It's Spooky Season. What are the Must Watch Halloween Season Movies of Generation X?

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daddyfatsac@reddit

Evil Dead 2 Return of the Living Dead Trick R Treat

Life is busy, but I make time for these three every year.

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Ringxthexbells@reddit

Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness"

"Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun."

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Normal-Philosopher-8@reddit

If you can find it — THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS from 1980.

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SnooCalculations4631@reddit

I have that on DVD. I scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. My mom was furious with my dad for taking me to see it.

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BigRefrigerator9783@reddit

Bram Stoker's Dracula Sleepy Hollow Practical Magic The Craft

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idontknowyou2294@reddit

For us it's always

Nightbreed

Candyman

Hellraiser

The Crow

Practical Magic

Rocky Horror Picture Show

And whatever else grabs our fancy.

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idontknowyou2294@reddit

I took a special makeup fx class and Shuna Sassi is what I did for class. From the upper chest up anyway.

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Carolineintheciti@reddit

That’s awesome! Nightbreed has always been one of my favorite “monster” movies. Although the only actual monster in it, wears a sack on his head 🙃

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Yes! I saw it in the cinema when it was released and had already read Cabal. I know there was talk of a Nightbreed series that was supposedly in the works. It was going to pick up where the film left off, presumably following Boone/Cabal and the other characters after the destruction of Midian. But I haven't heard anything about it in ages.

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Carolineintheciti@reddit

Oh my, I’m learning a lot from you and this thread. I admittedly didn’t know it was based on a book written by Clive. I just went down a mini rabbit hole reading all the trivia from IMDB. Now I have a book and directors cut to look for! 🤯 I also just learned of the obscene amount of spinoffs Hellraiser has produced lol.

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idontknowyou2294@reddit

Ohh I'm excited for you to have wonderful things to explore. Clive is my favourite author and has been since I stumbled onto Books Of Blood when I was about 14. Of all his books, and I love pretty much all of them, Imajica is my favourite. It's more dark fantasy than horror but I love it.

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

I can't believe I forgot to list Nightbreed. I prefer the theatrical release over the Director's Cut. You?

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pocketdare@reddit

I prefer Cabal :)

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idontknowyou2294@reddit

Well yeah, that's what it's based on.

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pocketdare@reddit

Well yeah, that's why I said it

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idontknowyou2294@reddit

I enjoy both the theatrical and the director's cut. The director's cut adds in more context from the book.

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FacetheFactsBlair@reddit

Children of the corn. I still remember watching this as a full youth at a Halloween party that was older siblings and a parent who entertained R movies from Video Library 🤣 it wants you too Malachi

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hamfisted_postman@reddit

Monster Squad

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Argon_Boix@reddit

American Werewolf in London. Dark humor is about as GenX as it gets.

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tkingsbu@reddit

Something wicked this way comes

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No_Variety9420@reddit

Halloween III : Season of the Witch

This is my only "must watch" for the season

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imrealwitch@reddit

Everything Vincent Price

Bella L Dracula

Hammer horror films

The wolf man lon Chaney jr.

The mummy Boris Karloff

Hocus pocus

It's the Great pumpkin Charlie Brown

I really dig the classic horror movies

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Message_10@reddit

+ Great Pumpkin! A must!

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imrealwitch@reddit

I'm 60, and still watch this every year.

Takes me back to my youth ✌️

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Message_10@reddit

Me too! 48 and I never miss it! I make my kids watch it now lol

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imrealwitch@reddit

Wonderful tradition

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XeroEmpire@reddit

Friday the 13th (parts 1 through 4)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (parts 1 and 3)

Night of the Comet

C.H.U.D.

Stuff

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thelonghauls@reddit

Elm St. 1 and 3. Nice. Every other one was just subpar by comparison.

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bendar1347@reddit

Got to disagree. A new nightmare was a great non sequential movie.

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thelonghauls@reddit

I’ll have to rewatch. But I kind of considered that one a bit of a reboot, at least in tone. There was always an element of campiness before that they seemed to have toned down a bit New Nightmare. The 80s were a very different time though.

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bendar1347@reddit

It wasn't though. It was meta, before that became a common word. A movie about an actress who was in a movie, and the movie villain breaks into the real world. It's silly, but not like Freddy vs Jason ridiculous.

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96HeelGirl@reddit

Oh wow, I haven't thought of Night of the Comet in years! Must re-watch. That movie was scary as hell when I saw it as a kid. I'm sure I'll find it hilarious now.

