Back in February of 2016, I reprinted an article here that I did for Hauntcast Magazine in early 2013, basically a list of my top films for the Spooky Season...thirty-one days has October, therefore, thirty-one movies had the original piece...
It's been over thirteen years since that original piece, so, having had a little time to ruminate over it, I now offer another set of films guaranteed to go well with an evening on the couch with a loved or (or two, or even some assorted body parts) along with Jack O'Lanterns, hot cocoa, and lots of your favorite candies....
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31. THE HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944)
One of the first of the “Monster Mashes”…also the last time Boris Karloff ever appeared in a Universal Studios horror movie…by this point, the studio was running out of ideas, and the classic monsters were being trotted out more for a percentage than any real originality…still, this film remains significant in as much as it features the debut of John Carradine as a rather suave-if-stilted Count Dracula – why not Bela Lugosi?
According to legend, the studio thought he was DEAD! *urk!* - and Glenn Strange’s first appearance as the Frankenstein Monster, coached in the role by Karloff himself, and probably the only other actor to have lasting impact in the role, plus, Lon Chaney Jr. in his third turn as the Wolf Man….it’s really two separate stories, one featuring Dracula, the other focused on the other two characters. The film moves at a brisk pace, plenty of action, wraps up all the character’s arcs quick and neat, great for family night, and, if you look close, more than likely was going to be the end of Universal’s Monster Cycle, but history proved otherwise.
30. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 1 (2012) and 2 (2015)
The Hotel Transylvania franchise has definitely had it’s ups and down -I, for one, thought the third film was atrocious, and four? Meh. Cute but ineffectual.
One and Two however, we’re smart, sassy, sweet, and explored issues of acceptance, diversity, family and parenting, all the while being a loving tribute to the Classic Monsters with some really biting social commentary on social media and youth culture as well.
What really makes these films special are their ability to poke fun at the likes of the Monsters while retaining their dignity – and don’t get me started on some of the background eye-candy humor...
I’ve always said the first two films are a great way to introduce kids to the likes of Dracula and Frankenstein, and at the same time, broach some very important issues in a light-hearted manner.
29. Legendary Pictures GODZILLA TRILOGY (2014/19/21)
Godzilla has always been a staple in my movie consumption in one form or another - take note of my March 2014 post for further details – but in America?
We kind of fumble the ball when we attempt it – both the 1977 animated Saturday morning cartoon and the 1998 Emmerich/Devlin film come to mind – but the Legendary films? – up to a point – were in a class by themselves, directly linked to the classic Toho flicks, with highly respectful interpretations of their beloved characters…
The 2014 film echoes the 1954 original in a lot of aspects, with a bit of monster vs. monster action tossed in - moody, atmospheric and tense, it sets the stage for what comes next - but the most important aspect is the design and characterization of Godzilla himself - respectful of the original, but a feel all it's own.
The 2019 movie is the most "classic" of the trio...featuring King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra, it's a new interpretation of films like Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster, Monster Zero, and Destroy All Monsters, and it's the most atypical of the genre, loaded with references to the classic Showa and Hesei eras, and although spotty at points, bristles with kaiju action....
Godzilla vs Kong is a fun romp, a remake of the 1962 film, with plenty of reference abounding as well, but also opening new possibilities to Legendry's Hollow Earth/Monsterverse ideas...it also features on of the best representations of Mechagodzilla *ever*...grab your popcorn and have a Monster Movie Rally, well worth the time investment and terrific for a rainy weekend...
28. THE HAUNTED MANSION (2003)
OK, yeah, not of one of Eddie Murphy's finest moments, sure, and the script is basically a run through of the Disneyland attraction itself - Jennifer Tilly's take on Madame Liotta is particularly funny - this is a great film to watch with young kids - just enough thrills and chills to make it effective - with a sweet, tragic romantic sub-plot and a particularly nasty villain to boot...
Visually quite good - home haunters? There's *plenty* of ideas here to steal - *hint hint* - and an abundance of one-liner cultural references.
Murphy does what he can with what he's given, script wise, and does an admirable job, even if his performance is a tad flat...on the other hand, Terrance Stamp makes a suitably retrained villain.
A fun family film, although I really lost patience with the barber shop quartet bit *VERY* quickly.
Turn it down, fellas...
An interesting horror-comedy that reflects the times of it’s release – who else here grew up in the 80s? – is also a bit schizophrenic – the blend of styles gets a wee bit messy at times, but doesn’t fails to entertain, regardless, despite the *heavy* MTV overtones...honestly, at points this feels like an extended music video, but it has a fantastic soundtrack which includes Lou Gramm, Echo and the Bunnymen, INXS, Jimmy Barnes, Roger Daltrey, Gerard McMahon and Tim Cappello...
