15 top Halloween movie crushes, past and present

9. Luke Perry — Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

Before there was Sarah Michelle Gellar, there was Kristy Swanson. Yes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was originally a movie, and one that developed a huge cult following at that. Halloween is never complete without a few vampires, and Buffy is the perfect movie to get in the spirit.

Along with a badass heroine, Buffy also has Luke Perry as the romantic lead and vampire-slaying sidekick. He plays Oliver Pike who, similar to Perry’s character on Beverly Hills, 90210, starts out as an angry loner. But, as the movie progresses, Pike’s arc makes him a great character in Buffy mythology (though the movie isn’t technically canon).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer may technically be a comedy, but there’s still a horror element to it. Vampires can be menacing, after all. Thankfully, it’s easy to handle with Luke Perry helping save the day. As the cherry on top, the movie maintains its high school rom-com vibe, especially when Pike shows up for Buffy at the school dance.

Now, Luke Perry is part of another fan favorite series: Riverdale. He plays Fred Andrews, Archie’s father, who fans spent most of the hiatus worrying about. In the season 1 finale, Fred had been badly wounded by a mystery shooter. This season, it looks like that will be the key question; who is the Black Hood?

Fred Andrews is much different than Pike, but Luke Perry is still a delight to see on-screen. His work in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the perfect throwback at Halloween.