The Halloween Movies that I Watched Growing Up
These are my top 31 Halloween movies. As you can see I am not that big on horror movies, I would rather watch a cute flick that won’t scare me too much. I know that probably makes me a wimp but I just don’t like the blood and guts type. Well, except for the ones that I listed below. I love to watch these films on Halloween or scattered throughout this month.
My All-time 3 Favorite Halloween Movies
These three Halloween movies are the ones that I always try to watch on Halloween, but I might only end up watching one of them (depends on what day Halloween falls on). Along with some further down this list.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Directed by: Kenny Ortega
Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, and Sean Murray
A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.
Hocus Pocus is a great movie and one that I love to watch every year in October. It’s pretty awesome, and I love everything about it. Including the music scene and you know the one I’m talking about with the Sanderson sisters. It’s a classic. This film is also the first thing I ever saw Sean Murray in. You may recognize a very young Timothy McGee in this movie as Thackery Binx. Granted I didn’t watch this movie until I was four or five but it’s still one of my all-time favorites. I also love Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson. I still go around saying “A Muck, A Muck, A Muck” because of her.
Practical Magic (1998)
Directed by: Griffin Dunne
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Goran Visnjic, and Aidan Quinn
Two witch sisters, raised by their eccentric aunts in a small town, face closed-minded prejudice and a curse which threatens to prevent them ever finding lasting love.
My whole family are big Sandra Bullock fans, and this movie is my second favorite one. I was ten years old when we saw this one with my aunt Melissa, I believe. It was a pretty awesome movie. I visited the place where they filmed some of it a year later. My Great Aunt Nette lives in Friday Harbour and took us to see the site which I loved doing. I love witches.
This movie is also the first one with Aidan Quinn in it. You may recognize his name as being the captain in the show called Elementary.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Genna Davis, and Winona Ryder
A recently-deceased husband and wife commission a bizarre demon to drive an obnoxious family out of their home.
Okay, hands down I had to put Beetlejuice in here. This movie was so awesome. After watching it the first time, I would go over to my grandma’s table and had my fingers acting out the shrimp scene. My mom would laugh about that. My sister not so much. It’s still one of my favorite movies.
Movie for the Younger Audiences to Enjoy during Halloween
These are the family-friendly movies and ones that a kid can watch by alone while the parent is off doing something else or is going to answer the door for a trick-or-treater.
Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost (1999)
Directed by: Jim Stenstrum
Cast: Scott Innes, Mary Kay Bergman, Frank Weller, B.J. Ward, and Tim Curry
Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang visit Oakhaven, Massachusetts to seek strange goings on involving a famous horror novelist and his ancestor who is rumored be a witch.
My family gets into a little tiff about this one not being a Halloween movie. Technically it is a Fall movie, but I still watch it in October and November as well. In my mind, it is a Halloween movie. The people running around wearing masks then the gang solves the mystery qualifies as a Halloween movie.
Thanks to my aunt Melissa for introducing and getting me hooked on Scooby-Doo. She gave me the VHS when it was released in 1999. It’s still one of my favorites, and I always have to watch it no matter what. I love the leaves changing color, the witch (hello another Halloween motive right there!), and Ben Ravenclaw’s voice. I mean most of the Scooby-Doo movies are good but not as good as this one, animation and plot are right on point.
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
Directed by: Hiroshi Aoyama, Kazumi Fukushima, and Jim Stenstrum
Cast: Scott Innes, Mary Kay Bergman, Frank Weller, B.J. Ward, and Billy West
The Mystery Gang reunite and visit Moonscar Island, a remote island with a dark secret. Daphne wants more than just a villain in a costume, and they get more than they ever expected.
Okay, another Scooby-Doo movie that isn’t technically a Halloween one either. I can argue though that the whole Scooby-Doo franchise is Halloween because of the bad guys running around in costume. I was only 5 when my Aunt Melissa gave us this movie. This one is another one of my favorites because it’s so awesome. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island and the Witch’s Ghost similar in the gang isn’t able to completely unmask the bad guy. I don’t really want to spoil it for those who haven’t watched the Scooby-Doo movies. If you haven’t seen these, you should.
