The leaves are changing, the temperature is cooling...and it's almost Halloween! Autumn (or Fall) has always been my favorite time of year. I don't know what it is that brings a sense of magic to the air, but here is a mix of a few of my favorite Halloween/Autumn/Scary films to share with you!
Children's Films
I will never get too old to enjoy these classic films. And neither should you!
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
Bing Crosby's whimsical baritone voice narrates this Disney gem about a school teacher who falls for the wrong girl and gets scared out of his wits as he attempts to head home one creepy night.
This film not only keeps children's attention because of its subject matter, but because it's less than 40 minutes long! And adults will love the classic songs.
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of The Were-Rabbit (2005)
Wallace and Gromit are at it again as they set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest! Another enjoyable film for the whole family, the animation, bright colors and semi-scary setting has all the makings of a classic.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
True, this film ends with Christmas, but it begins with Halloween! What's great about this film, is that you can watch it starting at the end of September through the beginning of January and it just "feels right" (of course, you can watch it whenever you want, too). Follow Jack Skellington as he finds new joy in Christmas! Unfortunately, he doesn't fully understand and misinterprets its meaning.
More Films:
The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile
Monster House
The Corpse Bride
Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)
The Canterville Ghost (There's quite a few versions, I like the John Gielgud 1987 version)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (I'd include it. The colors really bring to mind Halloween and that Halloween feast looks so good-tiny parts of an all-around good film)
PG-13 and Up
Trick 'r' Treat (2007)
It's a shame this film didn't receive the proper attention it deserved. Taking place in one night, the film follows four interwoven stories: Each has more to them than what meets the eye. Sure, there's the usual horror film gags: gore & brief nudity, but their only a tiny bit of a great well-made and well-written film.
Halloween (1978)
The one horror film series that completely creeped me out as a junior high kid: Halloween. A vacant, silent, strong, psychotic man with a horrifying refashioned William Shatner mask (yes, that's right) terrorizes the town of Haddonfield, IL and his unsuspecting SPOILER! This is a great film for a horror film marathon.
The Craft (1996)
This would have been a great film to watch at a sleepover when I was younger ("in my day..."). True, the film is very representative of the time it was made (the soundtrack is a little silly looking back), but it's an entertaining story about a new girl at a Catholic High School who falls in with a few teen witches and what happens when she decides to leave the coven.
More Films:
Scream (It brought back the horror film genre!)
Urban Legend
The Shining
Nightmare on Elm Street
Halloween II (An excellent follow-up)
Carrie
Night of the Living Dead
True Timeless Classics
These will never get old...
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Not to be confused with Invasion of the Body Snatchers, this black and white film follows a doctor and his student and the creepy man who supplies them illegal cadavers. The ending of this film alone, creeps me out! And it will creep you out too! "Never get rid of me" "Never get rid of me"... That's all you need know.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
Who said ghost-oriented films had to be scary? This somewhat romantic film follows newly widowed Lucy Muir as she moves into a home occupied by a rather-annoyed ghost. In time, they form a caring bond and let's just say, the end will have you happily tearing up!
More Films:
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) - never has technicolor been used in such a dramatic way (save for The Wizard of Oz, of course)
Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Phantom of the Opera (1925)
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