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Sure, Halloween is the perfect excuse to go watch Suspiria or Dracula, but some of us have kids, and there are a bunch of people who themselves want to get in the holiday spirit who don’t like being traumatized by seeing fictionalized gore and death. College Times has made a list of 10 non-scary movies to enjoy this October’s end.
Be warned: What makes something scary is still a matter of opinion in the end!
10. The Witches (1990)
The original book is slightly darker, with the film adaptation going for a typical happy ending, as well as implying the existence of good witches. That said, some children might get scared of seeing the witches out of their human disguises or seeing the children get turned into rats. Still, Angelica Houston is in it; kids can afford a little trauma.
9. Casper (1995)
Some younger kids might be better off watching the 60’s cartoons where Casper was born a ghost and has that witch girlfriend, but the 90’s incarnation of this character is still a classic for a lot of people. Still, I have to ask, just why does Casper live with his three uncles? Are his parents…still alive or something?
8. Halloweentown (1998)
Sure, if you’re in the mood for a story of an underage witch, there is Teen Witch or Sabrina, but there is another: Marnie Piper, who is living on Earth before she learns of her witch lineage from another world: Halloweentown, hence the name of the film. Also, Debbie Reynolds is in it. There were a few sequels, but let’s just forget about the one where Marnie goes to college. I mean, they even wrote out Marnie’s goblin friend!
7. The Addams Family (1991)
America’s favorite family has had a lot of incarnations over the years: comics, sitcoms, cartoons and even a Broadway show! Still, their 90’s movie helped solidify they would have a place in pop culture over the next few decades. Most people might remember the sequel more, but that’s something that should be saved for Thanksgiving.
6. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The best part about this movie is that it becomes relevant again in about two months. Besides, who doesn’t love stop-motion animation? Why? A lot of Tim Burton’s films could fit on this list? Corpse Bride? Frankenweenie? Hansel & Gretel? Okay, that last one might be pushing it.
5. Scary Movie (2000)
Yeah, this one’s probably not for kids, but it’s still pretty funny. Especially that part when Buffy (no relation) complains about her head getting cut off even after her head is actually cut off.
4. Ghostbusters (1984)
Technically, while it’s not exactly scary in itself, it is annoying getting the theme song stuck in your head. If you’re still worried about the film scaring younger children, then you can always go with that spin-off cartoon. I mean, there was an episode where Egon turns into a were-chicken. It was good television.
3. Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
I guess there is just something spooky about stop-motion? Regardless, with an Oscar to back it up, who doesn’t need a good story about a cheese savant, his non-talking dog, with a subplot about were-rabbits running about? I don’t want to spoil just who the were-rabbit is…wait, dogs aren’t supposed to talk, why am I acting like it’s so strange?
2. The Harry Potter films (Various Years)
Yes, there are many reasons fans of the books prefer the books; there are even some people out there who still haven’t forgiven the filmmakers for splitting the last movie in two. There are nights when even I wake up screaming just thinking about what happened to Padma and Parvati’s Yule Ball outfits. Still, who doesn’t appreciate the story about the boy who lived?
1. Hocus Pocus (1993)
Is it weird that nobody remembers that the three witches kill a little girl at the start? Who cares…we only watch it for that “I Put A Spell On You” scene. It’s the reason I posted it right here and now. If you want to listen to a clean version without people talking over it, just keep watching the end credits!
