14 Classic Halloween Movies To Spook Out the Whole Fam (Yep, Kids, Too)
Halloween is just around the corner, and it's no secret that after a certain age, this fun holiday becomes all about rejoicing alongside your family -- and picking costumes for your kids and buying bags of candy for all the other kids is just a start. But maybe the best Halloween antic you can partake in with your children is snuggling up on the couch for a scary flick or two.
Sure, you won't be able to watch all of the truly horrifying horror movies (sorry, Michael Myers), but this is a great time to feed your nostalgia (with candy corn, of course) and show the youngins what All Hallows' Eve is all about by indulging in some of your childhood faves.
Not sure where to start? Don't fret! We've got you covered with these 11 movies.
Image via Hocus Pocus/Disney
Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus easily ranks among one of the best movies to come from the common millennial's childhood. It was released in 1993 and is all about the adventurous night Max (Omri Katz) has after moving to Salem, Massachusetts, and deciding to explore an abandoned house (turned museum) with his little sister and new found friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After disregarding what seems to be a tall tale, Max releases an evil coven of witches and must get rid of them by the end of Halloween.
The Haunted Mansion
In The Haunted Mansion, when Eddie Murphy's character, Jim, is accused of abandoning his fatherly duties in this 2003 flick, he takes his children on a family vacation. They end up taking a detour to a haunted mansion*.* As things get ... creepy (to say the least), they gain a better understanding on what family means.
Casper
Casper! Yet another fan favorite, this movie came out in 1995 and is about a friendly little ghost and his mean, ghostly uncles. While normally mean ghosts are fairly run-of-the-mill, Casper becomes embarrassed of his lifestyle (or afterlifestyle) when he falls for the new tenant, Cat (Christina Ricci), in the house that he haunts.
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Coraline
Released in 2009, Coraline is about a young girl who curiously opens the door to an alternate universe. Although the universe seems like the slightly better version of the one Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) comes from and she enjoys it for some time, things quickly take a dark turn when her new mom (Teri Hatcher) tries to keep her in their new world.
The Addams Family
The Addams Family, released in 1991, told the story of a charmingly strange and morbid family as they welcome home their long lost brother. However, as time goes on, some of the family have reason to believe this guy is a fake -- especially after they find themselves out on the streets because of "faux" Fester's actions. Nonetheless, they plot to get to the bottom of things and, in their antics, teach us that family comes first -- whether they're strange or not.
Double, Double, Toil & Trouble
It might not necessarily be a Halloween favorite, but you'll definitely get a kick out of seeing the Olsen twins side-by-side as kiddos in Double, Double Toil and Trouble -- released in '93. If you haven't seen this classic straight-to-video flick, it's about two twin sisters who are determined to save their family home from an evil aunt who came into magical powers through a cool magic moonstone. However, in order accomplish anything, they must get the moonstone from her.
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Corpse Bride
Corpse Bride, released in 2005, is an account of the adventure of Victor (Johnny Depp), who is all set to go through with his arranged marriage to Victoria (Emily Watson) when he's quite literally dragged to a mysterious land where he meets the corpse bride and accidentally marries her. Now, his one and only mission is to make it back to his real bride.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is a definite classic, was released in 1993. You'll have to watch to find out what happens when Halloweentown's most revered pumpkin king, Jack Skellington, gets tired of the monotony in his life and decides to visit Christmastown -- and in doing so, becomes infatuated with their lifestyle and then plots to take over the town.
Halloweentown
Halloweentown, released in 1998, will forever be one of Disney Channel's best original movies. Watch to see what happens when Marnie discovers her magical heritage and is suddenly forced to save Halloweentown as evil threatens to take over.
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Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo is a classic that goes beyond millennials and extends to many generations, but this 2002 reboot gets the gang all back together. No really! After their breakup, everyone is mysteriously brought to an island to investigate (because, duh, that's what they do). However, with missed love connections and friendships to mend, they get a little more than they bargained for on this particular adventure.
Moster House
Monster House is an animated movie (released in 2006) about a house that comes alive. While the kids are in the know about this house and possibly how it works, the community adults aren't buying it -- and that ultimately forces the children to save unsuspecting trick-or-treaters from the tumultuous house by destroying it before Halloween.
Monsters, Inc.
Sully is one of the top producers art Monsters, Incorporated, but his entire career is in jeopardy after he and his scare assistant, Mike, allow one of the kids they're supposed to be scaring to escape into the factory. However, in the process of getting Boo back into her room, they learn to love her despite all that they've been taught about human beings -- and that proves more dangerous than anything else. Monsters, Inc., was definitely inducted into the millennial movie hall of fame (if that really existed) upon it's release in 2001.
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Twitches
After being separated at birth, two twin witches find their way back to each other 21 years later. They discover their magical powers together, and in doing so, they're forced to save the magical world that they come from to save their mother's life. Twitches is another Disney classic -- it was released in 2005 and featured the Mowry twins, so it kinda had to be.
Beetlejuice
In this 1988 original, a couple of ghosts can't get some pesky humans to leave their home with their usual scare tactics. So they call on Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). Little do they know, his methods aren't just untraditional, but really quite dangerous and way more than they bargained for.