Local Mayors Recommend Horror Movies For Halloween

SAMMAMISH, WA - To this day, Sammamish Mayor Christie Malchow still gets scared thinking of Freddie Kruger, the disfigured killer who stalks teens while they sleep in "A Nightmare On Elm Street."

"As a teen myself when this movie came out, I experienced some sleepless nights worrying about my worst dreams becoming real. Even now, I get scared thinking about it!" Malchow says.

Few jobs are as scary as being a mayor, or any elected official. You're completely accountable to the public, you have to play politics with the rest of the city council - and, yikes, so many meetings. So Patch asked mayors from around Puget Sound to weigh-in on what movies they like to watch during the Halloween season. Not all the picks are scary, but each one is perfect for a rainy night in Puget Sound - especially during budget season!

Here's what the mayors recommend (commentary our own):

Young Frankenstein, Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling - This Mel Brooks parody of "Frankenstein" is always hilarious, plus it still has a scene featuring a torch-wielding mob - just like during a contentious city council meeting.

Ghostbusters, Kirkland Mayor Amy Walen - The 1984 original features a tough but fair mayor who ultimately sides with the Ghostbusters when, uh, ghosts and a giant marshmallow man take over New York City.

The Birds, Sumner Mayor Bill Pugh - Alfred Hitchcock's gory classic is a good choice for any mayor who's interested in emergency preparedness. In fact, an invasion of murderous birds might be preferable to a Mount Rainier eruption.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Bellevue Mayor John Chelminiak - In this 1966 movie, the Peanuts gang grapples with the myth of the Great Pumpkin. Linus insists the creature is real while the rest of the Peanuts disagree - again, very similar to a City Council meeting.

Hotel Transylvania, Mercer Island Mayor Debbie Bertlin - It's one of the most fun animated movies in recent years, but "Hotel Transylvania" is also a fable about economic development. No light rail drama in this one, however.

A few mayors we reached out to didn't get to us, but here's what they might want to watch:

Train To Busan, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan - Maybe the only thing scarier than an over budget train project is a train full of brain-wanting zombies.

Halloween, Lakewood Mayor Don Anderson - Little known fact: John Carpenter's revered slasher movie contains an important message about marijuana: don't use it. Michael Myers kills one character right after she smokes pot - pot she wouldn't have if Haddonfield had banned retail marijuana stores!

Deep Impact, Renton Mayor Denis Law - As a comet hurtles toward Earth, millions of people can be seen fleeing cities and getting trapped in gridlock, which is only slightly worse than what drivers encounter along I-405/SR 167 area every day.

Carnival Of Souls, Puyallup Mayor John Palmer - What would happen if the state fair abandoned its home in downtown Puyallup? Would it turn into a ... carnival of souls? Probably not, but this 1962 thriller is one of the best horror movies set at a fair/carnival.

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