Beetlejuice (1988)
Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Michael Keaton was magic in this starring role as the grimey, filthy, disgusting Beetlejuice. And even so, you can’t help but to laugh at the pure absurdity and raunchiness of his character. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Mr. and Mrs. Maitland, the young deceased couple who tries to get the newly moved-in family out of their house. One of the many memorable moments in the movie is when the couple morphs their faces to look disfigured in order to scare the new family away. Winona Ryder plays the role of Lydia, the daughter of this family, but takes a liking to the ghostly couple and tries to help them out.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Raise your hand if you either had a crush on “Max” or “Thackery Binx” when you were younger. And if you thought his name was “Zachary”, don’t worry, most of us thought the same thing. Three witch sisters from the era of the Salem witch trials come back from the dead and plan to steal the souls of all the little children. We get to see a pre- “Sex in the City” Sarah Jessica Parker lure the children out of their homes with her enchanting song, “Come little children, I’ll take thee away…” Plus, Bette Midler is perfection in this role. Although apparently evil, the three sisters are a comedic trio. Let’s not forget their little performance singing, “I’ll Put a Spell on You.” Max’s outspoken younger sister Dani, who tags along to help save the children (like herself) from these witches, adds a bit of rambunctiousness to the group. Some of her most memorable, spunky quips are when she declared, “It was a VIRGIN that lit the candle” or speaking to Allison: “Max likes your yabos, in fact he LOVES them.” This is a Halloween classic.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Another Tim Burton masterpiece, this is a musical animated film that follows Jack Skellington, The Pumpkin King, as he stumbles upon Christmas Town, a place that he never knew before. Coming from Halloween Town where Halloween is everyday, Jack is completely intrigued by the idea of Christmas and decides to take it over, although he doesn’t get it quite right. Jack’s musical ballads are comparable to the dramatics of Broadway and will be sure to keep you entertained.
Don’t look under the bed (1999)
Arguably one of the scariest Disney movies yet. (Maybe that’s why it doesn’t play on Disney channel as much anymore.) The creepy boogeyman scenes are quite frightening, as one of the main characters transforms into a hideous, evil looking creature. The movie also deals with remembering to always keep a certain childhood-like faith.
Halloweentown (1998)
This is where it all began: we meet Marnie, Dylan and Sophie, the youngest generation of the Cromwell witches (warlock, for Dylan of course.) Here’s the thing—they don’t know it yet! Their mother Gwen, tried so hard to keep it a secret in order for them to lead a normal human life, although at times they showed signs of possessing magical abilities (ahem, remember how badly Sophie wanted that cookie?) With their curious, mischievous ways and their grandma Aggie always dropping hints, the siblings eventually find out about Halloweentown and the darkness that has come over the magical world. Being the most powerful witches there are, it’s up to the Cromwells to save Halloweentown from the evil Kalabar. This movie really makes you wish that Halloweentown were a real place.
Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001)
The Cromwell family is back! This time it’s to defeat Kal, the son of Kalabar who tries to finish what his father started. The “headphone” the family uses to communicate with each other is undoubtedly cool; much like the cell phones we use today except they’re made out of shrunken heads and provide service between different realms—you know, no big difference. Probably the most disturbing part of this movie was when Kal turns humans into the creatures they are dressed up as for Halloween. The mother, Gwen, was NOT a pretty sight when this was going down.
Casper (1995)
Okay, who else thinks it was the cutest thing ever when Casper says to Kat (a.k.a Christina Ricci) “Can I keep you?” in the dance scene where he was able to be a human again? *Sigh* It just melts my heart every time I watch that scene. Throughout the movie, Casper’s virtuous ways really make him “the friendliest ghost you know.”
Underwraps (1997)
When three kids find a mummy that comes to life, they work together to help him find his long lost love, but first, they must get him back to his coffin before midnight on Halloween or else he’ll be dead—forever. At first they were afraid of him, but they soon realize he’s a friendly mummy and affectionately name him Harold. A lot of scheming ensues to hide the “undead” mummy from the outside world.
The Little Vampire (2000)
An adorable Johnathan Lipnicki plays the role of Tony Thompson, a little boy that moves from California to far away Scotland due to his father’s job. He gets bullied by a group of boys at his new school, and then ultimately befriends a vampire who’s around the same age—through looks so to speak, because technically the little vampire would be a few hundred years old! The duo makes a great team and form a true, albeit unusual, bond unlike any other.
Double, Double Toil and Trouble (1993)
Ah, a time where the young Olsen twins dominated little girls’ viewership. They are utterly precocious in this film playing the parts of Kelly and Lynn. For such little girls, they take on a big mission of trying to right the wrongs that were done to their family. They try to save their Aunt Sophia who has been trapped by a spell that her evil twin sister put on her. The spell can only be broken by twins that come into possession of the moonstone on the 7th year at midnight on Halloween or else the spell will become eternal.
Coraline (2009)
A horror/fantasy novel turned into animated film tells the story of a young girl, Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning), who wishes for a more exciting life. The film puts a new spin on the classic saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” Follow Coraline into the “Other World” where everything is perfect…or so it may seem.
Gremlins (1984)
Remember that little Furby toy you had as a child? Here’s the movie that it’s based off of. This movie actually takes place during Christmas time, but since it involves seemingly innocent furry creatures that turn into small ferocious monsters…I thought it’d be a perfect Halloween movie match. Little Gizmo was given as a gift from a father to his son Billy. However, there are three rules he must obey: don’t get it wet, don’t feed it after midnight and don’t expose it to sunlight. Unfortunately, all three of these rules were broken accidentally, and the consequences lead to havoc being wreaked upon the town.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Complete with freaky butler and all, the Gracey Manor is everything you’d expect a haunted mansion to be. Mr. Evers—played by the comical Eddie Murphy, is a realtor who promises to take his family on a weekend vacation to spend some time together. While they are there, he is contacted by an owner of a nearby mansion and drags his family along to do business. They find out that the mansion is haunted and must break the curse or they will be trapped there forever.