Halloween Classics Revisited

Dr. Lori Bindig Yousman, Department Chair of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts said, “There’s no new horror film that I’m ‘dying’ to see (pun intended.)”

Some of the favorite films include comedies such as “Hocus Pocus”, “The Addams Family” and “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Other movies scare the viewers such as “The Exorcist” and “The Conjuring.” The story line of “Friday the 13th” focuses on the fictional antagonist, Jason Voorhees.

Prof. James “Todd” Barnes, J.D., Artistic Director of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts said, “Our kids love the Tyler Perry movies ‘Boo!’ and ‘Boo 2!’ so now we watch them as a family. We have a ‘Boo!’ poster hanging in our house through the holiday as part of our decorations.”

For the first time in decades, Charles Schultz’s popular Halloween movie “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” will now air on Apple TV+ as rights were bought back in 2020. Families will have to keep the tradition by turning on their Apple streaming service.

There are also classic Halloween films that come in a franchise such as “Scream,” “Ghostbusters” and “Halloween” starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Meyers playing a serial killer.

“I’m not generally a horror fan, but I want to see ‘Halloween Ends’. Does it really end?!,” said Barnes.

The famous special has been airing every October on television since 1966.

“I don’t have any traditions now, but when I was little a family tradition would be to carve pumpkins, toast the seeds and watch ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’,” said Prof. Bindig Yousman.

The final film of the Halloween franchise, “Halloween Ends”, which released on Oct. 14, is available on Apple TV. “Hocus Pocus 2”, which released on Sept. 30, is available exclusively on Disney+, but the company has provided a seven day free trial.

According to Disney Plus Free trial, “At the end of your free trial, you will automatically move to a paid subscription plan, billed at the current rate until canceled.”

There are many ways to watch your favorite film this month. There are many streaming services that have also been beginning to stream new films. Peacock TV is allowing streaming of “Halloween Ends” on their service.

“Good horror films are best watched in a cinema with an audience. There’s nothing like a whole room of people screaming on cue,” said Barnes.

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