5 fall movies to enjoy the end of the season

As we progress through November, more and more people begin to assume winter has already begun. For those still trying to appreciate the fall season, it has become difficult to do so without being bombarded with winter festivities. Luckily, there are plenty of activities to keep you enthusiastic about fall, such as watching movies. To make it easier for everyone, I’ve cherry-picked my top 5 favorite movies that keep me in the fall spirit, and hopefully, they will do the same for you.

 

Where would a list of fall movies be without mentioning the Great Pumpkin? In this Bill Melendez adaptation of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, we see everything we love about Schulz’s iconic characters, blended into a cozy, Halloween-appreciating short film. Throughout the movie, we mostly follow Charlie Brown, as he navigates the world of social Halloween events, such as trick-or-treating or Violet’s party.

Every character in this film gets plenty of attention, such as Sally and Linus, as Sally struggles to decide whether to attend those same events or to wait in the pumpkin patch for the fictional Great Pumpkin to arrive with Linus. Even the lesser-seen character’s charm still shines through, such as Lucy’s snarky demeanor or Schroeder’s disinterested attitude. To bring it all together, the Vince Guaraldi soundtrack creates a spooky, yet calm atmosphere, wrapping the movie like a comforting Linus blanket. All in all, this movie is a quintessential fall classic- and surely will be for years to come.

 

Whether it’s the theme song, the witty dialogue, or the nightmares of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, everyone leaves Ghostbusters with something different. However, it is unanimous that the bizarre, supernatural story of this movie is unforgettable. The story in question follows a rag-tag trio of doctors at Columbia University (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis) who get kicked out after taking their personal interests in paranormal investigating more seriously than their work. Shortly after, they dive into a full-fledged ghostbusting business, but get into more trouble than they asked for when they get entangled in a potential threat to humanity.

Director Ivan Reitman tasked himself with creating a fun, engaging supernatural film that didn’t take itself too seriously, and absolutely succeeded. This movie transcends bad CGI by a long shot  with its lovable characters and storyline, making it still one of the most popular Halloween movies today. Yet, the question on everyone’s mind still remains: Who ya gonna call?

 

Tim Burton was bound to make it on this list somewhere, and what better choice than the classic holiday crossover The Nightmare Before Christmas? The charming stop-motion film stars the bored king of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), who is dissatisfied with repeating the same Halloween traditions every year. When he stumbles into the next-door Christmas Town, he sees a fresh perspective, where the residents are joyful and alive, as opposed to the cold and (literally) dead residents of his own town. Inspired, he attempts to bring Christmas back with him to Halloween Town, but it causes more confusion than anything else.

This film is wonderfully expressive and animated, packing a visual punch in every frame with its imaginative characters and scenery. The Danny Elfman score only adds to its originality, elevating the movie’s quirky style and really bringing it to life. Even if it’s not Halloween or Christmas, this film is one that you can come back to any time of year, especially if you need a laugh or a burst of creative inspiration.

 

Being part of the highest-grossing horror franchise in history, everyone knows the story of this iconic supernatural thriller. In case you need a refresher, the story starts with Carolyn (Lili Taylor) and Roger Perron (Ron Livingston), as they and their family move into a seemingly normal, quaint farmhouse. Soon after, they begin experiencing terrorizing paranormal activity and desperately call for paranormal investigators Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) for help. Things only get worse when the haunting spirit begins following the Perron’s wherever they go, leaving them with nothing but their own wit and spiritual strength to defeat it.

Throughout the movie, director James Wan uses clever jumpscares that tie in with the movie’s plot, blending the two together to keep you terrified, yet still in suspense for the story at hand. By the end of the film, Wan has you questioning your spiritual faith by way of interesting horror mechanics and the personal accounts of the real Perron family.

 

For the final movie on this list, it’s only fitting that we end it off with another unconventional Tim Burton classic. The story of Edward Scissorhands is mostly self-explanatory: an isolated inventor succeeds in creating Edward (Johnny Depp), an artificial man, but passes away suddenly before completing him, leaving him with giant scissors for his hands. With his new namesake, Edward Scissorhands is adopted by the warm and friendly Peg (Dianne Wiest) into her suburban family. Edward becomes friends with her children quickly, but things go south when the five-fingered townsfolk learn to take advantage of his differences.

From start to finish, this movie uses its memorable characters and heart-felt storyline to resonate with those who never quite felt like they fit into the popular crowd. It offers complex insight on how societal norms have changed the way we live and shows that we are all much more similar than we think we are. Overall, this movie is a definite tear-jerker and will continue to resonate with the same crowds for years to come.