Spooky season is upon us and with October almost here, I figured it’s time to talk about some of my favourite spooky movies.
First, an honourable mention. Nightmare Before Christmas is a great movie for Halloween and Christmas, so I tend to watch it just after Halloween where there’s still a lingering Halloween spirit but the start of a bigger build up to Christmas.
5. Corpse Bride
What is Halloween without a Tim Burton movie or two?
Corpse Bride is a stunning animated movie perfect for spooky season. It features brilliant voice acting, wonderful songs, and an eerie Victorian setting. The stop motion animation is always a delight and the plot twists still hold up after repeat viewing. The imagination and whimsy throughout the story is what earned it it’s place on the list.
4. Beetlejuice
Another Tim Burton movie, Beetlejuice is a comedy horror and probably the oldest movie on this list. With a cast packed full of talented actors, the story about a bio-exorcist, a recently deceased couple and a grieving gothy teenager is hilarious.
It’s no surprise that I also love the musical this movie spawned, despite their differences, but the original movie deserves all its repeats. With interesting visuals, a bureaucratic afterlife and Michael Keaton seeming having the time of his life as the titular character, I’m always happy to have a fun time watching this movie.
3. Hocus Pocus
Unlike a lot of fans of this movie, I only watched it last year. Because the release of Hocus Pocus 2 was so hyped, I figured I’d check them both out. I loved it. Even though the film didn’t do well during it’s original theatrical release in 1993, it has a huge following from families watching on video or DVD every Halloween. And while the second movie relies heavily on nostalgia, the first movie is so much fun.
Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker are phenomenal as the Sanderson sisters. The movie is just a fun Halloween story. It’s family friendly and funny, has fanstastic music, and it’s a new favourite to watch every Halloween.
2. Coraline
As a fan of Neil Gaiman, Coraline is one of my favourites. While it is intended for children, Coraline is genuinely creepy, if not scary, and I’ve know some adults be be terrified during it too.
Coraline is a great protagonist and Wybie is a great addition to the film. It is a genuinely creepy and scary book intended for children. I have known this to scare adults too. The movie has some more additions and some funny moments but generally has a great story and is definitely worth a watch.
1. The Addams Family
Spooky season would not be the same with this classic movie.
The Addams Family, made in 1991, is what I consider the peak of Halloween movies. It is family friend with jokes for both children and adults. For a movie about a strange and kooky family, I love that Morticia and Gomez are utterly and hopelessly in love during this movie. Puglsey and Wednesday and hilarious, and both get more moments in the sequel. Chistopher Lloyd may be more well known for Back To The Future, but his portrayal of Fester is amazing and the supporting characters are fantastic.
The story, characters and even music is fantastic in this movie and I’m happy to watch it at any time of year, but especially Halloween. It even has a sequel: Addams Family Reunion where Wednesday and Fester get to shine ad it is simply not Halloween until I’ve watched this film.
So, those were my top five, what were your favourite Halloween movies?
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