31 movies to watch in October: The Nightmare Before Christmas

October is the perfect month for watching horror movies, right? But with all of the choices currently available to stream or watch on Blu-ray, how do you decide which films are worth your time?

Fear not, I am here to help with my list of 31 movies to watch in October. Just in case you aren’t keeping track, that’s one movie per day (or night, if you are brave enough), but feel free to double up if you have the time, because worthwhile sequels will be listed in the descriptions as well.

Not all of these films are set during the Halloween season, but for whatever reason, they just have that eerie, Halloween feel. There should be something for everyone on this list: ghosts, witches, vampires, crazed killers, and even animation. Some of the films are very well-known, and others you may have never even heard of.

It’s my hope that you will find a few movies on this list to watch for the very first time, and that they give you the chills. So, turn on your television, turn down the lights, sit back and…well, don’t relax…but do enjoy!

Day One – October 1: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Let’s start out a little slow with a not-so-scary, yet still awesome animated feature, The Nightmare Before Christmas. I know, I know…some people consider this a Christmas movie, but I have always thought of it as being appropriate for both of my favorite holidays. And it’s mostly set in Halloween Town, for crying out loud!

Produced and conceived by Tim Burton (though not directed by him as many people think), The Nightmare Before Christmas features characters such as a group of vampires, witches, a clown with a tearaway face and a mad scientist who built a full size living rag doll that he keeps imprisoned. In short, TNBC is not your average animated film. It was released through Disney’s Touchstone Pictures because the studio felt it was too dark to bear the Disney name.

Yes, it’s animated. Yes, it’s family-friendly. But, The Nightmare Before Christmas is also dark, a bit scary and beautiful to watch. The stop-motion animation is perfect, the characters are rich and well-played, and the story is delightfully twisted.

The soundtrack is sublime and dreamy, and many of the songs have been re-recorded by artists such as Marilyn Manson, Panic! At the Disco, Fiona Apple, Korn, and Pentatonix. I would like to add that This is Halloween is my own personal ringtone during the month of October.

If you have, for some reason, never seen this gorgeous gem of a movie, today is the day. If you have seen it, today is still the day to sit back and give 76 minutes of your time to Jack Skellington, Sally, Oogie Boogie, Sandy Claws and the rest of the wonderful characters who inhabit Halloween Town. Enjoy the show, and we will talk again tomorrow!

Where to watch: Available to rent or purchase on Vudu, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, GooglePlay, and on-demand.

Do you love The Nightmare Before Christmas, or do you think it’s just a kids’ movie? Tell me your thoughts in the comments section.