20 Family Friendly Halloween Classics
Hello everyone! And may I just say, Happy Halloween weekend! My special still has a few days to go, but in the meantime I wanted to make something up for the non-horror fans who still love Halloween as much, if not more than I do. I further decided to make it so that it's not a Top 20 list, but a simple list of 20 recommendations. For the most part, that has to do with me not being able to rank them. Halloween is a tricky one for me 'cause I enjoy the terrible cheesiness of some movies, the straight up horror of others, and yes, even the family-friendly titles, some of which are classics in their own right. That's what we're gonna talk about today.
Perhaps you're at home this weekend with your family instead of out partying it up. In that case, I have provided a list of 20 Family Friendly Halloween Classics to choose from. Some are very rare and hard to find, but if you can manage, they're a good treat. Others are plain as day, and the list simply can't exist without them. With 20 titles to choose from though, you should have no shortage of fun, not-so-scary things to watch in time for this Halloween!
Perhaps you're at home this weekend with your family instead of out partying it up. In that case, I have provided a list of 20 Family Friendly Halloween Classics to choose from. Some are very rare and hard to find, but if you can manage, they're a good treat. Others are plain as day, and the list simply can't exist without them. With 20 titles to choose from though, you should have no shortage of fun, not-so-scary things to watch in time for this Halloween!
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
This may seem like a bold statement, but I'm pretty sure that the idea of Halloween specials pretty much came from this one, dating back to 1966. Several would follow over the years, but this has since become the "gold standard" for Halloween specials. Unfortunately, it has started to lose it's grasp on people over the years, perhaps due to it becoming sort of dated. But that doesn't change the fact that in it's own way, it's important. In it's own way, it's a part of television history. The only 'Peanuts' special that may dethrone it is 'Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown'.
The main plot line follows Linus, as he's 100% convinced that there's a Halloween figurehead known as The Great Pumpkin. He has somehow latched onto this, and awaits the Great Pumpkin's arrival every Halloween, instead of joining the other kids for trick or treating or fun parties. While he sits out in the pumpkin patch with Sally, all the other kids enjoy themselves, short of perhaps Charlie Brown, who keeps getting rocks instead of candy, and is used as the model for a pumpkin carving.
If I'm honest, one thing that might break this special for people is Snoopy pretending to be a World War I pilot. It's certainly not without it's humor, and I still enjoy it, but it DOES do a job of dragging on for longer than one might desire. That nitpick aside, however, it's still full of humorous dialogue and great music, and it's found it's way onto my annual "must-watch" list. It remains my highest family-friendly Halloween-related recommendation to watch, despite the fact that it might not be for everyone. The main reason being that it came before anything, and I mean ANYTHING else.
The main plot line follows Linus, as he's 100% convinced that there's a Halloween figurehead known as The Great Pumpkin. He has somehow latched onto this, and awaits the Great Pumpkin's arrival every Halloween, instead of joining the other kids for trick or treating or fun parties. While he sits out in the pumpkin patch with Sally, all the other kids enjoy themselves, short of perhaps Charlie Brown, who keeps getting rocks instead of candy, and is used as the model for a pumpkin carving.
If I'm honest, one thing that might break this special for people is Snoopy pretending to be a World War I pilot. It's certainly not without it's humor, and I still enjoy it, but it DOES do a job of dragging on for longer than one might desire. That nitpick aside, however, it's still full of humorous dialogue and great music, and it's found it's way onto my annual "must-watch" list. It remains my highest family-friendly Halloween-related recommendation to watch, despite the fact that it might not be for everyone. The main reason being that it came before anything, and I mean ANYTHING else.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
To get the truly obvious out of the way, this title has been a favorite among many since it first aired back in the early 90's. It's one of the few titles out there that can be watched as a Halloween movie OR a Christmas movie. With that said, with Tim Burton's vision and creepy characters that outweigh anyone else, it's definitely more of a Halloween movie.
The short of it is this is a musical about Jack Skelington, the Pumpkin King and figurehead of Halloween Town (not to be confused with 'Halloweentown', which we'll get to in a bit). Every year it's the same routine, and he finds himself in a sort of rut. That is, until he goes exploring and happens to fall into Christmas Town. When the awe and wonder of the Christmas spirit take hold, Jack decides to make a plot to kidnap Santa Claus and take over Christmas, if only for something different. The funny thing is, Jack means no harm to Santa and figures he's giving him a break.
This one has a bit of a darker tone to it, so may be a bit creepy for some of the younger kids. But that doesn't change the fact that this is almost a staple of the Halloween season nowadays. When you ask someone to "name a Halloween movie", chances are, this one will come up quite a lot. In the past decade or so (maybe longer) it's even gotten a strong cult following. Jack and Molly are both popular costumes when the time comes to dress up, not just for Halloween, but for all sorts of different conventions as well. It has left it's mark, and continues to be one of the best titles for the season overall.
The short of it is this is a musical about Jack Skelington, the Pumpkin King and figurehead of Halloween Town (not to be confused with 'Halloweentown', which we'll get to in a bit). Every year it's the same routine, and he finds himself in a sort of rut. That is, until he goes exploring and happens to fall into Christmas Town. When the awe and wonder of the Christmas spirit take hold, Jack decides to make a plot to kidnap Santa Claus and take over Christmas, if only for something different. The funny thing is, Jack means no harm to Santa and figures he's giving him a break.
This one has a bit of a darker tone to it, so may be a bit creepy for some of the younger kids. But that doesn't change the fact that this is almost a staple of the Halloween season nowadays. When you ask someone to "name a Halloween movie", chances are, this one will come up quite a lot. In the past decade or so (maybe longer) it's even gotten a strong cult following. Jack and Molly are both popular costumes when the time comes to dress up, not just for Halloween, but for all sorts of different conventions as well. It has left it's mark, and continues to be one of the best titles for the season overall.
