Whether you watch them by yourself, with your friends or with your family, movies are enjoyable to all and a great way to experience the holiday of Halloween. Over the years, things seem to have changed in relation to Halloween movies. If you compare the movies our parents watched versus the ones we watch, there is a significant difference.

Movie quality has advanced as Halloween monsters and evil spirits become more realistic and believable to the audience. Children used to have pumpkins that sing songs, now they have demons who suck the life out of you. The younger generation is less fearful of the holiday and more excited to participate in the scaring portion, but is that a good thing?

Halloween movies used to be about doctors creating monsters, witches and misunderstood families trying to fit in. Now, they all seem to focus on special effects and scaring the younger generations. The use of technology is gaining more attention and because of this movie sales are through the roof.

“The effects have gotten better, but movies keep reusing the same stereotypes and jokes…the plot gets boring,” says freshman Michal Brankin. Special effects are interesting and grab a viewer’s attention.

Throughout the 21st century, this has attracted a whole new crowd, but some things are better left untouched. There’s a line between scaring little kids and having a laugh over a jump scare. Let’s compare the recent revival of a 1990 movie, “It.”. The old version featured a clown that looked relatively human, the type you’d see at a birthday party or in your nightmares depending on which way you swing, but the new character looks like something straight from hell. The original that looks like a friendly circus lad is much scarier because of the realistic take on clowns versus the monster that Andrés Muschietti, the 2017 director of “It,” created.

Even the 2016 revival of a 1984 hit, “Ghostbusters,” focuses more on the music and effects than the actual plot. Writers, directors and producers have tried their best to make scarier Halloween movies that are more appealing to older audiences. You can’t have a toddler going into the theater to see “It.” Whatever happened to family friendly?

Depending on the person, Halloween movies could be scary and entertaining or fully despised, but most modern day Halloween movies are too childish for adults and too mature for children.

Several Saint Viator freshman agreed that horror was the preferred genre. Imagine going to a movie such as “Happy Death Day,” with your little brother or sister. That’s probably not very likely. People enjoy horror movies because of the excitement they bring, but how many times do you really see a group of friends bonding over “Scary Movie 5” over “Casper: the Friendly Ghost?”

As the effects continue to grow more bloody and gruesome, the more money directors and actors make, this can benefit a director until a child sneaks into a PG-13 movie and scars him or herself forever.

Even Halloween themed music has changed too. Not only have popular bands been recreating the hits from these 1980/1990 movies, but they’ve also become more popular because of this. If Halloween movies continue down the scary route, parents may be hesitant to let their children see these films.