Happy Halloween everyone! I wasn’t sure what I was going to write for my Halloween blog post but I figured, I am a fan of movies and maybe some of you needed a last minute not so scary movie to watch on the big holiday. I am not a fan of scary or horror movies so know that this list is pretty family friendly when it comes to movies.

This year I am not planning on dressing up, today is my parent’s move in day to their new house and it has been a long process so that is where I will be all day and probably into the evening. By the time I get back to my apartment I may put on my devil horns and crack into a couple of Reese’s on my couch while contemplating when it is appropriate to start putting up my Christmas decorations. (Now don’t worry, they won’t go up until probably mid-November and the Christmas music won’t start until probably the week of Thanksgiving but I am preparing.)

Behind Christmas Halloween is my favorite holiday, it appeals to my inner goth and I want nothing more to appease her on most days. Well, this got a little weird so I guess without further ado, here are some of my ultimate go to Halloween movies.

All the movies pictured above are movies that I own and have access to so it is not all ten movies, some of them I watch on Netflix and some are still packed so I don’t have access to them at the moment.

Ghostbusters

I will watch both the original and the one that came out a few years ago, I like them both so don’t come after me. The original at the time was so groundbreaking and I didn’t see it until probably 2015-2016 just because I had never gotten around to seeing it. I feel like Ghostbustersis one of those movies that is such a cult classic that everyone needs to see it at least once in their life.

 

The Covenant

This one is one of my favorite movies ever, it to me is really underrated and most people I talk to say it is terrible. It might be but I love it. It has some really memorable lines and some questionable scenes for it just being a group of teenagers, who of course were played by adults but still teenagers in the film. This movie may not be for everyone but there are some actors in it who were favorites in other TV shows and movies who you may recognize if you get it a watch.

 

Halloweentown

Like every 90’s kid with cable I grew up watching Disney Channel and I watched all of the Disney Channel Original Movies probably until I was in high school, I looked up a list one day or there was a Buzzfeed quiz (I don’t remember Buzzfeed has so much content anymore) that made you check off all the ones that you had seen and I checked off a good chunk of them. Halloweentonwas one of those movies that I looked forward to watching every year as well as many of its sequels, provided they kept the original cast. When the original actress who played Marnie wasn’t in the fourth one I don’t think I actually watched it. It’s such a good movie about accepting who you are and who your family is and I would highly recommend.

 

Beetlejuice

            Again Beetlejuiceis such a cult classic and now I can’t say the title again in fear of summoning him. Haha, movie humor. It’s a good movie, some parts are a little questionable but overall it is one of my favorites to watch at this time of year. Everytime I hear Day-O by Harry Belafonte I automatically think of the dinner party scene in this movie when they all start dancing. I feel like this movie is also a cult classic, I watched the animated series growing up when it was I think on Nickelodeon, I only saw it in rerun form because it aired before I was born but I remember watching it but I didn’t see the film until I was in college because my best friend loves Tim Burton so much.

 

Rocky Horror Picture Show

            Okay, this one is probably the most risqué one on my list. I started watching this one when I was probably in high school, how my parents let me I will never know but I did. Whenever someone mentions Tim Curry this is the first thing I think of, followed by a whole host of other roles that he has played over the years. Every time I hear Time WarpI want to do nothing but dance and if I am alone I do because it is just so catchy. I was in a radio production of this when I was in university and I played Janet so this movie will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

Nightmare Before Christmas

This is one of those movies that I watch near Halloween and near Christmas because is first of all just an all-around great movie and second of all it is one of those movies that is debatable whether is it a Christmas or a Halloween movie. I feel like this movie, like many of these films, is a cult classic or has a cult following now. You can’t escape seeing someone with Jack Skellington’s face on it this time of year.

 

It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

This is my Halloween night movie; I don’t know where my copy is this year because of the move so I will have to skip my tradition this year. It’s just one of those shows, I don’t know if this one counts as a movie because it’s only half an hour long but I am counting it anyway. I loved the Peanutscomics as a kid and the Peanutsare such recognizable characters, I actually have a day calendar this year that is Peanutscomic strips. It’s a cute little movie that like most of the Peanutsanimations is nice.

 

Corpse Bride

Look another Tim Burton film! Again it has catchy songs and amazing Claymation stop motion. There is so much work that goes into a film like this and it is such a good movie. One year for Halloween I would love to go as the corpse bride, makeup and all, I’ll do it eventually but it is a dream. Good movie, not scary though murder is a central theme.

 

Coraline

A word to the wise, the end of this still scares me. It’s a great film again Tim Burton kudos on the stop motion and the story line, catchy music from mice. This movie I think appealed to my escapist tendencies but it is a good film. It has a lot of interesting characters and some scenes that are interesting maybe not appropriate for young children. It’s worth a watch though if you get around to it, it’s not based around Halloween but I still feel like because it’s Tim Burton and some of the themes and scenes from the film it does have a Halloween vibe.

 

Hocus Pocus

I was so scared of this movie as a kid and truthfully I didn’t watch it all the way through until I was out of college. There are some things in this movie seeing it as an adult that I do question how they got into a movie meant for children. It’s good and one of those movies that has such an obsessive following. Though every time I put on a red lip I think that I am channeling my inner Sanderson.

 

What are some of your favorite Halloween movies to watch to get you in the spooky mood?

 

-MJ