DTV Monster Hits (1987)
This one is very hard to come across, but if you can find it, it's a lot of fun. Many years ago, Disney had a whole run on a sort of parody of MTV called DTV. It was pretty much a collaboration on music videos featuring popular music and classic Disney animation. 'DTV Monster Hits', in my humble opinion, was hands down the best of the series.
This special presentation is hosted by none other than the Man in the Mirror from 'Snow White', this time played by Jeffrey Jones. One by one, he introduces a list of 12 great retro songs for Halloween, ranging from Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' to The Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams'. All the while throughout, we're given clips from classic Disney animation, accompanying the music. Clips from 'Snow White', 'The Great Mouse Detective' and, oh hell yes, 'Ichabod and Mr. Toad', highlighting that classic Headless Horseman short. It's a nice, fun, all around family friendly special, running about 47 minutes in length.
While it remains difficult to find a full version of this in HD, one CAN still manage to find a poor-quality version on YouTube quite easily. It's just up to you as to whether or not you can handle something that was clearly recorded from an antenna television. This special is often misunderstood to be something called 'Disney's Halloween Treat', which is something different altogether. I would, however, lump the two together as far as quality goes. Both rare, both rough quality if they can be found, both great family picks for Halloween if you can manage.
This special presentation is hosted by none other than the Man in the Mirror from 'Snow White', this time played by Jeffrey Jones. One by one, he introduces a list of 12 great retro songs for Halloween, ranging from Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' to The Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams'. All the while throughout, we're given clips from classic Disney animation, accompanying the music. Clips from 'Snow White', 'The Great Mouse Detective' and, oh hell yes, 'Ichabod and Mr. Toad', highlighting that classic Headless Horseman short. It's a nice, fun, all around family friendly special, running about 47 minutes in length.
While it remains difficult to find a full version of this in HD, one CAN still manage to find a poor-quality version on YouTube quite easily. It's just up to you as to whether or not you can handle something that was clearly recorded from an antenna television. This special is often misunderstood to be something called 'Disney's Halloween Treat', which is something different altogether. I would, however, lump the two together as far as quality goes. Both rare, both rough quality if they can be found, both great family picks for Halloween if you can manage.
Halloweentown (1998)
'Halloweentown' centers on Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown). Her mother, Gwen (Judith Hoag) never lets her and her younger siblings, Dylan (Joey Zimmerman) and Sophie (Emily Roeske), go out for Halloween. She insists that there's more to Halloween than they understand, but never gives them the real reason - they are from a bloodline of witches and warlocks, and she'd rather raise them as human (why!?)
When their grandmother comes to visit, eager to get Marnie started on her "training", Gwen sends her back home to a place called "Halloweentown". The kids, unbeknownst to their grandmother, manage to tag along and are brought to the magical town where adventure ensues. I have to admit, the town itself is pretty cool. It's just a bunch of Halloween stuff walkin' around, but otherwise a typical suburban neighborhood. It's not scary so much as welcoming, allowing for a much younger audience to have fun with it.
Believe it or not, I hadn't actually even heard of this one until a few years ago. It seems to have gained this sort of underground following of hardcore Halloween fans. Finally, this year, I decided to try it out for myself. My basic review of few words would say that it's a good, safe, non-scary Halloween adventure for the kids. Parents might get a kick out of it too, but be warned that it does have that Disney Channel feel to it.
When their grandmother comes to visit, eager to get Marnie started on her "training", Gwen sends her back home to a place called "Halloweentown". The kids, unbeknownst to their grandmother, manage to tag along and are brought to the magical town where adventure ensues. I have to admit, the town itself is pretty cool. It's just a bunch of Halloween stuff walkin' around, but otherwise a typical suburban neighborhood. It's not scary so much as welcoming, allowing for a much younger audience to have fun with it.
Believe it or not, I hadn't actually even heard of this one until a few years ago. It seems to have gained this sort of underground following of hardcore Halloween fans. Finally, this year, I decided to try it out for myself. My basic review of few words would say that it's a good, safe, non-scary Halloween adventure for the kids. Parents might get a kick out of it too, but be warned that it does have that Disney Channel feel to it.
Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985)
Here's a little gem from my childhood that seems to have been swept under the rug. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, 'Garfield' was about as big as 'Peanuts' was, as far as comic strips went. So, it made sense for the comic to turn into a cartoon to be featured on special occasions. This was also before it became the mainstream cartoon, 'Garfield and Friends', but his voice was always the talent of Lorenzo Music (who also voiced Peter Venkman in the earlier days of 'Ghostbusters').
Garfield awakens to a TV broadcast of Binky the Clown, reminding the kids watching that it was Halloween night that night. Of course, the big draw for Garfield here is the promise of all the free candy he can handle. So, later that night, he and Odie dress up as pirates and head out on the town. Eventually they find themselves sailing on a raft in search of more candy, but get swept away to an eerie island with a single house to it's name. Here, they are told a scary story about pirate ghosts by an old, creepy man, certainly setting the dark mood for Halloween.
When I was very little watching this, the old man really managed to creep me out. The lighting on this guy was eerie, and he had this deep, booming, yet sophisticated voice. Perhaps most creepy though, was the guy's eyes. Big and wide with little dots for pupils. As far as 80's animation goes, he was pretty damn effective. Aside from that, it's a fun half hour special with plenty of good Halloween-related songs, and has recently become a nostalgic Halloween regular for yours truly.
