Every spooky season, October becomes a month-long horror movie marathon. This year, we're packing in the frights with a wide range of Halloween films—some creepy, some crawly, and some that will keep you grinning like a jack-o'-lantern. But as these eerie adventures chill you to the bone, consider the tantalizing tales that happened before a single tortured soul yelled "action."
This list of ghoulish Halloween classics will have you howling at the moon. Enjoy the flicker of your movie screen, but be warned: it’s sometimes better to stay away from the light...
1. Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter and Debra Hill’s screenplay for Halloween did not specify the look of Michael Myers’ mask (referring to the character’s ambiguous appearance as “The Shape”). For production, their iconic serial killer wound up wearing a latex Captain James T. Kirk mask from 1975, purchased in a costume store for about a dollar. By removing the mask’s eyebrows and painting it white, the prop department created its unsettling look.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/halloween-1978/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
2. Beetlejuice (1988)
At first, Michael Keaton declined the role of Beetlejuice because he "just didn't get it." It was only after meeting with director Tim Burton and watching his 1985 film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, that the actor changed his mind and signed on to play the infamous bio-exorcist. And despite being the titular character, the Ghost with the Most appears in the film for just under 15 minutes.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/beetlejuice/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
3. The Witch (2015)
Robert Eggers, director of The Witch, worked with many live animals on this project, saying that many of them were well trained and pleasant on set. The spooky exception, of course, being the goat that portrayed the demonic antagonist, Black Phillip. Several planned scenes featuring the animal were cut from the film when the goat proved too difficult to train, often lunging at the actors and crew people. Apparently, not all animals wouldst like to live deliciously...
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/the-witch-2015/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4263482/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven’s classic film utilizes many creative techniques and psychological manipulations to terrorize audiences. For example, Freddy Krueger’s sweater is red and green because Craven once read an article in Scientific American stating that those two colors were hardest for the human eye to properly perceive—something the director used to create maximum discomfort in audiences. And for one of the many nightmarish screen deaths, special effects artists created an upside-down room that could rotate as needed, creating the illusion of a character being unnaturally thrown against the walls and ceiling. This same room was later used to depict the film’s infamous geyser of blood.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/a-nightmare-on-elm-street/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087800/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
According to creator Tim Burton, his original poem about the Pumpkin King was inspired by holiday merchandise displays. After watching a Halloween display being replaced by a Christmas one, Tim Burton knew he wanted to tell a story about the juxtaposition of ghouls and goblins with Santa and his reindeer (and with the help of director Henry Selick, that’s exactly what he did).
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/the-nightmare-before-christmas/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107688/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Starting with Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, black and white horror films often used chocolate syrup as blood, since the sweat treat shows up clearly on film, matching both thickness and color. Taking it one step further, George Romero’s zombie film (the first modern one of its kind) used grilled ham covered in chocolate syrup to emulate human flesh, as it was safe for the undead actors to eat. Mm, long pig!
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/night-of-the-living-dead/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
7. Friday the 13th (1980)
Friday the 13th was filmed on real campgrounds deep in the New Jersey woods. The remote location (called Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco) isolated the cast, making it very rare that they encountered others. The one exception was the camp’s rock star neighbor, Lou Reed, who would stop by occasionally and play music on set. Talk about taking a walk on the wild side.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/friday-the-13th/
IMDb:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
8. It Chapter Two (2019)
The second installment of Andrés Muschietti’s adaptation of Stephen King’s It currently holds the record for the most blood used during a scene. For the film, actor Jessica Chastain was submerged in 4,500 gallons of fake blood to create the illusion of a toilet cubicle filling with the red liquid.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/it-chapter-two/
IMDb:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7349950/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
9. Carrie (1976)
While filming Brian De Palma’s horror classic, Sissy Spacek was highly committed to keeping continuity, sleeping in her bloody wardrobe after filming the movie's iconic prom sequence. Rather than washing herself off, Spacek kept the makeup and goo on for three days.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/carrie-1976/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074285/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3
10. Candyman (1992)
Candyman actor Tony Todd had to put real bees into his mouth to film the movie’s climax, using a simple guard to prevent the bugs from flying down his throat. Though the newborn insects were specifically bred for use in the film—meaning their stingers did not do much damage—Todd still negotiated a $1,000 bonus for each time he was stung while filming (receiving a grand total of $23,000 for 23 stings). His commitment to his craft explains the endless buzz around this film.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/candyman
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103919/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
11. Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist certainly packed a huge number of scares into its two-hour runtime, but the famously haunted production had just as many off-screen spooks. During the film’s infamous swimming pool scene, the art department used real human remains as props (unbeknownst to the cast), deeming the fake skeletons too expensive. A somewhat ironic decision, considering the trouble an unsettled burial ground causes the characters in the script...
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/poltergeist
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
12. Ghostbusters (1984)
Bill Murray’s character, Peter Venkman, was originally intended for SNL alum John Belushi, but he passed away as Dan Aykroyd was writing the script. Belushi’s presence is still felt in the film, however, thanks to the beloved character Slimer—dubbed “the ghost of John Belushi”—whose gluttonous eating habits were based on Belushi’s cafeteria scene in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978).
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/ghostbusters/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087332/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
13. Scream (1996)
Scream, Wes Craven's incredibly popular pastiche of a movie, opens with a tense phone call between Casey (Drew Barrymore) and the murderous Ghostface. In the scene, Casey dials her phone and makes an urgent call for help, but as the prop department forgot to unplug the very real phone, the production accidentally called 911 several times. Fortunately, things worked out better for the production than for Casey.
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/scream/
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
