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Every October I have Halloween movie marathons much like most people have holiday movie marathons for Christmastime. Since television (I don’t have cable anyway) doesn’t have a 25 days of Halloween, I have made a list for myself and I try to make it through as many as I can every October. This is one of my favorite Halloween traditions. (If you have any special traditions I would love to hear about it in the comments below!)
I don’t know if it is because I have had a busy wedding season (while planning my own) or if it is because it has been so unusually warm and un-Halloween-like, but I hadn’t made it through any of these until a couple days ago when I realized I needed a Halloween movie pronto.
My number one is always Hocus Pocus (a 90’s classic) and the rest I watch if and when the mood strikes. It has been particularly fun introducing Matthew to these movies because he wasn’t allowed to celebrate Halloween as a kid (I know, tragic!) and has not seen most of these films. I’m not a big fan of super scary or gory films, but I do have a few horror classics on this list because they are simply so amazing!
Make yourself a bowl of popcorn and cuddle up with a warm blanket to watch a Halloween movie marathon this season. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Hocus Pocus
: This movie encompasses everything I love about Halloween. It makes me think of Trick-or-treating of Halloweens past. - The Halloweentown series : This series was on the Disney channel when I was a kid and stars the beloved Debbie Reynolds. I looked forward to reruns every year and now I watch the DVDs at home. There are four films in the entire series.
- Casper (and the sequels like Casper meets Wendy): The original Casper is the best of the two, but I loved watching these funny ghosts as a kid.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas: Who doesn’t love the pumpkin king?
- Harry Potter: Not exactly a Halloween movie series, but it has everything magical that I love about the season.
- Practical Magic: This “romantic” comedy stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as two sisters with powers who are looking to create love but create more of a monster a-la-Frankenstein instead.
- Sweeney Todd: The goriest of my Halloween haunting films, Sweeney Todd is one of Tim Burton’s most unique works.
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: A classic!
- The Addams Family: I dare you not to get the Adams Family song stuck in your head after watching this film. Snap! Snap!
- Sleepy Hollow : A traditional Halloween legend with a Tim Burton twist.
- Dracula (1931): I prefer the 1930s original Dracula classic. This film was so scary when it came out in theaters almost a hundred years ago that people were fainting in the theater. Even more interesting is the Spanish version, filmed at the same time at the same studio. Their director watched the English cast film and perform and said, “we can do it better.” With the same set and the same script they filmed a more amazing version with better special effects, acting, and camera angles.
- Young Frankenstein & Frankenstein’s bride: Another classic. Frankenstein is actually the doctor, although many people confuse him for his monster.
- Creature From the Black Lagoon: I love this old horror film. It still scares me to bits and it was filmed really well for the time period. The under water shots in this movie were the inspiration for the famous film Jaws.
- Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride: Another haunting Tim Burton stop animation classic.
- Beetlejuice: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
- The Haunted Mansion: This Disney film based on the Disney world ride is a must-watch for families. It spooks me out still.
- Frankenweenie: An often overlooked Tim Burton film, Frankenweenie is about a boy who brings his deceased dog back to life with some unforeseeable consequences. It was a short film that was later turned into a stop motion animated film in 2012. I have only seen the original.
- Edward Scissorhands: Not exactly a Halloween film, but it has a spooky vibe.
- Coraline: Coraline is a girl who does not feel like she fits in with her family and her new home. When she enters a parallel universe she feels like she has finally found her place, but nothing is as it seems.
- The Little Vampire: This 90’s classic is too cute to miss, starring the adorable Jonathan Lipnicki.
- Ghostbusters : Who you gonna’ call?
- Dark Shadows : This unique picture has everything from vampires to werewolves, to haunted houses.
- Scooby-Doo: A great movie year round, I love the show, but this live action remake is wonderful! The sequel is pretty good too.
- Ernest Scared Stupid: As a kid this one really scared me, but I loved it!
- Bedknobs And Broomsticks : A Disney classic about a witch-in-training who has to save Britain. They travel to new worlds using a magical bed. So much better than it sounds!
: This movie encompasses everything I love about Halloween. It makes me think of Trick-or-treating of Halloweens past.
series : This series was on the Disney channel when I was a kid and stars the beloved Debbie Reynolds. I looked forward to reruns every year and now I watch the DVDs at home. There are four films in the entire series.
