If you're planning a Halloween movie party, the possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing the right films to show. And not all of them need to be traditional “horror” flicks. In fact, check out these suggestions for some alternative films to consider that will make your next “All Hallows Eve” get-together frightfully unique.

So let's raise the bar, even as we raise our glass of champagne. Who says scary movies need to be low brow? Break out the caviar and brie and go upscale with these tasteful terrors for your Halloween soiree.

1. Ironweed - Nothing says horror like Meryl Streep on skid row during the Depression, right? But, if you throw in fellow transient Jack Nicholson and a few creepy ghosts from his past who continue to haunt him, well then you have the makings of a pretty good fright flick. Add Tom Waits to the mix and you have a classic.

2. M—An early German Expressionist talky, directed by Fritz Lang and starring Peter Lorre as a child murderer put on trial by a bunch of underworld criminals. It doesn't get much better than that. Lorre eventually came to America and made a career playing such lowlifes, but this is the role that started him on his way.

3. The Wicker Man - We're talking the British version from 1973, not the Nicholas Cage remake. A rigidly moral policeman (Edward Woodward) goes to a small island community off the English coast in search of a missing girl and stumbles upon a pagan cult headed by Christopher Lee. Not to give too much away, but human sacrifice is suspected, though the scariest thing you’ll see is Lee sporting a dress and wig at the end. And if that ain't enough, it's also a musical!

4. Paperhouse - Directed by Bernard Rose (who went on to make Candyman), it may be hard to track down a copy of this film, but it's worth the effort. A young girl finds that a drawing she made of a house comes alive in her dreams. Every time she adds something to the drawing, it appears in the dream. Moody and unsettling, this film explores the subconscious world of childhood better than just about any other one out there.

There's more than one way to celebrate Halloween and hopefully these alternative film choices will help you do it in style.

Joe Frinzi is an Easton-based writer and film buff. He is the longtime movie critic for the Easton Irregular newspaper.