This film sent the careers of most of the cast into orbit – Jason Patrick, Kieffer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Cory Hart and Cory Feldman - and has some slick twists on the vampire myth and some great action sequences…
...and always remember grandpa’s philosophy…."One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach; all the damn vampires."
Movies and television have *rarely* done justice to the works of Stephen King, chopping and changing at will, usually to the detriment of the story...not so in this case...
*This* was the Creep-Out TV movie of the late '70s...scenes of children floating at your window in the dead of night, scratching persistently, begging to be let in for a drink....
If you're familiar with King's novel, you have the general gist of the story, although here the Master Vampire, Kurt Barlow, is a far more feral creature, rather than the genius manipulator of the novel...not to mention his appearance here borrows heavily from Max Schrek in Nosferatu
David Soul, James Mason, Bonnie Bedelia, Lance Kerwin, Reggie Nalder and Lew Ayers all give terrific performances.
This was originally a two part mini-series - when released to video in the 80s, it was considerably gutted to fit a two hour or so movie format, losing a lot of the character depth so essential to King's novels. It's only recently the series was restored.
In regards to the 2004 and 2023 remakes...both are good, but I far prefer the '04 series with Rob Lowe - the 2023 movie just plows through far too quickly.
Essential creepiness.
25. I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF (1957)
The late Michael Landon began his career with this made-on-the-cheap, but highly effective revamping of the werewolf myth...this brought the classic character into modern (at the time) settings, with an interesting psychological twists, minus the Gothic elements, and a bit of a look at the “troubled teen” vibe…
Landon plays the role with gusto, and the make up is quite effective...the film plays out as a moral objection to, as ever, “meddling in the affairs of God’ – not a bad point, and, despite the stiff acting at times, the movie holds up remarkably well...
The second best of the “Abbott and Costello Meet…” series – silly, zany, a bit disjointed – Bud and Lou don’t appear for a good fifteen minutes into the film, this after a rather tedious musical number – however, they’re still in fine comedic form, even if they are recycling *a lot* of their material at this point…
Boris Karloff is essentially sleepwalking through his turn as Dr. Jekyll, and he *still* manages to out act and out class nearly the entire cast – his interactions with Bud and Lou are hysterical at times – adding to which, Karloff’s Jekyll is so downright nasty, he doesn't even *need* to inject his serum to transform into Hyde – he’s quite vile all on his own!
Hyde is portrayed by stuntman Eddie Parker – Karloff was in his sixties at this point, and the kind of physicality required for the role would've been far too much for him….and the Hyde mask was “borrowed” from the recent Monster On Campus film…
Despite – or, maybe in spite of – all of this, the film is a joyful romp, full of semi-sci-fi concepts, transformations, and plenty of wild, slapstick action, especially in the third act, great for younger kids, echoing Meet Frankenstein from years earlier…
...and
speaking of that, keep eyes open form a a brief cameo from animated
figures of Count Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster in a wax museum
sequence.
23. MONSTER SQUAD (1987)
Saw this one in the movie theater, believe it or not - I think my buddy and I were the only people in the seats! - and, although it was slaughtered by the competition at the time - The Lost Boys and Robocop were the Big Hits of the Moment - Monster Squad has become a sort of cult classic, with a large audience all it's own....check out the documentary Wolfman's Got Nards to see what I mean...
Originally envisioned as a sort of modern take on the Little Rascals meet the Universal Monsters, the film is a bit spotty and corny, but that is all part of it's charm...on the other hand, the makeups on the monsters are truly spectacular - the Creature and the Wolf Man in particular are truly impressive - as Universal was unwilling to allow the filmmakers to utilize the originals - but the effects department managed to create looks for the characters that were *just* close enough to the originals to avoid litigation....
Dracula's Castle in the opening moments is just a visual feast...Duncan Regehr is terrific as a truly malevolent Count Dracula, referencing Lugosi and Lee all in the same performance...the late Tom Noonan does a lovely take on Frankenstein's Monster, childlike, kind hearted, infusing Karloff into it all seamlessly...and Jon Gries channels Larry Talbot beautifully...
Corny, cheesy, silly, but fun with plenty of style, wit and charm, it's a love letter to those who grew up watching Creature Features into the wee hours of the night as kids...
...and I most definitely wish *I* had a treehouse like the kids in this flick did!!
22. GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)/GHOSTBUSTERS:AFTERLIFE (2021)
Anybody around in 1984 saw Ghostbuters - it - along with Gremlins - dominated the box office that summer - rightly so, too!
