*Also posted on Fathers of Multiples
Our kids come in a range of ages...so this list of 31 Halloween movies for every day of October does too. Halloween and Cabin in the Woods, for example, should be viewed by older kids. Only you know what level of scary your kid is ready for.
These movies are the "fun" movies of Halloween. Even the scarier movies included here have elements that are fun. Now, if you wanted a list that included straight up scary movies like Stephen King's "IT"...well, that'd be a different list.
Beetlejuice
Michael Keaton's best role ever, including Batman! After a recently deceased couple, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, has a new, annoying family move into their house, the ghosts decide to hire an expert to get rid of them, Beetlejuice. That's when thing truly get weird in this Tim Burton classic. Keaton is at his fast-talking, hyper, hilarious best.
*All Ages
Halloween
How can you mention Halloween movies without mentioning Michael Myers? He has spawned countless sequels of his own series, but he arguably started the whole slasher movie craze that brought about Jason, Freddy, Chucky, and on and on. The John Carpenter classic is all about the slow burn and building the creepy intensity.
*Teens and older, rated R
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
The perennial holiday classic Peanuts gang star in the tale of the Great Pumpkin! Most of the kids head out for tricks or treats and Halloween celebrations while Linus and Sally wait for the Great Pumpkin to pay them a visit. Meanwhile, Snoopy flies his doghouse into battle against the Red Baron! It doesn't have to make sense, it's Peanuts.
*All Ages
Spaced Invaders
What if adorable little aliens showed up to take over Earth on Halloween in a small middle American town and blended in with trick-or-treating kids? This movie answers just that question, and it makes for a fun family Halloween movie. The little aliens have bad attitudes and bad intentions, but they're kind of incompetent, so you can't help but like them.
*All Ages
Monster House
Monster House is like an animated Goonies, if the Goonies had to go up against a haunted house that eats people! Once the main kids figure out what truly is going on in the creepy house across the road, they take it upon themselves to put a stop to it.
*All Ages
Hocus Pocus
Disney's classic tale of a goofy coven of Salem witches starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy is as funny today as it was when it first came out. Witches from 17th century Salem, Massachusetts are reawakened in today's world and decide to wreak havoc as they attempt to gain immortality.
*All Ages
Scared Shrekless
Shrek and company appear in a fun TV special that is as good as the Shrek series of movies with all the original voice actors. The gang challenges each other to a contest to see who can tell the best scary story. Each story is shown acted out as all the characters attempt to spend the night in Lord Farquaad's haunted castle. One of our favorite Halloween movies!
*All Ages
Garfield's Halloween Special
Follow everyone's favorite cartoon cat Garfield, and his pal Odie on a night out trick-or-treating. This is where everything than can go awry does when they decided to enter and actual haunted house! This is one time i'm sure they wished they were home eating a big plate of lasagna. A favorite that even the kids will love.
*All Ages
Hotel Transylvania
Dracula. Frankenstein. Wolfman, The Invisible Man. The Mummy. All the classic horror movie monsters come together to ... go on vacation. Dracula runs a hotel for monsters who want to get away from their day to day. Hotel Transylvania 2 and 3 make for pretty funny follow-ups to the original.
*All Ages
Scooby-Doo
The classic kids cartoon gets the live action treatment with Scooby being computer animated of course. Scooby Doo the Movie is a fun update to the original show. When the mystery of whodunit is revealed, be ready to love the movie's choice of the culprit. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is an entertaining follow-up.
*All Ages
Sixth Sense
"I see dead people." Who doesn't know that famous line? Now, you MAY not know the M. Night Shyamalan twist of the movie, and if you don't know it, avoid spoilers. It's one of the coolest twists of any movie ever in a movie that is already cool. A kid who sees ghosts gets sent to a psychiatrist to help him with his problems.
*Older kids and teens
Casper
Casper the friendly ghost gets his time in a live-action movie that does a really good job bringing the little guy to life...undeath? Not sure, but the movie is really fun! An all-star cast includes Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, and Malachi Pearson as Casper the Friendly Ghost really brings this film home!
*All Ages
ParaNorman
Similar to the kid from Sixth Sense, Norman sees dead people. Normally, he's able to deal with it and only sees odd to everyone else. However, as a centuries old curse threatens to destroy his town, Norman steps up to put a stop to the curse and the zombies that are spreading through town. It's a cartoon, and is meant for all ages, but it's occasionally quite creepy!
*All Ages
Eight Legged Freaks
Eight Legged Freaks is a throwback to the radioactive creature features of the 50's in all the best ways. When chemical waste turns normal insects into giant car and house-sized spiders, all hell is going to break loose! They take over a small Western town, wreaking havoc and eating everything in their paths.
*Older kids and teens
The Thing
It's revered by many as one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Carpenter continues his ability to slow build the creepy tonality of his movies. Regular co-collaborator Kurt Russell stars in a movie that keeps you guessing who's who since the alien bad guy can look like anyone or anything it wants!
*Older kids and teens
Monsters, Inc.
Pixar's fun buddy movie stars monsters working the daily grind at a scream factory, where screams of kids power their city. However, not everything is as it seems, and conspiracies are afoot. Mike and Sully team up to save the town, save each other, and save Boo, the little human girl they vow to take care of. Of course, the two bicker the entire way.
