I usually steer away from holiday decorations due to perpetual lack of time and the old-lady stigma that accompanies most decorating activities, but all the pumpkins on the side of the road are tempting me to get crafty this month. In case you’re one of the many who adore this secular holiday and would like to get in a spooktastic mood ahead of time, I’ve compiled a list of family-friendly movies and TV shows that I think would be great to play in the background while carving pumpkins or building your own haunted house.
- “Hocus Pocus” (1993) – If you’re in the mood for a talking cat, teenage crushes and Bette Midler singing her heart out, this is the movie for you. (BTW, I personally enjoyed Hocus Pocus 2 and appreciate the way it deals with themes of female friendships.)
- “Stardust” (2007) – Although this isn’t technically a Halloween movie, it is one of the best children’s flicks to come out in a while and the fantastical worlds are bound to give you great costume inspiration.
- “Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) – A stop-animation classic set in the inventive worlds of Halloween Town and Christmas Town, which are guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing.
- “The Adams Family” (1964-1966) – Why not have a black-and-white TV marathon while you bake pumpkin seeds and fill candy bowls? (Don’t forget to snap your fingers along with the theme song as you enjoy this series that inspired the 2022 Netflix hit Wednesday.)
- “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966) – If you grew up watching the animated antics of the Peanuts gang around this time every year, you’ll undoubtedly reconnect with your inner child via the music and garbled parent’s dialogue in this classic.
- “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) – This movie about a boy trying to get a lovable alien back to his home planet is a great watch year-round, but its Halloween setting makes now the best-possible time to view the film. Candy craving warning: you might want to have Reese’s Pieces on hand.
Psst: Stay tuned for some super-scary movie recommendations that I’m compiling for your viewing pleasure on Halloween night. Until then, are there any Halloween classics you’d add to this list?
Image source: Kiel James Patrick. (I positively love their list of Halloween movies to boot!)
5 Comments
by Tony
Trick R Treat. An anthology well worth your time.
by J. R. Coté
Awesome, thanks for yet another spot-on recommendation! The concept of a horror movie made up of multiple, interwoven stories is really interesting. I’m guessing it won’t be as scary as a traditional horror movie, bu that’s almost beside the point if what the film is really geared toward is capturing the mood and spirit of Halloween.