One of my favorite parts of Halloween is celebrating by revisiting some of my favorite childhood movies, and I know I can’t be the only one who does this. These are just a few of the perfectly nostalgic and cute movies to get in the Halloween spirit.
- “CORALINE” (2009)
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Coraline Jones explores her new Oregon home, stumbling upon a secret door that opens to an alternate reality. She finds solace in this secret world and sneaks away to bask in the wonders created for her. The world behind the door closely mirrors her own but with a few seemingly thrilling yet ultimately sinister differences. It’s up to her to draw the line between what’s real and what is just a fantasy before things get dangerous.
“Coraline” (2009): Official Trailer - “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993)
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Halloweentown’s beloved Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, grows weary of his mundane annual routine. Bored with the traditions of Halloween and wanting something new and fresh, he’s just not satisfied with scaring humans anymore. During his crisis, he stumbles upon a brightly colored town, adorned with lights and complimented by the scent of freshly baked gingerbread. Jack had discovered Christmastown, and with it, a new purpose. Fascinated and thrilled, Jack plots to control Christmas by kidnapping Santa Claus and assuming his role. But things quickly go awry as he finds his way through this new world.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” Official Trailer - “CORPSE BRIDE” (2005)
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Victor and Victoria have been arranged to be wed by their families. While they don’t know each other well, Victor is enamored with and flustered by Victoria. He fumbles through wedding rehearsals trying his best to make a good impression, but fails miserably. As he practices his lines for the wedding later in the forest, a tree branch comes to life and drags him down into the land of the dead. Emily, the titular corpse bride, took his rehearsal as a proposal after longing for marriage ever since she was murdered by her past fiancé. Victor must escape the land of the dead, and find his way back to his fiancé before she is to be wed to another, and before he gets trapped into a marriage of his own.
“The Corpse Bride” Official Trailer - THe Halloweentown series (1998-2006)
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Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) series of four movies: “Halloweentown” (1998), “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge” (2001), “Halloweentown High” (2004), and “Return to Halloweentown” (2006).
The series starts with a bang as Marnie and her siblings follow their grandma all the way to Halloweentown, discovering their ancestry of witches. The town is cemented as a place where supernatural beings can roam freely and live life as they please. But the excitement of this discovery soon fades as Marnie discovers that her family is tasked with fighting an evil force that threatens to take over the world.
“Return to Halloweentown” (2006): Full Trailer - “MONSTER HOUSE” (2006)
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With Halloween fast approaching, three neighborhood kids set out on a mission to prove that a neighboring house is a living, breathing monster and destroy it once and for all. It’s a race against the clock as the kids fight to stop the monster house and spare innocent trick-or-treaters from a ghastly fate.
“Monster House”: Official Trailer - “The Haunted Mansion” (2003)
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“The Haunted Mansion” follows the Evers family as they set off on a vacation but stop at a mysterious mansion that the father, an overworked real estate agent, has been tasked with selling. Soon enough, its sinister past begins to unravel as the family realizes it’s haunted. It’s up to them to break the curse and put a stop to this supernatural reign of terror.
“The Haunted Mansion” Official Trailer
I’m already starting this watch list as October passes by and I seriously can’t wait to reconnect with my childhood self and keep the Halloween spirit alive.
What’s your must-watch movie during spooky season? Is your Halloween vibe childhood nostalgia? Campy horror? Slashers? Any which way, I wish you happy watching and a happy Halloween. I hope this list inspired some nostalgic rewatches. Watch away and enjoy this Spooky season with your favorite movies.