(and the sequels like Casper meets Wendy): The original Casper is the best of the two, but I loved watching these funny ghosts as a kid.
: Who doesn’t love the pumpkin king?
: Not exactly a Halloween movie series, but it has everything magical that I love about the season.
: This “romantic” comedy stars Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as two sisters with powers who are looking to create love but create more of a monster a-la-Frankenstein instead.
: The goriest of my Halloween haunting films, Sweeney Todd is one of Tim Burton’s most unique works.
: A classic!
: I dare you not to get the Adams Family song stuck in your head after watching this film. Snap! Snap!
: A traditional Halloween legend with a Tim Burton twist.
: I prefer the 1930s original Dracula classic. This film was so scary when it came out in theaters almost a hundred years ago that people were fainting in the theater. Even more interesting is the Spanish version, filmed at the same time at the same studio. Their director watched the English cast film and perform and said, “we can do it better.” With the same set and the same script they filmed a more amazing version with better special effects, acting, and camera angles.
& Frankenstein’s bride: Another classic. Frankenstein is actually the doctor, although many people confuse him for his monster.
: I love this old horror film. It still scares me to bits and it was filmed really well for the time period. The under water shots in this movie were the inspiration for the famous film Jaws.
: Another haunting Tim Burton stop animation classic.
: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
: This Disney film based on the Disney world ride is a must-watch for families. It spooks me out still.
: An often overlooked Tim Burton film, Frankenweenie is about a boy who brings his deceased dog back to life with some unforeseeable consequences. It was a short film that was later turned into a stop motion animated film in 2012. I have only seen the original.
: Not exactly a Halloween film, but it has a spooky vibe.
: Coraline is a girl who does not feel like she fits in with her family and her new home. When she enters a parallel universe she feels like she has finally found her place, but nothing is as it seems.
: This 90’s classic is too cute to miss, starring the adorable Jonathan Lipnicki.
: Who you gonna’ call?
: This unique picture has everything from vampires to werewolves, to haunted houses.
: A great movie year round, I love the show, but this live action remake is wonderful! The sequel is pretty good too.
: As a kid this one really scared me, but I loved it!
: A Disney classic about a witch-in-training who has to save Britain. They travel to new worlds using a magical bed. So much better than it sounds!Honorable Mentions:
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- Bewitched: Again, not a Halloween film, but certainly a peppy and magical movie to watch this time of year. This film is a remake of the classic television show of the same name.
- Mom’s Got A Date With A Vampire: Another Disney Channel Halloween favorite.
- Little Monsters: This 80’s teen film was amazing to me back in the day, but now I laugh at how strange it really is. Worth a watch with some friends with a big bowl of popcorn.
- TEEN WOLF (1985): Another 80’s classic to add to your list!
- Goosebumps: This series scared every kid back in the 90s. It was recently turned into a live action movie.
- Don’t Look Under the Bed: This Disney Channel movie really freaked me out as a kid!
- E.T.,The Extra-Terrestrial: Just because it is spooky!
- Gremlins : This 80’s scary film really gave me a scare.
- Jumanji: This movie can be spooky in its own way. Maybe not a Halloween film, but I think it counts!
- The Witches (1990): This film really spooked me back in the 90s! It’s probably one of those movies that you watch today and wonder why it got to you so bad, but it was pretty spooky at the time when it came out!
- Bewitched
: Again, not a Halloween film, but certainly a peppy and magical movie to watch this time of year. This film is a remake of the classic television show of the same name.
: Another Disney Channel Halloween favorite.
: This 80’s teen film was amazing to me back in the day, but now I laugh at how strange it really is. Worth a watch with some friends with a big bowl of popcorn.
: Another 80’s classic to add to your list!
: This series scared every kid back in the 90s. It was recently turned into a live action movie.
: This Disney Channel movie really freaked me out as a kid!
: Just because it is spooky!
: This 80’s scary film really gave me a scare.
: This movie can be spooky in its own way. Maybe not a Halloween film, but I think it counts!
: This film really spooked me back in the 90s! It’s probably one of those movies that you watch today and wonder why it got to you so bad, but it was pretty spooky at the time when it came out!Happy Halloween!
