Horror movies isn’t for everyone so instead of talking about masked killers, zombies eating brains, demons taking over bodies, jump scares or monsters, let’s take a light hearted approach to this list and bring back a little bit of nostalgia. As a kid I loved Halloween because of Trick or Treating, candy and Halloween films being on all October long. As a kid I was too afraid to watch Halloween or The Poltergeist because they were too scary and it took me some time to get into horror movies growing up. Thankfully when I was a kid we had some kid friendly horror/Halloween films to watch on television each year and even today they are some of the best films to watch during Spooky Season. I think we all know where I’m going with this as this week’s top 10 list I want to focus on some of my favorite kid friendly horror movies that I used to watch all October long. Okay I might still watch them now too lol. Now in order to be on this list they need to be about Halloween, have horror aspects in the film or be on during the month of October. Are you ready for some candy and scares because this one will be a fun list. So grab your candy, get ready for some scares and comment below your favorite kid friendly horror film and let’s countdown my Top 10 Favorite Kid Friendly Horror/Halloween Films.
My Top 10 Favorite Kid Friendly Horror/Halloween Films
10. The Little Vampire (2000) – I know I mentioned talking about nostalgia films and this film might be a blast from the past for most kids that were born in the mid 90’s and grew up with this movie. The Little Vampire is a cute little Halloween film about a young boy who has dreams of Vampires and soon meets and befriends a vampire. I remember watching this movie as a kid and getting scared but at the same time loving the film because when I was growing up I always wanted to be a vampire and this movie kind of was that movie I can re-watch and live my vampire ways. I was 7 and stupid at the time but still I had a big imagination. Anyway the film for me was one of the best Halloween films I watched when it was on television. I remembered my Grandma taped the movie for me and I owned the film and watched it almost every day at my grandparent’s house. Now while the film isn’t the greatest film of all time and isn’t winning any awards, it is a very cute film that all kids could enjoy. The film continued Jonathon Lipnicki’s career and I bet many of you reading this is saying I haven’t heard that name in a minute. That’s how you know this film is nostalgic for many people. I rarely see this film on television during October so if you have seen this film then you know how cool of a film it was back in the day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRHWVeVFVf8
9. Monster House (2006) – Okay I can’t be the only one who was literally scared of this animated film. Monster House is one of the most successful animated films of the 2000’s that has found a huge fan base. The film is about a neighborhood that is being terrorized by a haunted house during Halloween night. The movie has a really great voice cast and has amazing computer animation. This film also used motion capture animation to bring the human characters of the film to life, something that was previously done in The Polar Express. The film became a huge success in 2006 as it did pretty well in the box office, gaining over $140 million and Roger Ebert gave the film 4 out of 4 stars and the film was nominated for multiple awards including Best Animated Feature in the Oscars. Now while the accolades alone make this film pretty successful it’s the film’s story and animation that bring the success to the film. The film used the story of the house coming to life perfectly as it uses some horrific animation to bring this haunted house to life and scare the crap out of the viewers. Now as a kid I remember watching this film a lot and always getting freaked out of the house itself and while I still loved watching the movie, that house always scared me each time I viewed it. So great job from everyone that worked on this film and made this haunted house the scariest haunted house in my childhood. Sure it’s not like the Amityville Horror house but is sure was scarier looking than it. In the end Monster House was able to put on some scares for younger viewers and became one of the best animated films of the 2000’s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ZCtppXSoU
8. Stephen King’s IT (1990) – Now I know what you are thinking, this two part miniseries turned into a feature length film is not for kids. Well you are all wrong for thinking that as the film is technically a light hearted horror miniseries/film that aired for all ages. So with that in mind I consider this film a kid friendly film, plus I saw this film in multiple lists online so I’m counting it. Stephen King’s IT was one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel and it defiantly haunted many young kids and teens over the years. While the film can be a bit cheesy in some scenes and not that frightening they are made up with a stellar performance from Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Tim Curry brought this character to life with his performance and he brought the fear to us all with being a random clown. Now while the remake of IT used jump scares and an even bigger performance from Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise, this version still will bring nightmares to a child. I remember watching this one night on Spike TV and was engaged by the story and this was at a time where I was curious about stuff on T.V and this movie happened to be on Spike so I thought why not. And I was eleven at the time so I was very interested for this film and years later after a few more viewings I really appreciated the film as a whole and thought it was amazing. Yeah it has it’s cheesy moments and not so scary scenes but you have to remember that this was made for T.V in the 90’s so it had to censor itself with television/kid friendly scenes and it had to use its horror in a more civilized way. In the end this is still one of the films I always look forward to watch in October. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUPq6X-Y1Kg&t=12s
7. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) – Honestly there are so many Scooby Doo films I could of picked that legit scared me as a child but the best one in my opinion is probably it’s scariest, Zombie Island. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is about the Mystery Inc. gang getting back together to go on an investigation in Moonscar Island because it is being haunted by a pirate named Morgan Moonscar. The film is by far the best Scooby-Doo straight to VHS film and it also became so popular that in 2019 it gained a sequel, Scooby-Doo: Return to Zombie Island. I was always scared of this movie as a little kid. I remember watching the film and then the Zombies came into the film and I was always scared but then my fear went sky high when the villains of the film became these cat like werewolves and I remember at some points I left the room or worse turn off the VHS tape because I was so scared. Now should Scooby Doo count under this category? In my opinion it depends on which film we talk about because Cyberchase and Crossover films with Kiss and WWE aren’t scary but this film is true horror for ages 3 – 7. I don’t know why but even after I grew out of the fear I would constantly watch this movie because it was enjoyable plus by age 10 I was constantly watching Shaun of the Dead so I was used to zombie films and I wasn’t scared of them. Look at me now, I love Zombie flicks and this movie is one of those reasons why I do. This technically was my very first Zombie movie I ever watched so thank you Hanna Barbera for making this film possible and making my love for Zombies a thing. While I do think this film will scare little kids, like it did for me, I know they will love it and enjoy it because it’s Scooby-Doo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkNask_pMKo
6. Edward Scissorhands (1990) – While 21 Jump Street and A Nightmare on Elm Street started Johnny Depp’s career, it was Edward Scissorhands and his partnership with Tim Burton that made him a household name. From their Depp became one of the top names in the 90’s. Edward Scissorhands is both a Christmas film and a Halloween film, just like another Tim Burton film that will be on this list a bit later, however this one has more dark tones added in to the film. The film is about an artificial humanoid named Edward, who is an unfinished creation as he has scissors for hands. He is taken in by a suburban family as he then falls in love with the daughter Kim played by Winona Ryder. Now while the film isn’t a scary movie it falls under a Halloween type of film because of the way Tim Burton makes his films as this film uses a dark tone and has some dark characteristics for Edward and in generally Edward is a scary looking character that might look scary but he is really a nice person. I love that the film shows Edward as more than just a monster as once he is seen in the suburban neighborhood he becomes beloved by the other families and he isn’t seen as a monster anymore. This movie defined a 90’s movie as it has Tim Burton film style, Danny Elfman’s amazing scores, Johnny Depp starring in a weird role and it’s a beautiful movie that uses horror aspects in a clean/friendly way and tries not to scare the viewer. In a way think of this film as Frankenstein and think of Edward as Frankenstein’s monster but instead of being hated he is loved and seen as a good person. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64IwbhFYuUM
5. Gremlins (1984) – This movie has triggered and haunted my sister since the first time I forced her to watch it back when we were kids. Gremlins is a Horror/Comedy film that Steven Spielberg executively produced and Joe Dante directed. The film is about a young adult who is given a mogwai as a pet and from there hell breaks loose as the mogwai gets wet and more mogwai’s are born as they soon bring chaos. Now look on paper this film seems like a scary movie but add in the comedy and the film is more of a light hearted horror film. The film is also considered a Christmas movie because it takes place during Christmas, but it is more well known for being a Halloween film. Imagine a Furby bringing chaos to a small town but one of the Furbies is a good Furby and is adorable and only wants to be good. Okay I know what you’re thinking: Steve it’ not the 90’s anymore stop reminiscing of the greatest decade of all time and stop talking about Furbies. But hear me out Furbies look similar to mogwai’s. I really love the movie because of the special effects as it used mainly puppetry for the “Gremlins” and over the years I have become interested in the whole special effects in horror movies. I love both Gremlins and the later sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch as both have great horror mixed with comedy and while it might be scary for some kids, I however was not afraid of these Furby looking creatures. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz8itUBsCTk
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Since were on the subject of Halloween/Christmas movies, we must talk about this next entry. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop motion animated film created by Tim Burton. While this is a Tim Burton film this is unfortunately not a Tim Burton film he directed so hopefully if you ever get a trivia question about who filmed Nightmare Before Christmas just know it was Henry Selick. This 1993 animated film has taken over the world during Halloween night as many people consider this film one of the best Halloween films ever. As for horror the film has monsters and creatures that little kids would be scared of but come on this isn’t meant to be scary. For god sake it’s a Disney animated film so there no way Disney will try and scare kids….right??? Well for what it’s worth the film didn’t scare kids entirely, unless you were afraid of the film’s villain Oogie Boogie. This film became popular quick and over the years Disney has made the film a pop culture phenomenon by selling merchandise of the film everywhere in the parks, in retail stores, online shopping, etc. The characters became so popular that they are iconic characters to meet in the parks and then there is the film’s popularity that continues to grow. Since it came out in 1993, the film has been put into theaters multiple times including in 2006 – 2009 when the film came out into theaters in 3-D, which isn’t a big deal but at the time it kind of was. And even today kids from each generation enjoy this film because of how amazing it is and how incredible the animation is. I remember seeing the character of Jack Skellington as a kid and being so amazed by how he looks. Little girls and even teenage girls look up to the character Sally and how she stands out from the bunch of monsters in Halloweentown. She is in a way the most human of the bunch but in a way also still a monster like creature. Every character in this film has a very creepy look but they are so amazing. It’s rare for a Stop-Motion animated film to be so iconic and this film kind of was the film that made Stop-Motion cool again and I think it’s a perfect tie in to all the stop-motion animated Christmas specials. I always wondered if Tim Burton made this film stop motion because of all of the Christmas specials but I guess that’s just my theory. This film is a perfect film to watch on Halloween or Christmas time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKlcDdfQelA
3. The Addams Family (1991) – There creepy and there kooky, mysterious and spooky, their all together ooky, The Addams Family. Bet I made you snap your fingers after reading that. The Addams Family is a classic Halloween films for all ages as the film is by far one of the most beloved films during Spooky Season. The Addams Family has an amazing cast that includes Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Llyod and Christina Ricci. I love this film so much as it’s one of the first films I think of when I think of Halloween season as I have loved this film since I was a kid and it was one of the few movies that made me fall in love with the Halloween and monsters and The Addams family show. Yes I grew up with this movie and I constantly watch the film every year because it is a classic. The film was so great that it was nominated for multiple awards and even gained a sequel in 1993 called Addams Family Values. I mean everyone has seen this film by now because it is so iconic and it is still relevant today. I honestly can say that as a kid at the time I was afraid of everything but this film was kind of one of the few light hearted horror/Halloween films that got me over my fear of monsters and ghouls. Sure it’s not the greatest Halloween film of all time but it sure is one classic film that many people today love and care about. It has left a legacy in this world that is hard to get away from cause each time you hear that theme song it drags you in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw0IakmQri0
2. Halloweentown (1-3) – I mean growing up as a kid you knew one of the best films to watch in October was on Disney Channel and every year you always looked forward to watch them. Halloweentown, Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge and Halloweentown High were three of the best Halloween films during my childhood and I’m guessing all of our childhoods. I would put the 4th one in but that one replaced Kimberly J. Brown with Sara Paxton and it was just bad so let’s pretend it never existed. The Halloweentown films were some of the goofiest films on Disney Channel but they also were some of the best original films to ever come from Disney Channel. The films center around a young witch named Marnie and her family saving Halloweentown or the human world. The films starred Kimberly J. Brown and Debbie Reynolds and each film has a different story. The first film consists of Marnie and her brother and sister finding out that they come from a family of witches. The 2nd film is about Marnie and her grandmother saving both Halloweentown and the human world from a young warlock named Kal. Finally the 3rd film is about a student exchange program between Marnie’s school and Halloweentown. Each of these films are honestly amazing and while they aren’t the best films ever they are the three films that every young one will look forward to watch during Halloween season. I remember watching these three films almost every day because while I loved the film so much, all of them found a way to scare me as a child. Halloweentown High not as much, but the 2nd film for sure scared me because of that scene when everyone turned into monsters. Now it’s kind of cheating putting these three films together but it’s my list and I feel like separating them would be horrible. Plus they made my childhood awesome and there a big reason why I love Halloween. If you never seen these films then stop what you are doing and watch them because they are awesome. Yeah there made for kids but as a 25 year old man I still enjoy watching them because of nostalgia reasons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozGLDYRjvN0
1. Beetlejuice (1988) – Tim Burton has made tons of Halloween films over his luxurious career but none of them can hold the mantle like Beetlejuice. Crap, his name was typed twice already so we need to be careful and not say it again. Beetleju…..the film is about a couple who dies unexpectedly and are now ghosts in their home as they try and scare away a family that now lives there. This film has an all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Cathrine O’Hara, Wionna Ryder and Michael Keaton as Beetle…..I really got to stop that. The film was a critical and commercial success to the point where it won an Academy Award and three Saturn awards. The film was so popular and successful that it spawned an underrated animated television show, a video game and in 2018 it found it’s way into Broadway. Now as a kid to even today I watch this film every year on Halloween as it is one of the most loveable and enjoyable Halloween/Family horror films to watch. The make-up is so amazing, the characters are so incredible, the performances are iconic and the music is legendary. How many of you still sing the Banana song aka Day-O? Well if you raised your hand and started singing and reenacting the scene as you are reading this then you are just like me and love this movie to death. Sure it’s no Hocus Pocus but then again I find that film to be overrated and the debate is always which is a better Halloween film and if you ask me it’s Beetlejuice….crap. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDm4L7gjYNs
Honorable Mentions:
Ghostbusters – There is something strange in your neighborhood, what film you gonna watch? GHOSTBUSTERS!!!! Yes this beloved comedy Ghostbusters is a film that many love to watch in October, even though it’s a film you can watch all year round. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aW8oyTgA60
Phantom of the Megaplex – This Disney channel original movie is so underrated and it is by far one of the best Halloween films that Disney has ever made for Disney Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FNmOHk78vw
The Haunted Mansion – Okay I have shitted on this film a lot in my Disney Parks top 10’s when I talk about the Haunted Mansion ride but I enjoy this movie too much. Eddie Murphy’s film might be cheesy and not great but it had some scary scenes and it defiantly was a fun film to watch during my childhood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U32Law7K-b8
Fun Size – This Halloween film is pretty underrated and usually under the radar but if you ever heard about this film and seen this film then you know how fun and enjoyable it is. It stars Victoria Justice and I believe it was a Nickelodeon Studios film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPaYkQc1Ylw
Comments