Halloween is almost upon us, and to help you get in the spirit, we at the B&G have each recommended a silly, spooky, or just plain scary film for your viewing pleasure. Over twenty staffers means there’s something here for all tastes: everything from hardcore horror to kid-friendly classics. So grab your popcorn (or candy corn), bundle up, and get ready to scream!
“Scary Movie” (2000)
Rating: R
Dear readers: I am here to tell you about a fantastic series of “horror” movies that I watched this weekend during a horror movie marathon. The first in the series, “Scary Movie,” follows the lives of a group of teenagers who accidentally killed an old man and, the following summer, were subsequently hunted down and killed by a man in a scream mask. While this may sound like your regular old horror movie, it is actually a spoof of the movie “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” By spoof, I mean that it hilariously satirizes not only the movie it is based on but all horror movies in general.
Even though “Scary Movie” is mainly comedic, it still has many elements of a typical horror movie. This means that it is good to watch whenever, whether you’re in the mood for a laugh or a good scare.
Ellie Furr, staff writer
“The Belko Experiment” (2016)
Rating: R
On the off chance that I watch a movie, the genre is normally not horror. Regardless, I stumbled across a trailer for this movie on Instagram, and was hooked by its plot. “The Belko Experiment” deals with a bunch of office workers who have chips implanted in their brains by their employers. Basically, their employers suddenly shutter the entire building with steel and tell them to kill two employees, or four will die (via head explosion). They ignore this, and four die (via head explosion). The employers then proceed to make the employees kill more and more of their fellow employees, and chaos ensues. From here on out, it’s a bloodbath, and honestly, the initial allure of the film quickly wears off as people just kill each other for another hour or so. It’s kind of good, I guess!
Ethan Rotnem, editor-in-chief
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989)
Rating: PG-13
For the easily scared, this is the movie for you!! If you are 6 years old and your dad thinks you’ll love Indiana Jones, be prepared to cry in horror as decapitated heads roll across the screen. By far the worst scene, the one that made me sob, was when the villain drank from the wrong goblet and instantly grew old and withered and died. Perhaps my morbid 6-year-old self saw this as a manifestation of my inner thoughts of how life is brief and death is always imminent. Oh well. I will never go near an Indiana Jones movie again.
Foster Cowan, staff writer
“The Birds” (1963)
Rating: PG-13
No one should ever watch this, especially not someone who’s scared of birds. It is the worst thing I have ever seen. I watched it alone at my grandma’s house after she went to sleep; it was the only thing on TV and I didn’t realize it was a horror movie until people started dying. All of the sudden birds were ATTACKING people left and right and I couldn’t handle it. I literally peed my pants. I was seven. I’ll never be the same. Don’t watch it.
And… “The Ghost in Suite 613” (“The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” season one, episode 19)
Also, there was this one episode of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” that was really terrifying. I’ve tried to watch it multiple times — as recently as a year ago — and I just cannot do it. It’s TOO scary. There’s this haunted hotel room and there was a ghost and a mirror and blood and I still lay awake at night thinking about it. Why was she so pale? Why did they go in there? WHYYYY?
Stella Garrett, staff writer
“The Conjuring” (2013)
Rating: R
When I pick a horror movie to watch, I am looking for genuine scares. I don’t seek the predictable jump scares, horrible acting, and terrible plot lines that plague most movies intended to be “scary.” When you leave the theater, or your couch, afraid to sleep at night, then you know that the movie did its job.
For me, “The Conjuring” is the best horror movie for those looking for actual fear. The Warrens, paranormal event investigators, decide to help a family who recently moved into a countryside home rid the house of spirits that haunt the inhabitants. But this spin on a typical horror aspect, paranormal possession, elevates itself with a powerful cast and truly terrifying fright. I promise, this movie will quench the thirst of any horror aficionado, and will spook all novel horror advocates. Seriously. It’s scary.
Matthew Welsh, staff writer
“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” (2018)
Rating: PG
The saga begins in October of last year, when my family was flipping channels, looking for a Halloween movie. We wound up on ABC Family, which was playing the first “Hotel Transylvania” film, and left it on for lack of any better option. For some unknown reason, my dad became obsessed. (The movie is funny, but it’s a very bodily-humor type of funny.)
But despite the dad jokes, “Hotel Transylvania” isn’t the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. That honor goes to its sequel, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.” Because you haven’t seen horror until you’ve seen an animated “middle-aged dad vampire” in entirely too short swim trunks.
