Sorta-Spooky Stuff I'm Watching this Halloween

Thursday, October 22, 2020


Halloween used to be my favorite holiday, but we didn't do much for it last year because we had a wedding that weekend, & this year, we have exactly nothing planned because... you know, global pandemic & all. 

Our friends Stevie & Andrew typically host an epic Halloween party, but that's not happening this year, so I'm trying to get in the Halloween spirit with all the spooky movies & TV shows I can watch. I don't like horror, so my choices are all, for the most part, extremely tame.

What's your favorite Halloween-themed movie, show, book, podcast, etc.? Tell me what else I should be watching! I need morrrre!

1. The Walking Dead (2010-present)
I'm back to watching this old favorite, though I'm still behind. As Netflix tells it, "In the wake of a zombie apocalypse, survivors hold on to the hope of humanity by banding together to wage a fight for their own survival."

Who's your favorite villain? (Mine's Lori.) Which walker-fight do you love most? (Carol forever.) Are you still watching, or has everyone officially jumped off this bandwagon? Does Negan ever die? And what's with the helicopter?

2. Light as a Feather (2018-2019)
Four best friends invite the new girl to hang out with them on Halloween, but after she leads them in a round of the old game Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, people start dying.

The plotline is a little tough to follow for... no apparent reason? But overall, the show has a real Pretty-Little-Liars-gone-spooky vibe to it, which I dig. Violent, the new girl, is especially unnerving, & eventually, main character McKenna is, too.

3. Zombies (2018) & Zombies 2 (2020)
In exploring Disney+ & considering watching every single available Disney Channel Original, I stumbled upon these adorable, catchy, candy-colored gems. Bonus? They're musicals!

The government has figured out how to make zombies stop craving human brains, & now, Seabrook High in integrating with Zombieland schools, with zombie football player Zed & human cheerleader Addison leading the way... & falling in love.

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
I wasn't allowed to watch Buffy when it originally aired... but I now recognize that it was because it scared my mom, not necessarily because she was worried that it would scare me.

You probably know the deal by now: Chosen vampire slayer Buffy Summers & her group of friends, affectionately known as "The Scooby Gang," protect their California town from vampires, demons, and other forces of darkness. One of my all-time faves, forever & ever Team Spike. 

5. Twitches (2005) & Twitches Too (2007)
Ah, man, these movie are terrible, & I love it. Tia & Tamera Mowry star as Alex & Camryn, reunited twins who discover their magical powers & save their home dimension of Coventry from destruction. 

As always, Tia & Tamera Mowry are incredibly annoying, & yet, as always, they somehow manage to be incredibly charming anyway. Bonus points for the very aughts outfits & quirky duo Karsh & Illeana, the twins other-dimensional guardians.

6. Hocus Pocus (1993)
I know some folks watch this every year, but I haven't seen it for a loooong time. It is truly ridiculous, & the special effects are so out of date, but it's also really adorable & delightful & corny & all things good. 

Who's the biggest scene-stealer, tiny Thora Birch, talking cat Thackery Binx, or the quirky trio of Better Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, & Kathy Najimy? And what about Billy, the reanimated corpse turned good guy?

Yoooo, remember this movie? It's full of some of the hottest stars of the '90s: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr., & Ryan Phillipe. My BFF & I were terrified of this movie as kids, but we loved it.

...& it holds up! The plotline is whack, as is to be expected from 1990's "horror" movies, but it's a fun one. It's not too scary, but it's juuuust scary enough. And it left me scared of fishermen for, like, a long time. 

8. The Witches (1990)
OK, let's talk about a movie that scared the hell out of me as a kid... & still does. I'm thrilled for the reboot of this movie, starring Octavia Spencer & Anne Hathaway, but in the meantime, I still stan the original 1990 film starring Anjelica Houston.

A little boy is staying at a London hotel with his grandmother when he stumbles upon a convention of witches. Who are trying to get rid of all human children. And who turn him, specifically, into a rat. And who reveal their normal human faces to reveal horrifying witch faces. Y'all, this movie is fucking terrifying. 

9. American Horror Story (2011-present)
Look, I abandoned this show after four seasons because it creeped the hell out of me, & I just couldn't handle it anymore. But if creepy is what you're going for, give it a go!

Each season is thematically different, & largely with a different cast, though there are some through-lines. Start with Murder House & make your way on through to 1984, with a little bit of Freak Show, Aslyum, Coven, Cult, etc. in between. Horror is right.

Tell me: What's your favorite Halloween-themed TV show or movie? Clearly my standards are kiiiiinda low, so hit me with your best shot!

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