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MommaBear354@reddit

I always hoped to one day live in a mall because of this movie

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Just_Stop_2426@reddit

Love Night of the Comet

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dlc741@reddit

The Lost Boys. Simply the most GenX Halloween movie.

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MargotFenring@reddit

Back when vampires were cool. Before they became romance novel fodder.

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Primary-Move243@reddit

To be fair, I had it pretty bad for David when I was a tween in 1989.🧛‍♂️❤️

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TheDreadPirateJenny@reddit

Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, The Witches of Eastwick, The Frighteners, The Lost Boys, Children of the Corn, Salem's Lot, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (movie), Arachnophobia, Fright Night, The Fog (the original, not that dogshit remake)

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

I love that Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh were in that movie together. I wish they had more screen time together. If I recall, they were together at the church towards the end?

TIL they made a remake

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TheDreadPirateJenny@reddit

Don't watch it!!

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Lower-Yam-620@reddit

The Changeling with George C Scott

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Separate_Tax_2647@reddit

Angel Heart

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PerpetualRestart@reddit

Here's a classic

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Hellvira138@reddit

Comes with a side of Skippy!

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bendingoutward@reddit

Fright Night

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ShowMeYourHappyTrail@reddit

Does anyone else remember the Disney Channel showing a movie called The Halloween that Almost Wasn't? Can't find it anywhere but would love to nostalgia watch that again. LOL!

I was so happy to find Garfield's Halloween Special on streaming a couple of years ago and watched that. May watch it again this year. I think it was on Apple+.

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jazzbot247@reddit

The Exorcist used to be my favorite horror movie, but I can't watch it now that I live alone.

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SharonWit@reddit

It’s my favorite horror movie of all time. I’ve watched it so many times. It still holds up and that’s saying a lot.

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MargotFenring@reddit

For newer stuff, I like The Haunting of Hill House. Bly Manor is also good.

And Gravity Falls! A cartoon I feel was made for Xers and very Halloween-adjacent. It's truly well done and very close to my heart. If you haven't seen it, you should. I really do watch it every October.

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Freigha@reddit

Just watched Something Wicked This Way Comes. We live with my 82 year old dad now that he has dementia, so we have to be careful what we watch, so we went with this classic from our childhood.

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Minimum-Car5712@reddit

Watched it last night and it gave me bad dreams, just like when I was a kid!

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Coyotesandwhutnot@reddit

Watched it last night for the first time!

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slipperytornado@reddit

Where can you watch it? I read the book every October and can’t find the movie!

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Hagelblass@reddit

Disney Plus.

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slipperytornado@reddit

Thank you!

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

Oh, I love that movie!

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nikkazi66@reddit

Practical Magic. ET. Beetlejuice. Carrie. Exorcist. Amityville Horror. Rocky Horror.

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BrilliantWeb@reddit

Not Gen X, but just rewatched Coraline. What an amazing creepy story.

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Simple-Purpose-899@reddit

Hocus Pocus, The Craft, Haunted Mansion.

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crickjaw@reddit

Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Poltergeist

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

Uhm, how is Army of Darkness not on this list?

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thedarkforest_theory@reddit

See this? This is my boom stick!

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

Such a quotable movie!

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crickjaw@reddit

gif

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crickjaw@reddit

Totally fair! I was listing discs I own. I don’t have Army of Darkness (yet).

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

I watched Army of Darkness before Evil Dead 1 & 2, but i own all 3 now. I love how 2 completely makes 1 irrelevant, and Army of Darkness is just such a completely different movie style.

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DisturbingPragmatic@reddit

There was a TV Movie called The Midnight Hour, released for Halloween, 1985. I was 13, and that movie imprinted on me, so I ended up watching it every year.

Give it a look if you've never seen it... it's honestly a blast from the past.

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BlueGreenTrails@reddit

Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Addams Family movies, Nightmare before Christmas

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blondemonkie43@reddit

Both Fright Nights!

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Fotmasta@reddit

CREEPSHOW

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Radiant-Avocado-3158@reddit

Pumpkinhead, Amityville, Phamtasm and evil dead.

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Smokinlizardbreath@reddit

Candyman.

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mndsm79@reddit

Not movies necessarily, but always the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror- and The Skeleton Dance. Wife adds Hocus Pocus to it. Most of the other horror stuff i'll just...watch whenever.

