10 scary movies streaming now to help get you in the Halloween spirit – PennLive

Not quite feeling the Halloween spirit yet? Dont worrytheres a film for that.

Several films, in fact. This article contains 10 spooky pieces of cinema ranging from the truly terrifying to the magically whimsy that you can stream now to help you get into the Halloween mood. Read more about eachand just where you can watch thembelow!

The Sanderson sisters in "Hocus Pocus." (Disney)

Watch Now: Disney+

Its not Halloween without at least one viewing of Hocus Pocus. It is, arguably, the Halloween movie to watch every year. The movie follows Winnie (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy). And Sarah Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker), three witches who rise from the dead to suck the souls from the children of Salem in order to gain immortality. A sequel to this beloved Halloween classic is currently in the works, with Disney+ having yet to confirm more solid details.

One of the undead in "Night of the Living Dead." (Continental Distributing)

Watch Now: Shudder

Night of the Living Dead was the debut film of George Romero and essentially set the standard for every succeeding zombie movie out there. Shot in black and white, the movie takes places in a rural area outside of Pittsburgh in the 1960s, where several people are trapped in an isolated house surrounded by those slow-walking, flesh-eating creatures. Theyre coming to get you, Barbara is a phrase that still sends chills down the spines of many to this day.

Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula "Nosferatu the Vampyre." (20th Century Fox)

Watch Now: Peacock

This 1979 Werner Herzog take on Count Dracula and his shenanigans puts Twilight to shame and makes people remember why vampires are so scary in the first place. The plot is an adaption of Bram Stokers original work, although instead of the suave Bela Lugosi, this count played by Klaus Kinski is bald, pale, and sporting some seriously sharp fans. Bust out the garlic for when you hit play on this one.

Eddie Murphy in "The Haunted Mansion." (Walt Disney Studios)

Watch Now: Disney+

Based on the beloved Disney World ride, The Haunted Mansion puts a comedic, family twist to an age-old concept: the haunted house. Starring Eddie Murphy as Jim Eversa skeptical businessman who at first dismisses the supernatural before being forced to combat it"The Haunted Mansion" is 86 minutes' worth of a good time for all ages.

Pinhead in "Hellraiser." (Entertainment Film Distributors)

Watch Now: Shudder

Based on the novel by Clive Barker (and also directed by the author himself), Hellraiser is a horror film thats definitely meant for more mature audiences. Upon opening a Pandora-like box, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) comes face-to-face with the Cenobites, evil beings that seek to wreak chaos on those unlucky enough to cross their paths. Most iconically is Pinhead, who really takes acupuncture to the next level.

A poster for Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." (Paramount Pictures)

Watch Now: Peacock

Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho is a seminal turning point in thriller history. When Janet Leighs Marion Crane takes a turn off the highway and ends up at the Bates Motel, she begins to realize that nothings creepier than the motels owner, Norman (Anthony Perkins), and his mother. Psycho is one of the first movies to leverage now well-known horror tropes, packing in one of the biggest twists in cinematic history.

The Tall Man in "Phantasm." (AVCO Embassy Pictures)

Watch Now: Shudder

One of the scariest things about the 1979 flick Phantasm is its soundtrack, although the chills dont end there. Phantasm is about Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), a teenage boy whos plagued by the menacing specter of the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). The movie blends horror elements with those of science fiction, emphasizing an unsettling feeling of madness.

Debbie Reynolds as a friendly witch in "Halloweentown." (Disney)

Watch Now: Disney+

Those who grew up watching Disney Channel in the 1990s and early 2000s are all too familiar with Halloweentown. Premiering in 1998, the movie is led by Debbie Reynolds as she teaches her granddaughter, Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), about being a witch. Along the way, Marnie and her siblings end up in Halloweentown, a zany place filled with sweaty ghosts and smart aleck skeletons driving taxis. Its very 1998, and a must-watch for the Halloween season.

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula in "Dracula." (Universal Pictures)

Watch Now: Peacock

The 1931 film Dracula may at first seem a bit dated to modern audiences but remains iconic in the trails it blazed for horror films. Starring Bela Lugosi as the titular Count Dracula, Dracula was one of the first Universal Pictures monster films that haunted generations of moviegoers. The movie plays on light and shadow, Lugosi encapsulating the count in a way that many still associate with vampires as a whole.

The monster is alive in "Frankenstein"! (Universal Pictures)

Watch Now: Peacock

Another Universal Pictures monster movie, Boris Karloff towers as Dr. Henry Frankensteins (Colin Clive) tortured undead creature. The movie was seen as groundbreaking in makeup and horror elements during its time, forever solidifying the words Its alive! in horror film history and beyond.

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10 scary movies streaming now to help get you in the Halloween spirit - PennLive