Double, Double Toil and Trouble (1993)
Directed by: Stuart Margolin
Cast: Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Cloris Leachman
On Halloween night, two precocious little girls try to save their parents from the greedy clutches of their nasty old Capitalist aunt. Magic abounds and they meet new albeit strange friends along the way.
This one is a no-brainer for anyone that used to watch the Olsen twins starring in their movies when they were little. They were so adorable. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were pretty awesome in this movie, and so was everyone else. I loved everything about it including there being a clown with a clown car. I don’t really like clowns anymore. For this movie, I can tolerate it.
Trick-or-Treating Tips from Mary-Kate and Ashley
I found this little tidbit from way back when ABC network had “TGIF” (a night of sitcoms) on Fridays. Check out the little trick-or-treating tips from Mary-Kate and Ashley they are still useful to use even now.
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966)
Directed by: Bill Melendez
Cast: Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, and Sally Dryer
The Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin.
Peanuts cartoons are something that I loved to watch. This movie It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a great movie. I feel kind of bad for Linus who is always trying to see the Great Pumpkin no matter what. Charles Schultz is a master at showing kids emotions and what is important to them.
The Little Vampire (2000)
Directed by: Uli Edel
Cast: Jonathon Lipnicki, Rollo Weeks and Richard E. Grant
A lonely boy becomes best friends with a vampire.
The Little Vampire is a great movie. I saw this movie in the early 2000s. This movie was so awesome to watch when I was seven. I love the vampire’s in this movie as they are very different. The only daughter to the vampire family that has blonde hair is Anna Popplewell that some people may recognize from The Chronicles of Narnia or television’s Reign as she plays one of Mary’s ladies in waiting.
Halloween Flicks for Pre-teens
Okay, so these are mostly Disney Channel movies. I was a huge Disney kid. We used to watch the Disney Channel after finishing our homework. My mom would even watch some of the shows with my sister and I. Super fun times.
Halloweentown (1998)
Directed by: Duwayne Dunham
Cast: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag, Joey Zimmerman, Philip Van Dyke, and Emily Roeske
After learning she is a witch, a girl helps save a town full of other supernatural creatures.
Halloweentown is an awesome movie to watch. I love Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie, and I fell in love with this story when I was only five years old. Marnie is the main character along with her grandma. I remember wanting to be Marnie from that day and ever since. Just like always this movie is another one that I try to watch during this time of year.
Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001)
Directed by: Mary Lambert
Cast: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag, Joey Zimmerman, Philip Van Dyke, Emily Roeske, and Daniel Kountz
The Cromwell clan split their time between the real world and “Halloweentown”, but the son of an old rival threatens to make the latter “real” and the real world a place of monsters.
The second Halloweentown movie, and the Cromwell’s are back to fight evil. I once again fell in love with their family and magic. This Halloween movie was another that I love and have always try to watch during Halloween. However, I have always thought that Dylan was a bit weird.
Halloweentown High (2004)
Directed by: Mark A.Z. Dippe
Cast: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag, Joey Zimmerman, and Emily Roeske
Marnie Piper prepares to begin a new school year in her new home. She asks the Halloweentown Witches’ Council to work toward openness between Halloweentown and the mortal world. She proposes to bring a group of Halloweentown students to her own high school in the mortal world.
This Halloweentown movie is the last that I watched. Okay, so that was a bit of a fib. I wanted to watch the last Halloweentown movie, but it didn’t have Kimberly J. Brown. I boycotted it like a lot of people did. I finally did watch it a few years ago, and now I know with why I boycotted it. This movie was a good one, and they should have ended it with this one. I loved the fact that Marnie is in high school and is graduating as well.
Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)
Directed by: Steve Boyum
Cast: Matthew O’Leary, Laura Vandervoort, Myles Jeffrey, Caroline Rhea, and Charles Shaughnessy
The Hansen kids are in a jam. Adam and his best friend Duffy have gotten their hands on some tickets for the Headless Horseman concert, and his sister Chelsea has a date with her dreamy boyfriend Peter. The only problem is they’re both grounded. Chelsea and Adam will do whatever it takes to get their mom Lynette out of the house, even if it includes a chance meeting with a very mysterious man. Everything seems to go according to plan until their little brother Taylor realizes that this stranger might be a vampire.
I loved this movie. It was such a good one for being filmed back in the nineties. I first saw at a few people in here that I saw later in shows. Laura Vandervoort was also Supergirl in Smallville and (The CW) Supergirl as a bad guy. The Van Helsing in this movie is also Lizzie’s father in Lizzie McGuire. By the point, I saw this movie I believe that I have already seen Caroline Rhea in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. I think all the kids in this one are pretty funny. I also love the vampire and mom as they are quite funny and the plot is pretty good.
Under Wraps (1997)
Directed by: Greg Beeman
Cast: Adam Wylie, Mario Yedidia, and Clara Bryant
Three kids accidentally re-animate a mummy on Halloween.
This movie used to be the movie that my whole family looked forward to watching. I was only four when it came out, but I am sure that we all watched it that year. It was and still is an awesome movie. Gilbert is such a chicken though. Marshall is the brave one that likes to watch horror movies. Amy is the last main character of the three kids, she likes horror movies as well and is very bossy.
I loved the way they go screaming out of that house. It’s hilarious. Overall it’s a pretty great Disney movie that makes me miss the old Disney.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, and Jennifer Tiller
A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.
I am a huge fan of Eddie Murphy. This movie is fabulous. I remember seeing it in theaters when it first came out. I adored all the characters, but my favorite is the psychic that was stuck in the crystal ball. Eddie Murphy does a stellar job. This is a movie that is based off the famous Haunted Mansion at the Disneyland theme park. It didn’t turn in to a huge franchise like Pirates of the Carribean.
Twitches (2005)
Directed by: Stuart Gillard
Cast: Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Tamera Mowry-Housley, and Kristen Wilson
Two teen witches who were separated at birth and were adopted by two different families meet on their 21st birthday and must use their powers to save the world in which they were born, where their birth mother still lives.
Twitches is a great movie as well. The Mowry twins are such great actresses, and I loved watching them in Sister, Sister. I remember loving this movie as well and wanted to be just like them with the magic. I liked magic a lot when I was younger especially in this type. The sister’s characters are both terrific. Alex being a writer is really cool and something that I loved to see. Cameron being an artist. I like writing and art as well. I didn’t like the second movie of Twitches.
Tower of Terror (1997)
Directed by: D.J. MacHale
Cast: Steve Guttenberg, Kirsten Dunst, and Nia Peeples
A disgraced reporter investigates an abandoned luxury hotel where five people mysteriously disappeared sixty years earlier.
As a little girl I was into Kirsten Dunst, and so we had to watch this movie when it first premiered on Disney. I thought it was a bit scary but a fun movie back then and I still do. This movie isn’t the first one that dealt with making a movie off a theme park attraction from Disney either.
This movie starts the non-Disney movies on my list.
Casper (1995)
Directed by: Brad Silberling
Cast: Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Cathy Moriarty, and Malachi Pearson
A paranormal expert and his daughter bunk in an abandoned house populated by three mischievous ghosts and one friendly one.
My sister really liked Christina Ricci, and so we had to watch this movie many times. The movie is fun and done well. I would love to live in that house that Casper lives in, with that stairway and all the cool rooms.
Ghost Busters (1984)
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts
Three former parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.
This movie was such a good one to watch when you were a kid. I still want a Slimer! I remember begging my parents to let me have a Slimer. He was just so cute. The remake with Melissa McCarthy is good, but this one has it all.
For Those Who Don’t Like the Super Scary Thriller Films
These are for the kids that don’t really want to watch the above films (too cute) but aren’t super scary ones either.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, and Richard Griffiths
Ichabod Crane is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of 3 people with the culprit being the legendary apparition, the Headless Horseman.
