Halloween finally arrives tomorrow so it’s time to hunker down in front of the TV and watch some spooky movies.
We’ve already brought you 10 classic scary movies and 10 new horror movies to watch but none of those were suitable to watch with the whole family. Today we’re bringing you 10 movies you can watch with the kids that will scare them but shouldn’t give them sleepless nights.
Keep reading to find out which movies you should get your hands on to make the perfect Halloween viewing…
1. Hocus Pocus
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It’s hard to believe that Hocus Pocus wasn’t that big a success when it was released in 1993. Despite the star power of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, the film made back it’s budget with a very slim profit. All these years later the Disney movie is considered to be a Halloween classic and it tells the funny and scary story of a trio of witches whom a teenager accidentally resurrects. Hocus Pocus is a whole lot of fun with Bette Midler the standout with her performance as Winifred.
2. The Nightmare Before Christmas
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Halloween meets Christmas in this Tim Burton classic. The animated favourite centres around Jack Skellington who grows weary of the same Halloween traditions every year and opens the door to Christmas Town. Impressed and awed by what he sees, Jack declares that Halloween Town will take over Christmas with hilarious, inventive and wonderful results. Tim Burton’s movie has become a real cult classic and it’s amazing there’s never been a sequel.
3. The Corpse Bride
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Another Tim Burton animated classic! The Corpse Bride celebrated its 12th anniversary this year and it’s a suitably macabre tale. Victor (Johnny Depp) and Victoria (Emily Watson) are about to marry one another in an arranged marriage but a spanner is thrown in the works when Victor accidentally awakens zombie bride Emily (Helena Bonham Carter). Emily claims to be Victor’s wife and he decides to try and solve the mystery of who murdered her. It’s inventive, romantic, funny and spooky.
4. Paranorman
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One of the most under-rated movies on this list, Paranorman was a moderate success at the box office but it should have done a lot better. The clever, innovative and funny film focuses on Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee), an 11 year old boy who speaks with the dead. Following a vision of him being chased through the town by the locals, who believe he’s a witch, Norman has to race against time to save himself and the town.
5. Monster House
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Released in 2006, Monster House tells the story of three kids who discover that the house belonging to a mean old neighbour may actually be alive. Following a string of disappearances of kids trying to retrieve items confiscated by the old man who lives in the house, the trio go to war with the house in an attempt to stop it from taking anyone else. There are some really scary moments in Monster House and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments too.
6. Frankenweenie
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One of the more recent films on the list, Frankenweenie is another Tim Burton animated classic. Shot in black and white and featuring an all-star cast that includes Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau and Winona Ryder. Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is left devastated when his dog Sparky is killed in an accident. He digs up the corpse and reanimates it with lightning but tries, and fails, to keep his secret from the neighbourhood who blackmail him to help them resurrect the dead.
7. Coraline
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Based on a story by Neil Gaiman, Coraline follows the titular character who discovers the Other World in the house she’s just moved to with her disengaged parents. Despite being warned away from the Other World, Coraline regularly visits after finding doppelgangers of her parents that are warmer and more caring than her own. Coraline quickly realises that the grass most definitely isn’t greener and that there’s something very sinister going on.
8. The Witches
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As a kid this movie scared the life out of me and it’s a very good adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel of the same name. Anjelica Huston stars as the Grand High Witch, a powerful witch who masquerades as a normal woman and leads a coven of witches who kill children. Luke (Jasen Fisher) and his grandmother Helga (Mai Zetterling) encounter the witches during a stay at a seaside resort and become embroiled in a race to stop them from carrying out their latest shocking plan.
9. The Addams Family
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The Addams Family are a bit of a horror institution and they got a new lease of life in 1991 when Barry Sonnenfeld directed a big screen comeback for the characters. Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia led the cast with a young Christina Ricci putting in an impressive turn as disturbed child Wednesday. The plot revolves around the return of Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd), who is actually a scam artist trying to get his hands on their riches.
10. Ghostbusters
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Is there a more iconic family horror movie than Ghostbusters? I can’t think of any. This classic lives on today and despite a poorly received all-female reboot, the franchise still has a place in a lot of people’s hearts. Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver, Ghostbusters is the perfect blend of horror and comedy. The hapless Ghostbusters try to help New York deal with a spike in paranormal activity with hilarious and scary consequences.
Which movies will you be watching with the family this Halloween? Leave a comment in the usual place and let us know!
