Halloween is just days away , and students at Olympic Heights are feeling the fear. While the fun costumes and trick-or-treating is the way to go for some, others find it more appealing to curl up with a bowl of popcorn and watch some classic Halloween movies to get in the spirit, especially when it’s unknown whether traditional Halloween festivities are going to even take place this year.

Thus, The Torch is here to provide OH cinephiles with some classic Halloween and scary movies to watch this Halloween weekend! Some will give viewers a fright, others a laugh. But the Halloween season is a time for students to relax and have fun…unless they decide to watch a movie that gives them nightmares.

Scream (1996)  This movie will make it’s audience do exactly what its title calls for. Starring Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, this 1996 horror mystery reinvented the horror genre. The movie follows Sidney a year after her mother’s murder as she and her friends are being picked off by a new killer. Viewers will enjoy the comedic moments as well as the ones that make them jump.

Ghostbusters (1984)  When you need a movie on Halloween, “Who you gonna call?” This supernatural comedy kicks off when four scientists lose their jobs at a college in New York and establish “Ghostbusters,” a service that investigates and gets rid of paranormal activity. But when they open a portal to another dimension, a plethora of evil spirits are unleashed into the city. Viewers will enjoy this comedic and lighthearted film. OH sophomore Nayelih Montano said, “I like Ghostbusters because it has a lot of comedy mixed with ‘horror.’”

Halloween (1978)  One Halloween night, six-year-old Michael Myers murdered his older sister and was sent to a mental institution. He escapes 15 years later and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield and murders several more victims on the anniversary of his first killing. Horror fans will love this film for the uncomfortably eerie scenes wherein they brace themselves for another scare. One IMDB review states, “Halloween is not only the godfather of all slasher movies but the greatest horror movie ever!”

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)  This animated fantasy musical is about Jack Skellington, the leader of Halloween Town, who has grown bored of the same Halloween routine every year. That’s when he discovers the doorways to other holiday towns, including Christmas Town, and Jack comes up with the idea to take over Christmas. Viewers will enjoy the comedy, love, and excitement of Jack’s attempts to go through with Christmas traditions Halloween-style.

While there is a debate over whether Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween or a Christmas movie, OH sophomore Audrie Mahoney believes it is both and enjoys watching it during the Halloween and Christmas season. “Halloween and Christmas are my two favorite holidays, so to have it combined in this movie is the best,” Mahoney expressed.

Friday the 13th (1980) Years after a boy named Jason Voorhees drowned in the lake, Camp Crystal Lake is reopened with the help of a few new counselors. Consequently, a mysterious killer wearing a hockey mask begins to stalk the camp and brutally murder the counselors. Could it be Jason, back for revenge? OH cinephiles will love this slasher horror classic. It was so popular that it has become a widely popular series that inspired other horror series such as A Nightmare on Elm Street.