By Adia Miller

From the subtly spooky to the downright terrifying, 2023 is the host of many important Halloween-esque anniversaries. This year, many of our favorite works meet a milestone, one of which will even be celebrating its 90th year on November 13. In order, from most recent to oldest, these are the Halloween movie and TV anniversaries in 2023.

Hannibal: TV Series’s 10th Anniversary (April 4)
Hailing from Thomas Harris’ book series, the cannibalistic character of Hannibal Lecter has cemented himself as a part of horror pop culture largely in thanks to The Silence of the Lambs movie adaptation, as well as the cult classic Mindhunter.

A whole new generation was introduced to the simultaneously depraved and proper character when Bryan Fuller’s 2013 TV adaptation of Red Dragon, the first book in the series, came on the air. Named Hannibal, Mads Mikkelson portrayed the titular character and Hugh Dancy played FBI profiler Will Graham.

The show’s increasing brutality, phenomenal writing, and brilliant acting enthralled its audience for three seasons. Cancelled for being too expensive, never mind the excessive praise from critics and fans alike, fans are still campaigning to bring it back on the air.

Heathers: Movie’s 25th Anniversary (March 31)
This Michel Lehmann movie may not strictly be Halloweeny, but it is ridiculously dark and always worth a watch.

An original film starring Winona Ryder as Veronica and Christian Slater as JD, the flick takes place in a high school run by a social hierarchy. When Veronica and JD “unwittingly” end up murdering classmate and Queen Bee Heather Chandler, they make a desperate attempt to hide it under the veil of suicide.

From there, everything spins out of control with more death, more 80’s style, and more teenage angst. With infinitely quotable lines and a dark storyline unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, the film has reached a cult classic status only reinvigorated with the creation of the 2010 musical.

Pet Sematary: Book’s 40th Anniversary (November 14)
It is nearly impossible to talk about horror without mentioning the king of it himself, the aptly named Stephen King. With famous works such as It, Carrie, and The Stand, he has been a staple writer of the horror genre since the 70’s. Another one of his most popular works is the 1983 book: Pet Sematary.

The story follows Chicago doctor Louis Creed, who moves his family — a wife, daughter, and cat — to a little town in Maine, where many King novels take place. There, kids take the carcasses of deceased animals killed on the main road and lay them to rest in a pet… well… cemetery. When their pet cat dies, Creed buries the cat in what he thinks is the pet graveyard, only to find out he went too far into the woods and buried it in an ancient burial ground that can bring the dead back to life.

Halloween: Movie’s 45th Anniversary (October 25)
You cannot begin to talk about horror without bringing up 1978’s Halloween. Initially set in 1963, one of the first things we see is a six-year-old Michael Meyers arrested for the murder of his sister. Then it flashes to the 1978 present in the very same house, where we see teenager Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), one of the original scream queens/final girls, starting a night of babysitting she will never forget after now-iconic character Michael escapes from prison.

The first of a 13-film franchise famous for an inside-out Captain Kirk-masked killer with a kitchen knife, the original film would change horror movies as we know them, elevating worn out tropes and creating now iconic moments that would be parodied and called back for years to come. 

The Exorcist: Movie’s 50th Anniversary (December 26)
Despite what Supernatural’s Dean Winchester may say, this is not a film that will get you craving Pea Soup.

Based on the William Peter Blattly novel of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the story of a 1949 exorcism of a young boy from Maryland, the movie tells the tale of Reagan MacNeil (Linda Blair), the twelve-year-old daughter of a Hollywood star, as her once shy and sweet demeanor starts getting twisted into something evil.

Fearing something has corrupted her daughter’s soul, Chris (Ellen Burstyn) calls upon two priests to help her. They go on to undertake a gruesome and violent exorcism in the hopes to save the young girl.

One of the most profitable horror films of all time, it’s also thought by some to be cursed. The set on which it was filmed was a dangerous place plagued with injuries and death, matching the eerie feel the film gives off all these years later.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Show’s 50th Anniversary (June 19)
Horror, musical, or comedy? No need to decide. At least, that seems to have been Richard O’Brien’s attitude when creating this revolutionary theater production turned movie.

A cult classic piece that has been entrapping people in its thrall for 50 years, it may have been the movie that brought it to the status it is at now, but none of that would have occurred if not for the original theater production that premiered 50 years ago at an only 60-seat theater.

There’s always a performance going on (even in Ohio), so it’s never too late to get in on this interactive masterclass in madness. And Barry Bostwick, the film Brad Majors, will be at Galaxy Con in Columbus December 1-3 for meet and greets and autographs.

Universal’s Phantom of the Opera: Movie’s 80th Anniversary (November 15)
Based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux, this is not the 1925 silent movie starring Lon Chaney. Rather, this film is a remake done in technicolor and acts as one of the first really successful Universal monster movies.

The Phantom of the Opera film tells the story of a deformed man (Claude Rains) who stalks the halls of a Parisian opera house and falls in love with young soprano Christine Daae (Susanna Foster).

Seeking her affection in turn, he works to get her to the peak of stardom, killing those around her on the way which incites an investigation led by Christine’s two other suitors, brothers Raoul (Edgar Barrier) and Anatole (Nelson Eddie).

The film does have some changes from the original source material, making the Phantom a violinist named Enrique and having him be disfigured not from birth, but rather from acid being thrown at his face, but it is a staple of the Universal monster franchise. And when better to watch than on its 80th anniversary?

Universal’s The Invisible Man: Movie’s 90th Anniversary (November 13)

Based on acclaimed science fiction author H.G. Wells 1897 novel, the story follows chemist Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) who is driven to insanity after discovering the formula for a potion that can turn him invisible.

One of the many iconic Universal Monster movies that gripped people for decades and introduced the world to the horror film genre, the film is a classic and must see for all horror lovers.

Multiple theaters in Ohio will be showing this monster flick, including the AMC in Westchester and the AMC classic in Hamilton, in honor of this momentous anniversary. So if you’re yet to see one of the greatest Universal monster movies and have 70 minutes to spare, put November 13 on your calendar.