Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings! In honor of the Spookiest Month of the Year, I have decided to share my list of the top thirteen films I adore to watch every year for the Season of the Witch! I want to note that I am not including Practical Magic, even though it is one of my all-time favorites because I find that to be an everyday watch, not just for spooky season. Others on here are also films I watch year-round but feel a bit more spooky season-centric. Without further ado, here’s my list!
Number 13: Young Frankenstein (1974)
~This hilarious classic parody of Universal Monster films is an iconic must-watch for me during Spooky Season! My husband and I adore watching this one together, usually more than once a year, but always try to make sure to find a time during Spooky Season to enjoy this film.
Number 12: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
~My all-time favorite Universal Monster film has always been the sequel to Frankenstein. Therefore, I truly adore getting a chance to watch this one in Autumn, as it has all the great creepy feels that I want this time of year!
Number 11: Nosferatu (1922)
~The original adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula to be brought to film is still one of the creepiest silent horror films ever made. This one is a great favorite of my husband’s to watch all year round, but I prefer to watch it at least once during Spooky Season with its very dour atmosphere lending to the unsettling feeling of the film!
Number 10: Phantom of the Opera (1925)
~I could not make this list without including the silent film adaptation of one of my favorite books of all time, but I will note there was an earlier silent version but it is now a lost film! I adore this Lon Chaney version of the Phantom largely for the attempt at being book-accurate in how Erik is shown visually. Lon Chaney did all of his own makeup, which is highly impressive, and his performance is incredible. I will also admit that I am a huge fan of watching silent films in general during Spooky Season because they have an inherent creepiness to them, even if they are meant to be comedies!
Number 9: Phantom of the Opera (1989)
~Now this may be controversial, but I actually find that my favorite film adaptation of Phantom of the Opera is the 80s slasher flick version that starred Robert Englund as Erik! I love how they altered the tale to adapt it to film, without losing a lot of the iconic Phantom energy and atmosphere. Had we ever gotten a really good adaptation of the Weber musical, this would likely be knocked out of first place, since I love watching recordings of the stage musical but found the film adaptation lacking!
Number 8: 3 From Hell (2019)
~It is a tradition for my husband and I to watch the entire Firefly Family Trilogy of Rob Zombie-directed horror films every Halloween. We do this as a marathon and have been doing it since there were only two films, but now we always include this third film! I truly find this film to be a good addition to the franchise, even though some people can not get past how much better the previous film is.
Number 7: House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
~The first film in the Firefly Family Trilogy is my second favorite of the three, as it introduced the audience to all of the insanity of the family. It is visually different than the other two, but I adore the nods to other horror films and even the sort of supernatural and sci-fi elements with Doctor Satan.
Number 6: Devil’s Rejects (2005)
~I agree with the mass populace of horror fans that the second in the Firefly Family Trilogy is the best of the bunch! This is a film that many people watch without having ever seen the first film, as even though it is a sequel it has plenty of context within the plot to be viewed as a standalone if you wish to do that. I love that Rob Zombie is able to make you root for the killers, as this makes the film take on a layer of Shadow Work, delving into our own darkest natures silently while watching it!
Number 5: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
~Ah, how I adore this strange masterpiece! I watch it more than just at Spooky Season, but there is something so special about watching this one with a group this time of year. Watching it last year during my Halloween Party Festivities was a highlight of last year’s Season of the Witch for me! If you have not seen this one, rest assured you are in for a musical sci-fi fantasy parody of epic portions!
Number 4: Sleepy Hollow (1999)
~I have such a special place in my heart for the Tim Burton version of Sleepy Hollow, as it was the first straight-up horror film I ever watched when I was young! I quickly moved onto traditional slashers also, but have never stopped adoring this one, as I have always had a huge adoration for fantasy and supernatural horror. Watching this deeply atmospheric horror film is a fun way to celebrate Spooky Season each year!
Number 3: Corpse Bride (2005)
~I love this Victorian Gothic Fairytale, as I like to class it, by Tim Burton! I have been watching it every Spooky Season since it came out, and do not see myself ever being tired of getting immersed in the tale of Emily, Victor, and Victoria.
Number 2: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
~It was very difficult for me to choose which of my top two picks of films I watch multiple times every Spooky Season (and yes even outside of Spooky Season) would be number one. This masterpiece written by Tim Burton gets second ranking because it is not only a favorite Halloween film, but also my all-time favorite Christmas film. I do not think we have to consider this more one or the other, because it is truly both, but it does have more Halloween energy with all of the creepiness, which makes it my favorite for Yuletide since it infuses my favorite holiday throughout! I will always love the story of Jack Skellington and Sally. If you have not yet read it, I also highly recommend the sequel novel about Sally!
Number 1: Hocus Pocus (1993)
~This one had to be obvious for regular readers here after they saw my number two pick! I truly adore this classic about a trio of kids who contend with the Sanderson Sisters after accidentally resurrecting them 300 years after they were executed. The Sandersons are some of my favorite witchy characters and I really love the plot and characters of this film overall! It is not the Season of the Witch if you do not watch Hocus Pocus, several times!
~I hope you have enjoyed my countdown. What are your Spooky Season must-watch films? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a collage of some of the film posters that I made!
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/