By Emma Barhydt
I take Halloween very seriously. The entire month of October is spook-ified with the seven days before Halloween being the most intense, and therefore designated Halloweek. However, at twenty-one years old I can no longer don a princess costume and roam the streets in search of candy, no matter how much I may want to. The ways I celebrate look a little different than they did when I was eleven, but by no means are they any less important.
Halloween is one of the most fun holidays to celebrate, and the ways to do so are obvious as a child. Wear your costume to school, go trick-or-treating, gorge yourself on candy– all with the usual childhood glee at being out after dark and hoarding candy like a small dragon. The ways to celebrate Halloween as an adult is a little more subtle but no less fun! In fact, relearning how to celebrate Halloween can even unlock those feelings of childhood glee once more.
My preferred — and fool proof — method for celebrating Halloween is to carve pumpkins in front of the ultimate Halloween Movie Marathon and a bowl of treats. That may seem like an open ended invitation to find your own favorite Halloween movies, but I assure you it is not. Over the course of six Halloweens, I have curated the ultimate Halloween movie binge list for your enjoyment this October 31st.
Four movies is the perfect amount to watch over the course of the day. Just to have in the background or to really watch is up to you. I usually find that it takes me about two movies to finish carving my pumpkins and the others are celebratory, to enjoy with some hard earned candy. A positively overwhelming amount of blankets is a must, as well as a fuzzy friend. Be it your pet, your significant other or friend, or a newly adopted werewolf, having a companion will make your night that much more enjoyable.
The best way to order your movies is to alternate between scary and fun so that you get in a good Halloween fright, but you’re never so scared you have to sleep with the lights on.
Start off your night by watching Halloween (1978) . It doesn’t get better than this classic in terms of thematic appropriateness, that’s for sure. Hearing the opening theme roll gets you in the spirit before settling down to start carving some pumpkins.
Next, move on to Ghostbusters (1984). Another classic, but this one is a total feel good movie. It’s difficult not to crack a smile while watching Ghostbusters, and it’s a welcome relief from the fright of the first film. It’s a great movie to watch while you’re finishing up your pumpkin carving too, because by now you’ve probably seen Ghostbusters enough times to have it memorized, so you don’t necessarily need to be watching 100% of the time.
After you’ve finished up pumpkin carving, taken a little clean up break, and set out your pumpkins along with a bowl full of candy (and a “take one” sign that will inevitably be ignored) on your front steps, it’s time to budle back up in your blankets and watch The Sixth Sense (1999). This movie is the perfect mix of scary and creepy. There’s something about the way the ghosts in the movie are so aggressive that makes my skin crawl.
Finally, it’s time to finish up the movie marathon with perhaps my favorite Halloween movie of all time: Practical Magic (1998). From the casting to the costumes, everything about this movie is absolutely iconic and if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. Practical magic hits all of the right Happy Halloween notes. Witches, ghosts, romance, magic, pointy black hats, and even toads! This movie will leave both your night on a good note and you smiling.
At this point in the evening, your candy bowl on your front porch is empty, your “please take one” sign is destroyed or gone in the breeze, and the last of the trick-or-treating stragglers are headed home. It’s time to turn off the front porch lights, blow out the jack-o-lantern candle, and head to bed. A Hallow’s Eve well spent.
Remember, no matter how you celebrate Halloween or what movies you watch, what’s important is to have fun and be safe. Happy Halloween preparations everyone!
