Students Share Recommendations for Halloween Media

As Halloween draws near, many students find themselves looking for fang-tastic Halloween media to enjoy during these autumnal nights.

From an eerie supernatural podcast to a precinct-wide Halloween competition between detectives, Loyolans share recommendations for scary and fun stories this Halloween season.

The Magnus Archives | 5 seasons, 200 episodes

For busy students pressed for time this spooky season, an on-the-go podcast provides spine-chilling stories fit for the chilly walk to class. For 18-year-old forensic science major Claire Kurpinski, the podcast of the season is “The Magnus Archives.”

“The Magnus Archives” is a horror fiction anthology podcast directed by Alexander J. Newall. Writer Jonathan Sims narrates the podcast in-character as the head archivist at the fictional Magnus Institute in London, which focuses on researching the supernatural.

In each episode, Sims reads statements about supernatural encounters from characters who seek out the institute to share their story. “The Magnus Archives” covers a variety of heart-racing stories — from gambling for life in “Cheating Death” to a devilish band in “Grifter’s Bone.”

“It’s good for people that are kind of afraid of getting into horror because there are no jumpscares and all the episodes are isolated,” Kurpinski said.

All episode summaries and transcriptions are posted online, so listeners can pick and choose the scary stories they feel prepared to confront. 

“The Magnus Archives” is now streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and RSS.

Over the Garden Wall | 1 season, 10 episodes

In the spirit of crimson foliage and ripened gourds, first-year English and criminal justice double major Taylor Hozman said “Over the Garden Wall” illustrates the harvest element of autumn.

“Over the Garden Wall,” created by Patrick McHale, is Cartoon Network’s first animated miniseries, according to Deadline.

The show follows two young half-brothers, Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean). Wirt is the older sibling and tends to overthink every decision. Greg, on the other hand, is a carefree optimist whose main concern is the well-being of his pet frog. 

The two embark on an adventure to find their way home, out of the woods called “The Unknown.” Along the way, they meet a motley crew of characters including a prickly bluebird and a heartbroken schoolteacher. 

“The series is very autumnal and cozy,” Holzman said. “They’re walking through the woods in their little cloaks…and the leaves are all changing.” 

Even though Wirt and Greg encounter otherworldly monsters, the show maintains its mild and cozy mood. 

“It’s more focused on the relationship the brothers have, and a lot of the things that may seem creepy end up not being all that bad,” Holzman said.

“Over the Garden Wall” is rated TV-PG and is available on Hulu, HBO Max and Prime Video. 

Brooklyn Nine-Nine | 8 seasons, 153 episodes

For sophomore Fionnuala Russell, the month of tricks and treats means the ‘Halloween Heist’ episodes of NBC’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is a sitcom centered around the antics of the New York City Police Department in Brooklyn’s 99th precinct.

There are a total of eight ‘Halloween Heist’ episodes — one per season. Each episode follows the same basic plot as the precinct members compete to retrieve a specified item and achieve the title of “amazing detective-slash-genius.” 

“It started as just a playful bet between a cop and his captain and then it devolved into this important thing that [all the employees] look forward to for the whole year, which is always really fun,” Russell said.

All of ‘Halloween Heist’ can be watched as stand-alones and provide the audience with entertaining mischief every year. 

“They’re all funny,” Russell said. “My favorite thing is, for a lot of them, you don’t know who’s going to win until the end, because it changes and people turn their backs on each other.” 

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is rated TV-14 and can be streamed on Peacock TV, Prime Video, Vudu and Apple TV. 

The Blair Witch Project | 1h 21 min

If any brave hearts are hungry for horror, look no further than the “The Blair Witch Project,” which 18-year-old first-year Kendra Mack said is fit for novice horror-lovers.

“The Blair Witch Project” is a supernatural horror film directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. The movie is shot as though the audience is watching recovered footage from the camera of three student filmmakers — Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard — who have gone missing. 

The story follows the three students as they travel to Maryland to produce a documentary on the legend of the Blair Witch — the ghost of an executed witch who is said to kidnap and murder children. As the students trek through the woods, supernatural activities haunt them and they spiral into states of terror. 

“If you don’t like jumpscares then it’s a good one, because it’s just stress that makes it scary,” Mack said. “Its scare factor is, like, medium.” 

“The Blair Witch Project” is rated R and is available on most streaming platforms.