October and autumn leaves have finally arrived and the perfect cold, fall days for cozy blankets and a mug of hot apple cider (or perhaps a Pumpkin Spice Latte!) have come to stay for the season. There's nothing more we want than to snuggle under the covers with some food and a hot drink while watching a good fall flick. There's always some classic seasonal traditions held and Halloween-themed movies are no exception. Breaking down all of the great Halloween films made for this time of year is difficult, but here are thirteen favorites to watch whether you've seen them only once or a million times.
1. "Hocus Pocus" (1993)
Who doesn't enjoy the silly, yet sinister Sanderson sisters?! These three witches are probably the most proliferated during the Halloween season in part due to the movie becoming such a cult classic. You won't want to miss out on the adventures these three sisters have as they are resurrected on Halloween night and try to retrieve their spell book from three kids who wish to prevent them from becoming immortal.
2. "Halloweentown" (1998)
Halloweentown is another renowned and beloved Disney film. The classic is about a girl named Marnie, who learns she is a witch after a visit from her grandmother on Halloween provokes her to figure out why her mother doesn't want her and her siblings to celebrate. Once she learns of being a witch, she escapes to the fictional land of Halloweentown with her grandmother and trains to defeat the evil warlock Kalabar.
3. "Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge" (2001)
Usually sequels to movies are not favored by the masses, but Halloweentown is the exception to that rule! Following the triumph of "Halloweentown," "Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge" follows Marnie's attempt to finally vanquish Kalabar as he tries to make humans turn permanently into the creatures they portray on Halloween.
4. "Halloweentown High" (2004)
Third time's the charm! The great success of this Disney made-for-tv movie series is well-known and so a third installment in the story was made. In this film, Marnie tries to work towards openness between the mortal world and Halloweentown by inviting a group of creatures from Halloweentown to attend her high school and pretend they are studying abroad. She bets her family's magic that the plan will be a success and must prevent the Knights of the Iron Dagger from interfering with her Halloweentown students. If you're not a fan of consistency in a series, you may want to check out the spinoff "Return to Hallloweentown" 2006 where Sara Paxton is recast as Marnie Cromwell.
5. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993)
One of Tim Burton's most well-known films, "Nightmare Before Christmas" tells the story of Jack Skellington, a resident of a fictional Halloween town who discovers and tries to create his own Christmas in Halloween Town.
6. "Corpse Bride" (2005)
Another Tim Burton favorite, "Corpse Bride," is about a shy, clumsy and awkward man named Victor Van Dort, who inadvertently practices his vows in the presence of a corpse bride and is dragged into the land of the dead. With his real bride-to-be waiting for him on Earth, Victor is determined to tell his corpse bride the truth and marry his real bride, Emily.
7. "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" (2007)
As you've probably gathered, Tim Burton has an affinity for the strange, peculiar and eccentric stories that attract many Halloween movie watchers. This story is no stranger to gore, betrayal and lust. Benjamin Barker, a.k.a. Sweeney Todd, is a barber who after being falsely convicted of a crime 15 years earlier and forced to leave returns to London to avenge the man who keeps Barker's daughter, Johanna as his ward.
8. "Casper" (1995)
Casper is the friendly young ghost that many love to watch every Halloween. The film tells the story of the ghost, Casper, who peacefully haunts a Maine mansion. When a specialist by the name of James Harvey arrives to interact with Casper and his other fellow spirits, he brings along Kat, his teenage daughter. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics. If you adore this story of a friendly little ghost, you might also watch the sequel, "Casper Meets Wendy" (1998) starring beloved child star Hilary Duff as Wendy!
9. "The Addams Family" (1991)
A gothic, creepy and equally weird family, "The Addams Family" is about a man who impersonates Fester, the missing brother to Gomez Addams. Thrilled that he is found, all of the family accepts his imitation excluding Morticia, the family's matriarch. Morticia becomes more skeptical about Fester and soon realizes how the man claiming to be him cannot fully recall details of Fester's life. Fester's imposter gets the help of a lawyer named Tully Alford to try and get the Addams Family evicted from their home, so that he can claim the family's fortune. If you like this movie, the sequel: "Addams Family Values" (1993) is worth a shot too! Also, check out the standalone film based on the Addams Family, "Addams Family Reunion" (1998).
10. "Twitches" (2005)
One of many other Disney Channel made-for-tv movies, "Twitches" is about twin sister witches that were separated at birth and adopted by two different families in the mortal world. On their 21st birthday, they meet each other and discover their powers with the help of their late father's trusted friends, Ileana and Karsh. They must defeat an entity only referred to as "The Darkness" to save their birth mother in the fantasy world of Coventry, where they were born. If you like this film, the sequel, "Twitches Too" (2007) continues their story.
11. "The Little Vampire" (2000)
If a young Jonathan Lipnicki isn't enough to make you want to watch this movie over and over again, I don't know what to tell you! This movie follows a young boy named Tony who recently has moved with his family from California to Scotland. A young vampire by the name of Rudolph mistakes Tony for a vampire one night and enlists his help to find an amulet that will give Rudolph and his family the power to achieve their only wish: to become human.
12. "Coraline" (2009)
"Coraline," a lesser known Tim Burton film, follows a girl named Coraline, who enters an alternate reality behind a secret door in her new home. Behind that secret door, she finds a mirrored reflection of her life, but also with added and significant improvements. She is happy, but soon realizes that her "Other Mother" and her parallel family intend to trap her in this twisted reality forever. Coraline must be brave and fight to get back to her old life at any cost.
13. "Ghostbusters" (1984)
A beloved classic film that many will recognize for decades to come, "Ghostbusters" tells the story of a team of scientists that are fired from their secure jobs at Columbia University and delve into starting a paranormal investigation and elimination service. They call themselves "Ghostbusters" and as paranormal activity increases in New York City, they alone are responsible for saving New York from mass destruction. If you love this movie, also check out the sequel "Ghostbusters II" (1989) or perhaps this year's female-led remake "Ghostbusters: Answer The Call" (2016) featuring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth.
Gory, scary, creepy or just plain festive, Halloween movies have a wide range of appeal. Whatever film genre or style grabs you can always be substituted as a Halloween movie genre. You don't have to be into blood and shrieking screams to enjoy what Halloween movies have to give. Pumpkins or skeletons, there's something out there for everyone in the Halloween world!