Garfield awakens to a TV broadcast of Binky the Clown, reminding the kids watching that it was Halloween night that night. Of course, the big draw for Garfield here is the promise of all the free candy he can handle. So, later that night, he and Odie dress up as pirates and head out on the town. Eventually they find themselves sailing on a raft in search of more candy, but get swept away to an eerie island with a single house to it's name. Here, they are told a scary story about pirate ghosts by an old, creepy man, certainly setting the dark mood for Halloween.
When I was very little watching this, the old man really managed to creep me out. The lighting on this guy was eerie, and he had this deep, booming, yet sophisticated voice. Perhaps most creepy though, was the guy's eyes. Big and wide with little dots for pupils. As far as 80's animation goes, he was pretty damn effective. Aside from that, it's a fun half hour special with plenty of good Halloween-related songs, and has recently become a nostalgic Halloween regular for yours truly.
Tiny Toons Night Ghoulery (1995)
'Tiny Toon Adventures' ran from 1990 - 1992. After it was done, some of us fans were hungry for more, so they released two more television specials - 'Spring Break Special' in the Spring of '94, and 'Night Ghoulery' one year later. Sadly, while the series got it's DVD release, along with the movie 'How I Spent My Summer Vacation', the two specials kinda just got forgotten about and swept under the rug forever. This is a crying shame, as they both offer up some of the best 'Tiny Toons' material out there.
'Night Ghoulery' features Babs Bunny as the host, as she takes you through an art gallery introducing the audience to various paintings with related stories. You'll probably better recall when 'The Simpsons' did the same 'Night Gallery' farce a couple of years before. This is pretty much exactly the same, but it runs longer and covers more ground. The special parodies a range of things from 'Twilight Zone' episodes to Edgar Allan Poe tales to Abott and Costello routines. There's pretty much something here for everyone.
If you can manage to find it to watch, it's a personal favorite for the season that I highly recommend. It's just innocent enough that the whole family can watch it and enjoy it, and it's a prime example of what made 'Tiny Toons' so great in the first place. It speaks to adults just as well as it speaks to children, not so much using adult humor, but using classic source material. It's quite an amazing balance, and they always kinda did it the best (until 'Animaniacs' took the torch). Just bear in mind that it's tricky to find. I found it by searching Google and streaming it myself because, well, there's really basically no other way to do it. But if you have the time and don't mind watching something for 45 minutes on your PC, definitely go for it.
'Night Ghoulery' features Babs Bunny as the host, as she takes you through an art gallery introducing the audience to various paintings with related stories. You'll probably better recall when 'The Simpsons' did the same 'Night Gallery' farce a couple of years before. This is pretty much exactly the same, but it runs longer and covers more ground. The special parodies a range of things from 'Twilight Zone' episodes to Edgar Allan Poe tales to Abott and Costello routines. There's pretty much something here for everyone.
If you can manage to find it to watch, it's a personal favorite for the season that I highly recommend. It's just innocent enough that the whole family can watch it and enjoy it, and it's a prime example of what made 'Tiny Toons' so great in the first place. It speaks to adults just as well as it speaks to children, not so much using adult humor, but using classic source material. It's quite an amazing balance, and they always kinda did it the best (until 'Animaniacs' took the torch). Just bear in mind that it's tricky to find. I found it by searching Google and streaming it myself because, well, there's really basically no other way to do it. But if you have the time and don't mind watching something for 45 minutes on your PC, definitely go for it.
Casper (1995)
For the more fantasy-driven and nostalgic of us at heart, there's always good old 'Casper'. While it's not particularly an in-depth Halloween-themed movie, it still involves ghosts and, in fairness, does end during a Halloween party. For the most part, however, this really does play out as one long 'Casper' cartoon with some extra characters. The theme of Casper trying to make a friend is still very much abundant here, with Christina Ricci taking on that role as Cat.
Although the plot involves a greedy woman trying to get at a treasure, much of the focus here is on Casper and Cat's blossoming friendship and therapy sessions between Cat's father (a paranormal psychiatrist) and Casper's uncles Stretch, Fatso and Stinky. There's an interesting attempt at giving Casper a surprisingly dark back story of just how he became a ghost in the first place. There are moments throughout that kinda get surprisingly deep. The moments are, however, overshadowed with quite a bit of cartoonish humor, and it's full of humorous celebrity cameos, some clever, some not so much.
Nowadays, this is a title I've pretty much outgrown, but I do remember being pretty much in love with this movie when I was younger. Still though, I have to admit that it carries with it a sort of charm that comes from it's time, 1995. The whole creation of a more realistic Casper at the time was still really cool and unique. To give you some idea, this debuted several months before 'Toy Story', the first full-length computer animated feature. To me, it kinda has it's place in movie history, but if nothing else, it's still just a fun family film for the holiday.
Although the plot involves a greedy woman trying to get at a treasure, much of the focus here is on Casper and Cat's blossoming friendship and therapy sessions between Cat's father (a paranormal psychiatrist) and Casper's uncles Stretch, Fatso and Stinky. There's an interesting attempt at giving Casper a surprisingly dark back story of just how he became a ghost in the first place. There are moments throughout that kinda get surprisingly deep. The moments are, however, overshadowed with quite a bit of cartoonish humor, and it's full of humorous celebrity cameos, some clever, some not so much.
Nowadays, this is a title I've pretty much outgrown, but I do remember being pretty much in love with this movie when I was younger. Still though, I have to admit that it carries with it a sort of charm that comes from it's time, 1995. The whole creation of a more realistic Casper at the time was still really cool and unique. To give you some idea, this debuted several months before 'Toy Story', the first full-length computer animated feature. To me, it kinda has it's place in movie history, but if nothing else, it's still just a fun family film for the holiday.
