BHCW Top Halloween Movies and More Lists – 2023

So here is a collection of Halloween Top Ten lists, although according to Amy and Dima, Ten means some other number. 

We will start with the Top Ten Halloween Movie lists.  

My list was more of “Top Ten Best Halloween Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen,” and the first two are epic. “Kwaidan” qualifies as horror, but it is also a gorgeous piece of cinema. “The Similars” is influenced by the Twilight Zone in its feel and has more than a few connections to one episode – “Mirror Image.” 1960.

Amy’s list has a more traditional feel, and Dima’s list…..well…your guess is as good as mine.

Here’s Laura’s overly-explained list of things she likes about Halloween, complete with an excessive amount of Exclamation Points and too much text to fit into a table:

I LOVE Halloween! Between the candy, the creepy decorations, to movies and the COSTUMES – it’s probably my favorite holiday. 

Here are my Top Ten Favorite Halloween Things, in no particular order.

1. Movie Scene! My all-time favorite genre (for television or movies) is horror, I love the paranormal, and the scarier the better. BUT, I try to stay away from things that fall into the “this could actually happen to me” category because, let’s face it, I need a good nights sleep (i.e. I can not watch “The Strangers” that is beyond messed up and scary AF). One of my favorite scary movie scenes, is a bit of a throwback, “When A Stranger Calls Back.” The quintessential moment of dread is when the creeper has camouflaged himself as the brick wall, and when his eyes open. OMG! A film that is totally underrated and guaranteed to BLOW YOUR MIND is “Hereditary.”

2. Candy! Nestle Crunch! If my kids don’t get a single bar of Crunch while trick or treating, I will go out to the store and buy myself a bar. This chocolate bar isn’t fancy, and it has stood the test of time. It’s simple and satisfying. My second favorite would be Reeses pieces – but I almost never see those given out. Third is a fan favorite, Twix – but it has to go into the freezer for a delectable treat!

3. Colors! I usually stick out like a sore thumb when it comes to color. Which is why the typical halloween colors; orange, purple and neon green really speak to me. I love this color combo, it’s wacky, and funky and “in your face.”

4. Pumpkins! Although pumpkins are considered a fall favorite, it seems as they have crept their way into being part of Halloween. I love carving them, eating them and roasting the seeds. If you have not ever roasted your own pumpkin, you really should – it makes for the most amazing pies and breads. 

5. Decorations! I love people who put a solid effort into Halloween decorations. The creepier, the better. There are awesome displays, (not yet being promoted by the Rec Commission), on Baker (this one is a hoot) and on Kline. There are also two great displays on Delmore. I don’t have house numbers because that is borderline creepy, and not the acceptable type we embrace for Halloween. 

6. Music! There is music that can totally set the mood and bring you back. I am a child of the 80’s but truly a product of the 90’s and for me Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is Halloween. The music video still scares my kids and is truly a classic. I have also been a recent fan of Dua Lipa’s Levitating (The Blessed Madonna Remix). 

7. Dressing Up!  As a former musical theatre kid, there is nothing more satisfying to me than dressing up in costume and taking on the identity of someone else. Not that I or anyone needs Halloween to do this, but I do love that so many adults in this community embrace the costume, the character and having fun. I was so happy to see most of the parents at Trunk or Treat in full costume. My personal favorite costume, to date, has to be the year I went as Mary Poppins and Princess Leia and Ariel come in a tie for close second. 

8. Full-Size-Candy Bar! The novelty of the “full size candy bars.” I remember as a kid, you had truly felt like you hit the jackpot when you trick-o-treated at a home that provided a full-size candy bar. The feeling is still nostalgic and the joy it brings my kids and others still transports me back to my childhood and remembering how a simple thing can bring such joy. Kudos to those of you who do this, you are #winning at life! 

9. The Pillowcase Candy Bag. I love to see kids who don’t carry and embroidered personalized Halloween bag – but a simple pillow case – it is the best and, quite honestly, the way to go. Halloween is not for fancy pants, it for candy and fun – that’s it. 

10. Embracing the WEIRD!  This comes along with the wacky and the all-out insane. I just love that anything goes when it comes to Halloween; from fairy unicorn princesses to bloody grim reapers, the beautiful to the horrifying. There’s no need to change, conform to anything or act a certain way. Maybe we would all be better off if we kept our Halloween attitude throughout the entire year? 

We end with Shauna’s Disgruntled Employee Halloween List…

1) Drink

2) Not dress up

3) Hide in your bushes and bust the 13-year-old boys who take all the candy from bowls left on the porch

4) Go on a hiking trip to avoid Halloween

5) Go for an evening run because people are – mostly – not driving like rats on crack

(6) Listen to Talking Heads psycho killer

-John