As the weather grows colder and the leaves begin falling, we realize it’s that time of the year again: Fall. And with that comes everyone’s favorite holiday of the year, Halloween. With grand pumpkins, spooky costumes, and best of all — scary movies. When you can sit with family or friends in a dark room with buttery popcorn and warm blankets, what better to do than watch a Halloween movie? Students and teachers at Townsend Harris were asked their favorite Halloween movie to watch, and their responses were fascinating. From gore and slasher to animated films, the choices show just how wide-spread our school community’s tastes are.
With Halloween right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to binge your favorite horror films in a movie marathon. Sophomore Nicole Tamma said that her favorite movies to watch during this time are the Scream movies, an American slasher franchise, because they’re scary and “really catch the essence of Halloween.” Many enjoy watching slasher films because of the suspense and gore that makes you scream like no other movie can. Afseen Elahi, a 10th grader in the school said that she enjoys watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre for this very reason. She especially loves how creative the slasher trope can get, even if some see it as cliche.
In Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the trope of characters being singled out and hunted down by a killer allows for hints to be revealed regarding both the killers and the cast. For first time watchers, the movie always keeps you on your toes with its plot twists and suspense, even though you’ll often find yourself yelling at the characters on screen.
While gore and guts are well-loved during this time of the year, Fall also calls for beautiful and comedic animated films. Sophomore Sydney Zhang’s favorite Fall movie is “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” A tradition she has with her friends is to “watch it every year while we eat Halloween candy, and it never gets old.” Though simple, the film has stood the test of time. Released in 1966 as part of the beloved Peanuts franchise, its wholesome atmosphere, charming animation, and lovable character continue to make it a fall staple nearly 60 years later.
The essence of Halloween though, lies in its classical and timeless horror films. As a holiday that originated with spine-chilling roots portrayed through ghoulish costumes and chilling decorations, a wonderful representation of it is Suspiria. For English teacher Mr. McDonaugh, this film is one of his favorites to watch during the spooky season. Suspiria by Dario Argento was released in 1977 and is a classical supernatural horror film. Mr. McDonaugh enjoys watching this film every Fall because it’s “unsettling and horrifying, but stylistically is very cool, with rich color use, and a great musical score.” The dreamlike, surreal atmosphere makes it stand out, evoking raw fear in a way few horror films can.
Halloween is the perfect time to sit down with family, friends, or by yourself to watch gory slasher films, creepy cult classics, or cozy animated movies. Whether you’re dressing up, trick-or-treating, or just staying in, the Townsend Harris community proves there’s no one way to celebrate the season.
