Believe it or not, John Carpenter's revolutionary horror film that introduced audiences to the slasher genre was the first horror movie to specifically utilize Halloween as an essential element of its story. "Halloween" may have been the first movie to exploit the annual candy and costume bacchanalia from its title to its setting, but it wasn't the first movie to incorporate Halloween celebrations into its overall theme -- nor would it be the last.
"Meet Me in St. Louis"
"Meet Me in St. Louis" is the story of an evolving American society and culture that takes place across the breadth of a single calendar year. The musical produced one of the most iconic Christmas songs of all time, but for many the most memorable holiday sequence is the one that takes place on Halloween.
The brilliantly edited and acted sequence establishes the evolving maturity of the youngest daughter of the family in an emotionally horrifying series of events that challenges her to overcome her fears amid the taunts of older kids who see her as almost a baby as the scene begins and as a significantly more grown-up peer by the time her daunting Halloween trick has been pulled off.
"To Kill a Mockingbird"
Everything comes to a head on Halloween in this classic cinematic adaptation of one of the most enjoyable novels ever to be assigned in a high school English class. Halloween is where the weirdness of a ham costume intersects with the unexpected heroism of the sinister Boo Radley. Halloween is as essential thematically in "To Kill a Mockingbird" as it is to "Meet Me in St. Louis." Ban the holiday from the society of either film, and much is lost.
"Donnie Darko"
Halloween is also an essential element in the construction of "Donnie Darko." A good stretch of the movie takes place on the holiday, and without the ability to exploit Halloween's necessity for masquerade, the movie would have to force one of its key plot points.
"The Nightmare Before Christmas"
Interestingly, Carpenter's "Halloween" slasher film still seems to remain the definitive Halloween movie despite this animated entry that tells an entire story based around a place where all the familiar symbols of Halloween live. Halloween permeates "The Nightmare Before Christmas," but in reality only a very small portion of the film actually takes place on the holiday.
"E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial"
What would Steven Spielberg's classic alien tale be without the funny little bit of business in which a kid dressed up as Yoda makes a quick but fleeting connection with E.T. beneath his ghost costume? Halloween is notoriously viewed as a rather dark holiday; it is even considered sinister and evil by a small, misguided minority. "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" offers a glimpse of those halcyon days when Halloween was much less scary and kids across the country looked forward to it with nearly as much relish as Christmas.
"Hocus Pocus"
"Hocus Pocus" is as dependent on Halloween to tell its story of witch hunt victim revenge as "Halloween" is to tell its story of a crazed slasher using a Halloween mask to blend into the crowd so he can conduct his insane killing spree. Although hardly a comedy masterpiece, "Hocus Pocus" is a great Halloween tradition for families with kids looking for a less violent approach to the holiday.
For more articles by Timothy Sexton, check out:
"E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial": A Dark Guy Movie For Dark Guys
"Meet Me in St. Louis": As Violent as a Martin Scorsese Movie
10 Songs Made Memorable by Their Inclusion in a Movie
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