Movies that remind me of Halloween: #1, Something Wicked This Way Comes

Whenever October hits, I feel the urge to watch six or seven films that most remind me of the Halloween season.  This month I'll be randomly spotlighting them and detailing why they make me think of dark autumn nights and huddling under my covers.

Movie #1: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Stars: Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, and Diane Ladd
Director: Jay Clayton
Based on the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Essential Halloween-ish elements:  A circus sideshow run by a sinister man named Mr. Dark, curious young kids who become too curious, lightning rods, a scene with hundreds of spiders crawling over a boy, a circus parade that sounds more like a funeral march, and small-town citizens lured to the dark side.

When I first saw it: As a kid, but it's just as creepy when viewed through adult eyes.

Most memorable line: By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.
 
Best character names: Mr. Dark, Jim Nightshade

Bottom line: If you're afraid of clowns and spiders, this movie just might give you nightmares--but isn't that part of the fun of Halloween films?