Favorite Halloween Movies - That Don't Make Me Want a Nightlight

I am a huge fan of anything of the magical/supernatural-y type of thing.

Obviously.



It should also not surprise you that I love Halloween. I love having an excuse to talk about vampires, witches, ghosts, magic, etc. Also, you get to dress up, eat candy, drink apple cider, have bonfires, and watch movies.

While I know it has a really dark history (which is kinda fascinating to me... so we'll just add it to the list of reasons I'm a bad youth minister...) it's still awesome.

The problem is...

I hate horror movies.

Like - REALLY REALLY REALLY hate horror movies. Half of the time while I'm watching Supernatural, I have my Netflix on mute and I'm reading the captions while cuddling with a blanket, a pillow, and my dog. I've gotten better... but I hate being scared.

Once, some friends and I went to someone's house to watch a scary movie on Halloween. We had to leave about 15 minutes into it because I was terrified of what might happen as we watched.

I was about 23.

So, what do you do when you're a movie and supernatural lover like myself at Halloween? Here is a list of my favorite (tamer) movies to get me into the spirit:

The Nightmare Before Christmas

This movie can go either Christmas or Halloween. I go for Halloween because all of the characters try to pull off Christmas, but learn they are created for Halloween. I feel like it's more about embracing Halloween vs. Christmas. (Also being true to yourself. Yay for Halloween movies with morals!) It's also weird and creepy at times, but not enough to get me running for my blanket. Cause you know... it's a cartoon.

The Corpse Bride

Technically, this isn't a Halloween movie. However, it's all about death and it's a Tim Burton movie. Therefore- Halloween. It's also adorable.

Disney's Halloween Treat

Do you all remember this? I remember getting so excited for this Halloween special hosted by the Magic Mirror from Snow White. I found it on YouTube - so I fully intend to watch it this year. It's a bunch of little snippets of classic Disney villans and other short cartoons to get into the spirit.

Interview with the Vampire

I don't just watch kid movies - I promise! When I first saw this movie when I was in jr. high it terrified me. But now that I'm older, and I've seen it a million times, it doesn't scare me anymore. Also, there aren't really any "bumps in the night" which make me jump a foot off of the couch, so I was able to deal with this one better. A little bit of gore I can get over easily. Besides, I love Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and this movie is wonderful. Also - this is a perfect cast. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, and child Kirsten Dunst. Brilliant! 

My dream Halloween costume is to be Claudia. It's one of the few times being short and blonde has its perks. I could totally pull off child vampire.

I just ignore the movie Queen of the Damned.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I love musical theatre. What did you expect?

Dracula

The awesome things about old horror movies? Sometimes they aren't all that scary. Besides... this is a classic. And almost anything with vampires - I'm game!

The Mummy

How any could not love The Mummy is beyond me. It's another one that scared me in jr. high, but as I got older I realized it wasn't very scary at all. It's funny, ridiculous, but also has action and corpses rising from the dead.

Also- she's a librarian.  Can it get any better than that? I didn't think so.

Rebecca

This is one of Hitchcock's earlier movies and I adore it. It's creepy in a non-creepy way at all... and done as only Hitchcock can. You feel like there's a ghost when there isn't one, and there's a mystery and a love story... and Mrs. Danvers is one of the best villains ever. Also - Joan Fontaine and Lawrence Oliver are in it. Completely brilliant.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Captain Jack Sparrow, ghost/zombie pirates, Will Turner... yup. I feel like this is a Halloween winner. 

Warm Bodies

After seeing this movie (twice) when it came out earlier in 2013, and falling in love with the book, and writing blog posts about it, my long-time readers had to know this movie was going to be on the list. There's zombies and great eating of brains and fighting, but also a ridiculously cute love story. R is also hilarious. 

Harry Potter

Any of the Harry Potter movies will do. Or all of them. Whatever. They're wizards and witches at school and crazy things happen. Can it get any more Halloween than that? 

And any excuse to watch Harry Potter is good in my book.

While you're at it... just go read all seven books. I'm not here to judge. 

Hocus Pocus

Seriously, this is one of the best Halloween movies of all time. If not the best. Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker are fantastic in this movie, they're hilarious and scary at the same time. (I'm sorry, eating the souls of children is terrifying.) Thackery Binks is the cat I never knew I wanted (and he was kinda cute as a human... at least in my elementary school/Jr. high girl eyes). I also wished I had a big brother like Max. From this movie, I also know who Ice is... and we all need to know that information. From this movie, you also learn that zombies can be good guys. 

I know there are a ton of other great non-terrfying Halloween movies out there - but I can't name them all! What are some of your favorites?

Also - if you don't want to just watch movies, Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Vampire Diaries are the best TV shows to watch this time of year (if not all year round). 

I also intend to try watching Snow White A Tale of Terror this month. While it is a horror movie and I'll be scared out of my mind,  as a fan of the Snow White fairy tale I feel like I need to watch it.