What could possibly be more wonderful this time of year than the dynamic autumn colors displayed by our beautifully forested campus? The spooky season, of course.

Everyone looks forward to it, perhaps even more so than the Christmas season. There are lots of different ways to celebrate and satisfy your hunger for the scares and eerie aspects of the holiday — some of the best traditions are sitting down with friends or family, gathering up the junk food and selecting the perfect spooky movie.

Halloween is the prime time to watch so many of these movies, some just plain creepy, others all-out terrifying fun or thrilling. The selection is so large that I’m going to showcase the three best spooky movies that I would highly recommend to everyone. Are you brave enough to continue reading? (You can just peek between your fingers if you’d like).

My first recommendation isn’t necessarily a horror movie, making it a great option for those who don’t enjoy the genre but still want to celebrate Halloween. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is unique and fantastic in a number of ways.

First, the film was created almost entirely through the method of clay animation, which is an incredibly painstaking process, especially for feature-length films. Not only that, but the animation looks amazing in every frame! It flawlessly captures the weird yet endearing nature of the characters and settings.

Second, the soundtrack is phenomenal — the songs have such enjoyable melodies that you might find yourself humming along to them. As far as I know, not many other Halloween movies can offer this.

Lastly, the most obvious characteristic is that it involves Christmas in its story as well. The movie knits together the two holidays so expertly that it’s definitely worth a watch during both holiday seasons!

If you’re looking for something more like a high-quality, your-blood-will-run-cold type of movie, I have the perfect option for you. “The Shining” is a somewhat older film but is so well-crafted that it remains a shining (pun definitely intended) classic today.

It doesn’t rely on jumpscares or gore to make you feel queasy. Rather, the way it masterfully portrays the psychological devolution of its characters — which are combined with more sinister, underlying forces throughout — pushes you to the edge of your seat and makes your heart pound. At least, that’s how I reacted. Keep in mind that this movie is not for the faint of heart or the horror movie novice, but, if you’re up to it, you will not be disappointed.

Want a refreshingly different take on a Halloween movie? You are also in luck! “Scream” is a solid horror movie that bears elements of mystery and comedy and its clever and swift plot will surely keep you guessing. What’s especially entertaining is the meta-humor that manages to both mock and pay homage to horror movies in general.

Although I should warn you that this movie is pretty gory, there isn’t much more I can say about it without potentially spoiling something, so you should watch it for yourself. Better yet, watch it with a few friends! I can confirm that friends make the movie even more fun. Watch “Scream 2” after.

Out of the tons of spooky or scary movies out there, these are among my favorites. I love having movie nights on weekends when I’m not drowning in midterm work. My friends and I even made it a tradition last year between my friends and me to do these together.

October, though, is the best time for us to watch the horror movies that I wasn’t allowed to see at home. Maybe that’s why watching them feels therapeutic sometimes. So, if you share my interest in spooky movies, hurry up and take this opportunity. Indulge in these gems that I’ve presented you, then go find more. Like a killer in the night, Halloween is approaching fast.