Strongsville High students got into the spooky spirit this fall season by voting for their favorite Halloween movies with the top four being, Hocus Pocus, Scream, Coraline, and the 1978 classic Halloween, which illustrated that students love a mix of fun, creepy, and classic scares. The poll brought plenty of fun and friendly debate, showing that Halloween movie nights are still a favorite fall tradition.
Hocus Pocus Is A Nostalgic Hit
Ranked first in the poll, Hocus Pocus by David Kirschner, is one of the best Halloween movies made for all ages.
Hocus Pocus is about three witches named Winfrid, Mary, and Sarah, also known as the Sanderson sisters. The Sanderson sisters come back from the dead because three kids Max, his sister Dani, and their friend Allison, decided to open this book that released them from this spell. They want to look younger so they have to kill a child to get their looks back. Then there’s this cat named Thackery Binx who isn’t really a cat at all. The witches turned him into a cat in the 17th century. He helps the kids stop the witches from taking Dani stealing children’s souls before sunrise.
The popularity of Hocus Pocus can’t be denied, with merch from the movie still popular today and available at Hot Topic, Box Lunch, Target, and Kohls.
Hocus Pocus is a good movie because it’s funny, magical, and full of halloween spirit. It has a mix of spooky and funny moments, making it fun for all ages. This story teaches different lessons about bravery and teamwork. It’s a catchy, cozy halloween vibe. This movie would be perfect for families that are in the fall mood. It’s something to watch that is a little spooky but also silly.
Scream Horror Never Truly Dies
Scream was ranked second on the Halloween movie poll. The movie series is a mix of horror, mystery, and plot twists. There are six movies in the series.
The first movie came out in 1996 and played with elements of parody as it spoofed tropes employed in other horror movies, like victims running upstairs instead of outside during attempted escapes and dead killers coming back to life. While it still maintained the horror of a slasher film, it also seemed to have a little fun. The most recent Scream movie was in 2023 and attempted to continue the tradition of satire and meta movies.
The original movie starts off in the small town of Woodsboro with a high school student named Sidney Prescott. A young woman’s life becomes a never ending fight for survival against a series of masked killers known as the Ghostface. The terror begins in Woodsboro, where the first murders expose dark secrets about Sidney’s mother and friends. Each new killing spree from small towns, colleges, and Hollywood movie sets reveals that the Ghostface identity can be taken up by anyone with a motive.
As Sidney grows stronger and more resilient, the killings evolve with the times, as society changes to internet fame and toxic fans. Joined by journalist Gale Weathers and deputy Dewey Riley, Sidney faces new generations of killers, all connected by one idea: the horror never truly dies.
Scream films would be favored by people who like mystery, horror, thrills and suspense. It would be good for a spooky Halloween night or a rainy day to stay inside and watch the whole series.
Coraline Reflects Childhood Fears
Coraline was ranked third in the Halloween movie poll. This stop-motion animation took around three and a half years to complete due to the vigorous creation process. Clay was used for both the characters and the props, making this movie a “claymation.”
The animated film didn’t shy away from creepiness, however, reflecting some of our darkest fears as children. Abandonment, loneliness, strange adults, new spaces, and monsters, not under the bed but in the walls, all create a sense of foreboding that will unsettle even a teenager or adult.
Coraline follows a young girl named Coraline Jones who has just moved to a new house, the Pink Palace, with her parents. She feels a sense of neglect from her parents which pushes her curious nature and exploration journey. In this new home, she finds a small door that leads to a parallel universe that seems almost perfect. However, while exploring the house and the people within the parallel world, she realizes that it is not as perfect as meets the eye and that evil follows. Her bravery is tested as she has to face terrifying creatures of this universe, including the “Other Mother,” and save her family from being trapped.
The movie Coraline is good for an audience who enjoys mystery, horror, and dark fantasy. Although this is considered a family movie, it includes some creepy concepts that might not be suitable for younger audiences.
Halloween Is Quintessential Horror Film
Ranked fourth by students as the best Halloween film, John Carpenter’s 1978 film Halloween remains one of the most famous horror movies ever made, and it all started with a simple story about a masked killer stalking a normal, quiet town.
The movie follows Michael Myers, who was locked away for killing his sister as a child, when he escapes from a mental hospital on Halloween night and returns to his hometown to terrorize the babysitter, Laurie Strode. Myers silently follows Strode and her friends, leading to terrifying events.
What makes Halloween so scary isn’t all of the violence; it’s the suspense of not knowing what’s coming next. The eerie music and the feeling of being followed lures people in and keeps them hooked from start to finish.
Even though it was made on a very low budget of around $300,000, Halloween earned over $70 million and helped launch a bunch of new slasher movies. One fun fact: the mask Michael Myers wore was actually a painted Captain Kirk mask from Star Trek.
This movie is perfect for anyone who loves creepy, old school horror movies and likes a movie that keeps you guessing the whole time. Even after all these years, Halloween is still a fan favorite that will send chills down your spine.
Which of the four Halloween movies is your fave?
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