Welcome to our newest series. In “Friday Favorites,” our team will share a handful of favorite items. These can range from clothes to beauty products to recipes to books and anything in between.
I will freely admit to watching too much TV. My husband and I have a movie collection to fully support our screen time addiction. So with Halloween next week, it’s the perfect time to let you in on some spooktacular movies you may have forgotten or not know about. Get ready to have your family movie night after the ghosts and ghouls are finished trick-or-treating (if they can in your area). Even better, wait until after the kids are in bed and you want to snuggle with your hunny during the scary parts. 😉
MOVIES BUT FIRST…THE SNACKS!
You absolutely CANNOT have a Halloween movie marathon without the good stuff. Whether that’s dumping out the kid’s trick-or-treat loot for all to share, hitting up these yummy looking Pinterest recipes, or even Jeannette’s Top Non-Candy Movie Snacks, the snacks are the must-have piece de resistance!
AND if you don’t want to make your own goodies, check out cottage bakeries in your area to support local entrepreneurs. If you live anywhere near my hometown of Chester, SC, make sure you check out Kelly of Sweet Kelly’s Bakery. A former Army brat and high school classmate of mine, she is known for her fall sampler packs, sugar cookie decorating kits, and Halloween Boo Boxes. They are sure to make your movie night extra sweet!
For The Littles
To begin introducing your kiddos to the tradition of a Halloween movie night, I suggest sticking with cartoon movies that maybe don’t scare the poop out of them. Because NO ONE wants to change that diaper!
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, a yearly classic shown on TV, is a tradition in our house. Poor Linus is convinced that Halloween has a candy bringing spirit, The Great Pumpkin, like those of Christmas and Easter. He tries to convince his friends to sit in the pumpkin patch with him instead of going trick or treat.
Spookley The Square Pumpkin is a cute movie (think along the lines of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) where the main character, Spookley, just wants to fit in with all the other pumpkins, but he’s not round like them. He’s teased by the other pumpkins but has some friends to help him through.
For The Whole Family
I confess this is my FAVORITE section of movies. My husband says I like teeny bopper movies and ya know, he’s right. The right Disney movie original and I’m right there with the tweens getting impatient with commercial breaks so I can find out the latest drama. Here are some of the ones I grew up watching, both in my teen years and later.
Hocus Pocus has become a yearly classic for many people and for good reason. Watch out for those witchy spells being brewed or you’ll be dealing with these three Sanderson sisters for eternity.
Casper – I remember as a kid watching a goofy little cartoon, but I had a serious crush on the boy who played the character Casper in the movie version. Both sad and sweet, it’s a heartstring tugger. Not only do you find out how Casper became a ghost, but you also get to see him fall in love with a real-life girl.
Nightmare Before Christmas is my middle son’s favorite thing to talk about now, and I’ve even gone so far as to decorate the boys’ bathroom in a Nightmare Before Christmas theme. Imagine only ever getting one holiday and not knowing the others exist. How horrible! Halloween and Christmas collide when Jack Skeleton decides to kidnap the Sandy Claws.
Addams Family (free on Amazon Prime!) – they’re creepy and they’re kookie, and I’m talking about the version before it was a cartoon movie. Christina Ricci makes Wednesday Addams definitely look like a possible serial killer in the making. Kids will be kids… right?
HalloweenTown – how cool to find out that your mom has been hiding secret powers from you? Or that Grandma actually lives in a town that celebrates Halloween year-round and is full of all of the creatures you usually only see as costumes when you go trick or treat.
Twitches is the fairytale story of twin witches, born on Halloween and taken from their parents at birth to be raised on Earth. When they accidentally meet, their powers emerge and they end up back in their kingdom fighting The Darkness before it overtakes the entire realm.
For Teens
The Goonies – I consider this film a rite of passage and a must-see. Sibling rivalry, that special group of childhood friends with all their quirks, town bullies, first love, trouble with a local family of escaped convicts, a quest to save their home, AND a map to the treasure of One-Eyed Willie…this movie has it all. First, you have to do the truffle shuffle, then ya can watch.
Beetlejuice (also available on Hulu!) is for all teenagers who wish they had different parents. Imagine moving and finding the parents you wish you had, but the only reason they’re still hanging around is that they’re haunting your new house.
For After The Kids Are Tucked In
Scream – when you’re blamed for all your mom’s dirty laundry that everyone in town seems to know and some even want to kill you for. Poor Sidney. She just can’t catch a break from these murderous psychos, no matter which movie in the franchise you watch.
Halloween, any version really, but I recommend starting with the first one and the Original Scream Queen, Jamie Lee Curtis. What number Halloween are we up to now???
The Amityville Horror is one of those movies you don’t need to watch if you’ve recently moved to a new house. I remember watching this with my Mama as a little girl and was terrified of the walls bleeding. I still hate a house with a chimney on the end with windows on either side. Reminds me of a creepy face.
If you want something a little more recent, I suggest going with the movies based on real-life paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, such as The Conjuring or Annabelle. Even better – check out this list of 26 Really Scary Horror Movies Based On True Stories!
When it comes to the horror movie genre, I’m typically not big on the really scary ones. I blame this completely on my Mama. I remember as a little girl staying up late, being snuggled with her, and hiding my head behind her back with eyes squeezed shut. I could often be found pushing my face into the couch cushions during the particularly gruesome or scary parts. After all that time spent with Jason, Michael, Freddy, Norman, those Children of the Corn, and many others over the years, I’m a little picky over what I choose from the horror movie pile. Sometimes though, scaring the bejeezus out of yourself so you can snuggle isn’t so bad.