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gimme3strokes@reddit

Treehouse of Horror forever!

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sweetcherrytea@reddit

Omen 1 and 2

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Wheniamnotbanned@reddit

I watched the whole Hellraiser franchise last month. Then I learned more about Clive Barker. Learn more about him and you have a whole new appreciation for the movies. It adds a whole new layer of appreciation to the Cenobytes. Hell read the book too, it's incredibly short, maybe a few hours and you'll be done with it.

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pocketdare@reddit

The first and second are widely considered the best of the series. And I agree - love Clive Barker's books. Three I highly recommend (that are all pretty different and demonstrate his great range): The Damnation Game, Cabal and The Thief of Always.

Sorry, I know this is a movie post but couldn't help it.

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Wheniamnotbanned@reddit

No good reads are always welcome

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MyriVerse2@reddit

1960s

Psycho
Birds
Rosemary's Baby (my first movie)
Night of the Living Dead (only zombie movie I really like)
Village of the Damned
Dr Terror's House of Horrors
Masque of the Red Death

1970s

Jaws
Halloween
Young Frankenstein
Alien
Carrie (the original)
Dr. Phibes
The Omen I & II
The Exorcist
Trilogy of Terror
Selem's Lot (yup, the original)

1980s

Evil Dead 1 & 2
Nightmare on Elm Street
Re-Animator
The Fly
Near Dark
An American Werewolf in London
Poltergeist
The Thing
Terminator

1990s

The Ring
Tremors 1 & 2
Scream 1 & 2
Army of Darkness
From Dusk Till Dawn
Scream 1 & 2

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thedarkforest_theory@reddit

It’s not got the same vibe as the comics, but I really like Keanu Reeves’ Constantine.

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

I hope Keanu gets that sequel.

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thedarkforest_theory@reddit

Me too!

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enginerdsean@reddit

Well, I was young when both of these were made, these are two I think of besides the usual 80s/or films. The Exorcist is still by far the most fucked up horror movie that still gives me the heebie-jeebies. The other one that I think is classic is the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

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pocketdare@reddit

The Exorcist

As long as you skip the first 1/2 hour

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Minute-Unit9904s@reddit

The shinning I always liked at holloween

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ElectronicCarpet7157@reddit

I really like the sequel Dr Sleep

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pocketdare@reddit

underappreciated. Great flick!

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Lamplighter52@reddit

Watching now on Hulu

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Message_10@reddit

"Shhhh!! It's not The Shining, it's The Shinning! You want to get sued??"

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Minute-Unit9904s@reddit

Ha I was close spelling wise but I figured either one will work

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Early-Tourist-8840@reddit

The Omen

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NGJohn@reddit

"Fright Night" (1985)

Welcome to Frrright Night!

For real.

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OneManLost@reddit

My watch list this year is

Evil Dead and then all the other Evil Dead movies and the TV series.

Tucker and Dale vs Evil Exorcist Blair Witch Project Amityville Horror Plus a bunch of old B monster movies as they are awesome (yes I'm an MST3K fan)

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Ordinary-Web-7077@reddit

Fright Night - original

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

An absolute classic!

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Olderbutnotdead619@reddit

Werewolf in London

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

Ooohhh, im gonna add that to this year's list!

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Olderbutnotdead619@reddit

And The Hunger

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lazerdab@reddit

ET

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Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit (OP)

I'm 57 and still haven't seen ET. I really need to give that movie a chance, but I wish I saw it as a child.

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Jeebusmanwhore@reddit

All the George Romero movies. The originals and the remakes.

Night of the Living Dead (1968 & 1990)

Dawn of the Dead (1978 & 2004)

Day of the Dead

Diary of the Dead

Land of the Dead

Survival of the Dead

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dbk1ng@reddit

Creepshow II

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Kralthon@reddit

Ghostbusters, every October for me.

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defStef@reddit

I like the teen slasher/campy ones like Return of the Living Dead

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Bonchesca@reddit

The Nightmare Before Christmas

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ProfessionalLeave335@reddit

On Halloween AND Christmas!

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Stardro@reddit

A Disney Halloween!

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Crafty_Floor289@reddit

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

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Tyezilla@reddit

Monster Squad, The Garfield Halloween special.

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Revolutionary-Luck-1@reddit

The Changeling—1980 version with George C. Scott. Slower moving; few special effects, but the acting and plot are so good. I love supernatural/occult/sci-fi movies, so lots of vampire movies, haunted houses, possession—stuff like that.