Again, my sister was a big fan of Christina Ricci, and so we had to watch this movie. But none of us argued as who doesn’t like Johnny Depp and of course the legend of Sleepy Hollow as well.
Dark Shadows (2012)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, and Johnny Lee Miller
An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.
This is one of the newest movies I have on this list if you haven’t noticed. I’m a fan of Johnny Depp. This movie is a funny, scary one. The cast is great.
This movie is the first one I saw with Johnny Lee Miller who is Sherlock Holmes in Elementary.
Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein (1948)
Directed by: Charles Barton
Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and Sandra Mornay
Two hapless freight handlers find themselves encountering Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster and the Wolf Man.
I love Abbott and Costello as they are so funny. My mom likes to say that my sister and I remind her of Abbott and Costello. I do like this film because Abbot and Costello met Frankenstein, the Werewolf and Dracula. There are also a lot of crazy comedy scenes that have been used in newer works. “Abbboooottttt!”
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Directed by: Frank Capra
Cast: Cary Grant, Pricilla Lane, Raymond Massey, and Jack Carson
A drama critic learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family.
This one I watched for the first time a few years ago, and it’s pretty good. It has an interesting plot. Cary Grant plays his part exceptionally well. I know that this one isn’t technically a Halloween one but the plot always makes me think of Halloween.
Hold that Ghost (1941)
Directed by: Arthur Lubin
Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Richard Carlson, Joan Davis, Mischa Auer, Ted Lewis, and the Andrew Sisters
After inheriting a fortune from a gangster, two dim-witted service station attendants find themselves stranded in a haunted house.
This is another Abbott and Costello one. Yes, I am a fan of theirs despite that most of the movies were made before way before I was born. Abbott and Costello’s movies are the best. This one is one of my favorites because in this movie Abbott and Costello do a scene with a candle that the original Scooby-Doo series used with Scooby and Shaggy. Anyway, Abbott and Costello are always good for a laugh.
When You Want A Little More Fright (Teen-age and Up)
While the above movies are family friendly and ones that you can let your kids watch, this one is for the teenagers in your family that don’t want to watch the kid movies anymore. You know the ones were they don’t want to go to the bathroom alone or go to sleep right after watching.
The Fog (2005)
Directed by: Rupert Wainwright
Cast: Tom Welling, Maggie Grace, and Selma Blair
A thick mist full of vengeful spirits haunts a prosperous island town off the coast of Oregon, as its inhabitants try to learn their town’s dark secret in order to stop it.
This remake is my favorite of the many other remakes that they have made over the years. Ok well, this movie has Tom Welling in it, and that’s like the main reason me and my sister watched it. We loved him in Smallville. This movie has a bit of the scare factor, and it is also sad at the same time.
Final Destination (2000)
Directed by: James Wong
Cast: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke, and Daniel Roebuck
After a teenager has a terrifying vision of him and his friends dying in a plane crash, he prevents the accident only to have Death hunt them down, one by one.
This was one of my first scary movies, my first being It and now I hate clowns. But Final Destination did keep me up for a couple of nights. I also jumped a lot and started yelling at the tv screen for the first time.
This is the first movie that I saw Ali Larter and Kerr Smith. Ali Larter was also in Legally Blonde as Brooke Taylor Windham. Kerr Smith was in Charmed as Kyle Brody, Life Unexpected as Ryan Thomas, and The Fosters as Robert Quinn.
Final Destination 2 (2003)
Directed by: David R. Ellis
Cast: A.J. Cook, Ali Larter, and Tony Todd
When Kimberly has a violent premonition of a highway pileup she blocks the freeway, keeping a few others meant to die, safe…Or are they? The survivors mysteriously start dying and it’s up to Kimberly to stop it before she’s next.
Final Destination 2 was the second horror movie that I was okay with growing up. It was crazy the way death/fate won’t let go. The brown haired girl is A.J. Cook who you might recognize as J.J. from Criminal Minds just now with blonde hair instead.