Founded by a witty, quick paced script that highlights the comedic talents of Bill Murray - in a role originally written for the late Jon Belushi - and Dan Akroyd, some terrific visual effects, and plot that kept winking at it's audience and itself....I mean, what's not there to like...?
Afterlife is a love letter to the original and the late Harold Ramis - although far from perfect, it looks back while looking forward, and the nostalgia is there, without being overpowering...the remainder of the original cast plays a restrained - but essential - role in the story line, while the theme of passing on the torch to the young feels all the more poignant, especially in the film's final reel...yes, there's plenty of humor derivative of the first film...but it plays off as charming rather than cloying...
...watch them back to back and see for yourself...
21. YOUNG FRANKNESTEIN (1974)
The crowning jewel in Mel Brooks' crown - next to Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, one of the greatest horror-comedy-satires, ever.
Now passed fifty years old, this film never fails to draw viewers.
Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Terri Garr, David Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Gene Hackman, Chloris Leachman. 'Nuff said.
Utilizing quite a few of the set pieces from the original Frankenstein films, Brooks concocted a loving tribute and a hysterically funny movie that is so filled with classic lines that have permanently ingrained themselves into our pop culture, even to this day.
As I write this - early July 2026 - Brooks had just recently passed his 100th birthday...I find it fantastic that he's lived so long and to see this comedy gem become so beloved.
20. SHIN GODZILLA (2016)
With the success of the 2014 Legendary Pictures Godzilla, Toho decided to once more resurrect the King of the Monsters...yet with a very modern twist...
Shin Godzilla is part political satire, part monster movie, and part environmental metaphor...symbolic of the 2011 Tsunami that devasted Japan, Godzilla is once again a metaphor for the dangers of radioactivity, this time coming from the waste in Tokyo Bay, mutating a life form that evolves continually, granting the beast extraordinary powers.
Godzilla here is a walking rock, unresponsive, continually mutating, regenerating from the smallest pieces, and ever changing, possessing atomic breath and beams of unimaginable power.
The Japanese politicians of the day - bound by tradition and rules - are helpless in the face of such power...and the film also asks what the world's political theatre would do if such a creature were to appear in our hyper-social-media environment.
Unsettling, frightening, humorous, and thought provoking...and a particularly disquieting final scene.
FYI, that final scene opened the door to potential sequel, which sadly, to date - July 2026 - has not happened...
19. COUNT DRACULA (1977)
The BBC's first attempt at bringing the Count to the small screen, and one of the most faithful to Stoker's novel.
Drenched in atmosphere, gothic trappings and swirling fog, Louis Jordan makes Dracula a suave gentleman, bound by culture, manners and tradition, he exudes a charming, restrained elegance, tinged with a strong hint of menace.
Yes, the effects are dated, the vibe of the film is steeped in 1970s style and production values, but the four hour miniseries creeps like midnight fog, ever-so-civilly seducing you into the eternal night.
Genuinely frightening at times, with some gruesome effects work to boot.
18. THE WOLF MAN (1941/2010)
Werewolf lore would not be what it is in cinema if not for the Lon Chaney Jr. film - an argument can be made for 1935's "Werewolf of London", but this is by far the superior movie.
Chaney gives tremendous pathos to the character of Larry Talbot - Svengoolie refers to him as "the eternal whiner" - true, perhaps, but his performances only got better as the series progressed - this film's direct sequel, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man", is often cited as his best turn in the role - but his tragic heroism and angst resonate brilliantly here...also add his remarkable physicality as the man beast, and you can understand why both this movie and his performance are so iconic.
Add to that Claude Rains as his ever concerned, increasingly determined father, Evelyn Ankers as love interest Gwen, and Maria Ouspenskaya's compassionate gypsy, Maleva, a brilliant script, Bela Lugosi as doomed lycanthrope Bela, plus Jack Pierce's legendary make up, and the patterns for werewolf films were pretty well set for the next forty years or so...
Despite it’s flaws, and being beleaguered by unending production issues, the 2010 remake with Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Anthony Hopkins has much to recommend it, including stellar special make up by the legendary Rick Baker – see American Werewolf in London – impressive performances by all considered, and an interesting twist on the original film’s premise...yes, it’s flawed, and it degenerates into a monster mash type brawl towards the end, but, still, fun and visually impressive.
Great for back-to-back viewing on the night of a full moon with an ample supply of wolfsbane and beef jerky...oh, and the 2025 remake?
As far as *I'm* concerned, there's aren't enough silver bullets to kill the memory of that atrocity dead...
Tim Burton's curious little twist on the much beloved Gothic soap opera of the 60s and early 70s combines the classic elements of the show with a healthy dose of self depreciating humor.
