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SPOOKTOWN — It’s Halloween time and for me, that means it’s movie time.
I love this time of year and the movies that come with it. I know some people who love Christmas and those Hallmark movies, but that’s not for me. Give me Halloween and all the creepy insanity in its movie genre.
There is some great stuff streaming right now to get your scare on during this haunting time of year and here I have a list of five movies worth streaming that should appeal to everyone’s tastes:
The one with the fam
“Goosebumps” Netflix
Sometimes finding a Halloween movie for the entire family can be tough. Sure, the kids love “Spooky Buddies,” but my patience only goes so far. Then there’s the stuff the adults will like, but it comes back to bite them when the kids are waking them up all night because of the nightmares. There is a great solution to this and it’s streaming on Netflix: “Goosebumps.”
The movie was inspired by the popular Goosebumps books from R.L. Stine and incorporates a number of his stories as well as the writer himself. The movie isn’t amazing, but it is a lot of fun and it’s a favorite at our house. It’s just creepy enough for the little ones to have a great time but not get too scared, and it’s funny enough to keep us adults entertained.
The funny one
“Young Frankenstein” Netflix
Horror comedies are some of my favorite movies. Films like “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” and “Zombieland” are some of the best, but for a good laugh this Halloween, I have to go with the classic, “Young Frankenstein.”
My parents showed me this one when I was too young to get the jokes, but that didn’t matter because I still found it hilarious. Now I’m in my 30s and I still love this movie. The jokes are quotable, the gags ridiculous and the movie a bonafide classic.
“Young Frankenstein” stars the late Gene Wilder in one of his best roles and it’s arguably one of Mel Brooks’ best films. I’ve seen this a thousand times and I’ll watch it a thousand more.
The downright creepy one
“10 Cloverfield Lane” Hulu
For those of you wanting to feel all creeped out this Halloween look no further than Hulu and “10 Cloverfield Lane.”
This movie was one of the best surprises of 2016, and it has enough jump scares to keep you on your toes and the overall tone and mystery of it makes this a perfect Halloween flick. If you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to give too much away, but if you have seen it then you likely know why it’s worth watching again.
This one will creep you out and put you in the Halloween mood.
The one worth watching again
“What Lies Beneath” Hulu
Some horror movies are so good that we watch them again and again and Hulu has one of these films streaming right now, “What Lies Beneath.”
This movie shocked audiences everywhere back in 2000 as Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer pulled off one of the better horror movie twists. The film has its flaws and plays its hand a little heavy at times, but it doesn’t matter because we get a real surprise from Ford and we manage to feel our skin crawl as the spookiness unfolds on screen.
If you haven’t seen “What Lies Beneath” then you’re really missing out, and if you have, then you’ve likely seen it several times and you’re likely looking forward to watching it again.
The one to scare you stupid
“The Babadook” Netflix
For those of you who like keeping one eye open all night and constantly looking under the bed then “The Babadook” is for you.
The movie is streaming on Netflix and is one of the streaming service's scarier offerings. “The Babadook” follows a widowed mother haunted by her husband’s violent death and her son who believes a monster is lurking in the house. It’s a pretty standard plot for a horror movie, but the 2014 film delivers despite the familiar troupes.
Maybe I’m just a coward, but “The Babadook” gave me a real scare. If you’re looking for something truly scary this Halloween, then give the movie a go.
BONUS: The one everyone should be watching
"Stranger Things" Season 2, Netflix
If you’re like me, however, you’ll probably skip most of these and just binge watch season two of “Stranger Things” and talk about it with everyone you see.
