As an autumn baby, I can safely say that my favorite times of the year are when the leaves turn brown, pumpkin spice is in the air, and cold, chilly nights call for a classic Halloween movie with some freshly popped popcorn and candy corn.

When asked what my favorite holiday is, I without a doubt say, “Halloween.” As a stereotypical Scorpio, I am truly a sucker for all things spooky, including but not limited to: cursed amulets, costumes, creaky staircases, haunted mansions, buried treasure, reincarnation, and a good mystery.

So, to commence the first of October, here are some of the motel’s favorite Halloween movies!

Hocus Pocus: How can I not put this iconic Halloween movie on the list? To be honest, I actually didn’t watch this movie for the first time until a year or two ago! I just never got the chance to as a kid, but this is a Halloween movie classic in its own virtuous right. The settings, the storyline, everything about this movie screams Halloween and that’s just so damn awesome. Also, weren’t Max and Dani just the cutest little pair of siblings? Max’s angst really brings me back to those classic old Disney Channel characters, there truly is a sense of nostalgia in this film.

Scooby Doo 2, Monsters Unleashed: I watched this movie a lot growing up, unconsciously shipping Freddie Prince Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar, even though they were married at the time anyway. I guess their chemistry was truly palpable, even to my adolescent self. This is probably the best live action adaptation of the Scooby Doo comics, with a ton of fun monsters, mystery, and comedy to boot.

Freaky Friday (2003): This is a stretch, but there is indeed something a bit spooky about being switched into your mother’s body. Also, Lohan at her finest, I often daydreamed about being as cool as Anna as a kid. Her highlights in this movie were killer and that guitar solo? Damn.

Honorable mentions: Halloween Town series, Harry Potter series, Twilight series, Charlie Brown’s Halloween, Coraline, Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Twitches, Phantom of the Megaplex, Phantom of the Opera, Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire, Interview With a Vampire, Pirates of the Caribbean series, Supernatural TV series, Teen Wolf TV series, The Vampire Diaries series, Poirot’s Halloween episode (or maybe Poirot in general), Peter Pan (2003)