Regardless of the time of year, everyone has their favourite movies to go with the season. Halloween is one of those holidays, with people having annual parties centered around old favourites. Some go for the horror, some go for the comedy, but everyone has those movies that can only be watched on Halloween. And if you are a Netflix subscriber, you have a lot of wonderful options to choose from.
The Walking Dead: One of the hottest TV shows on the air today. Based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, The Walking Dead is a survival horror set in a zombie apocalypse that follows the survivors through the wasteland left behind. More than a run and gun fight against undead hordes, The Walking Dead is an analysis of the personalities of those still living. While Season Three has recently started on AMC, Netflix has all of seasons One and Two ready for a Halloween marathon.
Shaun of the Dead: If you are like me and zombies are not generally your thing, then Shaun of the Dead is for you. Edgar Wright’s vision of a zombie plague starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is one of the most unique and witty assessments of the entire zombie-film genre. It attacks the tropes, simultaneously satirizing them and paying homage. Funny to fault, Shaun of the Dead is a Halloween must-watch for fans and haters of zombie films.
From Dusk Till Dawn: If you’ll forgive the pun, vampires have been done to death in the last few years. But in 1996, Robert Rodriguez released a vampire film so deranged that its insanity has only been rivalled by a select group of films. From Dusk Till Dawn is the story of two criminal brothers played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino, who stop in at a bar, waiting for their contact to arrive. They quickly discover that the bar is run by vampires, who immediately attempt to feed on them. It turns into a bloody survival gore-fest, filled with Robert Rodriguez-styled comedic action.
Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters II: For me, there are no movies more perfect for Halloween viewing than the Ghostbusters films. Ivan Reitman’s classic film about a team of academics turning a passion for the paranormal into a profession is one of the funniest films of the ’80s. The dynamic between Bill Murrary, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson is incomparable. And when you add Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts into the mix, you have a movie full of pure win. While some people do not like Ghostbusters II as much as the first, both movies are a lot of fun and are great to watch with friends on Halloween.
Netflix also has a great selection of slasher flicks, B-movie horrors and marathon ready TV shows to choose from.
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Ian Goodwillie is a columnist for the Spectator Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @ThePrairieGeek and on Tumblr at iangoodwillie.tumblr.com.
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