the dead, leading Victor to have to make a choice between life or love beyond the grave.
“I love this movie,” said Tenny Shermer, a second-year at the University of Denver. “The plot and animation style is so unique. It is comedic yet spooky making it perfect for fall.”
“The Blair Witch Project”
For horror fans, “The Blair Witch Project” is perfect for a scary movie night in. The groundbreaking 1999 movie falls into the found footage genre, where three filmmakers vanish in the woods of Maryland while making a documentary on a local legend.
What started as an educational investigation turned into a chilling journey captured on a handheld camera, where the audience is taken along the ride with the filmmakers. After each crew member goes missing one by one, the viewer is left with two of the filmmakers who slowly spiral into paranoia. The build up is gut wrenching, leading to a terrifying ending too ambiguous to spoil.
Because this movie is presented as found footage, it uses different psychological triggers than other horror movies. Instead of jump scares and gory imagery, the scare factor relies on fear of the unknown making you question what is real.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Jumping back over to classic gothic stop motion animation, the 1993 classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas” puts viewers in the holiday spirit with its unexpected blend of Halloween and Christmas.
Following the story of the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington travels to Christmas Town to discover that it is a place filled with light and joy — all the things Halloween Town lacks. Jack puts a creepy twist on Christmas by trying to bring the vibrant emotions of the holiday into the eeriness of Halloween Town.
Based on a story written by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick, this movie melds together the spookiness of Halloween and the joy of Christmas. Featuring music by Danny Elfman, who is also the voice of Jack Skellington, the musical will be stuck in your head all week capturing the whimsy of the film.
With Christmas just around the corner “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a perfect movie to segue into the holiday season.
“The Conjuring”
The 2013 movie, “The Conjuring” is widely regarded as a modern classic of supernatural horror Based on real-life paranormal investigators, the film follows a team that helps a family tormented by a dark presence.
As the investigators dig deeper, they uncover evidence of a dangerous witch who haunts the family and threatens their children. The story ultimately leads to a dangerous exorcism that tests the investigators’ faith and hope for the family.
“This was the first scary movie I ever watched and it sparked my interest to love horror movies. The conjuring still is number one in my mind,” said Tyler Drake, a University of Oregon graduate student and self-proclaimed horror movie enthusiast.
Directed by James Wan, this paranormal horror film launched inspiration to other horror directors and became one of the most successful franchises in horror history.
“Hocus Pocus”
After all this scare, it is nice to end the night with a classic fall comedy. “Hocus Pocus,” a 1993 movie, follows three resurrected witches in Salem, Mass., who seek eternal youth by stealing children’s souls.
Three centuries later, three teenagers from Salem bring the witches back by accident when exploring an abandoned house. The witches have one goal: to become immortal by stealing children’s souls before dawn. The teens spend their night outwitting the witches using some ‘90s-era magic.
The witches turn this Halloween classic into a lighthearted comedy with their hilarious jokes and punchy one-liners. A fun and festive film for all ages, “Hocus Pocus” gets viewers in the perfect headspace for celebrating the creativity of Halloween.
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From haunted forests and gothic romance, to musical whimsy and witty chaos, these movies will capture the spirit of the season. Grab some snacks, friends and family or just a cozy blanket. Dim the lights and let these films transport you into the holiday magic.