Scared Shrekless (2010)
A short anthology for kids and adults alike, this is a neat 20 minutes of Halloween fun. This one involves the Shrek gang heading to Lord Farquaad's supposedly haunted castle. The goal is to be the last man standing while they all sit around and tell Halloween stories. The way it plays out tends to remind me of one of the older 'Treehouse of Horror' episodes on 'The Simpsons' with an ongoing narrative between the stories.
Three stories in total end up being told. Gingy tells a parody of 'Bride of Frankenstein'; Donkey and Puss tell a screwed up mess of a nightmare, as they keep talking over each other; and Shrek tells a parody of 'The Exorcist'. Gingy and Shrek's stories are really quite entertaining, and definitely aimed at adults just as well. The story between Donkey and Puss does get kind of annoying though, so fair warning. It's almost like a couple of 8-year-olds trying to talk over each other. That said, it's only a few minutes long, and does have a funny moment or two going for it.
Unfortunately I can't speak for my American audience, but fellow Canadians can find this on Netflix under 'Dreamwork's Spooky Stories'. The special actually includes a short 12 minute story called 'The Ghost of Lord Farquaad' and a 'Monsters vs Aliens' story called 'Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space. Neither are quite as good, but are both still plenty of fun to include in the short marathon.
Three stories in total end up being told. Gingy tells a parody of 'Bride of Frankenstein'; Donkey and Puss tell a screwed up mess of a nightmare, as they keep talking over each other; and Shrek tells a parody of 'The Exorcist'. Gingy and Shrek's stories are really quite entertaining, and definitely aimed at adults just as well. The story between Donkey and Puss does get kind of annoying though, so fair warning. It's almost like a couple of 8-year-olds trying to talk over each other. That said, it's only a few minutes long, and does have a funny moment or two going for it.
Unfortunately I can't speak for my American audience, but fellow Canadians can find this on Netflix under 'Dreamwork's Spooky Stories'. The special actually includes a short 12 minute story called 'The Ghost of Lord Farquaad' and a 'Monsters vs Aliens' story called 'Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space. Neither are quite as good, but are both still plenty of fun to include in the short marathon.
Goosebumps (2015)
There may be a part of me that's a bit biased here, as I remember really enjoying the Goosebumps books as a kid. These books would eventually become a show, which quite honestly held it's own. Both mediums were meant for a younger audience, but the show's actually fun to look back on considering how many celebrities show up. Hayden Christensen, Scott Speedman, Daniel DeSanto, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Gosling and even Adam West all make appearances, among others.
The movie is essentially the ultimate Goosebumps fan flick. It features Jack Black playing a bitter, recluse version of RL Stine (the books' author), himself. When the new kid in town accidentally opens an old Goosebumps manuscript in Stine's home office, it begins a chain reaction. The monsters, creatures, ghouls and goblins that Stine created all end up spilling out of the pages of the books and into reality, terrorizing the city. The operation is headed by Slappy from 'Night of the Living Dummy'; a personal favorite among the titles.
There's also a blossoming love story taking place between the two main characters, but thankfully nothing gets completely overshadowed by it. A kid named Champ (no, I'm not kidding) tags along for the ride as the comedy relief. He's your typical goofy sidekick type. Almost an unfortunate combination of Jar Jar Binks and Ron Weasley. He CAN grind the nerves a bit. Otherwise, there's some nostalgic quality to this, even in playing out much like an episode of the TV show would. Much like 'Casper', it even gets surprisingly deep in some moments.
The movie is essentially the ultimate Goosebumps fan flick. It features Jack Black playing a bitter, recluse version of RL Stine (the books' author), himself. When the new kid in town accidentally opens an old Goosebumps manuscript in Stine's home office, it begins a chain reaction. The monsters, creatures, ghouls and goblins that Stine created all end up spilling out of the pages of the books and into reality, terrorizing the city. The operation is headed by Slappy from 'Night of the Living Dummy'; a personal favorite among the titles.
There's also a blossoming love story taking place between the two main characters, but thankfully nothing gets completely overshadowed by it. A kid named Champ (no, I'm not kidding) tags along for the ride as the comedy relief. He's your typical goofy sidekick type. Almost an unfortunate combination of Jar Jar Binks and Ron Weasley. He CAN grind the nerves a bit. Otherwise, there's some nostalgic quality to this, even in playing out much like an episode of the TV show would. Much like 'Casper', it even gets surprisingly deep in some moments.
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Here we have a near-instant Halloween classic that surprisingly didn't do all that well with critics. That said, since it's release in late September of 2012, it has since become a popular title to revisit for the holiday. It also has a sequel that I will lump in with it, as it pretty much carries the whole story through along with it's sense of humor. So really, I'm advertising both movies, but the first film was the pleasant surprise that sort of came out of nowhere.
Dracula (Adam Sandler) with the help of several ghouls establishes Hotel Transylvania as a place where monsters could go to be safe from the humans who hate and fear them. This also offers protection for the most important thing in his life (or afterlife?) his daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez). When a human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) accidentally stumbles onto the hotel, Dracula does what he can to cover it up, dressing Jonathan up as a "Frankenstein". While he's there, Jonathan also shows the oldschool monsters, especially Mavis, how to have a good time.
To say what the sequels all about might spoil something for the newcomers, but trust me when I say watching these back to back actually works very well. One doesn't really outweight the other in quality. Further voice talents include Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, CeeLo Green, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon and John Lovitz, making it out to be quite a cast. Anyway, ignore those "Rotten Tomatoes" on this one 'cause it's one of the most fun and well-animated Halloween-ish movies you'll get to see with the whole family; jokes working for all ages. A high recommendation from yours truly.
