Top 10 (not so) Spooky Movies
Happy Halloween folks. This is the time of year to curl up with a good spooky movie to get you in the spirit of the season. I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to horror movies, especially gory ones. So when October comes around my options for themed movies are someone limited. Today I wanted to rank some of my personal favorite, non-scary Halloween movies.
Number 10: The Nightmare Before Christmas I am going to start this list off with a classic. The Nightmare Before Christmas tells the story of a pumpkin king who does not quite feel at home in his Halloween themed world of ghouls and goblins. He suddenly discovers Christmas his heart is opened, leading him to a wild journey. This adorable movie is fun and campy and worth watching for the incredible claymation alone. It would have landed higher on this list if not for the fact that I can never shake the fact that it is really more of a Christmas movie.
Number 9: Corpse Bride
Another Claymation movie, this one about a groom who gets cold feet and while running away from his wedding encounters the spirit world. There he meets a woman who died on her wedding day. This is another example of a visually stunning movie that has its fair share of dark humor and fun performances. The leads in this animated film are Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter who are frequent co-stars. This ranks higher than "Nightmare" for telling a story that stays consistently spooky.
Number 8: ParaNorman
The last animated story on our list this movie follows Norman as he goes on an adventure through all things paranormal. Another example of some beautiful artwork. This is one of the films on this list that is tends more towards being strictly a kids movie. It is a safe option the whole family can enjoy watching together.
Number 7: Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is another film that takes a seemingly normal family and sets them against the backdrop of the paranormal world. It is a Halloween classic that will be enjoyed for years to come. It is a campy and somewhat strange movie, but for some reason it all just works together. Michael Keaton offers one of the most iconic performances of his career as the titular Beetlejuice. This is also the first entry on this list to feature Halloween Queen Winona Ryder. This movie also features incredible makeup and prostetics done by Oscar winning make-up artist Vee Neill.
Number 6: Twitches
This is a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM). It follows the story of Twin Witches, thus Twitches. It features the star power of Tia and Tamera Mowery. Some of the effects may look silly today but at the time they were impressive as far as Disney originals went. It is a fun movie that doesn’t ever really try to scare the audience, but that does not mean it goes without drama.
Number 5: Halloweentown
Halloween town is another DCOM, and one of the most successful. It has spawned 3 sequels with varying success. It is a perfect blend of over the top Disney acting and heartfelt scenes. It does a great job encapsulating childhood nostalgia and setting a tone. It is the classic Disney movie that one thinks about when they think about Halloween.
Number 4: Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands is another classic. It can be argued that it is not necessarily a Halloween movie but I would say that given the fact it features both Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder it qualifies. It tells the fish out of water story from a different perspective. It follows Edward as he searches for his identity in a place that does not always want to embrace him. It is a strange, funny, campy, movie that deserves a re-watch this Halloween season.
Number 3: Double Double Toil and Trouble
Now this may not be the greatest movie ever made but I think it is criminally underrated. When talking about Mary Kate and Ashley Olson’s illustrious film career this one often gets left out. That is a shame because this movie is incredible. It is a super strange kids movie that features a ton of off the wall antics. It is sometimes hard to follow but always fun to watch. If you are looking for a fun night in with a silly movie that will give you flashbacks to a simpler time this movie is your best bet.
Number 2: Hocus Pocus
Perhaps the most well known not scary Halloween movie Hocus Pocus tells the story of three sister from the past being awoken on Halloween in modern times. With some intoxicatingly fun performances, specifically from Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the sisters, this movie is fun from start to finish. The movie isn’t just for Halloween it is about Halloween. Watching this movie doesn’t one does not get the impression this movie was just made because a studio needed a Halloween movie, but because the director had a story to tell.
Number 1: Teen Witch
The number one spot had to go to nothing else but Teen Witch. I may be biased as this is one of my favorite movies of all time but you really cannot go wrong with this movie. If you are looking for a fun experience while watching a film look no further than Teen Witch. This movie tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who suddenly realizes she has the powers of a witch. Originally it was supposed to act as a female version of Teen Wolf but through many script changes and production issues what we get instead is a hodge podge of ideas and plots all somehow edited together. I will not say this is the best movie because it isn’t, in fact, it is a pretty poorly made movie, but if you are looking to have fun while getting in the Halloween spirit this will always be my number one choice.her.