Thursday 3 October 2013

This is Halloween. 10 Movies to get you in the spooky mood!

Who doesn't love Halloween? Okay, actually I know a lot of people who don't love Halloween but something must be wrong with them because it is absolutely one of the best, funnest nights of the year! The best part is the entire month of October leading up to Halloween night, and watching all of the fun movies that will either make you laugh, or make you cry in fear. Luckily, this list has a little bit of both. 

These movies are ordered from 1 (Least Scary/Most appropriate for children) to 10 (Most scary/Do not show to children). So without further ado... here is my list of the best Halloween movies to get you in spooktacular mood. 

1. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
If you didn't already know this about me, I love love love the peanuts gang. This short movie is so adorable and great to watch with your children while carving pumpkins. Pumpkin carving... hmm, maybe I should do a blog post on that? 

Watch a trailer here













2. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Ughhhh. Such a classic, especially if you're a '90s kid like me. This movie might be a little bit scarier, so use your judgement when deciding whether to show it to your children. I know my mom would have let me watch this at a pretty young age, but that's mostly because Halloween is her favourite holiday. It's also got a very Halloweeny feeling about it and works perfectly to get you in that witchy mood. 

Watch the trailer here











3. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
This is one of my top ten movies of all time, regardless of the season. The cast is absolutely flawless. Cary Grant is a genius and the fact that this movie takes place on one night - Halloween night - is the reason why it is on this list. It's not particularly scary at all, and is thoroughly enjoyable for the entire family. 

This movie is a little slow and if you're not already a huge fan of black and white films, you probably won't get a lot out of this film, but I love it.

Watch the trailer here










4. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Is this a Halloween movie, or a Christmas movie? Either way it doesn't matter. It's a Tim Burton film which makes it applicable. This is an indispensable film when it comes to Halloween lists. Not much to say other than... watch it and love it. 

Watch the trailer here














5. Beetlejuice (1988)
Another Tim Burton classic, of course, it's Beetlejuice (but be careful not to say it thrice). I must say, I just watched this movie for the first time a few weeks ago and it's weird, wacky, and wonderful all at the same time. I was pleasantly surprised by Alec Baldwin in this film, but use your discretion when deciding whether to show it to any youngsters. 

Watch the trailer here












6. Fright Night (1985)
I'm pretty sure this is a cult classic. I stumbled upon it about two years ago and loved it. Chris Sarandon as the vampire next door is seriously sexy and scary at the same time. Make sure you watch the original though. The 2011 remake is just not the same. This film is not overly scary and is perfectly suitable for teens. 

Watch the trailer here












7. Practical Magic (1998)
Two beautiful sister witches played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman find themselves in a lot of trouble when Kidman's ex comes back to haunt them for murdering him. Seriously enchanting and beautiful, this film has me by the heartstrings. 

Watch the trailer here














8. Scream (1996)
The original Scream movie is so good. I can watch it over and over again and I get scared each time. I don't know what it is about this film that gives me the creeps but if you're looking to be spooked on Halloween, I dare you to watch this by yourself at night in the basement with all the lights off. 

Watch the trailer here













9. Psycho (1960)
The first time you watch this movie you might think, "Well it wasn't that scary." Wait. Wait until you're in the shower with your eyes closed washing your hair and then see how you feel. This movie might not be scary like Scream but it is truly one of the eeriest films I've ever seen and I'm certainly not going to be stopping at any random motels late at night. 

Watch the trailer here












10. The Shining (1980)
Geez just look at that picture of Jack Nicholson. Super creepy and one of the scariest movies of all time. A family is cooped up in an old hotel as the caretakers for the winter, but someone, or something else, is there with them. A Stanley Kubrick classic, this movie should be seen by every adult at least once in their lifetime. 

Watch the trailer here












Well that just about covers it for the list of my favourite movies to watch throughout the month of October leading up to Halloween. Let me know down in the comments below, what your favourite Halloween movie is. Thanks so much for taking the time to read, and I'll catch you next time. Happy Halloween.