Dracula (Adam Sandler) with the help of several ghouls establishes Hotel Transylvania as a place where monsters could go to be safe from the humans who hate and fear them. This also offers protection for the most important thing in his life (or afterlife?) his daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez). When a human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) accidentally stumbles onto the hotel, Dracula does what he can to cover it up, dressing Jonathan up as a "Frankenstein". While he's there, Jonathan also shows the oldschool monsters, especially Mavis, how to have a good time.
To say what the sequels all about might spoil something for the newcomers, but trust me when I say watching these back to back actually works very well. One doesn't really outweight the other in quality. Further voice talents include Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, CeeLo Green, Fran Drescher, Molly Shannon and John Lovitz, making it out to be quite a cast. Anyway, ignore those "Rotten Tomatoes" on this one 'cause it's one of the most fun and well-animated Halloween-ish movies you'll get to see with the whole family; jokes working for all ages. A high recommendation from yours truly.
Monster House (2006)
You've probably already read my review on this from earlier this month, but it doesn't change the fact that it warrants a spot on this list. With that said, I'm really not too sure what else I can say about it that I haven't already written. It's got a dark tone to it, fitting the style for the season, but it's full of humor as well.
For a quick recap as to the plot, basically it's about a kid who lives across the street from a cranky old dude who one day suffers a heart attack and is taken away from his house. While he's taken away, the kid and his friends go to investigate what's going on with the house, hoping to reclaim the toys they've lost on the property, and eventually solve a mystery as to why the house is the way it is. For my full review and more detail, just follow this link.
While produced by the great Steven Spielberg, one of the more interesting things about this movie might appeal to 'Rick & Morty' and 'Community' fans. One of the head writers on it was actually Dan Harmon, and one can find his humor (albeit lighter than we're used to) throughout the film. For instance there's something in the house pointed out to be the "uvula", and our sidekick makes a crack about it being a "girl house" (probably my favorite line in the movie). It's another fun animated ride for the whole family. However, with this one, there's admittedly points where one has to give reality a dodge. I mean, there IS a giant house just straight up eating people in the neighborhood.
For a quick recap as to the plot, basically it's about a kid who lives across the street from a cranky old dude who one day suffers a heart attack and is taken away from his house. While he's taken away, the kid and his friends go to investigate what's going on with the house, hoping to reclaim the toys they've lost on the property, and eventually solve a mystery as to why the house is the way it is. For my full review and more detail, just follow this link.
While produced by the great Steven Spielberg, one of the more interesting things about this movie might appeal to 'Rick & Morty' and 'Community' fans. One of the head writers on it was actually Dan Harmon, and one can find his humor (albeit lighter than we're used to) throughout the film. For instance there's something in the house pointed out to be the "uvula", and our sidekick makes a crack about it being a "girl house" (probably my favorite line in the movie). It's another fun animated ride for the whole family. However, with this one, there's admittedly points where one has to give reality a dodge. I mean, there IS a giant house just straight up eating people in the neighborhood.
Frankenweenie (2012)
I tend to enjoy Tim Burton more than dislike him. However, I do tend to lean more toward the group of people who wish he would stop reimagining things and just be original again. But, for every flop, he manages to redeem himself pretty well. After all, not ALL of his reimaginings were bad. 'Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children' was well done, and who can forget his interpretation of 'Sweeney Todd'? But this was a different sort of reimagining on his part, more in that he was recreating a short he made before he got famous. The fun addition is that it's remade in the style of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' or 'The Corpse Bride' (which, by the way, might also be okay as a Halloween movie).
The premise is simple enough. A boy named Victor Frankenstein, living in modern suburbia has a dog named Sparky, who he loves to pieces. One fateful day, Sparky is sadly hit by a car and killed. Several days later, Victor gets the idea to dig Sparky up and reanimate his corpse, Frankensyle.
As morbid as that does sound, I have to admit that I always found this to be one of Burton's best works. There's a lot of heart to it, it's funny, it's creepy, and it's oh so strange. So there's definitely a lot of that classic Burton feel to this. Beyond that, it's a flat out love letter to the classic black and white monster movies of the past. While it's mainly a parody of 'Frankenstein' there's also references to things like 'Gamera', 'Gremlins' and straight up archive footage of 'Dracula' (a version featuring Christopher Lee). It's a great family feature for present day that harkens back to the old days of cinema.
The premise is simple enough. A boy named Victor Frankenstein, living in modern suburbia has a dog named Sparky, who he loves to pieces. One fateful day, Sparky is sadly hit by a car and killed. Several days later, Victor gets the idea to dig Sparky up and reanimate his corpse, Frankensyle.
As morbid as that does sound, I have to admit that I always found this to be one of Burton's best works. There's a lot of heart to it, it's funny, it's creepy, and it's oh so strange. So there's definitely a lot of that classic Burton feel to this. Beyond that, it's a flat out love letter to the classic black and white monster movies of the past. While it's mainly a parody of 'Frankenstein' there's also references to things like 'Gamera', 'Gremlins' and straight up archive footage of 'Dracula' (a version featuring Christopher Lee). It's a great family feature for present day that harkens back to the old days of cinema.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
This one is often considered THE Halloween staple that isn't 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'. The reason - this came before even that, dating back to 1949! It came along as a part of one of Disney's animated features called 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad', telling the stories of 'The Wind in the Willows' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', or main focus. It's the second part of the film, so you'll either have to fast-forward or skip to it.
The story centers on Ichabod Crane, a new schoolmaster for the small village of Tarry Town. He's depicted as a sort of womanizer here, not altogether unlikable, but not altogether likable. He finds himself feuding with a young prankster known as "Brom Bones" over the hand of a lady named Katrina. Ichabod pretty much wins, so Brom Bones takes it upon himself to offer up a last prank by telling the scary story of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. He does this in musical fashion, and it's where the real Halloween mood starts to kick in. Up until that point, it's just a lot of narration and setup. Really and truly, one could get to the point where Brom Bones starts singing his "Headless Horseman" song and get a few minutes of Halloween classic glory.
