Halloween is a time for creative costumes, trick-or-treating, and contemplating a netherworld of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. Halloween 2021 will be a holiday of smaller gatherings, as the Delta variant remains, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a memorable movie marathon with family members, roommates, or a few close friends.
However, there is so much more to a great Halloween movie marathon than just heating up a bag of popcorn and putting on some spooky films. Just like any good party, you’ll need decor, food, drinks, and more. Read on to learn what you need to throw the best Halloween movie marathon this October.
Halloween Ambiance: Setting the Scene
To set the ambiance, consider decorations like Halloween-themed string lights, candles, throw pillows, and more. Add bats, spiders and skeletons, strategically placed for maximum effect. Announce showtimes for your spooky movie selections on a cinema lightbox.
Food and Drinks for your Movie Marathon
Get the party going with Halloween-themed snacks, drinks, and special dishes. In addition to movie popcorn, add apple slices, granola bars, string cheese, or a veggie tray to your snack selections. Set up a punch bowl on a Halloween-themed tablecloth or serve refreshments in distinctive IV bag drink cups fashioned from food-grade PVC.
Spiced pumpkin punch is a perfect seasonal treat. Bloody floats are vampire-approved. Mix grape juice, lime juice, white wine, and raspberry sorbet for a sweet, yet tart treat. Blood moon punch is a tantalizing alcohol-free drink mix of ginger soda, seltzer, orange juice, and grape juice.
Make your concoction even more unforgettable with a giant ice cube hand. Use food coloring to tint water green. Pour it in a sanitized rubber glove before freezing. Strip away the glove and you’ll end up with a big ice cube. Float it in your punch bowl, and savor the reactions that are sure to follow!
For some Halloween-themed baked goods, bake a blood-red velvet cake with “dripping blood” icing, Or, take ladyfinger cookies and add almond sliver fingernails to transform them into the perfect Halloween snack.
Tips for Keeping Guests Comfy
What do you want to wear to your movie marathon? Dress up like your favorite horror film characters. Or, choose super-comfy pajamas, sweatpants, and the like.
Ideally, you want it dark—very dark! There are a few ways to do this: Blackout your windows. Pick up a door noise blocker or two. Elongated polyester cushions that block light sneaking under the doors. They reduce drafts and sound as well. If you’re able to make your viewing area really dark, a cinema projector is an option. For maximum effect, cast a giant image across a wall in your living area.
Get a truly immersive experience via high-res 4K Ultra HD TV and enhanced audio via soundbar. Maybe it’s even time for an upgrade to the latest innovations in picture perfection. Upgrade to 8K resolution and/or an OLED screen. A crisp picture with deep blacks and high-fidelity sound is perfect when screening Halloween movies.
In-home theater seating is more feature-rich than ever. Invest in moisture and grease-resistant theater chairs. Look for features like built-in cup holders, retractable food trays, and USB ports and power outlets. When space is at a premium, consider wall-hugging recliners. For other home cinema ideas, check out our previous post on upgrading your movie nights.
Popular Halloween Movie Picks
Here are some popular picks for Halloween movie marathons. Some will raise the hair on the back of your neck, but most are more funny than frightful.
Halloween
In “Halloween,” Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital. He then wreaks havoc on the fictional Illinois town of Haddonfield. Victims meet their demise on Halloween. Watch the original 1978 film or any of the many sequels.
Friday the 13th
“Friday the 13th” chronicles a group of teenage camp counselors wanting to reopen Camp Crystal Lake. They proceed despite protests by superstitious locals. The low-budget 1980 film grossed 150 times what it cost to make.
Ghostbusters
When you want more laughs than gore, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! This hilarious Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray classic arrived in 1984. If you’re still in the mood for Ghostbusters nostalgia after your movie, keep an eye out for “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” The sequel arrives on November 11th.
Hocus Pocus
In Hocus Pocus, an unsuspecting teenage boy awakens three witches. The victims of 17th-century witch hysteria are played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy. Pay homage to Winnie Sanderson’s cursed spellbook by baking some spellbook brownies.
The Addams Family
The campy and very Gothic “Addams Family” gets you that Halloween vibe without the fright. Also, who doesn’t love Angelica Huston as Morticia? Watch the 1991 movie, or check out “Addams Family Values,” a sequel that followed two years later.
Beetlejuice
In “Beetlejuice,” an unsuspecting family moves into a new home. Ghosts of former inhabitants Barbara and Adam Maitland recruit veteran exorcist Beetlejuice to scare them away. The movie delivers creepy fun with some interesting plot twists. Michael Keaton’s portrayal of the lead character is iconic.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
If you’ve got young children, consider this 1960s animated Peanuts classic. It’s a heartwarming film that begins with a quest for the biggest pumpkin in the patch. Linus is none too pleased when Lucy carves their big pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern. Other memorable scenes abound, such as when Linus jumps into a pile of leaves, large lollipop in hand. He emerges with leaves sticking all over his face.
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