From slashers to supernatural flicks. Witches to classic monster movies. But, most of all, Halloween is a time for nostalgia. A time to shamelessly enjoy the movies you loved as a kid as the adult that you are now. You don’t need kids of your own as an excuse to watch any of these top 13 tame and timeless family Halloween classics. So grab a bag of candy, get in your blanket fort, and bundle up, fellow grown-ups. It’s time for a quest down memory lane.
[customfont1]The Worst Witch (1986) [/customfont1]
Who doesn’t love a good Tim Curry musical? When a young witch struggling to get a grasp on her magical powers stumbles on to an evil plot to destroy the prestigious witch academy she is attending, she must figure out a way to save the school before the headmaster comes to town for the grand Halloween Party.
[customfont1]Monster Squad (1987) [/customfont1]
When a motley crew of unpopular kids with a passion for monster hunting discovers that Dracula has come back to life and, along with some friends, has launched a quest for world domination, the crew must fight back in order to save the world from these legendary monsters.
[customfont1]The Scream Team (2002) [/customfont1]
After their grandfather dies, Claire and Ian return to his home in historic Steeple Falls to settle his estate, only to discover that an evil spirit is preventing their grandfather’s soul from passing on. With the help of some friendly spirits, Ian must save his grandfather from the clutches of eternal damnation. Only now, typing this out, am I realizing what a messed up plot this is for a kids’ movie. Kudos, Disney.
[customfont1]The Little Vampire (2000) [/customfont1]
After Tony’s family moves to a new country, Tony finds himself very alone and picked on for his love of all things spooky. That is, of course, until he befriends a young vampire named Rudolph and the two become inseparable. After a vampire hunter starts targeting Rudolph’s family, Tony must help them escape, meanwhile trying to find a way to break the family’s terrible curse.
[customfont1]The Halloween Tree (1993) [/customfont1]
The Halloween Tree is Hanna-Barbera’s adaptation of the 1972 Ray Bradbury novel of the same name,. The film (narrated by Ray Bradbury himself) focuses on a group of trick-or-treaters whose friend is taken by mysterious forces. In order to save their friend, they must embark on a journey, all the while learning the origins of Halloween and its customs.
[customfont1]Scooby Doo on Zombie Island (1998)/ Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost (1999) [/customfont1]
It’s an honor to sneak Scooby Doo into a Frightday list in whatever way possible. Since it’s impossible to pick just one, these films are both fantastic and Halloweeny later installments of the original cartoon that first aired in 1969. They are also rare in the sense that these are some of the only films where the gang has encountered real life g-gh-gHOSTS (and zombies), not just disgruntled townsfolk in elaborate costumes.
[customfont1]It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966) [/customfont1]
More of a special than a film, really, but any nostalgic Halloween list would be incomplete without this childhood staple. Charles Schulz’s original Peanuts characters celebrate Halloween in this animated classic based on the Peanuts comic strip. When it comes to the Great Pumpkin, I want to believe.
[customfont1]Beetlejuice (1988) [/customfont1]
After the untimely death of loving couple Adam and Barbara, they are doomed to haunt their own home in the afterlife. However, when a troublesome family with very strange taste in décor tries to take over the house, the couple calls upon Beetlejuice, an eccentric spirit, for help evacuating the annoying intruders. They soon realize, however, that summoning this spooky specter may have gotten them more than they bargained for.
[customfont1]The Addams Family (1991) [/customfont1]
In an attempt to con a peculiar family out of their fortune, an evil doctor cooks up a scheme to re-introduce a long-lost, presumed-dead relative, “uncle Fester,” in order to infiltrate the family’s trust and learn the location of their hidden wealth. When uncle Fester adapts oddly well to life with the family, and the youngest daughter starts to suspect foul play, the doctor’s plans go horribly awry.
[customfont1]Casper (1995)[/customfont1]
Casper the friendly ghost never could seem to get behind scaring the living, unlike his three mischievous uncles. When a ghost-therapist and his daughter Kat come to exorcise the mansion haunted by Casper and his crew, Casper tries to befriend them while the uncles try to scare them out of the house. Along the way, Casper and friends must battle greedy treasure-seekers, prevent Kat from falling victim to mean pranksters at her Halloween party, and bridge the gap between life and death itself with a kooky invention that can turn people into ghosts and vice versa. For a 90’s kids movie, there’s certainly a lot going on in this one.
[customfont1]Halloweentown (1998)[/customfont1]
Debbie Reynolds shines in this beloved Disney Channel original franchise. The first installment, Halloweentown, focuses on Marnie, who, upon following her eccentric grandmother back to a mysterious bus stop one Halloween night, discovers that not only is she (along with everyone else in her family) a witch, but there is a whole other world called Halloweentown, where supernatural creatures live normal lives all year round. When a mysterious force threatens to turn the peaceful citizens of Halloweentown into the dark creatures they are presumed to be by all of mortal kind, Marnie and her family must save them all from succumbing to this dark magic.
[customfont1]Hocus Pocus (1993)[/customfont1]
Three hundred years ago, the Sanderson sisters were hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. Today, they are merely an urban legend amongst the townsfolk. That is, until young virgin Max lights the black flame candle on Halloween night and brings the sisters back to life! With the help of boy-turned-cat Thackery Binx and friends, Max must stop the sisters from feasting on the town’s children, including Max’s little sister Dani.
[customfont1]The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)[/customfont1]
Tim Burton and Danny Elfman make for a magical combination in this Halloween favorite. When Jack Skellington, King of Halloween Town, begins to tire of his crown, he’s left wanting more. The same old thing no longer excites him. Until one day, Jack stumbles upon the doors to the other holiday lands. Upon entering Christmas Town, he is fascinated by the lights, trees, presents, and, most of all, Santa Claus himself. He then takes it upon himself to make Christmas his own. This movie is perfect for the entire holiday season, from Halloween to Christmas, which is why it tops out our list.
What are some of your favorite family Halloween films?
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