14. BEETLEJUICE (1988)
Enter Keaton, in one of the funniest and most scene chewing performances ever, a bio-exorcist with no class nor rules. Guess what happens next.
Incidentally, the 2024 sequel is AWFUL. period.
13. INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956/1978)
Invasion paranoia at it's finest...aliens in the form of vegetable pods that can perfectly assimilate their hosts whilst they sleep - that being, of course, us - land on earth, and a slow, subtle take over commences.
The 1956 original is a masterpiece of McCarthy-era "Better Dead Than Red" paranoid speculation, while the 1978 remake explores themes of loss of identity and pointlessness.
These are slow pot boilers, meant more for more adult viewing - kids probably won't get a lot of themes going on in either - but the intensity in both is remarkable, especially the original.
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12. RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)
Punk rock meets George Romero with a twist.
The legal battles over the original Night of Living Dead led to divisions amongst the crew over distribution and production rites brought about this horror-comedy.
Taking elements of the original Night and turning them upside gives us one of the wittiest, funniest, fastest paced zombie apocalypse films, ever.
The punk overtones gives the film an anarchistic cutting edge that never was duplicated in any future zombie flick.
Does not take itself too seriously, btw...
What can you say, except "BRAINS!!!"
11. I, DESIRE (1982)
Fresh off his stint from An American Werewolf in London, David Naughton starred in this made-for-TV thriller, highly reminiscent of Darren McGavin's Night Stalker series of the mid-70s...
Intrigued by a series of murders and robberies from blood banks, Naughton begins investigating on his own, and begins to realize that the old legends of Nosferatu may not all be quite that legendary...
A bit unique for it's time, featuring a female fatale vampire, it has a brisk pace and a satisfying conclusion...hard to find, but well worth the watch, temporal men need not apply....
10. CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972)
An obvious, blatant rip off of Romero's Night of the Living Dead - only four years separate the films - but for all it's plagiarism, it has an amateurish charm all it's own...filmed on the cheap - the story line is not that far removed from the source material, BTW - it always struck me as a bunch of ambitious, clever college kids who got an idea stuck in their heads and went out and made a horror movie...not that far removed from what Romero and his crew did, either...
Harkening back a bit to classic zombie mythology and a warning not to meddle in Black Magic - which was kind of the rage at that point in time - the film talks a lot, but the dialogue is amusing and the zombie make-ups are decidedly impressive, and the action and gore are there...not perfect, primitive, derivative, but definitely worth a look...
9. NIGHT TEETH (2021)
This little Netflix gem popped up on our radar towards the tail end of the 2021 Halloween season….
For the record, we had just won Best Local Home Haunt in West Carrollton - our home town - so this was the icing on a very tasty little cake.
An interesting mix of vampire mythos, gang warfare, and a touch of teenage romance...surprisingly sweet and introspective, with a few not-too-subtle commentaries on racism interjected throughout...the story of a young man subbing for his older brother as a limo driver - lo and behold, the two women he's hosting turn out to be vampires, and are on a tear through LA as dissention in the vampire hierarchy ranks runs wild....
A fast paced, slick little thriller, and while nothing to set the genre on fire, it's an enjoyable little romp with a bit of bite...
8. LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER (2023)
One of two Dracula themed movies from that year – the rather comedic Reinfield being the other – takes an interesting look into a small section of Stoker’s novel where the Count is transported from Transylvania to London aboard the ship Demeter...it’s barely a footnote in the book, but it details the events of that voyage and the fate of the passengers…
Well scripted, dark, moody, with a truly feral Dracula highlight this little gem...didn’t do much at the box office – why don’t these movie studios release this kind of flick during Halloween season???? – it’ll leave a slight feel of unease as it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger...a nice case of Gothic suspense...
7. ABIGAIL (2024)
You *could* write this one off as a kind of left field remake knock-off of Dracula’s Daughter, but I digress…
A lot of thought went into the plot of this one - basically a group kidnapping plot turned on it’s ear when the titular little girl turns out to be a centuries old vampire, possibly even the daughter of Dracula himself, who allows herself to be taken by the group as a bit of sport.
This film is just full of little nods to Todd Browning’s 1931 Dracula – note the opening titles utilize Swan Lake for it’s theme, as did Browning – up to the final sequence as Matthew Goode arrives as Abigail’s “father”, Kristof Lazaar, who may-or-may-not be the Count himself…
Campy, fast paced, with twists and turns galore, plus bucketfuls of gore - be forewarned! - make this a Universal Monster lovers’ delight...one of the gems of the studio’s “Dark Universe” attempt at reviving the classic monsters, which never really got off the ground...
6. GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023)
Next to the 1954 original and a few choice others - take note of Shin Godzilla on this list as well - this reimaging of Godzilla's origins stands as one of Toho Studios' crowning achievements with their trademark character.
Set shortly after Japan's surrender in WWII, this film is dark, grim, intense, desperate...and surprisingly gentle, humane, and full of the Japanese peoples' spirit all at once.
Godzilla himself is particularly viscous, restored to a genuine threat - as he is in the aforementioned Shin Godzilla - a massive, spiteful engine of destruction.
The special effects - done for far less than many Hollywood blockbusters - are amazing in their complexity, and the action sequences do not disappoint, with a sly take on Jaws for good measure.
The political scenarios - both nationally and international - influence the film's storyline considerably, and the characters are fully fleshed out and genuine - you care what happens to these people.
A masterpiece of kaiju cinema.
5. WEDNESDAY (2022)
Tim Burton *again* I hear you scream...?
Yeah, I may be overdoing it, but there is no denying both the brilliance and reaction the first series achieved...the second? Not so much, but that's neither here nor there.
While I've heard various complaints on it not being close enough to Charles Addams' original vision, I counter that it still honors his vision - it's about Wednesday, not the family - and their interpretation is pretty much on mark, regardless.
A Coming of Age tale with plenty of Gothic atmosphere, dark humor, plot twists, monsters and mayhem galore, a certain amount of contextual subtlety, with observations on family ties, friendship, and the glories of the teen years, not to mention a dance sequence the Cramps would've been proud of...
Goo Goo Muck, indeed...
4. IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN (1966)
One of the best - if not THE best - of the Halloween specials TV ever offered.
After the resounding success of A Charlie Brown Christmas the prior year, Charles Shultz and Lee Melendez were approached to do an other animated film, this time for the Halloween season - Shultz being a man of faith, took considerable heat from certain sections of Evangelicals, but decided to do it, regardless.
A cute, charming, and very funny piece on the joys of fall and Halloween, which incorporated the long running Snoopy vs. The Red Baron storyline from the actual newspaper comic strip, plus, Linus' ever-present faithful pilgrimage in the pumpkin patch - this time with a somewhat skeptical but lovestruck Sally in tow - to the Great Pumpkin, and of course, "I Got a Rock!"
Essential annual viewing.
3. HOCUS POCUS (1993)
One of Disney’s cuter attempts at bringing up some Halloween spirit – the film is made obviously by the Three Sanderson Witches – Better Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy steal this film with their antics -without even trying, mind you!
...but the movie’s themes go far beyond the hootenanny they drum up – there’s strong messages about family, faith, and justice woven in the story line, and quite a bit of slightly risqué adult humor…
This film remains beloved by so many people I know, and it’s definitely one of the most family friendly for the Spooky Season…
...oh, and as for the 2022 sequel…?
I’ll just quote Sarah Sanderson: “IT HURTS!!!!”
2. FRANKENSTEIN (1931) / BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) / SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939)
This trio of films – the cornerstone of Universal’s Frankenstein mythos – are required viewing for *any* serious lover of Halloween, Monsters, or horror. Period.
Boris Karloff’s remarkable portrayal of the monster launched a thousand ships, and none of the role’s successors – Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi or Glenn Strange (even though he came the closest) – held a candle to Karloff’s emotional portrayal.
No Frankenstein movie has ever come close to the impace of these – and there have been many, most recently Guillermo del Toro’s excellent 2025 interpretation.
I always found it interesting that Elsa Lanchester’s role in Bride of Frankenstein is literally under ten minutes, yet her character has become embedded in Universal Studios history.
Son of Frankenstein features Bela Lugosi’s wonderful take as Igor, buried in make up, yet giving a tour-de-fore performance, which he repeated in the Ghost of Frankenstein, but that’s a story for another day.
All three films are stylized, Gothic and thrilling to this very day…Essential Halloween viewing – I strongly suggest take all three in simultaneously...along with an extra large bucket of popcorn...
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1. TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE (2005)
Take note, there is no grave misunderstanding here...next to A Nightmare Before Christmas, this stands as one of Tim Burton's defining moments in cinema, with 2025 marking it's 20th anniversary, I always found this one to have a certain naive charm all it’s own.
Burton takes a rather childlike view of death and the hereafter, making it all day-glow and party hearty and nothing to be feared...with theme’s of love, loyalty, devotion, and acceptance of circumstances beyond your control.
Delightful animation, some great music and, as ever, the wild characters only Burton can offer, this whimsical film shows the cuter side of spookiness, and that even darker themes can have a lighter side to them.
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July 2026
