Double, Double, Toil and...Some Halloween Movies
by LuluJones
Is it October already? Then, it's time for autumn walks, comfort food, candy corn, Jack o' Lanterns and, of course, Halloween! Next to stressing out about your costume (no, do not drape a sheet over your head and call yourself a ghost), and shopping for treats, why not also get into the spirit of All Saints by huddling around the living room and watching an appropriately themed movie? I've left out some obvious ones (like Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, Friday the 13th, The Omen, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.) Instead, here are some that are usually not listed with your typical Halloween movies but are nevertheless appropriate for the October occasion. Some funny (and some very scary) movie recommendations just for you.
Note: Please check the Internet Movie Database for more information and to check if the movie is suitable for children. Halloween Movies for Adults
Army of Darkness (1993)
Despite the scary title, this is a tongue firmly placed in cheek "horror" movie
Beetlejuice (1988)
Black comedy about a couple whose premature death leads them to a series of wildly bizarre afterlife exploits
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Comedy where a puppeteer finds a portal leading inside the head of John Malkovich
Brazil (1985)
A government clerk's life is destroyed by a bug in this Whimsical fantasy by Terry Gilliam
City of Lost Children, The (1995)
An evil scientist in a surrealist world kidnaps children to steal their dreams
Clue (1985)
Comedy mystery based on Milton Bradley's classic board game, Clue
Creep Show (1982)
Based on popular comics, Stephen King brings you 5 tales of fun terror
Dark Crystal, The (1982)
Magical journey in a fantastic puppet world by Jim Henson to find a missing shard of the Dark Crystal
Dead Alive (1993)
Horror-comedy from the deliriously demented mind of writer-director Peter Jackson
Donnie Darko (2002)
Brilliant, original movie with a schizophrenic teen, time travel, humor, drama and a giant evil talking bunny rabbit
Ed Wood (1994)
Comedic version of the life of someone who created some of the most bizarrely memorable "B" movies ever
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Beautifully depicted modern day fairy tale with a guy slightly different than the rest of the crowd
 Evil Dead (1983)
Film packed with shocks, gore, and wild humor. I'd call it humourously revolting
Frankenweenie (1984)
A canine twist on the classic Frankenstein tale
Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter's classic just couldn't be omitted from this list
Harry Potter (All) (2001-4)
Brimming with cleverness, wonderment, and big-budget splendor, every installment of Harry Potter honors the legacy of J.K. Rowling's novels
Highway to Hell
The cops on this road don't take you to jail... They take you to HELL. Fun B-movie that will make you laugh
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House of Wax (1953)
Halloween just isn't Halloween without this Vincent Price gory thriller in 3D
So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
Mike Myers stars as a poet who falls in love with a beautiful butcher who might actually be a serial killer
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Unlikely but surprisingly convincing Tom Cruise plays a vampire retelling his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger
James and the Giant Peach
James' parents are eaten by a rhinoceros and he goes to live with his two evil aunts
Kill Bill Vol I & II (2003-4)
Tarantino's contemporary martial-arts Western, fueled by iconic images, music, and themes inspired by invaluable film sources (warning: extremely violent at times)
Monster Squad, The (1987)
Dracula seeks help from the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein
Mystery of Rampo, The (1995)
A writer becomes the detective hero of his own stories, in this beautiful and brilliant blend of realities
Nightmare Before Christmas, The (1993)
Stop-action animated musical/fantasy/horror/comedy a la Tim Burton
Others, The (2001)
Overwhelming creepiness set in 1945 on a fog-enshrouded island off the British coast with the film beginning with a scream...
Ring, The (2002)
Terrifying frightfest involves a reporter investigating the mysterious deaths of her niece and victims who are all tied to the viewing of a videotape
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Cult classic musical sci-fi satire about an alien transvestite named Frank-n-Furter, who is building the perfect man.
Scary Movie (2000)
Silly, fun parody of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer
Shining, The (1980)
Gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there's no place to hide...
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Dazzling, dark and moody reworking of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Willow (1988)
Fantastic adventure of an aspiring sorcerer appointed to deliver an infant princess.
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Nonstop comedic, spoofing classic horror via Mel Brooks
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Clifford's Big Halloween (2000)
Four-episode compilation of every kid's favorite big red dog, Clifford
Dragonheart (1996)
The last dragon and a disillusioned dragonslaying knight must cooperate to stop an evil king whom the dragon gave partial immortality
Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985)
(part of the just released DVD "Garfield's Holiday Celebration") Garfield and Odie, set off trick-or treating, but Garfield's greed for candy leaves them on a haunted island with an old pirate house
Ghost and Mr. Chicken, The (1966)
Luther Heggs spends the night in a house where a murder took place
Goonies, The (1985)
Classic children's adventure (which, by the way, was written by Steven Spielberg) and quest through underground passages, aboard pirate ships, and behind waterfalls
Halloween Tree, The (1993)
Cartoon Network's wonderful version of Ray Bradbury tale of four children learning the origins of Halloween customs while trying to save the life of their friend
It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966)
Silly antics with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and other characters during the Halloween
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
A 13-year-old girl meets the world head on as she spends her first year soloing as an apprentice witch
Labyrinth, The (1986)
Jim Hensen's puppetry at work again in this story about a girl's quest to recover the lost child from Jared, played by David Bowie
Little Vampire, The (2000)
A vampire gang's adventures (along with an 8 year old vampire sympathizer) eluding a bumbling vampire hunter are genuinely chuckleworthy
Mad Monster Party (1968)
Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dr. Jekyll, the Creature, Dracula, the Werewolf and the Invisible Man are all here in this 3D stop motion animation with the voices of Boris Karloff and Phylis Diller
Madeline's Halloween Spooktacular (1993)
New York pen pals invite the French schoolgirls to spend Halloween with them for two episodes: "Madeline's Halloween" and "Madeline and the Spider Lady"
Matilda (1996)
Delightful and funny adaptation of the Roald Dahl book for children about a brilliant girl neglected by her stupid, self-involved parents
Monsters Inc. (2001)
World of Monstropolis, where the scaring of kids is an imperative in order to keep the entire city running
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
The protector of two sisters, watching over them when they wait for their father, carries them over the forests on an enchanted journey
Neverending Story, The (1984)
Poignant and very magical fantasy about a boy visualizing the stories of a book he's reading
Scooby Doo (2002)
2 years after a clash of egos forced Mystery Inc. to close it's doors, Scooby-Doo and his clever crime-solving cohorts Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Velma are individually summoned to Spooky Island to investigate a mystery.
Simpsons Trick Or Treehouse, The (2000)
This set includes Volumes I-III: Treehouse Of Horror III, Treehouse Of Horror V, Black Widower, Cape Feare, Bart Sells His Soul and Lisa the Skeptic
Spirited Away (2001)
Moving and magical journey, told with consummate skill by one of the masters of contemporary animation
SpongeBob SquarePants - Halloween (1999)
5 spooky, 'must see' tales from Nickelodeon's squishy friend SpongeBob SquarePants
Winnie the Pooh Spookable Pooh (2000)
It's a rainy day, and Pooh and his friends are spending it in Christopher Robin's attic telling stories
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