With Fall just beginning, here are some of our favorite films and series to start the season off just right:
- “Hocus Pocus”
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Filled with witty comedy and spooky prophecies, “Hocus Pocus” is a film that people of all ages can enjoy! The film follows three sister witches in Salem who return from the dead with the help of a cynical teenager after being executed for practicing sinister witchcraft. With the witches free, they plan to pick up where they left off and steal the youth from all the children in Salem, Massachusetts in order to stay young forever! The teenager, Max, along with his friend, Allison and younger sister, Dani, must steal the witches’ book of spells and stop them before it’s too late!
Hocus Pocus is jam-packed with adventure, comedy and musical splendor. It also has an incredibly talented cast ranging from Sean Murray to Bette Midler. Its contents are perfect for those who are not too fond of gory horror movies but still crave the feeling of a good fright. The movie will leave you humming “I’ve Put a Spell on You” all season long!
- “Coraline”
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“Coraline” is a stop motion film directed by Henry Selick. Based on a children’s novel by Neil Gaiman, this movie follows young Coraline Jones as she moves into her new home with her parents. However, Coraline realizes that all is not as it seems when a mysterious (and a bit annoying) neighbor brings her a doll that looks exactly like her, opening a new world of possibilities and dangers for Coraline.
A bit spooky, very mysterious and with amazing colors and visuals, this movie is fantastic to bring on the Fall feelings! Up until the last minute, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat – while raising some Halloween excitement!
- “Over The Garden Wall”
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“Over The Garden Wall” is a cartoon miniseries from Cartoon Network. Set during the transition between Fall and winter (and in some places, on Halloween itself), the mini series is the perfect way to get in the Fall spirit. The main characters Wirt and Greg, are brothers who get lost in the woods and have to find their way home, solving others’ problems on their way. However, there’s also a dangerous being roaming the woods that they have to avoid- the Beast.
The series pays homage to older styles of animation, folklore surrounding death and fairy tales. It wraps up beautifully with few hanging threads. The art itself is also stunning with painted backgrounds for every scene. The series is available on Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon.
- “Nightmare Before Christmas”
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“Nightmare Before Christmas”, a stop motion film by Tim Burton, is a movie following a skeleton as our protagonist. Living in Halloweentown, Jack Skellington has always felt something to be missing. Though, upon getting mixed up with the Boogie Man and his henchmen, he brings unprecedented dangers into a previously safe sanctuary for Halloween. With a fantastic soundtrack and elements of spookiness interlaced through the art style of the characters, this is a Fall and Halloween staple!
- “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”
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Call me basic or old school, but “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is my favorite Fall movie. There’s something about cute cartoon characters trick-or-treating that always gets me in the mood for warm drinks and cozy blanks. Directed by Bill Melendez and starring the classic Peanuts characters. It is filled with nostalgia. Check it out on Apple TV!
There are wide varieties in movies to get into the Fall spirit, whether it be Halloween movies or just films with the general Autumn feel. Regardless, this list would be a fantastic way to start to anyone’s season!