If you’re like me, and I know I am, you spend an inordinate amount of your time watching old episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Specifically, for me, Joel, Mike, and the ‘Bots have become a part of my nightly bedtime ritual. Which means that I’ve watched many of the episodes so many times that the wheels have come off.

Nonetheless, I have my rules about viewing when it comes to the Halloween month, which means that I try to make even my forays to the Satellite of Love as thematic as possible. To that end, I’ve assembled a few classic episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that I think make suitable Halloween season viewing…

The Killer Shrews (Season 4, Ep 7)

There’s a dark and stormy night. There are dogs wearing shrew costumes. Sure, it’s not the Halloween-iest of settings, but there were plenty of old creature feature trailer compilations that used elements from The Killer Shrews, which makes it feel maybe more seasonal than it actually is.

Werewolf (Season 9, Ep 4)

When you think Halloween you think… Arizona? The warm weather and occasional bright sunshine of Werewolf may not make for ideal October ambiance, but the low-rent werewolf costumes and impenetrable night shots certainly do.

Tormented (Season 4, Ep 14)

MST3K regular and giant afficionado Bert I. Gordon does his best William Castle impersonation in this story of a man tormented by the ghost of his dead mistress. It’s got some spooky shenanigans and some hip lingo… just enough to make it a good fit for Halloween.

The Undead (Season 8, Ep 6)

None other than Roger Corman helms this surprisingly good and delightfully campy tale of past lives as a prostitute in the 20th century relives her experiences as a maiden accused of being a witch in generic medieval times. Absolutely Halloween-y for all sorts of reasons, including a brief and pointless dance sequence in a graveyard.

Zombie Nightmare (Season 6, Ep 4)

I mean, it’s called Zombie Nightmare. That’s a good start, right? There are plenty of murky night shots, a soundtrack full of rock artists, an appearance by Jon Mikl Thor, and Adam West gets dragged into a grave by a corpse.

The Unearthly (Season 3, Ep 20)

John Carradine, Tor Johnson, and the “Edgar Allan Poe Marching Band” ensure that this is one of the spookier episodes of MST3K, nevermind that it takes place almost entirely in a handful of blandly decorated rooms where nothing really happens.

The Dead Talk Back (Season 6, Ep 3)

Look, it’s my list, and this might just be my favorite movie they ever showed on MST3K. Sure, it ultimately becomes just a naturalistic crime film, but Henry Krasker’s paranormal gobbledygook is as Halloween-y as it comes.

Hobgoblins (Season 9, Ep 7)

They showed a lot of low-rent monster movies on MST3K. I can’t explain why, but Hobgoblins just feels more Halloween-y than most of them.

Being from Another Planet (Season 4, Ep 5)

We’re getting into the home stretch now. Being from Another Planet not only features an alien mummy, but there’s also a mummy-themed costume party that could absolutely be a Halloween party if you squint. An even better reason for it to be on this list, however, is the ‘Bots putting on their own haunted house for Joel during one of the host segments.

Bride of the Monster (Season 4, Ep 23)

Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson (again) star in Ed Wood’s delightfully atmospheric homage to the Universal monster movies of yesteryear – replete with all the old dark houses, mad science labs, and bolts of fake lightning you can conjure on an Ed Wood budget.

The Screaming Skull (Season 9, Ep 12)

Somewhat surprisingly, the original crew of the Satellite of Love never actually did a William Castle movie – but this might be as close as they ever came. The Screaming Skull is basically a William Castle movie where nothing ever happens, but that’s still close enough.

I Was a Teenage Werewolf (Season 8, Ep 9)

As far as I know, this is the only movie that classic MST3K ever did that actually takes place around Halloween – complete with a teen Halloween party. So, you might expect it to be in the top spot on my list. But I think there’s one other that captures the season better…

Samson vs. the Vampire Women (Season 6, Ep 24)

It’s got vampires. It’s got campy gothic atmosphere. It’s got a fancy dress party. And the protagonist runs around in a mask literally all the time. What could be more perfect for the vibes of Halloween than this overdubbed version of Santo vs. las Mujeres Vampiro that is also the last appearance of TV’s Frank on the show.

Most of these are available to watch for free at the Gizmoplex, which is the absolute best way to watch classic MST episodes short of having them yourself. Those that aren’t are on YouTube.

Hopefully, they’ll make a good background for your Halloween party, or something for you to watch as you end a night of scary movies. We’ve still got a few days left until Halloween, so you may hear from me again before the big day, we’ll see…