NEW YORK — The season of ghosts, goblins, and spooky creatures that crawl in the night is here! A survey of 2,000 Americans celebrating Halloween finds 66 percent believe watching a horror film is a fun escape from real life.
The 2020 poll, commissioned by Tubi, finds there’s no movie more iconic than “Halloween.” The slasher film classic was followed by “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Scream” as the top three Halloween films of all-time.
Of course, no great horror movie is complete without a great villain. Americans voted Freddy Krueger from “A Nightmare on Elm Street” as the best baddie of Halloween night. Michael Myers of “Halloween” just edged out Norman Bates from “Psycho” for second place.
Sometimes, even just a famous movie line or a theme song is enough send a cold chill down a person’s back. Respondents tell the OnePoll survey that “I see dead people” from the modern thriller “The Sixth Sense” is the most iconic scary movie quote ever. “Heeeere’s Johnny!” (The Shining) and “They’re here” (Poltergeist) also made the list of famous scary quotes.
Sharing the fun with a new generation of horror film fans
For American parents, a lot of the fun comes from sharing these spine-tingling experiences with their kids. Nearly three in four parents with children under 16 plan on watching Halloween movies together with their family. Sixty-three percent will be introducing their kids to a Halloween classic for the first time.
For some people however, the first time they watch a scary movie will also be the last time. Two in five respondents says they’ve watched a horror film they now refuse to watch again to this day. The most common one-and-done movies include “Annabelle,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and “The Exorcist.” A fifth of the poll have been scared so badly by a film they wouldn’t re-watch it for anything less than $500.
“Revisiting a scary movie classic, especially around Halloween time, can be a fun form of escapism and way to celebrate the season,” a spokesperson for Tubi says in a statement.
Have a good night’s sleep, if you can…
Once the credits roll and Halloween is over, Americans says the next challenge is trying to get a good night’s rest after all that fright. One third say they have to check their locks to feel comfortable after a scary movie. Thirty-six percent will go to bed with the lights on and three in 10 will leave a TV or radio playing.
A quarter of the poll say they take a running leap into their bed to avoid monsters that may be underneath.
“There’s a reason that these classic Halloween movies have stood the test of time, and why horror fans continue to revisit them each year. Whether you want to get truly spooked, or are looking for something more lighthearted to celebrate the holiday, there are plenty of options to keep your movie marathon going throughout the month of October,” the Tubi spokesperson adds.
MOST ICONIC HALLOWEEN MOVIES OF ALL TIME:
- Halloween 46%
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 24%
- Scream 22%
- The Exorcist 21%
- Beetlejuice 21%
- Friday the 13th 15%
- Carrie 13%
- Rocky Horror Picture Show 10%
- Child’s Play 9%
- The Shining 7%
- The Conjuring 6%
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 5%
- Psycho 5%
- A Quiet Place 5%
- Night of the Living Dead 5%
- It 4%
- The Blair Witch Project 4%
- The Witch 4%
- Saw 4%
- Poltergeist 3%
This survey was first published on October 31, 2020.