Dating back so far, I have heard people from my parents' generation as well as mine talk about how this freaked them out as a kid. Some children may be sensitive to it, especially considering it's ending. But I have to say that this is a classic example of how to make things creepy without having to get gorey AND maintaining a sense of humor the whole time. I think this is something parents can show their kids as their first "ghost story", so to speak.
The story centers on Ichabod Crane, a new schoolmaster for the small village of Tarry Town. He's depicted as a sort of womanizer here, not altogether unlikable, but not altogether likable. He finds himself feuding with a young prankster known as "Brom Bones" over the hand of a lady named Katrina. Ichabod pretty much wins, so Brom Bones takes it upon himself to offer up a last prank by telling the scary story of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. He does this in musical fashion, and it's where the real Halloween mood starts to kick in. Up until that point, it's just a lot of narration and setup. Really and truly, one could get to the point where Brom Bones starts singing his "Headless Horseman" song and get a few minutes of Halloween classic glory.
Dating back so far, I have heard people from my parents' generation as well as mine talk about how this freaked them out as a kid. Some children may be sensitive to it, especially considering it's ending. But I have to say that this is a classic example of how to make things creepy without having to get gorey AND maintaining a sense of humor the whole time. I think this is something parents can show their kids as their first "ghost story", so to speak.
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990-2000)
Being that I'm Canadian, this particular show holds a special nostalgic place in my heart. I'll never forget being a kid and actually seeing this as a somewhat freaky show. It wasn't scary enough to invade my nightmares or anything, but it did have the same effect as something like a spookhouse would now. A little uneasy at times, but in the end, you have fun.
The premise involved a group of kids who called themselves "The Midnight Society". They would have meetings late at night in the woods, and share scary stories among a campfire, with each story being one full episode. It was like a 'Tales from the Crypt' for kids, really. It's choc full of celebrities who one might recognize from something else from their childhood. Melissa Joan Hart, Ryan Gosling, Laura Bertram, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Mia Kershner, Bobcat Goldthwait and even Jewel Staite are just a handful of familiar faces. In fact, for Gosling, it was his introduction!
Perhaps the most interesting thing to come from this show was, in fact, the idea for 'The Sixth Sense'. It comes from an episode called 'The Tale of the Prom Queen', and it has a similar twist at the end. There's also a share of repeat characters, like Dr. Vink (Aron Tager) and Sardo the Magician (Richard Dumont). It's a nice touch since story-tellers often reuse characters. If I'm not mistaken, it's still fairly easy to find. It all fits the mood for Halloween, but if you want the actual themed episodes, you want 'The Tale of the Twisted Claw' (the Halloween premier episode) and 'The Tale of the Midnight Ride'. But really, you can't go wrong here for a bit of cheesy, creepy and nostalgic fun.
The premise involved a group of kids who called themselves "The Midnight Society". They would have meetings late at night in the woods, and share scary stories among a campfire, with each story being one full episode. It was like a 'Tales from the Crypt' for kids, really. It's choc full of celebrities who one might recognize from something else from their childhood. Melissa Joan Hart, Ryan Gosling, Laura Bertram, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Mia Kershner, Bobcat Goldthwait and even Jewel Staite are just a handful of familiar faces. In fact, for Gosling, it was his introduction!
Perhaps the most interesting thing to come from this show was, in fact, the idea for 'The Sixth Sense'. It comes from an episode called 'The Tale of the Prom Queen', and it has a similar twist at the end. There's also a share of repeat characters, like Dr. Vink (Aron Tager) and Sardo the Magician (Richard Dumont). It's a nice touch since story-tellers often reuse characters. If I'm not mistaken, it's still fairly easy to find. It all fits the mood for Halloween, but if you want the actual themed episodes, you want 'The Tale of the Twisted Claw' (the Halloween premier episode) and 'The Tale of the Midnight Ride'. But really, you can't go wrong here for a bit of cheesy, creepy and nostalgic fun.
ParaNorman (2012)
Being that this is a personal favorite, I'm sure that one day it will make my 'Screening Suggestions' list. But for now, we'll keep things relatively simple. One company I've been keeping an eye on over the years has been LAIKA; an animation company that parallel's Burton's animated movies. They are responsible for this, 'Coraline', 'The Box Trolls' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings'. All pretty good movies, although I admit I wasn't huge on 'Boxtrolls'. By the way, 'Coraline' is something I'm gonna lump in with this for Halloween viewing, 'cause it's pretty creepy.
'ParaNorman' is about a boy named... well, Norman, who can communicate with the dead. It's like 'The Sixth Sense' if it was less creepy and more fun. Long story short, a man named Prenderghast tells Norman that he has to read a passage from a book at a witch girl's grave site. Things don't work out too well, and zombies start emerging from their old graves. Without going on and on, 'cause again I wanna talk about this another time, a large part o it leads to a "don't judge a book by it's cover" moral.
What makes it one of my favorites, however, is actually a number of things. Norman himself is a character who I feel I can kinda relate to. On top of that, however, it's really well-animated, it ends with a valuable lesson for it's viewers without talking down, and it's actually pretty damn funny a lot of the time. Some of the voice talent includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck and Christopher Mintz-Plasse to name a few. I feel pretty confident that this one is a lot more fun than it is scary, and highly recommend it for family viewing.
'ParaNorman' is about a boy named... well, Norman, who can communicate with the dead. It's like 'The Sixth Sense' if it was less creepy and more fun. Long story short, a man named Prenderghast tells Norman that he has to read a passage from a book at a witch girl's grave site. Things don't work out too well, and zombies start emerging from their old graves. Without going on and on, 'cause again I wanna talk about this another time, a large part o it leads to a "don't judge a book by it's cover" moral.