*All Ages
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Killer Klowns is hilariously kampy and kooky. The classic horror premise of weird aliens dropping down into a middle American town to begin taking over the world is presented like never before...or since. The aliens are creepy looking clowns with gadgets and weapons that are all circus-themed. Hilariously cheese on purpose!
*Older kids and teens
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Ichabod portion of this movie is "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Nothing says Halloween like a Jack-o-Lantern throwing headless horseman. I'll admit, this movie gave me some nightmares when I was really young, but it's Disney, so it's for everyone. The Tim Burton/Johnny Depp version of "Sleepy Hollow" is also watchable by most ages.
*All Ages
Cabin in the Woods
At times graphic and very scary, at other times hilarious, this is a very creative take on a number of classic horror movie cliches all rolled into one really cool story. Take a bunch of college kids. Add a cabin in the woods and some supernatural forces. What do you get? Watch the movie to find out if your guess is right!
*Older Kids
Addams Family
The lovable Addams Family gets into new movie adventures with an updated cast that includes Raul Julia, Angelica Huston, and Christopher Lloyd! Christina Ricci is a great example of perfect casting as Wednesday. Addams Family Values, the sequel, is a fun watch as well. The recent animated version was worth also a lot of fun.
*All Ages
Frankenweenie
Tim Burton deserves a couple of spots on any Halloween movie list. The man has made a career out of making weird, creepy movies. So, naturally, his movie about a zombie dog back from the dead jumped right onto the list.
*All Ages
The House with a Clock in its Walls
Jack Black is soon to make a name for himself as the new master or horror, family horror that is, since he's the star of both Goosebumps movies and this fun Halloween treat. Warlocks, witches, ghosts, and man-eating jack-o-lanterns! This movie has a lot happening in it, making it a good creepy halloween mystery movie for all ages.
*All Ages
Haunted Mansion
Disney's movie made about their popular ride of the same name is a lot of laughs. Superstar actor, Eddie Murphy plays a real estate agent who tries his best to get his family out of the trouble they find themselves in when he attempts to try to sell an old mansion. The price one pays for getting a little work done during what's supposed to be family time.
*All Ages
Poltergeist
Poltergeist is the all-time haunted house movie! Watch and learn the difference, as this California family does, between a regular ghost and a poltergeist. Friendly and playful at first, and then they turn unexpectedly menacing as poor little Carol Anne gets pulled into that TV. It's time to call an exorcist for help.
*Older kids and teens
Monsters Vs Aliens
Another send up to the radioactive creature features of the 50's with all the original favorites, including the blob, the fly, the 50 foot woman, and the creature from the black lagoon. However, this time these are the good guys as they're sent to stop an alien invasion. Dreamworks proves you can get the warm and fuzzies after Halloween movies!
*All Ages
Monster Squad
If the Goonies had to take on Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman, you'd have Monster Squad. A group of horror fanboys defend their town against the famous horror baddies who arrive in town, searching for a magic amulet. Those viewers who are older will like the nostalgic backdrop, as this movie was released in 1987.
*Older kids (some scenes may scare little kids!)
Arachnophobia
As if one movie on this list about spiders wasn't enough, Arachnophobia brings an onslaught of spiders with it. This time, though, they're normal sized spiders...so it's even more realistic as they start attacking everyone in a small town. Keep the bug spray handy and make sure that there's nothing in your popcorn as you watch this classic.
*Older kids and teens
Silver Bullet
The only way you can have a horror movie list that isn't littered with Stephen King is if it's a family horror movie list! Silver Bullet, though, is a classic tale of werewolves adapted from King's Cycle of the Werewolf short story. The movie is pretty tame by King's standards but is still rated R because of the violence and gore.
*Teens
Coraline
Coraline tells the story of a little girl that finds a passageway to a parallel universe where everyone seems blissfully happy and nice, only they have buttons for eyes. It doesn't take long for Coraline to learn nothing is as it seems and the niceness was just meant to lure her into a trap! My sons were scared of buttons after this Halloween movie!
*All Ages
Ernest: Scared Stupid
Ernest did a great job of making holiday movies that your kids will want to watch over and over again, whether you want to see them anymore or not! This one is fun, though, as Ernest accidentally releases a troll onto a town. If you've seen any Ernest movies before, this is the same humor. Get ready for laughs, and an urge to drink a Sprite.
*All Ages
Goosebumps
I promised 31, so the last entry is our family's favorite!
R.L. Stine, the famous author of all the Goosebumps books, has a problem. If the original copy of any of his books is opened, the monster of the book comes to life...for real! Naturally, all the books get opened and craziness ensues. Jack Black stars as Stine and leads the way to save the town. Perfect Halloween campy fun for the whole family!
Part 2 is a fun follow-up to part 1. Jack Black has a much smaller part as Stine, but his voice is still the star as Slappy the ventriloquist dummy.
*All Ages
There's a fun Halloween movie to watch each and every night during October to really build up the creepy fun. Or, if you get started late, just binge watch as many as you can!
Be sure to check out our other movie suggestions.