Marley Brock, editor
“Psycho” (1960)
Rating: R
“E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E. E.” Ah. There it is, the classic sound of Halloween: a high pitched violin screech synonymous with Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” In this thriller, one woman decides to escape her mundane secretary position by stealing a briefcase full of cash and speeding away in a 1957 Ford sedan. After hours of driving in a violent downpour, she discovers a run-down motel on an abandoned interstate. This black and white film has it all: taxidermy, shower stabbings, chocolate syrup, an old lady who’s actually a middle-aged man with mommy issues… need I say more? Overall, a must-see for the Halloween season.
Ashley Veazey, staff writer
“Black Mirror” (2011-2017)
This TV show is realistic horror — it takes societal issues and takes them to the extreme, to the point that you begin to question if someday in the future, this might be a possible situation. The episodes range from not so scary (example: “Nosedive,” about the effects of social media and rating people) to gory (example: “Crocodile,” about a determined young woman who is battling against a secret from her past and will go to extremes to prevent it from getting out) to a political commentary (example: “The National Anthem,” about how far a politician must go to protect his country) to the effects of video games (example: “Playtest,” in which a young man signs up to test a horror video game and it gets a little too scary for him). Also, it’s on Netflix! Each season has three to six episodes that are produced extremely well, with new actors every episode.
Hope Williams, staff writer
“The Monster of Nix” (2011)
Rating: not rated
As someone who isn’t very well acquainted with the horror genre, I tend to veer away from it. Nevertheless, after a very bad experience with “Coraline,” my mom thought it would be a good idea to take me to a horror-themed short film festival when I was around six years old. At the festival, an animated Dutch film titled “The Monster of Nix” premiered. I don’t remember particularly liking the movie, but it is something that I haven’t forgotten. The movie follows the journey of a young boy from his hometown of Nix, where he lives with his terrifying butcher grandmother. His main goal is to defeat the monster that haunts Nix. On his journey, he is guided by a weird-looking bird with hands instead of wings, and he encounters many different characters, most of which are actually humanoid insects. There’s also a really strange scene involving a fetus growing in a flower and a fight with a cult of nudist giants, all of which is done in a disturbing, hyper-realistic art style. The movie is also a musical, but unfortunately, the songs are a crime to Broadway. They are just not catchy.
I would definitely recommend this movie to those that are fans of avant-garde short films with lots of symbolism and hidden meanings. I would not recommend it to anyone else.
Iris Tsouris, staff writer
The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993)
Rating: PG
The best thing about this Halloween movie is that it’s also about Christmas. After all, isn’t that what we’re all really looking forward to, anyway? Halloween, Thanksgiving — they’re all just milestones along the way, meant to tide us over until the real festivities begin. Don’t get me wrong: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is Tim Burton, so the style and the stop motion are spooky enough that watching this film in October doesn’t feel like jumping the gun too severely. In truth, though, I don’t especially care for Halloween, and I love this movie because it’s a reminder of the better things to come — and because it has some smashing musical numbers.
Alice Bai, editor-in-chief
“Tremors” (1990)
Rating: PG-13
On a scale from tapeworms (1) to Loki’s space worms in “The Avengers” (10), I give “Tremors” a rating of Mongolian Death Worm (7). Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a respectable rating of 85%.
“Tremors” takes place in the tiny town of Perfection, Nevada, which has a single-digit population. When the population of the town is trapped and threatened by giant, carnivorous worms, they must fight to save themselves and their town.
It is the quintessential American action-thriller movie. Kevin Bacon and Reba McEntire, two American treasures, grace the silver screens of the cinema with their talents. It is arguably the best performance of Reba’s acting career, but sadly that is only because nowhere else in Hollywood can you witness one of the queens of country music unload hundreds of machine gun rounds into giant worms.
If you are interested in witnessing cheap special effects and a poorly written script combined with thrilling action scenes and one of the most interesting stories you have ever witnessed, “Tremors” is the movie for you.
Will Hamilton, staff writer
“Hocus Pocus” (1993)
Rating: PG
Everyone and their cousin should see “Hocus Pocus.” Ancient witches that suck the life out of children, a talking cat, and a virgin to bring the witches back for one night come together to make this cult classic. The costumes are spooky and it’s hard to forget Bette Midler’s rendition of “I Put a Spell on You.” It’s family-friendly (nothing too scary), filled with good laughs, and embodies the Halloween spooky spirit.