What makes it one of my favorites, however, is actually a number of things. Norman himself is a character who I feel I can kinda relate to. On top of that, however, it's really well-animated, it ends with a valuable lesson for it's viewers without talking down, and it's actually pretty damn funny a lot of the time. Some of the voice talent includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck and Christopher Mintz-Plasse to name a few. I feel pretty confident that this one is a lot more fun than it is scary, and highly recommend it for family viewing.
The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Fancy a bit of British humor for the family this Halloween? Look no further than 'The Curse of the Were-Rabbit', featuring that dynamic duo, Wallace and Gromit! If you're at all familiar with these guys, things pretty much unfold as expected; Wallace laying the clumsy oaf while his dog Gromit picks up the pieces.
This time around, the duo have a humane pest control service called "Anti-Pesto". They have a strong business here with the approach of Tottington Hall's annual Giant Vegetable Competition, as people are being extra cautious about rabbits eating their crops. However, their pens are getting overcrowded, so Wallace attempts to create a mind-control device in order to brainwash the rabbits into not craving vegetables. Despite a major malfunction, it has seemingly worked. That is until the neighborhood starts calling with complaints about their crops being destroyed by a vicious "were-rabbit".
This is an Aardman film, so the same studio that gave us such treats as 'The Pirates', 'Shaun the Sheep' and 'Chicken Run' among others. Much like LAIKA, it tends to be an animation company that I keep my eye on. With such a solid track record and this rated as one of their higher ranking films, you really can't go wrong. It's silly fun, and is a little reminiscent of the old 'Wolfman' films. While it certainly flaunts a Halloween-filled atmosphere, it's also not very scary for the wee ones. Check it out if you haven't yet, it's a good time!
This time around, the duo have a humane pest control service called "Anti-Pesto". They have a strong business here with the approach of Tottington Hall's annual Giant Vegetable Competition, as people are being extra cautious about rabbits eating their crops. However, their pens are getting overcrowded, so Wallace attempts to create a mind-control device in order to brainwash the rabbits into not craving vegetables. Despite a major malfunction, it has seemingly worked. That is until the neighborhood starts calling with complaints about their crops being destroyed by a vicious "were-rabbit".
This is an Aardman film, so the same studio that gave us such treats as 'The Pirates', 'Shaun the Sheep' and 'Chicken Run' among others. Much like LAIKA, it tends to be an animation company that I keep my eye on. With such a solid track record and this rated as one of their higher ranking films, you really can't go wrong. It's silly fun, and is a little reminiscent of the old 'Wolfman' films. While it certainly flaunts a Halloween-filled atmosphere, it's also not very scary for the wee ones. Check it out if you haven't yet, it's a good time!
Hocus Pocus (1993)
I bet you made it this far and wondered "where the hell is 'Hocus Pocus' on this list!?" Well, like I mentioned, this isn't a ranking list. So please don't take my positioning of this film to heart. Personally speaking, I find this one to be just okay. But I can't deny the power that it seems to have over others. It really has gone down in cinematic history as one of the most famous non-horror Halloween movies out there. I mean, just ask someone to name a Halloween movie off the top of their head. It won't always result in 'Hocus Pocus', but I'm willing to be that MOST of the time it will be between that and 'Halloween'.
Anyway, again, there's just nothing I can say about this movie that hasn't been said before. The three Sanders sisters are a group of witches who return to the land of the living in present day 1993 on Halloween night. Their mission is essentially go and suck out the souls of living children. Their reasoning? It restores their own youth and life altogether. Meanwhile, the 20th century family who has inherited the Sanderson cottage fight to stop them.
Trust me when I say that it probably sounds a lot worse than it really is. There's quite a bit of fish-out-of-water comedy going on here with the sisters, as they try to figure out the 20th century. On top of that, there's honestly just enough here to make one not able to take it too seriously. Anyway, it's likely that it doesn't really matter what I have to say about it 'cause it seems to have developed a massive following over the years anyway. What more can I say? It puts a spell on you!
Anyway, again, there's just nothing I can say about this movie that hasn't been said before. The three Sanders sisters are a group of witches who return to the land of the living in present day 1993 on Halloween night. Their mission is essentially go and suck out the souls of living children. Their reasoning? It restores their own youth and life altogether. Meanwhile, the 20th century family who has inherited the Sanderson cottage fight to stop them.
Trust me when I say that it probably sounds a lot worse than it really is. There's quite a bit of fish-out-of-water comedy going on here with the sisters, as they try to figure out the 20th century. On top of that, there's honestly just enough here to make one not able to take it too seriously. Anyway, it's likely that it doesn't really matter what I have to say about it 'cause it seems to have developed a massive following over the years anyway. What more can I say? It puts a spell on you!
The Monster Squad (1987)
So, before we get into this, I need you all to recognize that I'm recommending this for the older kids. Considering a few things that happen throughout the movie, it's not particularly for the younger audience. I'd probably say that if your kids were showing signs of puberty, that would be about the right time for it. It's just edgy enough that parents might get concerned, but let's face it, at that stage in your life, you're starting to welcome some more intense stuff. I'll just leave it at this; use your discretion.
The Monster Squad consists of a group of kids who live, eat and breathe old monster stuff. The head kid, Sean (Andre Gower) is given a book; the diary of legendary monster hunter Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. To Sean's dismay, it's written in German, but he eventually has it translated. It tells of an amulet made of pure goodness which balances good and evil. One day every century, the forces of evil come back to seek and destroy the amulet. The amulet itself is otherwise indestructible. The forces of evil represented here are in the form of all the old classic Universal monsters, so it's a happy coincidence that the well-educated "Monster Squad" are the holders of the amulet.