Alien, Lost Boys, Shaun of the Dead, Exorcist, Omen, Carrie—also old creature features like The Blob or The Mummy.

2025’s SINNERS is a NEW classic.

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liand22@reddit

The Crow. Does it GET more GenX than that movie?

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Jsredzinski@reddit

Killer Klowns from Outer Space

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Alarming-Counter5950@reddit

Ghost Ship 13 Ghosts Army of Darkness Event Horizon

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zbornakssyndrome@reddit

I can’t find the old Salem’s Lot streaming

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gsfortis@reddit

Young Frankenstein has everything for me. Horror, comedy, atmosphere, black & white aesthetic…

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MaximumJones@reddit

Showgirls may be the most horrifying movie I have ever seen.

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Nemesys2005@reddit

Has anybody here watched Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2? I was overjoyed when I saw it pop up on streaming. I used to rent it at the neighborhood video store back in the day and it was a favorite of mine.

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EveryAd3494@reddit

Needful Things. Very crisp autumn air vibe.

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RetiredFF27@reddit

Halloween III Season of the Witch

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Reign_n_blud@reddit

Agreed with this one, one of my favorite in the Halloween franchise, cheesy but it became a tradition to watch it this time of the year

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Sensitive-Rip-8005@reddit

I watch Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.

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7toedcat@reddit

The first "Halloween" can't be beat for suspense. The music alone keeps you on the edge of your seat.

But the most horrifying movie I've ever (regrettably) seen is hands down, "The Human Centipede."

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Honest_Road17@reddit

Not a GenX movie per se, but "Late Night With The Devil" really gets the Satanic Panic of the late 70's down cold, along with a great vintage 70's look.

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PsychonautKitty@reddit

So freaking good!

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DorktorJones@reddit

Last year I watched all 13 movies from the Halloween franchise. This year I might do all the Friday the 13th movies.

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Gullible-Apricot3379@reddit

Alfred Hitchcock. I'll go with Psycho, but I could be talked into others.

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Yeastlord427@reddit

All the old Universal Monster movies that would play on Saturday Creature Double Feature.

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Phantomtastic@reddit

And all of the Abbott and Costello Meet the…. films where they meet the Universal monsters!

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Yeastlord427@reddit

Natch

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imrealwitch@reddit

Yes 🖐️

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Due-Leek7901@reddit

When I was a little kid my baby sitter watched Black Sabbath with us (not the band) and it scared the shit out of me and haunted my dreams until I finally saw it about 15 years ago. Not so scary anymore, but Imma look out up again this season.

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SnooCalculations4631@reddit

I watched all the Scream movies a couple of weeks ago. They really hold up when watched back to back.

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Magik160@reddit

The Crow

All the classic monster movies. Dracula, Frankenstein, wolfman.

Also the 3 Tim Burton movies: Nightmare before Christmas Frankenweenie Corpse Bride

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Tom_Slick_Racer@reddit

Tales From the Crypt Bordello of Blood

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

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Naughty_Teacher@reddit

The Worst Witch

Tim Curry Fairuza balk and Mrs Garrett

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SausageSmuggler21@reddit

Idle Hands

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Asthmatic_Owl@reddit

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Disney animated short.

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Honeybee71@reddit

We’re doing that now! Carrie, The Exorcist, The return of the living dead, and Poltergeist is on the list too

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Auntie_Amy@reddit

All the Chucky movies

Halloween 1978, Halloween 2018, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends

Prince of Darkness

Nightmare on Elm Street 1, 3 and Freddy’s Final Nightmare

All the Scream movies

Those are musts for me every October but I have others that are every couple of years.

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Spiritual-Progress75@reddit

The Hunger

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thedamnwolves@reddit

WNUF Halloween Special! So it's from 2013 but it is made like it's from the 80s and is amazing. The 80s commercials are spot on. It's available on Shudder. You will love it.

I always watch the following: The Stuff, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama, Night of the Demons, Monster Squad, Waxwork, Return of the Living Dead part 1 and 2, The Lost Boys, and Garfield's Halloween Special. Comet plays eps of Tales from the Darkside and Friday the 13th: the Series (it's about haunted antiques) and I set both of those to record.

This is not an exhaustive list but it's a bunch of the things I consider to be "from my childhood." Have fun!

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Poltergeist

Hellraiser

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Big Trouble in Little China

I need to rewatch that, been years.