Halloween is rapidly approaching. While creepy clowns walk the streets and a scary amount of work piles up for students, The Emerald recommends some classic Halloween movies that made our Halloweens a little less scary as children.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Don’t let the festive title fool you. This quirky Tim Burton classic has all the makings of a great Halloween movie: a talking skeleton, a floating ghost-dog and, of course, a few ghoulish villains. Jack Skellington, a citizen of Halloween Town who has had a bit too much Halloween for one lifetime, has his world turned upside down, quite literally, when he accidentally ventures into Christmas Town. The events that follow are hilarious, tragic and filled with random bursts of song. For anyone who is offended by the early arrival of Christmas aisles at the grocery store, this movie will reassure you about the horror that ensues when mixing Halloween and Christmas. – Leanne Harloff
Hocus Pocus (1993)
This 1993 film takes place in Salem, MA and epitomizes Halloween: fun, spooky, and full of myths — or at least what the townspeople think are myths. When three children mistakenly release a coven of ancient witches from their spell on Halloween, the kids must race to prevent the witches from becoming immortal before the night is over.
Complete with spells, potions, a zombie and even a talking black cat, Hocus Pocus is a classic Halloween movie and a ‘90s favorite. It’s the perfect movie to get you into the Halloween spirit.
– Carleigh Oeth
Halloweentown (1998)
Siblings Marnie, Dylan, and Sophie have never been allowed to go out on Halloween. So when their magical grandmother comes for a visit, the children take a chance and follow her to her hometown: Halloweentown. They discover not only that they are descendant from a long line of Good Witches, but also that skeletons, ghosts, and goblins are real and lead normal lives. There are no costumes inHalloweentown — only evil spirits.
Halloweentown is a comedy-adventure that offers explanations for all things Halloween-themed from pumpkins and phantoms to trick-or-treating. It’s a movie that ‘90s kids will appreciate.
You can even visit Halloweentown just in time for the festivities, just a couple hours outside of Eugene in St. Helens, OR. – Carleigh Oeth
Scooby Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
Scooby and the gang have been solving mysteries since 1969, but the late ‘90s saw a lack of enthusiasm for the crime-solving crew. Of all the things to revitalize the classic series, the direct-to-video Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island managed to bring the classic mystery franchise into the 21st century.
After solving mysteries becomes monotonous due to the monsters always being an elaborate hoax, the members of Mystery Inc. decide to go their separate ways. You can’t keep the Scooby-gang away from a good mystery though, and they’re soon back together to solve one more big case. But this time there’s a catch: The monsters are real!
With a screenplay written by Glenn Leopold (Nickelodeon’s Doug) and revised by Davis Doi (Dexter’s Laboratory), animation from the Japanese studio Mook Animation and a soundtrack by composer Steve Bramson and Third Eye Blind, the film serves as one of the highest points in the entire franchise. – Mathew Brock
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-rabbit (2005)
The much-loved Wallace and Gromit short film series made its way to theaters in 2005 with The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. This animated adventure comedy focuses on the titular protagonists coming to the rescue of a small British village plagued by a mutant rabbit shortly before a vegetable competition. As stop-motion Halloween entertainment, it’s hard to top, and the claymation figures are still beautiful to watch in motion more than a decade later. The movie is also subtly touching and includes just enough tugs at the heartstrings to keep everyone invested. It’s pure fun and a great Halloween movie for any October occasion. – Dana Alston
The Addams Family (1991)
For fans of dry, dark humor, it’s hard to go wrong with The Addams Family. Based on the cartoon and popular television series, Barry Sonnenfeld’s chaotic family caper follows the America’s favorite family of ghouls and creepers as they face a plot to steal their vast fortune. Highlights include children Wednesday and Pugsley staging a fake-blood-soaked sword fight for their school play (to the shock of the audience) and Christopher Lloyd’s performance as the completely deranged Uncle Fester. The whole affair is completely ridiculous, but also unbelievably entertaining thanks to the actors all playing it straight. Think Beetlejuice mixed with a madcap comedy like Clue. – Dana Alston
Emerald Recommends: The best Halloween movies to remind you of childhood
Carleigh Oeth
October 10, 2016
0
More to Discover