I love Halloween. The season of carving pumpkins, costumes, and lots and lots of chocolate. Lots of it. And movies, naturally. But I’m not a huge fan of anything super… Scary. So, if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably enjoy a few of the movies below:
1. Halloweentown
Um, is this, or is this not, a Halloween classic? Halloween-loving Marnie finds out she’s descended from a long line of witches, and decides to travel to the magical world of Halloweentown. There are ghosts, fun, quirky magic, and absolutely adorable characters. I watch this movie almost religiously every Halloween. And you can’t stop after the first one. There’s still Kalabar’s Revenge, Halloweentown High, and Return to Halloweentown!
Despite the infamous actress change, the rest of the movies in the series are definitely still worth a watch.
2. Ghostbusters
Who you gonna call?
Tonight, it’s not for Chinese.
Ghostbusters is a classic. It’s got great one-liners, funny characters, and a Halloween charm to it, perfect for watching any time this October, or frankly any time during the year. And whether it’s the original or the rebooted film, featuring the funny ladies from SNL, the Ghostbusters are a fun, quirky bunch, who just want to do science and catch a few ghosts.
Written by star Dan Akroyd, and inspired by his paranormal-loving family, Ghostbusters is always worth a watch.
3. Nightmare Before Christmas
Magical, vaguely Christmas-y, fun songs, stop-motion animation? What isn’t there to love about this movie?
Written by Tim Burton, this movie is a delight all year-round, with magic and whimsy, but it makes for a lovely Halloween treat, without any real added scariness! Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, bored with Halloween (*GASP*) discovers Christmas for the time, and decides that the residents of Halloween Town will be celebrating the winter holiday instead!
4. Corpse Bride
Another delightful film by Tim Burton, this one following the story of a young man after he accidentally marries a dead woman. Magical, macabre, eccentric, and visually stunning. This film also has roots in folklore, based on a Russian folktale inspired by the murders of Jewish brides. But, on the bright side, it’s not the least bit scary – perfect for a quiet Halloween.
5. It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
There should be a Charlie Brown movie for every holiday of the year.
It’s fun and cute, with Linus convinced a magical figure known as the Great Pumpkin will visit him. Children get candy, poor Charlie Brown gets a bunch of rocks, and of course there’s a pumpkin or two.
6. The Addams Family
The iconic, creepy, quirky Addams family has a special place in my heart, and definitely belongs on your television screen this October. Gomez Addams laments the loss of his brother, and in an attempt to contact his brother Fester’s spirit, Fester himself arrives on their doorstep! But is it really Gomez’s long lost brother, or simply an imposter out to steal the Addams’ fortune? And, if you’re craving more like it, there’s also The Addams Family Values to add to your movie watching list, with some iconic lines from delightfully macabre Wednesday Addams.
7. Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone
While probably not originally meant for Halloween, the original theater release being mid-November, the first Harry Potter hits all the right bases: monsters, unicorns, dark and scary forests, magic, and witches! What more could you want from a Halloween movie?
8. Rocky Horror Picture Show
It’s fun, it’s zany, it’s got cross-dressers and comedy! It’s the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The first time I ever watched this movie was on Halloween, and now I couldn’t separate the two if I tried.
Whether it’s the new one or the classic, this is a movie everyone should see at least once.
9. Scooby-Doo and The Ghoul School
One of my personal favourite Scooby movies. This one is an absolute delight, focusing on Shaggy and Scooby as they take a job at a school for girls… Who also turn out to be cute little monsters and ghouls!
10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Not technically a movie, but Buffy was cool, beautiful, strong, and I’m pretty sure there’s a few cute boys in there too. Oh, and vampires. Which is probably necessary, when you’re a vampire slayer.
11. Twitches
Another Disney channel film, Twitches is probably one of my favourite movies from my childhood. It follows twins Alex and Camryn as they discover that they’re magical princesses from another dimension. Together, they must fight against a darkness that threatens to destroy both their old, and their new homes.
12. Paranorman
This movie is the right balance of scary (to fit the season) and fun (because we’re a bunch who get easily frightened). I haven’t seen the Sixth Sense myself, but I’m told it’s similar to Paranorman. Regardless, this movie is a mixture of endearing stop-motion animation, ghosts, cute characters, and a witch with a centuries old grudge against Norman’s city.
13. Hocus Pocus
Witches! Curses! Bette Midler! Sarah Jessica Parker! This Disney Channel original film has gained cult classic status through the years. If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend you do. It’s a cult favourite for a reason. Plus there’s a talking cat.
Three witches, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson are inadvertently resurrected from the dead and leave chaos and madness in their wake as they try to further their own, witchy goals.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Disney is developing a new Hocus Pocus film with a new cast and director?
As you can see, there’s a great selection of movies, even for those of us who are (absolutely terrified) not huge fans of Horror films. Halloween is a season for everybody to enjoy, even if scary isn’t really your thing. So, pop some popcorn, grab some candy, sit back, relax, and enjoy your movies! And if there are any other not-so-scary movies you love for the season, comment below!
Happy Halloween!