Beetlejuice, (dir. Tim Burton)
by: Gabriela Danger

Few Halloween movies hold the strange and creepy charm that Beetlejuice does. This movie is not only endearingly weird, but it’s also just a bit funny! Although now you may hear the name Beetlejuice and think of its Broadway adaptation, the movie mustn’t be forgotten amongst other Halloween titles.

Beetlejuice is about two people who die tragically and want to stop the people who buy their home from remodeling it into something ugly. They implore the help of Beetlejuice, a more malicious ghost than they know, to help them be scary, but instead make friends with the family along the way. There might be some familiar faces in the cast, including Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, and Catharine O’Hara (for my Schitt’s Creek watchers).

Aside from an objectively funny plot, the movie’s soundtrack is perfectly fitting. It was composed by Danny Elfman and includes numbers by Harry Belafonte. The ones by Belafonte are some of my personal favorite songs to be included in a Halloween movie. The music just ties the peculiar film together in a very satisfying way.

And it would not be a proper movie review if I did not discuss the movie’s director. Beetlejuice is a Tim Burton film, and just like many of his projects, you can certainly tell! Strange and unsettling creatures are animated into the movie, like the sandworm, or the Beetlejuice rattlesnake. In studying the build of these monsters, the Burton style is definitely noticeable. As someone who enjoys his animated films, it was refreshing and fun to see him including them in what is mostly a live action movie.

Overall, Beetlejuice is a must-watch Halloween movie. It’s appropriate for any audience, and it’s sure to make anyone laugh. It balances the strange and unusual with humor and charm just right to make it an absolute classic.

The Haunted Mansion, (dir. Rob Minkoff)
by: Maya Martinez

The Haunted Mansion is a family-friendly Disney Halloween movie. It has iconic actors like Eddie Murphy, who plays Jim Evers, and Jennifer Tilly, who plays Madame Leota. Eddie Murphy, of course, perfectly portrays the role of someone who protects his family no matter what. His character adds a necessary comedic effect, which is one of the reasons why this movie is so much fun to watch.

At some points, the plot seemed a little slow to develop with some questions remaining unanswered. Regardless, all of the acting was pretty realistic. Being that it’s an early 2000’s Disney movie, the sometimes cringeworthy special effects are forgivable. I do think, though, that the CGI for the ghosts was impressive.

If you don’t like scary movies that much, but want a movie that is festive for Halloween, this is the ideal one. It’s really enjoyable, with an interesting element of mystery, and definitely one of the most iconic Disney Halloween movies out there.

Goosebumps, (dir. Rob Letterman)
by: Laura Berry

The ruthless Abominable snowman, the brain-hunting zombies, the creepy clown, talking dummy, evil garden nomes are monsters sure to keep you glued to the screen. This 2015 film directed by Rob Letterman is a thrilling adventure of children’s nightmares coming to life through the pages of books written by the famous children’s horror author, R.L Stein.

For all the softies out there who can’t get themselves to watch scary movies, this one’s for you. It’s gives that feeling of not so much fear, yet more excitement. It’s not too gory, or evil. It’s a family friendly, horror, and action- packed adventure film. The movie starts out mysterious, until all havoc breaks loose as the books reveal their magic. All the monsters that have been trapped in a bookcase for years come out of the pages to take their revenge. Throughout the film, there is some type of jump scare in almost every scene, leaving viewers intrigued as to what would happen next. A new monster escaping, popping out of nowhere, zombies coming through their graves, or a giant insect– there’s really no room for boredom here.