By Jackson Hare and Spencer de Tenley, Staff Writers

With Halloween creeping around the corner, many people will be revisiting their favorite Halloween classics to get in the spooky season spirit. That being said, it is dire that people know which of the many spooky movies they should watch.  

Brought to you by skeletons, ghouls, witches and other spooky creatures, here are the top 10 Halloween movies to watch while indulging in a fine bowl of your favorite chocolate candies.  

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas 

At number one with its Tim Burton animation style, The Nightmare Before Christmas follows King of Halloweentown Jack Skellington’s exploration of the world of Christmas. 

Doubling as a Halloween and Christmas movie, it reflects people’s capricious behavior; Oct. 31 is costumes, candy and spooky skeletons, but as soon as the clock strikes midnight, people toss their Halloween decorations into storage and bring out their Christmas trees. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas is especially known for its memorable soundtrack, including “This Is Halloween” and “What’s This?” 

All in all, The Nightmare Before Christmas covers all the bases: comedy, attention-grabbing animation, musical value and romance.  

2. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown 

You cannot go through spooky season without visiting Charlie Brown and his friends in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This short film earns its place not only because it is a classic to which everyone should pay tribute, but because it is yet another Halloween flick with adorable characters, each with unique and relatable personalities. 

Naturally, everyone must also honor cartoon celebrity dog Snoopy and his slapstick shenanigans. Lastly,  we could never forget Lucy, who brought us one of the most memorable Charlie Brown experiences: smoothly executing a classic swipe of the football right before Charlie Brown could kick it, causing him to fall flat on his back.  

3. Hocus Pocus 

In Salem, Mass. the Sanderson sisters Mary, Sarah and Winifred return for Halloween riding upon their broomsticks and searching for children to help them regain their power and become immortal. 

In hopes to disrupt their plan, teenagers Max, Dani and Allison plan to steal their spellbook to save the children of Salem.

 Of course, none of this would be possible without the help of the loveable Thackery Binx, a once-human, immortal black cat who single-handedly destroys the black cat superstition with his feline charm.

Moreover, Hocus Pocus is one of those movies where the most memorable characters are the antagonists. The three witches contribute an evident comedic value to the film, making their villainy more relatable and enjoyable. 

The kinship between the trio is one to be envied: a sort of connection that can only be bested by a cat and three teenagers.  

4. Ghostbusters 

Who are you going to call? The Ghostbusters, of course. Ghostbusters is a timeless Halloween movie. As Ghostbusters Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore embark on their paranormal adventures, we fall in love with their quirky yet fun business of ghost hunting. 

In a final battle against Gozer, a Sumerian shapeshifting god of destruction, Gozer shapeshifts into the iconic marshmallow-shaped ghost we all love. 

Ghostbusters comes in  fourth place for its fun plot, its lovable characters and, of course, its iconic theme song. 

5. Beetlejuice 

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! This cranky, odd character from the beloved Halloween movie Beetlejuice really reminds us of the comedic value in scaring people. In Beetlejuice, the recently-deceased Adam and Barbara Maitland’s home has received some new residents. 

Now ghosts, the Maitland couple seeks every way possible to scare the new homeowners out of their beloved house. When their efforts are thwarted, they seek the efforts of Betelgeuse, a poltergeist who specializes in “exorcisms of the living.” 

Beetlejuice receives fifth place for being a funny, thrilling movie with the emblematic Betelgeuse as the spotlight.

6. The Addams Family (1991) 

A movie based on the old sitcom from the ‘60s of the same title, this movie details Gomez Addams’ attempts to rekindle his relationship with his brother Fester… or so we think. Fester has been missing for 25 years until he shows up on the family’s doorstep,unexpectedly. 

Elated at first, the family accepts Fester back with open arms and full hearts, but he seems a bit off. As the movie progresses, more quirks are revealed about this crazy family. 

The Addams Family is on our Top 10 list due to its numerous twists and turns, lovable characters and its everlasting spot as one of the best Halloween movies. 

7. Monster House 

Horace Nebbercracker, the Ebenezer Scrooge of Halloween, embodies the classiccranky, old man trope, yelling, “Get off my lawn!” and terrorizing the local kids. 

After an incident sending Nebbercracker to the hospital, teenagers DJ and Chowder form a trio with schoolgirl Jenny Bennet to create elaborate plans to destroy Nebbercracker’s house after realizing that the house itself is haunted. This movie earns its place at number seven with its encapsulation of the Halloween atmosphere with its eerie animation along with the comical challenges of pubescent kids.  

8. The Haunted Mansion 

Forget the holiday spirit bringing families closer together. In Disney’s The Haunted Mansion, Eddie Murphy’s Jim Evers prefers traumatic family vacations in haunted mansions to express his love for his family. 

This so-called vacation is in actually one of Jim’s real estate ventures but soon evolves into the dark and traumatic history of a family that once lived in the mansion. After bumping into ghosts and creepy crypts within the mansion, the family quickly realizes they must escape, making for a comedic and captivating movie. 

9. Casper 

Everyone’s second favorite blob-like character (after the Blue Blob of course) is Casper the Friendly Ghost. This family-friendly ghost takes a loving and adorable twist on a typically spooky apparition. Casper falls head over heels for Kat, a human girl, after she and her afterlife therapist father move into the mansion Casper is haunting. 

Sadly, Kat’s father is trying to rid the house of ghosts, leading to a complex relationship between the three characters. 

Casper is on our top ten list for the endless joy that such a charming young ghost gives to viewers each year as well as its timeless humor and feel-good moments.  

10. Halloweentown 

Sitting at number 10 is Disney original Halloweentown,  which follows the coming of age of Marnie Piper. Piper is a young girl who has just discovered she comes from a family lineage of witches and is exposed to a town whose citizens consist of ghouls, ghosts, zombies and more. 

This Disney flick is a perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit. In a world where spooky and mythical creatures roam about daily, the town is threatened by a great evil none other than a bitter ex-boyfriend. 

Not to mention, there is an entire Halloweentown trilogy, great for a late-night watch party marathon. 

There you have it: a list of the top Halloween movies to watch this spooky season. So grab a basket of candy, sit down and relax with friends for a Halloween movie marathon.