I like Halloween, a lot: the kids running around, begging for candies and treats and tricks, dressed up in the cutest outfits, ha… we don’t get much of that in London, but I still love it.
We have carved pumpkins a few times these past years, handed plenty of candies – and whatever was left in our drawers, from homemade cookies to peanut butter sachets, to name a few – but since moving out of Arsenal, we don’t get the same thing anymore.
So what better way to celebrate one of my favorite times of the year – even though I don’t get to hand out candies – with a movie marathon?! Admitting the fact that no, I do not do movie marathons myself – you can barely keep me awake/attentive for more than 10 minutes in a row… – I still thought I’d give you a list of my 8 favorite Halloween movies of all times. Maybe you are up for a challenge, maybe you are just looking for a distraction, some of these movies are not strictly Halloween-y as such, but I am pretty sure you’d like at least one of them.
1. Hocus Pocus – 1993
What can I say about this one? It screams Halloween. The story is actually happening on Halloween night, and although not a scary/horror movie, it’s a pretty easy watch and will definitely keep the kids entertained, if you have any. Sarah Jessica Parker in it should sell it to you already, so naive and silly on it as you have probably never seen her before.
2. Beetlejuice – 1988
This happens to be one of my all-time favorites, one I cannot stop watching and I cannot really get distracted from, no matter how tired I am. Also happens to be one of the only few I can stand from Mr. Burton – not a huuuuge fan here, soz – which is big, I know. I absolutely love Lydia in it, Wynona was just so precious and I cannot even begin to tell you of my love for Micheal Keaton in this movie. I would give it six stars out of five if I could.
3. The Addams Family – 1991
The satire running through the whole movie is what got this chick here, living in Sarcasm-Land since 1990. I adored Wednesday Addams more than anything else, and always wanted to be Morticia – so that I could be married to Gomez and have that passionate, yet slightly macabre and crazy relationship they share. Brownie points are of course appointed to two particular characters: Thing, and Cousin Itt.
4. Practical Magic – 1998
A romantic comedy, so more up my alley, I have watched this one so many times it’s unbelievable: it helped me develop some love for both Nicole Kidman & Sandra Bullock, which is always good. Here you have it all: a love, a curse, some magic… I have yet to find someone who does not like this one movie.
5. Casper – 1995
Another one with Christina Ricci, adorable from start to finish, it can be a sweet in-between with the next three movies in this list: a ghost, his house, his love…just awww! Gets me sad at one point, but yeah, one of the favourites from my childhood for sure.
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas – 1993
Not big on this one, admittedly, probably because of my aversion to Tim Burton and everything he’s been working on since day 1 of his career, but a staple of Halloween nonetheless. The graphics are pretty good for the year it was made in and overall a decent script too. The music is what gets me more: who has not been singing this one all day every day in October?!
7. Death Becomes Her – 1992
A favorite of mine since I am a kid, this one has always made me a happy kid while watching it, not sure if it should have sparkled a few questions to my parents but hey! What kid does not like the idea of a cannonball going through someone’s body, and this someone (Goldie!) still able to walk and talk! I mean! This one is deserving of 10 stars, that’s the verdict.
8. The Rocky Horror Picture Show – 1975
I managed to join the bandwagon late – ahem, a few years ago – and I would never go back, to the point that one of my sisters and I can sing the whole ‘Dammit, Janet’, each assuming the characters of Janet & Brad to the letter (usually a brush will play the bouquet, and any random object could be the ring). I could join a sing-along of this movie, and come home with no voice. The only thing, this is definitely not a kid’s movie.
What other movies could you recommend that are Halloween or that you always watch around Halloween?
I could eat these all day through Halloween…
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