Halloween season, also known as the whole month of October, is special for so many reasons. There’s the crisp, cool fall weather starting to roll in and the fun Halloween activities to do like haunted hay rides and corn mazes, the wonderful variety of treats and candies, trick or treating and Halloween parties, and of course, the classic Halloween movies to watch that bring you right back to feeling like a kid again.
Halloween is a great time of the year to revisit the fun days of being a kid, hang out with your own children, and enjoy all things spooky. There are plenty of ways to get into the spirit, but nothing quite does the job like watching Halloween movies. While there are the gory slasher films, or the hauntingly spooky paranormal ones, there is nothing quite like the nostalgia of these top five favorite Halloween classics.
Classic Halloween Movies – Hocus Pocus
When you think of Halloween, I think it’s nearly impossible not to think of Hocus Pocus. On Halloween night in 1693, teenager Thackery Binx witnesses his sister, Emily, under the spell of the Sanderson Sisters, three witches who seek to absorb the souls of young children to regain their youth. Thackery confronts the witches and ultimately gets turned into a black cat for all eternity. The witches are tried and persecuted for their crimes but before dying, the lead witch, Winifred casts a spell that will resurrect them during a full moon on Halloween when a virgin lights the Black Flame Candle. On Halloween night in 1993, teenager Max Dennison and his sister Dani find themselves in the path of the Sanderson Sisters. While not commercially successful when it came out, Hocus Pocus has since become a cult classic and a timeless favorite among both kids and adults.
Classic Halloween Movies – Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
The magic of Charlie Brown transcends all ages and it’s just one of those short movies that add the fun and nostalgia to each season. Whether for Christmas or Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown and his friends make you excited for the holidays. Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired on October 27, 1966 and airs annually during the Halloween season on ABC. The special centers around the Peanuts group as they prepare for Halloween and search for the Great Pumpkin. It is heartwarming and filled with moments of little laughs- you don’t want to skip this great movie during the season!
Classic Halloween Movies – Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
For me as a kid, Halloween was full of great movies, from Disney Channel’s Halloweentown and Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire, to fun TV specials. Nothing quite topped these Halloween specials like Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. In Zombie Island, the Gang travel to New Orleans to investigate a bayou island that is haunted by the ghost of Morgan Moonscar and taken over by zombies at nighttime. Though a kids movie, this one spooked me when I was younger and still sends some shivers down my spine to this day!
Beetlejuice
From the genius of Tim Burton and a stellar cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, and Catherine O’Hara, Beetlejuice is a comedic, weird and perfect to watch during the Halloween season. When couple Barbara and Adam Maitland pass away unexpectedly from a car accident, their ghosts inhabit and haunt their former home. Beetlejuice, a charismatic and obnoxious poltergeist, tries to scare away the homes new inhabitants, making for one crazy story!
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton is a fantastic director and known for his ability to tell spooky stories for all ages. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic, fun Halloween film that tells the story of the “Pumpkin King” Jack Skellington, the leader of Halloween Town that is filled with monsters, ghosts, zombies, and all sorts of spooky creatures. When trying to put together the annual Halloween festivities, Jack stumbles upon a portal to Christmas Town, and discovers a whole new world he’s never experienced before. Looking for some perfect and innocent fun movies to watch that won’t scare you half to death? These classic Halloween favorites will get you into the spirit and are kid-friendly!