By Ari Mattes, University of Notre Dame Australia

If you are sick of children knocking on your door and demanding lollies and if you don’t feel like dressing up in a sexy or grotesque costume tonight, here are some Halloween films to help you ward off evil spirits.

Unsurprisingly, most are in the horror genre.

The obvious “go-tos” are the films from the eponymous franchise, John Carpenter’sHalloween of 1978and its seven sequels and two remakes. The majority of these films, however, are unwatchable; mostly boring and sometimes unpleasant.

By far the best two films are Carpenter’s original and its in-name-only sequel,Halloween III: Season of the Witch(1982): the only one of the series that doesn’t feature lethal, masked maniac Michael Myers.

The terrifying Mike Myers character in Halloween. (Image via Halloween/Compass International Pictures)

It is, of course, notorious as one of the earlier American “slasher” films – a sub-genre that virtually began with Italian auteur Mario Bava’s answers to Hitchcock, films likeHatchet for the Honeymoon(1970) andTwitch of the Death Nerve(1971) – and remains one of the most profitable and influential independent films to this day.Carpenter’s first film is, contrary to popular belief, a carefully measured and effectively manipulative slow burn. The film unfolds in what feels like close to real time, following the actions of heroine Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) as she and her group of friends are picked off one by one by the killer.

Halloween offers a brilliant, post-Vietnam War examination of the potential horror simultaneously germinated in, emerging from, and entering the American small town. Carpenter seems to recognise, and clearly develop, the macabre potential of small town life.

Rob Zombie attempted to reanimate the franchise with his remake in 2007. Although Zombie has made a couple of worthwhile films –The Devil’s Rejectsis easily his best – his take on Halloween is a complete dud. Whereas Carpenter depicts Michael Myers as the personification of evil, Zombie tries to psychologise Myers, making the film about his inner development as an abused child institutionalised from a young age.

Another scary classic is Nightmare on Elm Street. (Image via Nightmare on Elm Street/New Line Cinema)

Carpenter’s approach is much more aesthetically satisfying than Zombie’s hokey attempt at psychological realism, which completely nullifies the far more horrifying potential of the idea of Myers as the emergence of evil lurking within the heart of the good, the everyday, the ordinary.

And even though evil doesn’t exist in the real world, it can be an exciting, compelling concept around which to build and structure art. Films likeHalloween(and Wes Craven’s laterA Nightmare on Elm Street) offer a layered, culturally rich critique of American suburban conformity – and Zombie’s psychologising of Myers radically shifts this emphasis away from the socio-cultural towards the personal and the private.

Jenna Dewan Tatum absolutely killed it as a unicorn.

Zach Braff is looking tops in his Top Gun costume.

Alessandra Ambrosio absolutely stuns as Jessica Rabbit. Those legs though,

Special mention to Chrissy Teagan's daughter Luna for looking like the cutest hotdog we've ever seen!

Jessica Alba and her friend having an absolutely fabulous time as Edina and Patsy.

Model Joanna Krupa made jaws drop as she turned up in a very raunchy fairy costume.

This might be the big winner here. Katy Perry and Boyfriend, Orlando Bloom go all out as Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Kelly Rowland turned to the 90's for inspo this year as Cher from Clueless

Kelsey Grammer pay homage to one of the original villains from The Simpsons, Side Show Bob.

Bette Midler absolutely killed it as her original character from the movie Hocus Pocus

Jacob Tremlays class mates may not have appreciated his Marty McFly outfit, but all the adults sure did!

Swimmer Ryan Lochte and his girlfriend team up as the Mad Hatter and Alice in Wonderland.

Zendaya proving that the best costumes can sometimes just come down to your make up.

Young muso Zedd and a friend pay homage to the most iconic DJ duo, Daft Punk.

Comedian Kathy Griffith goes as our fave social media site, snapchat.

Bobby Kennedy and Cheryl Hines are super cute in their legend of Zoro costumes.

90's super model Cindy Crawford and her daughter Kaia dress to impress as punk rockers along side her son and husband.

Deborah Martin attends Bette Midlers annual Hulaween bash as an sexy ice queen.

Seth Macfarlane gets grouchy as the lovable Sesame Street character, Oscar the Grouch.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which was produced, but not directed by, Carpenter, is one of the weirder films in the cinematic archive. It oscillates between moments of supernatural terror, repellent violence, and th