Top Ten Halloween Movies

Every year, people ask me what my favorite Halloween movies are.  And while my tastes in film do change from time to time, there are a few that I just can't do without.  So here (with links) are my favorite Halloween movies of all time.  Perfect for a dark night when the streets outside are filled with ghouls and goblins.  In no particular order:

1. Trick 'r Treat - It just came out, I know, but I'm completely head-over-heels for this movie.  It makes no bones about it...This movie was designed to be a Halloween classic. 
2. The Legend of Hell House - By now, everyone knows that Richard Matheson is, in my opinion, one of the greatest writers of the modern age.  The book upon which this movie is based made me want to be a writer.  The movie scared the hell out of me as a kid.  Brooding and atmospheric horror at its best. 
3. The Exorcist  - Slow to start, but truly one of the most horrifying movies of all time. 
4. An American Werewolf in London - One of the greatest horror-comedies of all time, with Academy Award-winning special effects by Rick Baker.  
5. Ghost Story - Peter Straub wrote one of the great ghost stories of all time, and this is the movie upon which it is based.  
6. Hellraiser - Like I could leave this one off.  C'mon, really?  Pinhead is one of my favorite movie monsters of all time!
7. The House on Haunted Hill - First off, it's Vincent Price.  That's really all that needs to be said.  Second, the original, not the classic POS.  This movie rocked hard in the day.  Cheesy gothic goodness!
8. The Haunting - Again, the original...Not the remake.  This movie is creepy as all hell. 
9. Night of the Living Dead - The one that started it all.  George A. Romero's classic.  If  you haven't seen this, go stand in a corner and watch it.  
10. Halloween - It had to be here.  I mean, c'mon...Look at the friggin' title!

There are lots of others, but this was my "Top Ten" list.  Other movies that just didn't quite make the cut-off point were Evil Dead, Candyman, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but the ones listed above are my absolute favorites.  Feel free to list your own.  I'm always looking for good stuff to watch on my favorite night of the year!

Happy Halloween!