It's a lot of fun as a coming of age Halloween movie. There's some colorful language used here and there, and even some scenes seem pretty mean-spirited. But this was one of those edgy movies we were happy to get away with watching as kids. I would call it an interesting combination of any of Universal horror movie meeting 'The Goonies' or 'Stand by Me'. It may not be of the same quality, but in it's own way, it definitely carries a sort of nostalgic "awesomeness" with it.
The Monster Squad consists of a group of kids who live, eat and breathe old monster stuff. The head kid, Sean (Andre Gower) is given a book; the diary of legendary monster hunter Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. To Sean's dismay, it's written in German, but he eventually has it translated. It tells of an amulet made of pure goodness which balances good and evil. One day every century, the forces of evil come back to seek and destroy the amulet. The amulet itself is otherwise indestructible. The forces of evil represented here are in the form of all the old classic Universal monsters, so it's a happy coincidence that the well-educated "Monster Squad" are the holders of the amulet.
It's a lot of fun as a coming of age Halloween movie. There's some colorful language used here and there, and even some scenes seem pretty mean-spirited. But this was one of those edgy movies we were happy to get away with watching as kids. I would call it an interesting combination of any of Universal horror movie meeting 'The Goonies' or 'Stand by Me'. It may not be of the same quality, but in it's own way, it definitely carries a sort of nostalgic "awesomeness" with it.
The Last Halloween (1991)
This one is REALLY obscure! Much like with 'Night Ghoulery', I managed to find it online somewhere. But expect it to be poor quality, because about the only way you're gonna find it is recorded from an antenna TV. Even Googling it leads you to different features of the same title, and it's IMDb page has no images, video, and I'm pretty sure that even the poster is way off. As a matter of fact, I would claim this to be the hardest on the list to find.
The plot is basic enough. Four aliens crash land on Earth, and set out in search of something called "coobi". They happen across a couple of kids; a brother and sister, who have spent the evening trick or treating. Turns out "coobi" is actually candy, and it fuels their ship. So, the brother and sister, without questioning their existence, help the aliens to get more fuel for their ship by showing them how to trick or treat.
The reasoning for it's rarity might have something to do with legal issues. I dunno the full story, but there was one thing for certain - these guys had some sort of tie-in with candy. If I remember correctly, they were associated with Mars, Snickers, Twix and M&Ms, but that's only what my memory tells me. Otherwise, the most interesting thing about it is that it utilized CG animation, making it a very early example. I might imagine this entry to actually be the most innocent one on the list as well, seemingly for little kids. But there's still a nostalgia to it.
The plot is basic enough. Four aliens crash land on Earth, and set out in search of something called "coobi". They happen across a couple of kids; a brother and sister, who have spent the evening trick or treating. Turns out "coobi" is actually candy, and it fuels their ship. So, the brother and sister, without questioning their existence, help the aliens to get more fuel for their ship by showing them how to trick or treat.
The reasoning for it's rarity might have something to do with legal issues. I dunno the full story, but there was one thing for certain - these guys had some sort of tie-in with candy. If I remember correctly, they were associated with Mars, Snickers, Twix and M&Ms, but that's only what my memory tells me. Otherwise, the most interesting thing about it is that it utilized CG animation, making it a very early example. I might imagine this entry to actually be the most innocent one on the list as well, seemingly for little kids. But there's still a nostalgia to it.
The Halloween Tree (1993)
Last entry on the list, but certainly not the least worthy of it, we have an animated TV movie based on the Ray Bradbury book of the same name. Bradbury also wrote the screenplay for this AND narrates the story, so there's no real concern about it straying too far from the original story.
The story in question involves a group of kids preparing for a night of trick or treating. Upon going to get their best friend and group leader, Pip, they find an ambulance hauling him away instead. A note is attached to the door explaining that he was suffering from appendicitis. They gang, however, seems to spot what appears to be Pip's ghost and follows it to a creepy old mansion. There, they are met by an old, ancient-looking man named Moundshroud (Leonard Nimoy) who helps them to chase down their friend as they travel through space and time. All the while, they end up in different locations and eras around the world where Moundshroud gives them an education on what their costumes actually represent.
With four costumes to cover in total, the whole movie is rather educational. In order, they cover a mummy, a witch, a monster and a skeleton, each with their own interesting back story. I gotta say, it's just one of those movies that makes learning fun. I won't spoil it, but it also ends with a very grown-up way of looking at things to the extent that it works equally well for adults. Hell, I've only seen it twice, but have to admit that I'm still picking up on interesting things. Consider this one a personal recommendation that remains "under the radar", but I hope branches out.
The story in question involves a group of kids preparing for a night of trick or treating. Upon going to get their best friend and group leader, Pip, they find an ambulance hauling him away instead. A note is attached to the door explaining that he was suffering from appendicitis. They gang, however, seems to spot what appears to be Pip's ghost and follows it to a creepy old mansion. There, they are met by an old, ancient-looking man named Moundshroud (Leonard Nimoy) who helps them to chase down their friend as they travel through space and time. All the while, they end up in different locations and eras around the world where Moundshroud gives them an education on what their costumes actually represent.
With four costumes to cover in total, the whole movie is rather educational. In order, they cover a mummy, a witch, a monster and a skeleton, each with their own interesting back story. I gotta say, it's just one of those movies that makes learning fun. I won't spoil it, but it also ends with a very grown-up way of looking at things to the extent that it works equally well for adults. Hell, I've only seen it twice, but have to admit that I'm still picking up on interesting things. Consider this one a personal recommendation that remains "under the radar", but I hope branches out.