And, so, it begins. As the clock strikes midnight on Oct. 1, “Spooky Season” officially kicks off. Whether you are a comedy connoisseur or a horror flick fanatic, here is a list of 10 classic Halloween movies to help get you in the spirit.

1. “Hocus Pocus” (1993)

“A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.” – IMDb **

Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Available on: Disney+, Prime Video, Vudu, iTunes, Google Play, FandangoNow

2. “Ghostbusters” (1984)

“Three former parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.” **

Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy

Available on: FX Movies, iTunes, Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play, FuboTV, Microsoft Store

3. “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (first movie released in 1984)

“The monstrous spirit of a slain child murderer seeks revenge by invading the dreams of teenagers whose parents were responsible for his untimely death.” **

Genre: Horror

Available on: YouTube, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, Microsoft Store

4. “Beetlejuice” (1988)

“The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.” **

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy

Available on: Prime Video, Freeform, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, FandangoNow

5. “Scream” (1996)

“A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game.” **

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Available on: Prime Video, Vudu, YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft Store

6. “Coraline” (2009)

“An adventurous 11-year-old girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.” **

Genre: Animation, Family, Adventure

Available on: Hulu, Prime Video, STARZ, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Google Play

7. “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007)

“The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, aka Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett.” **

Genre: Drama, Horror, Musical

Available on: Hoopla, Prime Video, Tubi, CBS All-Access, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, HBO Max

8. “The Addams Family” (1991)

“Con artists plan to fleece an eccentric family using an accomplice who claims to be their long-lost uncle.” **

Genre: Comedy, Family

Available on: Netflix, Hulu, Epix, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu

9. “The Shining” (1980)

“A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.” **

Genre: Drama, Horror

Available on: AMC, iTunes, Vudu, Microsoft Store, Google Play, FandangoNow, FuboTV

10. “Halloween” (first movie released in 1978)

“Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.” **

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Available on: Prime Video, AMC, Shudder, Vudu, YouTube, Google Play

** descriptions courtesy of IMDb

21cleiker@usd489.com