Halloween is coming and for those who live in Ireland know how important this tradition is to Irish culture. Halloween is a special celebration for Irish people like Carnival is for Brazilians. Although Halloween is very popular in the United States, this tradition was born in Ireland. According to historians, Halloween originated in Ancient Celtic times, at the pagan festival Samhain, a term that means the end of summer, which starts on October 28th and marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the Celtic New Year’s Eve which started on November 1st. By the time, mystically, they believed that a connected portal had opened between the Otherworlds – the world of the dead and the real world.
Unfortunately, for obvious reasons this year we won’t be allowed to put on our scariest costume and have the craic, however, we are still free to watch classic Halloween movies available on the internet and streaming platforms! Check out my favourite ones below:
1 – Halloween (1978), John Carpenter
This is one of the great Halloween classics. The film centres on Michael Myers, a young psychopath who has lived in a psychiatric treatment clinic for 15 years, since he murdered his sister. On a Halloween night, he manages to escape from the institution and returns to his hometown to continue the murders he planned.
The motion picture was a tremendous success and because of that, the director invested in the Halloween sequels such as Halloween 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
2 – Hocus Pocus (1993), Kenny Ortega
Winnie, Sarah and Mary are three 15th century witches who come back to life in the 20th century, after being evoked on Halloween night. Banished from life on Earth due to the practice of witchcraft, they decide to do everything to ensure their youth and immortality. However, to do so, the witches will need to face three children and a talkative cat, who are willing to completely disrupt their plans.
3 – The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Henry Selick
The animation follows the saga of Jack Skellington, a fantastic being who lives in Halloween City, where everyone spends the year organising the celebration. One day, Jack gets tired of doing the same thing every single year and finds a portal that takes him to a different festival: Christmas. Then, he convinces the residents of Halloween Town to hold their own Christmas party. However, it will be necessary to kidnap Santa Claus.
4- Donnie Darko (2001), Richard Kelly
Donnie is a smart young man who has a hard time trying to fit into school. As if that were not enough, he begins to have visions, especially of a strange rabbit. One night, one of his hallucinations takes him out of the house, and the boy discovers that the world will end in a month, the day after Halloween. Moments later, a plane crashes on the roof of the residence, and Donnie begins to question the meaning of the things he sees.
5 – Trick ‘r Treat (2007), Michael Dougherty
In the film, we see five parallel plots occurring during a Halloween night: A young virgin is encouraged by her friends to go on a date in the dark; a wife, who hates Halloween, and her husband, who loves the date, try to come to terms; a group of teenagers decide to play tricks and go too far; a school principal turns out to be a dangerous serial killer; and a lonely man who is tormented by an unexpected visitor and must decide between trick or treating.
6 – Night of the Demons (1988), Kevin Tenney
Angela Franklin plans a Halloween party with her best friend Suzanne. The location chosen by the girls is an old funeral home known as the Hull House, where a family had been murdered mysteriously in the past. At the celebration, one of the guests suggested a seance as the first game of the night. However, the game turns into a nightmare, and strange things start to happen.
7 – The crow (1994), Alex Proyas
The writer Edgar Alan Poe is looking for a serial killer who mimics the crimes of his tales, and who kidnapped his fiancee, Emily. To help in the search for the culprit, he enlists the help of Detective Emmet, who decides to put an end to the terrible murders. However, the riddles left by the criminal challenge the author and the police.
Now, you can wear your pyjamas, grab some popcorn, turn the light off and have fun!
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