Looking for scary movies ahead of Halloween season? Check out these 15 spooky old films

Halloween is coming, and there is just barely enough time to get in all the movies you want to watch.

You have new haunts to discover at the theater. Classics to rewatch for the thousandth time. And we can't forget "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" for those who want to continue the tradition.

But for those extreme movie buffs, you might want to explore the horror genre and find more options for this season's watch parties. Here are 15 classic horror movies to sink your teeth into and uncover.

Rather not get spooked? Try these films: Get un-spooked: Halloween movies that won't give you nightmares, Where to watch them

'The House of the Devil' (1896)

Considered to be the first horror movie ever created, the 'House of the Devil' (1896) has also been translated to Manor of the Devil, The Haunted Castle, The Devil's Manor, and The Devil’s Castle. It was directed by French illusionist Georges Méliès and was deemed lost until a copy turned up at the New Zealand Film Archive in 1988.

Only three minutes long, it starts off with a bat transforming into Mephistopheles, an agent of the Devil. With the help of his assistant, he started to conjure demonic entities from a cauldron, then goes on to prank two men who enter the castle. In the end, one of the men uses a crucifix to make Mephistopheles disappear.

You watch 'The House of The Devil' above.

L’Inferno (1911)

This 1911 Italian silent film is loosely adapted from Inferno, the first canticle of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. It was the first feature-length film produced in Italy at 68 minutes. In this black-and-white film filled with squeamish imagery, it depicts the journey Dante takes through hell, as he strays from righteousness and discovers sin.

You can watch 'L'lnferno' for free on YouTube.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

In Robert Wiene’s iconic monochromatic horror, the German expressionist film produces a "highly-stylized nightmare about murder, madness, and somnambulism," according to Harpers Bazaar.

Referred to as the first true horror film by cinephiles, it showcases the mysterious Dr. Caligari as he arrives in a rural German village with his companion Cesare. Following a series of gruesome murders, the townspeople are led to believe that the doctor and his “assistant” may be to blame. While watching the labyrinth unfold, current movie buffs will notice where filmmakers, such as Tim Burton, got their inspiration from.

You can watch 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' on Fubo and Apple TV.

Nosferatu (1922)

Before there was Dracula, there was Orlok.

One of the most well-known German expressionist horrors, 'Nosferatu' was the first film to introduce a vampire to the big screen. The film tells the tale of an obsession between a young woman in 19th-century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her.

Count Orlok's grotesque and eerie appearance is enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. As Rolling Stone further reports, the film’s "looming shadows, musty mansions, eerie camera tricks, and moonlit landscapes" also add to its haunting image.

You can stream 'Nosferatu; on Apple TV or you can rent or purchase the movie with Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu.

Dracula (1931)

‘I vaaaant to suuuck your blooood' is easy to dismiss when it's said by a stranger in a silly costume at a Halloween block party. But it's a whole lot scarier watching it come from the mouth of its Transylvanian originator.

Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi sank his fangs into the role of Dracula in Tod Browning’s classic 1931 film, complete with an aggressive stare, a black cape, and the power to seduce his prey. This film went on to establish the aesthetics of the vampire for generations to come, catapulting the supernatural genre onto American pop culture.

You can stream 'Dracula' on Apple TV or you can rent or purchase the movie with Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu.

Dead of Night (1945)

Fans of the modern horror anthology show 'American Horror Story' might enjoy this next suggestion.

The obscure horror anthology film 'Dead of Night' links five spooky stories together from four directors, telling the overall tale of an architect whose recurring nightmare seems to be bleeding over into reality. Over the course of the night, he and the other guests, who have all starred in his dream, take turns swapping stories until a twist ending sweeps viewers off their feet.

You can stream 'Dead of Night' on Apple TV or you can rent or purchase the movie with Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Released during the Cold War, it follows a doctor in a small town whose community is slowly and unassumingly replaced by alien duplicates. Meant to reflect the war, the film's plot is often regarded as a metaphor for McCarthyism or groupthink, touching on themes of conformity, paranoia, and trust.

You can stream 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' on Apple TV or you can rent or purchase the movie with Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu.

Psycho (1960)

Famous for its shower scene, yet immortal for its impact on the horror genre.