Camille Crumbley, staff writer
“It” (2017)
Rating: R
While I am not a seasoned horror connoisseur, I’ve seen my fair share of movies and have been to Halloween Horror Nights, which I’m just going to classify as a horror experience in itself. One has stood out to me among the rest, possibly due to the fact it scared me a lot less than Michael Myers jumping out at me with a plastic knife in Orlando. The 2017 remake of “It” remains one of my favorite movies because of this fact. I fell in love with each character and every part of them that made them tick, psychologically analyzing their fears and how they were used against them. How they dealt with such real-life problems in a superficial horrific way makes it one of the best coming of age movies of the year. It has stuck with me for a whole year and will stick with me forever as I continue to explore Stephen King’s works.
Ava Lewis, editor
“Coraline” (2009)
Rating: PG
When my parents forced me to sit down and watch “Coraline” in the autumn of 2011, my horror movie-hating self was terrified. Everything I’d seen about the movie terrified me. The movie is about a girl who resents her strict mother, and one day discovers an alternate world with another, nicer mom. This mom has buttons for eyes and stitches for a smile. Coraline basks in the world of surprise presents and overflowing dinner tables, until one day she meets the ghosts of girls with missing souls. These ghosts explain to Coraline that her new mother is actually trying to steal her soul. Coraline battles the mother and returns to her home world with a newfound appreciation for her mom. This movie gave nine-year-old me a special gratitude for my own mother. It also gave me nightmares. The graphics were pretty good, but it kept me up at night. Overall, a three out of ten. Go watch.
Maya Torres, staff writer
I think “Coraline” is a good horror film for a beginner because it is not too scary. While it has its creepy parts and scenes where you’re on the edge of your seat, no one is going to have nightmares after seeing this. Because of that, I really enjoyed this movie because I don’t understand the appeal of being scared out of your mind. It is the perfect movie to watch to get you in the spirit of Halloween without making you scared of your own shadow.
Sophie Maxwell, staff writer
“Get Out” (2017)
Rating: R
I’m not a big fan of horror movies — I scare easily and don’t enjoy getting scared — but I had to watch “Get Out,” given all of the attention it was receiving. This isn’t your typical horror movie. It’s a commentary on the state of race in America. Black photographer Chris Washington, the main character, faces routine racism that is common for black people in America. He visits his girlfriend’s family in white America, but everything seems to be off. His girlfriend’s family is acting very strangely. Director Jordan Peele wonderfully infuses social justice themes into the horror genre. 10/10.
Kieran Ferguson, staff writer
Rating: R
I personally am not a fan of horror-themed anything, but this is one of the few scary movies I have seen.”I watched it freshman year in my algebra class, and within the first few minutes, I was already terrified. (And some kid had already spoiled it.) The movie centers on a deaf writer, Maddie, who lives alone in the woods. One night, Maddie finds her friend’s corpse on her front porch. She immediately rushes into the house and a long night begins. The killer had been watching Maddie for a while. He eventually manages to break in and — well, I won’t spoil it for you. “Hush” is such an underrated movie but still worth the watch.
Yamille Garcia, staff writer
“Truth or Dare” (2017)
Rating: PG-13
This is the concept for that new 2018 “Truth or Dare” movie but it’s super funny. The acting is like a 2/10 but the plot is honestly good. There is some MAJOR TEA spilled during this truth or dare session and some really cringey dares. Typical white-people-in-horror-movies stuff, too: there were tons of red flags in the beginning but the characters were so blinded by their Caucasian-ness that they didn’t leave when they should have.
Angela Witherby, staff writer
“The Lost Boys” (1987)
Rating: R
In this movie, eldest son Michael’s family moves with their mother to live with their grandfather in South Carolina. After meeting new people, Michael became friends with a group of vampires. They soon trick him into drinking human blood, and he too becomes a vampire. I would recommend this movie because it is a really good movie from the 80s, and it’s not one of the scariest movies you can watch.
Connor Blankenship, staff writer
“Return to Halloweentown” (2006)
Rating: PG
I do not like horror movies at all. In fact, the closest thing to a horror movie I have ever seen is the “Halloweentown” series. Even though they are Disney Channel Original Movies, they are still highly entertaining. Unlike most other series, each movie is as good, if not better, than the previous one. I think that the best one in the series is “Return to Halloweentown”, which premiered in 2006 as the last movie in the series. In it, Marnie Piper and her brother travel to Halloweentown to go to college there at Witch University. Full of twists and turns, it is exciting and entertaining for all ages. You don’t have to worry about being scared at all.
Oliver Hurst, staff writer