By: Zoie Olsen   

     The cold weather is quickly approaching, which means Halloween is under way. For our fall issue, The Squire is here to help guide you through picking the perfect Halloween movie, whether it is a movie for the family or one to watch while hanging out with friends. We decided to ask the students of Eisenhower what their favorite movies were to watch during spooky season. 

     The Squire conducted an Instagram poll asking students to choose between eight different Halloween movies. The poll revealed that the most liked Halloween movies included, Hocus Pocus, which had fifty-six votes. Following close behind was Friday the 13^th – with fifty votes, Halloween Town – with forty-four votes, and A Nightmare on Elm Street with forty-two votes. In case you do not know much about these movies, The Squire is here to give you background information about the top picks.  

    #1 Hocus Pocus 

     Coming out in July of 1993, Hocus Pocus is a family/comedy about a teenage boy named Max Dennison, who explores an abandoned house with his sister, Dani, and their new friend, Allison. After dismissing Allison’s superstitions, Max accidentally frees a circle of three evil witches, known as the Sanderson sisters who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal. When asked, Cole Kellogg shared that his favorite part of the movie was when the floating book opened and told the sisters what to do with Max.  

     #2 Friday the 13^th  

     The original movie was released in May of 1980. Friday the 13^th is a fictional, horror/slasher movie about Crystal Lake’s history of murder. A group of counselors decide to set up a summer camp in the woodsy area. Not listening to the superstitious locals, they find themselves stalked by a brutal killer. The counselors struggle to stay alive against a merciless opponent. There was a remake of the movie that was released in 2009, in which the killer comes back to the lake to taunt and kill a group of college students who did not believe the myths of what happened at Crystal Lake. Senior, Caleb Robinault, explains how the jump scares and the element of suspense throughout the movie is what makes it so enjoyable to watch. 

     #3 Halloween Town 

     There are four different Halloween Town movies, but the first one was released in 1998. The original one is about three siblings, Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie who get a big shock when they follow their grandma home to Halloween Town and find out they come from a family of witches. The town is the only place where supernatural beings can lead a ‘normal’ life, but trouble is looming, and on Marnie’s 13th birthday; she not only finds she is a witch, but that she and her family are involved in a fight against the evil that is threatening to take over the world. The other movies start just around where another one leaves off, and follows the kids through high school and even adulthood. Halloween Town fanatic, Chloe Labowski, informed The Squire staff that her favorite element of the movies is that “the storyline is so good, and also very realistic!” 

     #4 A Nightmare on Elm Street 

     This horror/mystery Halloween classic came out in 1984. A Nightmare on Elm Street is a seven series movie. The first movie is about a group of Midwestern teenagers, who become prey to Freddy Krueger, a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams — which, in turn, kills them in reality. Lilee Renninger describes the movie as “cheesy and weird, but that’s what makes them good to watch.” 

     So, when you are lying in bed looking for a good movie to watch this Halloween season, be sure to check out some of the Eisenhower students’ favorites. Whether you are looking for a comedy or a horror movie, The Squire staff has you covered. The journalism staff hopes you have a fun and safe Halloween and be sure to watch our social media pages for an update when our next issue is released.