Final Destination 3 (2006)
Directed by: James Wong
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, and Kris Lemche
A student’s premonition of a deadly rollercoaster ride saves her life and a lucky few, but not from Death itself, which seeks out those who escaped their fate.
Final Destination 3 was the last of Final Destination movies I have seen and probably will stay the last. Each one just gets scarier than the last. The death scenes get or terrifying and gorier. By the time I have watched this one I already seen most of the cast in something.
Scream (1996)
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, Drew Barrymore, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, and Skeet Ulrich
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game.
I saw this one my senior year of high school along with the three after this one. My mom is a big fan of this franchise, and since the fourth was coming out in theaters ,she bought the DVDs for us to watch before seeing the fourth in theaters. I did like this film. The plot is great. My favorite parts are the explanation of the scary movie rules.
I am a bit upset with the Santa Rosa City School District for not allowing Scream to be filmed at Santa Rosa High School, my alma mater. I will explain more in the fourth one or watch the end of the movie’s credits.
Scream 2 (1997)
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Kennedy, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Timothy Olyphant, and Jerry O’Connell
Two years after the events of Scream, Sidney Prescott and Randy are attending Windsor college. They are trying to get on with their lives…Until a new Ghostface killing spree begins. With the help of Dewey and Gale, Sidney must find out who’s behind the murders. As the body count goes up, the list of suspects goes down.
I saw this one in my senior year along with the others in the franchise. This movie is pretty cool. After watching, I didn’t want to go to the bathroom alone in public for a while. I do feel bad for Sidney’s friends.
Scream 3 (2000)
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Lance Henriksen, Deon Richmond, Jenny McCarthy, and Parker Posey
While Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, a new Ghostface begins to terrorize them once again.
This was the last movie in the franchise for quite a while, and it’s pretty thrilling. In this one, I really do feel bad for Sidney and everything that she has gone through in the past films. The actors do such a great job, and I was totally sucked into the movie.
Scream 4 (2011)
Directed by: Wes Craven
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Marley Shelton, and Adam Brody
Sidney Prescott, now the author of a self-help book, returns home to Woodsboro on the last stop of her book tour. There she reconnects with Sheriff Dewey and Gale, who are now married, as well as her cousin Jill and her Aunt Kate. Unfortunately, Sidney’s appearance also brings about the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney, Gale, and Dewey, along with Jill, her friends, and the whole town of Woodsboro in danger. Written by Joey
The very last movie of the series and I thought it was marvelously executed. Sidney is finally doing really well. She and her friends decide they can finally go home and what happens? The plot is this was so good, the acting spot on and the thrill factor was perfect.
I saw this movie in theaters with my mom, stepdad and Breanna. Let’s just say that none of us left the theater to use the restroom. However, my mom screamed the loudest.
Fun fact
I went to Santa Rosa High School in California. Our school district originally agreed to allow the first movie to be filmed at my high school. Sadly the school district decided against it at the last moment. Although it allowed other films to be shot at my school while it was still in session. To go to school while this movie was being filmed in my junior year would have been awesome.
I am still upset about this especially after learning about that from one of my teachers and the very end credits of the first film. Here is a quote from Wikipedia regarding the credits.
Director Wes Craven applied for the use of Santa Rosa High School and reached a verbal agreement with the principal of the school for the filming of his 1996 horror film Scream. Just days before filming was to begin, the school board denied permission for the use of the school. In response, following the listing of organizations and individuals whom the filmmakers wished to thank in the closing credits of Scream, Craven included the note, “No thanks whatsoever to the Santa Rosa City School District Governing Board”.
Well, these are my go-to Halloween Movies, as you can see I watch a variety of movie types, except for horror. Let me tell you that my first two horror movies I watched were It and Arachnophobia, and to this day I don’t like clowns or spiders.
What are your favorite Halloween Movies? Leave me a comment below.
Thank you for stopping by to check out my favorite Halloween Movies. I appreciate it. Have a Happy Halloween!
Disclaimer: Most of the movie Posters, director information, cast lists and plot summaries came from IMDB, Amazon or Wikipedia.
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