Redbox, America’s destination for new-release entertainment, revealed today that “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is America’s favorite movie to watch around Halloween. Two other classic titles – “Halloween” and “Hocus Pocus” – came in second and third.
Viewing Habits, Fantasy Casting and Familiar Clichés
Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) say it wouldn’t feel like Halloween if they didn’t watch a scary movie or two. The two most common habits during or after watching a horror movie are “making fun of the movie” and “snuggling up with a significant other.” When asked which television host they’d be eager to see cast in a horror movie, Americans chose funny lady Ellen DeGeneres.
The survey data also found that when it comes to horror movie clichés, 40 percent of Americans say “running up the stairs instead of running out the front door” is the most annoying. Other picks include “separating from the group” and “thinking the killer is dead and then they come back to life.” Not surprisingly, younger generations find “having no cell reception” most annoying.
Southern States Most Likely to Look for a Scare this Halloween
Redbox rental data shows that West Virginia has the biggest appetite for scares. The “Mountain State” led the country in the most rentals of horror movies per kiosk in 2014. Of the ten states that most frequently rent a horror movie from Redbox, seven were located in the South:
- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Alabama
- Ohio
- Arizona
- Tennessee
- Pennsylvania
- Oklahoma
“We are constantly analyzing our rental data to ensure we are delivering the best experience to our customers,” said Kiera Hynninen, senior vice president of brand marketing at Redbox. “We’ll continue to make sure that our friends in the South, as well as the rest of the country, are well stocked for frights this Halloween and throughout the year.”
Out of all 2014 horror movies rented at Redbox to date, “Carrie” (2013) is the most rented title, followed by “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” “Devil’s Due,” “Insidious Chapter 2” and “Oculus.” In 2013, the most popular horror rental during the week of Halloween was “World War Z.”
Movie fans can take advantage of Halloween-themed promotions at Redbox kiosks across the country. Between October 21 and November 2, when customers reserve select Halloween titles at redbox.com, they’ll get $0.50 off another 1-day DVD rental. Fans of family fare like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” can delight in new releases and returning favorites such as “Toy Story of Terror,” “Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy” and “Casper,” while horror enthusiasts can indulge in titles such as “Oculus” and “Curse of Chucky.” Those looking for additional thrills can turn to the video game selection, featuring “The Walking Dead: Season 2” and “The Evil Within.”
The five-question online omnibus survey of 1,000 Census-representative respondents 18 years and older in the United States was conducted by Toluna using an online methodology. The margin of error (MOE) for the audience (n=1,000) is + 3.0 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
About Redbox
Redbox, an Outerwall Inc. (Nasdaq: OUTR) brand, offers new-release DVD, Blu-ray Disc® and video-game rentals through its network of conveniently located, self-service kiosks. Redbox has rented more than 3.7 billion discs and is available at more than 35,000 locations, including leading grocery, drug and convenience stores, and select Walgreens, Walmart and McDonald’s locations. For more information, visit www.redbox.com and for more information about Outerwall Inc., visit www.outerwall.com.
