Top 20 Ultimate Films for Halloween

(This could be called Top 20 Ultimate Movies For Halloween, but I don’t call films movies, so it’s not - Joe)

Halloween is very nearly upon us, so to save you scratching your pumpkin heads about the best films to watch, we’ve put together our top twenty picks to give you goosebumps!

Each member of the Misfit team has commented on a few of their favourites...

The Crow - Katy

“What the **** you all painted up for, crackhead? Halloween ain't til mañana…”

Ah, Eric Draven, my first true love. I will mourn you for eternity...

Shaun of the Dead - John

You’ve got red on you... This is the first and best of the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy which got it’s name from Edgar Wright's experience with using a Cornetto as a hangover cure. So get your cricket bats and Cornettos at the ready for the morning after in case of a hangover, or zombie apocalypse, or both?

The Blair Witch Project - Joe

Definitely one of the most genuinely scary films I’ve ever seen. It kicked off a trend for ‘found footage’ horror films, but in my opinion, this is still the best!

Hocus Pocus - Lisa

The thing that really makes this film for me is Thackery Binx, when he’s a cat. Who doesn’t love a talking cat! Sarah Jessica Parker also scrubs up pretty well as a witch.

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Katy

Everyone’s favourite Halloween movie, right? *sings* “This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Pumpkins scream in the dead of night...” All hail the Pumpkin King! And his creator, the King of Spook himself, Mr Tim Burton.

Army of Darkness (AKA Evil Dead 3) - John

Terrible storyline. Check. Awful CGI, Check. Massive chin, Check. Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness (or should that be Medieval Dead?) is quite possibly the greatest work by Messrs Campbell and Raimi. If you have ever played Duke Nukem then you will recognise some of the sayings from this very film like “groovy” and “this is my boomstick”

Halloween - Joe

As a youngster this masterpiece by John Carpenter used to scare the hell out of me. Not a lot has changed. It’s still intense and gripping. If you’re home alone with the curtains closed and lights off, this fright fest will get you

Beetlejuice - Lisa

This has been a fave of mine since I was a little nipper. I think the makeup and costumes are pretty awesome for the 1980s.

Bram Stoker's Dracula - Katy

This film only qualifies as a horror due to Keanu Reeves’ acting. Otherwise it’s a very beautiful love story. With vampires. Not unlike another of my favourite movies (clearly audible groan from other Misfits...)

Ghostbusters - John

If there’s something weird, on your wedding day, then you are doing it right. But for Halloween why not join Egon, Ray, Peter & Winston as they rid the city of ghosts (and maybe destroy a few things along the way) in this classic horror comedy. After watching this again, I will be telling my wife that the stairs “go up” for the foreseeable future

Hellraiser - Joe

Yeah ok, so Clive Barker’s 1987 classic looks a tad dated now. However the striking images of the Cenobites, most notably main man ‘Pinhead’, are what gorgeous Halloween nightmares are made of.

The Conjuring - Lisa

This film had me on the edge of my seat throughout, it gave me the willies! The fact it’s based on a true story and features a scary-ass doll, make it one of my favourite picks for Halloween night.

Sleepy Hollow - Katy

Christopher Walken's headless horseman always gave me the creeps. This film has a stellar all-star cast, from Michael Gambon to Christopher Lee, all under the classic macabre Burton-esque palette. Ichabod Crane is delightfully mental, played to perfection (as always) by Johnny Depp. Did I mention I love Tim Burton? I really, really love Tim Burton...

Final Destination - John

Horror serendipity film (or series) Final Destination is a break away from the normal Halloween slasher movies. It’s based around a premonition of events, and then people trying to avoid it. Anyone who should have died in this event and doesn’t is then met with a fateful end in a Rube Goldberg style series of events.

The Cabin In The Woods - Joe

This was a really (un)pleasant surprise when I first saw it. Completely original and now a firm favourite for horror film night. Don’t assume it’s your run of the mill slasher film, it isn’t.

The Sixth Sense - Lisa

I always love a film with a twist. Plus it has Bruce Willis in it, so it’s a winning combo! I especially like it when the ghost girl in the tent vomits in front of poor little Cole, that really gets the heart pumping!

Idle Hands -Katy

The devil finds work for idle hands, don’tcha know. Any movie that can put knitting and Seth Green in the same movie as the Offspring is fine by me.

Scary Movie - John

Carmen Electra and crew rarely get out of the gutter with this film. The originals are the best, and Scary Movie is a pastiche of horror films calling on Scream, The Blair Witch Project, Psycho and many more. It's 90 minutes of puerile fun that will allow you to forget the stress of planning your wedding. Oh, and "don't interrupt me when I'm hoovering my room!

The Others - Joe

Nicole Kidman’s always pretty good, but she’s brilliant in this tense ghost story. With a 12 rating, even the kids can enjoy this, if they can handle the suspense. It’s good to see Eric Sykes on the big screen too!

Edward Scissorhands - Lisa

Johnny Depp all gothed up….. need I say more?

This could easily have been a top 50 list, however we had to draw the line somewhere. We just wanted a good mix of some of the Misfit team’s favourite flicks.

Some of the suggestions that were left out for one reason or another included:

• Clockwork Orange (Which really should be number 1 on any list of films. Joe)
• Digby the Biggest Dog in the World (Which really should be number 1 on any list of films. John)
• Donnie Darko
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• Corpse Bride
• Saw
• Various other Evil Dead films
• Scream
• Interview With The Vampire
• The Devils Rejects
• Creep
• From Dusk 'til Dawn
• It
• The Ring
• Wolf Creek
• Dracula (with the amazing Bela Lugosi)
• The Orphanage
• 28 Days Later
• Psycho