Halloween movie marathons are often full of gory, creepy or scary movies. But what about those who enjoy Halloween but don't like to be scared silly? You can still plan a movie marathon with a good number of Halloween-y movies that won't keep you up all night checking for monsters under the bed or dark scary figures walking past your window. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." This 1966 animated classic is always associated with Halloween as Linus spends the night in a pumpkin patch waiting for the appearance of the mysterious Great Pumpkin. Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang go trick-or-treating while Sally waits it out with Linus, hoping to catch a glimpse of the legend Linus claims is real.
2. Watch "Hocus Pocus." This film from 1993 stars Sarah Jessica Parker (pre-Carrie Bradshaw days), Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy as seventeenth century witch sisters who were conjured up by unsuspecting pranksters in present-day Salem. It's a favorite that is shown periodically around Halloween on ABC Family and it's easy to laugh at these three witches as they charm, rather than scare, all audiences.
3. Watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Bored and unhappy in Halloween Town, Jack Skellington (the Pumpkin King) sets out to find something exciting. He discovers Christmas Town and takes it upon himself to take over as Santa Claus and deliver toys to children across the world. Originally released in 1993, this film was re-released in Disney 3-D in 2007 and is still a crowd pleaser.
4. Watch "Casper." Released in 1995, this movie starred Christina Ricci as the daughter of a paranormal expert (played by Bill Pullman) who was sent to live in an abandoned house populated by three mischievous ghosts (Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie) and one friendly one (Casper). Many pre-teen girls will wait for the last 10 minutes of the movie, when Casper turns into a real boy and the forgotten teen actor, Devon Sawa, can be seen.
5. Watch "Beetlejuice." This late 1980s film tells the story of Adam and Barbara, an average dead couple who have decorated their house as they like it, but are unfortunately "invaded" by a living family. Adam and Barbara try to scare them out of their home and call upon none other than Beetlejuice to help.
6. Watch "Pooh's Heffalump Halloween." In 2005, the charmingly haunted Hundred Acre Wood showcases Roo and his best friend Lumpy the Heffalump setting out to trick-or-treat for the first time. Tigger warns them about the feared "Gobloon," who'll turn them into a "jaggedy lantern" if he catches them. But, if they catch the Gobloon first, they get to make a wish. When Pooh eats all the Halloween candy, Lumpy and Roo set out on their brave adventure to track down the Gobloon once and for all.
7. Watch "Garfield In Disguise." Dressed as a pirate, Garfield takes Odie out trick-or-treating and they end up at a haunted house for a hilarious adventure. This 1985 classic is sometimes alternately called "Garfield's Halloween Adventure."
8. Watch "Which Witch is Which." This overlooked Halloween special from 1984 stars Rusty and Buttons, a fox and bear cub out to attend the Halloween party the park ranger is throwing. However, they run into a few obstacles. For one, the party is just for humans and there are two robbers loose in the park that need to be stopped. Rusty and Buttons are just the forest creatures for the job.
9. Watch "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't. " In 1979, Dracula (played by Judd Hirsch) calls his mild-mannered monsters (Wolfman, Igor, Winnie the Witch, Mummy and Zabaar the Zombie) together and delivers an ultimatum: they either regain their frightening images, or leave his Transylvania castle forever, for without them, Halloween will cease to exist.
10. Watch "Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween." Since 1978, kids have been joining Bugs on his "spooky" adventures involving the green Witch Hazel.
11. Watch "Ghostbusters." A 1984 hit that's still popular today, join three unemployed parapsychology professors on their quest for ghost removal (starring Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray).
12. Watch "Halloweentown." In 1998, this Halloween movie came to the Disney Channel showcasing the adventures of Marnie, Dylan and Sophie Piper. Their grandmother, Aggie, wants Marnie to start her witch training before her 13th birthday or she'll lose her powers forever. Plus, there is evil growing in Halloweentown and Aggie wants Marnie's help in defeating it. Shown periodically throughout the month of October on the Disney Channel, check your local listings for when you can catch it.
13. Watch "Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit." In 2005, Wallace and his dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the huge "beast" who attacks the town's vegetable gardens at nightfall. The claymation rabbits in this movie will hop their way into your heart.
14. Watch "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad." This 1949 Disney animated classic gives two animated films: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "The Wind in the Willows." "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is best for Halloween as it's based on on Washinton Irving's "The Headless Horseman" where schoolteacher Ichabod Crane rides home through Sleepy Hollow late at night and finds himself confronted by the Headless Horseman.
Tags: Sleepy Hollow, Adam Barbara, Aggie wants, Aggie wants Marnie, animated classic, Charlie Brown