10 Best Hidden Gem Halloween Horror Movies

3. Jack-O

Jack-O 1995
Triboro Entertainment Group

On face value, 1995's Jack-O could be deemed a Pumpkinhead rip-off. Sure, there is a pumpkin-headed killer at the centre of this Steve Latshaw film, but there's a whole lot to enjoy here if you cut Jack-O some slack.

Here, ancient wizard Walter Machen swore bloody revenge on the community of Oakmoor Crossing after his death. In particular, it's the family of Arthur Kelly that bore the brunt of this crazy fella's wrath, with Arthur the man who put Machen down for good. As payback, Walter summoned a sinister presence known as Mr. Jack the Pumpkin Man to target Arthur. And while Arthur may have defeated that threat all those years ago, Mr. Jack has resurfaced in the present day and has young Sean Kelly - an ancestor of Arthur's - in his crosshairs.

The action is campy, the vibe is fairly low-budget, but Jack-O still has plenty to offer horror hounds - not least appearances from genre faves Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, and John Carradine, 

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.