Welcome to the first annual—perhaps the only—Pepper Bough Halloween Movie Tournament!

Over the next nine school days, you will have the opportunity to vote for your favorite horror movies from this century, with the champion being crowned on none other than Halloween night.

The game is simple. Like any tournament, we have set up brackets in which horror movies can square off against each other in individual matchups. On each entry, there will be a poll for you to vote for your favorite of the two. The winner will move on to the next round.

Today’s first round match-up is . . .

4. Train to Busan vs. 5. The Cabin in the Woods

Our staff has put together some defense for each film. Take a look, then make your vote!

While “28 Days Later” may have popularized the idea of fast movie zombies, “Train to Busan” perfected it. This lighning-paced action-horror classic shocked filmgoers and horror enthusiasts in 2016 when it came over from Korea. It’s a surprisingly sweet story about a single dad trying to protect his daughter on a train from zombies as he tries to get her home safely. There’s a great ensemble of characters, and the zombie violence is . . . chef’s kiss! “Train to Busan” is a rewatchable masterclass of zombie filmmaking. If you don’t vote for it, make sure you take some time this month and watch it.

You think horror movies can be just a little corny sometimes? A little bit predictable? Well “The Cabin in the Woods” also thinks so. This is what led director Drew Goddard to write this masterpiece in 3 days as a critical satire on the horror genre. “Cabin” is absolutely hilarious and ironically can be connected to every horror movie universe ever. It takes serious horror movie cliches and makes them absolutely hilarious, making dumb character choices actually make sense. A group of college kids take the oft-traveled road trip to a cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun, only to get more than they expected when their lives cross with the secret agenda of a mysterious organization. I don’t want to spoil anything but there’s a scene at the end of the movie where monsters on monsters on monsters attack, making for a slew of horrific-hilarious murders.