Ataraxia
As I write this article, it’s still August, but I already have the fever for the “ber months,” particularly one in particular: October. My favorite month for one single date: the 31st. Halloween. The best holiday of the year, and even though two years ago it was the worst day for me because of the death of my pet, I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror if I stopped celebrating this wonderful holiday. So here are five movies you absolutely must watch on Halloween. If, like me, you are or have been upset with this holiday, these films will help you reconcile with it.
1. The Addams Family
First appearing on television in 1964, the Addams Family is a must-see for all things bizarre and supernatural. But for Halloween, I particularly recommend the animated versions. Released in 2019, the first animated film follows the family’s adventures as Pugsley struggles to learn the choreography for his Mazurka, while an interior decorator named Margaux constructs a prefabricated neighborhood at the bottom of the hill where the Addams live. When the fog lifts, revealing the imposing dark-colored mansion, Margaux becomes determined to get rid of the Addams’ manor. As if that weren’t enough, Wednesday enters a teenage rebellion phase, completely distancing herself from her family, especially her mother. She starts wearing pink and unicorn hair clips. What will become of the Addams Family?
2. Beetlejuice
A film by the famous Tim Burton, Beetlejuice was released in 1988 and quickly became a cult classic. It tells the story of Adam and Barbara, tragically killed in a car accident, who end up as ghosts trapped in their own home. When the house is bought and the new owners begin renovations, the deceased couple is outraged. Their afterlife counselor, Juno, informs them that they must haunt their house for 125 years and scare off the occupants themselves. After all their attempts to drive the new owners away prove futile, Adam and Barbara decide to summon Beetlejuice, an eccentric and untrustworthy “bio-exorcist,” to scare off the new inhabitants.
3. Casper
The 1995 film Casper still holds its place as a Halloween essential. When Catherine’s father leaves her an old abandoned mansion as her only inheritance, she is furious. But when she learns that an incredible treasure might be hidden in the house, she decides to search for it at all costs. The only problem? The mansion is haunted by several ghosts who mercilessly repel her. She then hires Dr. James Harvey, a parapsychologist, to get rid of the ghosts. The paranormal expert moves into the house with his daughter Kat, who meets Casper, the youngest of the ghosts living with his three infamous uncles. An unusual cohabitation begins, and Kat and Casper will do everything they can to find the treasure but, more importantly, to bring Casper back to life.
4. Goosebumps
Originally a successful book series, Goosebumps finally got a movie adaptation in 2016. We meet Zach Cooper, who has just moved to a small town and is struggling to adjust to his new life… until he meets his very pretty neighbor, Hannah, and makes a new friend, Champ. Zach quickly discovers that Hannah’s family is special: her enigmatic father is none other than R.L. Stine, the famous author of the bestselling horror series Goosebumps. Even more bizarre, the monsters from Stine’s books actually exist. Stine keeps them locked away in his manuscripts. But when the creatures are accidentally released, Zach, Hannah, Champ, and Stine are the only ones who can save the town…
5. Corpse Bride
Another Tim Burton film, but this time an animated one released in 2005, Corpse Bride features Victor Van Dort, the son of newly rich parents, and Victoria Everglot, the daughter of a minor noble family whose parents are ruined. They are promised to each other. The attraction is immediate between these two charmingly awkward characters—him for his clumsiness, and her for her sweetness.
By mistake and under fantastical circumstances, Victor ends up married to the corpse of Emily, a mysterious dead bride who drags him into the world of the dead. Even though “life” in this world seems much more joyful than in the land of the living, Victor cannot forget Victoria.
These five films are Halloween must-sees, and if you don’t like them, your heart is probably dead. Watch all of these movies without moderation, with family or alone, and enjoy the joy that the wonderful Halloween holiday brings.
