Movies to Watch for Halloween

Rachel Zarubski, Emily Gunsel, Felix Lettini, Sabrina Endriss, Charlotte Roscher, Faith Givens, Dylan Pugh, and Ava Penzone • October 30, 2024

Photo credit/ Esmerlyn Vasquez

Rachel:

Nightmare Before Christmas: Tim Burton created the first ever Halloween/ Christmas film “Nightmare Before Christmas.” The story revolves around Jack Skellington who is sick of celebrating Halloween and wants to do something different. So, he captures Santa Claus and tries to celebrate Christmas but it completely backfires on Jack. Eventually, the day is saved and Jack takes some elements for Christmas to change up Halloween.

Emily:

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Based on the comics of Charles M. Schulz, this 1966-animated film is an annual must-watch for my family. The 25-minute special highlights Linus’ innocent infatuation with a mythical Halloween icon, much to the mockery of his sister and peers. While Charlie Brown and friends go trick-or-treating, Snoopy is dressed as a World War I flying ace, eventually being “shot down” from the top of his doghouse. Linus later mistakes a saddened Snoopy in the distance for the Great Pumpkin, leading Sally to belittle and leave him in the pumpkin patch. A worried Lucy wakes up in the middle of the night to bring Linus home and into bed, although Linus refuses to doubt the Great Pumpkin’s existence.

Felix:

Goosebumps: Anybody who is a fan of the best-selling books is going to love the “Goosebumps” movie. It is perfect to watch as a family and especially anyone familiar with the original series. The film follows a teenager who recently moved to the fictional small town of Madison, Del. He finds out that his new neighbor is the author of “Goosebumps” and has a secret book collection in his basement. After sneaking in and opening some of the novels, the monsters magically come to life in the real world and start terrorizing the town. Now, the community must come together to stop this madness.

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Sabrina:

Casper: “Casper,” directed by Brad Silberling, was released in 1995 and is based on the character Casper the Friendly Ghost from Harvey Comics. Dr. Harvey and his daughter Kat move into the old, decaying mansion to extract the spirits from the house. The said spirits are Casper and his three dead uncles. Casper befriends Kat and becomes fascinated with her, while his uncles try to scare her and her father out of the house. Though Casper may have died from pneumonia as a young boy, he brings an exciting life to the movie and you quickly grow to love the young ghost.

Charlotte:

Friday the 13th: You can never go wrong with a classic slasher movie for Halloween! “Friday the 13th” and all of its spinoffs and sequels are a staple when it comes to a good, cheesy and gorey film. Going into the film, you shouldn’t expect any ground-breaking visuals or a revolutionary story to be told, but that’s what makes it perfect to just mindlessly watch as you stress eat your candy. My favorite is the very first one since it is so iconic, however, any film from the franchise is perfect to watch and hope that Jason isn’t coming for you!

Faith:

Halloweentown: A Disney Channel Original classic, “Halloweentown” tells the story of a family of witches and wizards where 13-year-old Marnie discovers she’s a witch on Halloween. She and her other siblings travel to Halloweentown where ghosts, witches and monsters can live away from the human world. The family’s world is turned upside down when a warlock starts to cause havoc in the town. This movie has been a staple in my family every Halloween and is a nostalgic watch each fall.

Dylan:

Bodies Bodies Bodies: “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is a funny and thrilling whodunit mystery. It features major stars such as Amandla Stenberg and Rachel Sennot and has the hit song Hot Girl by Charli XCX. This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I recommend it to everyone. It always makes me laugh and feel like I’m on top of the world!

Ava:

Rocky Horror Picture Show: When it comes to Halloween movies, I think “Rocky Horror” is such a classic. Tim Curry’s character, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, is so recognizable and so iconic. The good songs and different characters definitely get me into a Halloween mood.

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About the Contributors

Rachel Zarubski, Opinion Editor

Rachel Zarubski is a senior Writing major and junior PR/Journalism major. Along with being the Opinion Editor for The Wood Word for two semesters, she is a 91.7 VMFM DJ and scriptwriter for Marywood TV. Outside of MMG activities she likes to read, spend time with friends, listen to music, writing, and watching reality/competition shows. She is open to different career options.

Emily Gunsel, Community Editor

Emily Gunsel is a 5th year in the School of Architecture pursuing a minor in Multimedia Communications. Along with being an editor for The Wood Word, she is the Social Media Coordinator of the American Institute for Architecture Students (AIAS) and an active member in Campus Ministry. Outside of school, Emily interns for an architectural firm back home on Long Island where she is responsible for social media and marketing.

Felix Lettini, Multimedia Editor

Felix Lettini is a sophomore Multimedia Communications major with a focus in Film, TV and Digital Production. He serves as the Multimedia Editor and hosts Who’s Writing on The Wood Word YouTube. Besides The Wood Word, Lettini is an audio technician for Marywood Films and hosts his own show on VMFM 91.7. Outside of Marywood, he spends his time fishing and farming.

Charlotte Roscher, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Charlotte Roscher is a junior PR/Journalism major and has been a part of The Wood Word for over two years. As well, she is a costume coordinator and make-up artist for Marywood Films. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, crocheting, going to the gym, and spending time with her friends. She hopes to find a career in social media, whether it's writing stories, marketing, or media production.

Faith Givens, Managing Editor/News Editor

Faith Givens is a Sophomore Multimedia Communications major with a focus in Film, TV, and Digital Production. She is the Managing Editor and News Editor for the Wood Word. Faith also is a DJ on VMFM 91.7 and camera assistant for Marywood Films. Outside of Marywood, she spends her time reading, writing, and listening to music.

Ava Penzone, Staff Photographer

Ava Penzone is a freshman majoring in Multimedia Communications. She is a DJ on VMFM 91.7 and is part of Marywood Films. While not at Marywood, she enjoys listening to music, going to concerts, and practicing photography.

Esmerlyn Vasquez, Graphic Design Staff

Esmerlyn Vasquez is a freshman Multimedia Communications major focused on Film, TV, and Digital Production and is a part of The Wood Word's Graphic Design Staff. Outside of The Wood Word, she does graphics for TVM and is also a DJ for VMFM 91.7.