Legendary horror filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' inspired generations of future filmmakers and cultivated a fleet of scream queens behind Janet Leigh. It also introduced the complicated and creepy character of Norman Bates to American pop culture, whose story alone produced several movies, TV shows, and video games.

You can stream 'Psycho' on Apple TV or you can rent or purchase the movie with Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu.

The Birds (1963)

In this next Hitchcock flick, viewers didn't leave the theatre afraid to shower without feeling a killer lurking. Instead, it spawned a fear of frenzied feathered fowl.

The 1963 aviary apocalypse stars Tippi Hedren in her debut role as Melanie Daniels, a socialite who meets a lawyer named Mitch (Rod Taylor), and the two escape to a bayside town for a romantic getaway. However, their plans turn sinister when the birds take out their rage on human flesh.

You can stream 'The Birds' on Earth for free on Prime Video or you can rent or purchase the movie with Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu.

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Combining loneliness with a zombie apocalypse and you get a terrifying scenario.

Vincent Price is the sole survivor outrunning the vampiric creatures that are invading the planet after a pandemic wipes out the human race. In the first adaption of the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, the movie changes up the ending of the novel to give a more sadist and upsetting finale. One that makes Price end up the movie's villain and a monster to the infected.

You can stream 'The Last Man' on Earth for free on Prime Video or you can rent or purchase the movie with Google Play, iTunes, or Vudu.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Roman Polanski’s 'Rosemary’s Baby' is considered a masterpiece for the horror movie genre, earning a top spot in almost every top horror movie list. In the film, Mia Farrow plays a young Manhattanite whose husband (John Cassavetes) makes a deal with the devil without her knowing and gives birth to Satan’s spawn.

You can stream 'Rosemary's Baby' on Paramount Plus, SHOWTIME, Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fubo.

The Exorcist (1973)

Earning the top spot on many scariest horror movies list, William Friedkin’s 1973 re-introduced the concept of demonic possession to the masses and instilled a fear of concepts that were unexplainable. This horror favorite follows the demonic possession of 12-year-old Reagan MacNeil (Linda Blair) and her mother's attempts to save her through an exorcism.

The Exorcist comes to HHN 2023: Halloween Horror Nights 2023 is looming: Everything fans need to know before they go

You can stream 'The Exorcist' on YouTube TV, Google Play, Red Box TV, Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Apple TV, or Vudu.

Carrie (1976)

If you don't find prom scary enough, you never saw 'Carrie.' Inspired by Stephen King's novel, it wins the crown for one of the all-time creepiest teen movies.

A tale of a bullied high school outcast (Sissy Spacek) who uses her telekinetic powers for prom-night revenge after she is humiliated by her classmates. Spacek plays the title character of Carrie with Piper Laurie as her strict, Bible-thumping mother who only pushes her further toward the deep end.

You can stream 'Carrie' on Paramount Plus, SHOWTIME, Showtime Anytime, Sling TV, Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Apple TV, or Vudu.

Halloween (1978)

Sometimes it just takes a lot of creativity and a William Shatner mask to produce a masterpiece.

The slasher movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis as scream queen Laurie Strode as she fights off a mental patient who escapes a sanitarium and returns to his hometown to seek out his next murder victims. Writer, director, and composer John Carpenter knows how to leave an immense, unnerving impact on the audience, despite having simple scares from a killer who walks slowly and doesn't make a sound.

You can stream 'Halloween' on Paramount Plus, SHOWTIME, Showtime Anytime, Sling TV, Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Apple TV, or Vudu.

The Shining (1980)

"Heeereee's Jooohnnny" to end our list.

Another one extracted from the brilliant mind of Steven King, Stanley Kubrick's film is considered a classic for not just the horror genre but for the film industry in general.

Jack Nicholson's portrayal of an off-season resort caretaker who goes off the psychological deep end as he suffers from an insane case of writer's block. Isolated in the Colorado mountainside with his family (and some other ghostly residents), we watch as he finally reached his breaking point and becomes an unhinged man who terrorizes his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd).

You can stream 'The Shining' on Paramount Plus, SHOWTIME, Showtime Anytime, Sling TV, Spectrum TV, Prime Video, Apple TV, or Vudu.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Halloween season is coming up. Here's 15 classic Halloween movies