I love Halloween and come October I'm all about watching spooky movies on TV. That said, I'm not a huge fan of all the blood, gore, and torture you see in most scary movies. I'm all about the cheesy movies where they say "I'll be right back", a character is obviously bad, or there's an unbelievable monster killing people off. If that's more your style then the "Saw" series or the" Grudge," then this list is perfect for you -- so grab some popcorn and get ready to binge watch!
1. The "Scream" series.
One of my personal favorites this movie series spans from the original which premiered in 1996 to the fourth movie which premiered in 2011. Each movie reveals a little more about Sidney Prescott, our brave survivor girl and main character and her mom's storied past. We meet ghost face, the chilling murderer in the first movie and that same mask follows us throughout all the movies. This series is a must watch for me because it makes fun of itself. The characters talk about typical horror movie tropes and the movie itself turns those tropes on their heads. We get attached to the characters and they aren't simply victims they are strong individuals and sometimes even the ultimate bad guy. If you've been wanting to watch the MTV series based on these movies then you should absolutely start with the movies.
2. "The Fatal Flip."
If you've seen "Awkward" you know the mysterious villain in this movie as Jenna's dad. In this case though he is not quite as lovable. From the very beginning we know he's a bad guy but it takes until the last half hour for us to really know his motive. This Lifetime movie is the perfect watch if you love watching "House Hunters," "Flip This House," or "The Property Brothers." It's one of the most ridiculous motives for murder I've ever heard but it's good if you just want to laugh more than scream and see Mike Faiola's shirtless dad bod. Even if his character is evil.
3. The "Scary Movie" series.
The "Scary Movie" series is really more of a parody than a series really trying to actually scare you but if you're just hanging out with friends then these five movies are just about perfect. They are full of pop culture references, unexpected baddies, aliens, ghosts and just a whole lot of ridiculousness. You can really make dinner, take breaks, snack, and pop in and out and still get what's happening in these movies so they are perfect for a chill Halloween party with friends.
4. "Death of a Cheerleader."
I haven't watched this one myself yet but you can pretty much know a movie is going to be perfectly cheesy if Tori Spelling and Lifetime are involved. It's basically a guarantee. It's a tale as old as time the queen bee and her girl group who all want to turn on her. The question is who will take that plunge and actually take out the cheerleader. Watch closely and you'll see.
5. "The Nightmare On Elm Street" series.
Another classic on this list written and directed by the talented Wes Craven (the other is the "Scream" series) may he rest in peace. The series consists of nine movies, a TV series, novels, and even comic books that took place from 1984 to 2010. There is even a crossover film in this mix, Freddy vs. Jason, that pits the bad guy from the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series against the "Friday the 13th" series bad guy who is also on my list. These movies are enough to give you nightmares but still have a certain ridiculous factor with supernatural elements, a villain who can't seem to be killed, and a survivor girl at least in the beginning of this series.
6. "Hobgoblins."
This movie, set in 1988, probably rivals "Frogs," another movie on this list for it's ridiculously low budget and weird concept. It's viewed as a ripoff of other supernatural monster movies and some say it resembles the movie Gremlins. The bad guys are small and cheaply made demon and goblin like creatures. No one really knows how these creatures got to a studio lot but now they have escaped and are wreaking havoc. This movie has sex, creepy creatures, murder, and dream sequences. Basically, everything you could want out of a terrible movie that is in no way meant to be good.
7. "Heathers."
I'm a sucker for a good '80s movie and "Heathers" doesn't disappoint. It comments on cliques, sexual orientation, suicide, and the insanity that is high school. There are dream sequences, shoulder pads, pills, and explosives and really this movie is just one you have to see to believe. It proves all it takes is some peer pressure for a good girl to go bad but maybe being popular in high school and getting the guy isn't all it's cracked up to be anyways.
8. "Frogs."
If you love watching the Animal Planet then this movie may be perfect for you. This movie, set in 1972 takes a southern family who only cares about materialism and has the local animals turn against them for their past crimes against nature. Birds, lizards, butterflies, and frogs all rise up when pesticides are used by the family on the local fauna. The ending is left open for the viewer to decide who survives and the ridiculousness of this movie and the patriarch Jason insisting that he will enjoy his vacation no matter the death toll is kind of perfect and an exaggerated commentary on our carbon footprint.
9. "Friday the 13th" series.
This one's a little more gory than some of the others on this list and focuses less on characters but is the reason we all find a guy in a hockey mask so scary. It's first movie is set in a summer camp and the settings and murders just get weirder and more intense from there. There are twelve films, a TV series, and comic books starting with the first film in 1980 and the last film in 2009. Like the Scream and Nightmare series it has a main killer and then copycat killers. The series starts to lose it's way after a couple movies but for a movie marathon with friends that usually doesn't even really matter. You'll probably scream but it'll be the obvious guy around the corner surprise early on and in the later movies there are really too ridiculous of concepts for you to even have time to be scared.
10. "The Leprechaun" series.![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20525%20630'%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hard to believe now that the first film in this cheesy series was Jennifer Aniston's film debut, but it was. A foolish man thinks he has acquired a leprechaun's pot of gold but of course it's never that easy. The leprechaun comes after him and his wife and then later other members of his family. Of course this gem of a movie with it's trickery and clever villain, who can only be killed by a four leaf clover, returns in six more movies where he is in Ireland, space, and everywhere in between seeking to track down every last piece of his lucky treasure. If you want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day year round then this movie is the one for you.
Here's to a spooky October!
Comment below what you'll be watching.