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Smell my feet, it's Halloween.
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Me as a skeleton and my sister as a witch, 1989
I thought I’d do a little something different. Instead of making a list of horror movies that are good for watching on Halloween (because, honestly, what horror movie isn’t good for that?), I decided to make a list of non-horror movies that have the Halloween spirit. And I'm gonna be honest with you, a lot them are kid stuff. So, if that's not your bag, you may look elsewhere for ghoulish goodies (I have yet to see Trick 'r Treat, but I hear that's a phenomenal Halloween movie, so there's one for you post-PG 13ers out there). Besides, well, the obvious (John Carpenter's Halloween, duh), here is a list of movies I like to surround myself when wanting to get into a Halloweeny mood.
1. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) Ok. Let's start it off with a classic. Who doesn't like this movie? Who doesn't think of this film when thinking about Halloween? The film is a little less depressing than most other Charlie Brown specials (he's such a downer), though, it ends anti-climatically, with the Great Pumpkin never showing. But you know Linus and Charlie Brown will be there next year waiting to see it. Even though they know it'll never happen, it's still part of their tradition.
2. Ghostbusters (1984) It took me years to view this as a comedy and not a horror movie (because Gozer is just so damn scary) but finally I see the hilarity in it all. Rick Moranis has quite possibly the best performance in the movie, the effects are top notch, and Ray Parker, Jr's theme will go down in history as one of the greatest and catchiest songs, as well as a quinessential anthem for All Hallow's Eve for years to come.
3. Fright Night (1985) This is a film I can watch over and over and over again, and will not get sick of it. It's so much fun to watch, and fun to quote, too ("Oh, you're so cool, Brewster!"). How could you not love a crazy best friend named Evil? How could you not love Roddy MacDowell as an ex- B-Movie vampire hunter (named Peter Vincent, after Peter Cushing and Vincent Price) who is actually afraid of vampires in real life? Additionally, J. Geils Band's theme, "Fright Night", ranks up there with "Ghostbusters", as a really awesome Halloween-themed, 80s dance party tune.
4. The Halloween Tree (1993) Based upon the Ray Bradbury novel of the same name, this cartoon adaptation is simply perfect. I couldn't ask for a better representation of what it feels like to go trick-or-treating as a kid. Seems to really translate well for me.
5. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has always been one of my favorite classic ghost tales (I was the Headless Horseman for Halloween one year) and this film, though a Disney film, scared the crap out of me.
6. Mad Monster Party (1967) In the tradition of Rankin/Bass 60s claymation holiday films like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, MMP is a Halloween feature that is more adult-oriented than its peers. Monsters get drunk and beat each other up, and the lovely Francesca entices them with her clay curves.
7. Hocus Pocus (1993) To me, this is the epitome of a Halloween film. It has so much great atmosphere, and the foliage is beautiful. I love it. And, hey, Bette Midler sings Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell On You", as well. Plus, Sarah Jessica Parker as a witch was pretty hot. Not gonna lie.
8. Nature of the Beast (2007) Haha. This was a movie made for the Family Channel two years ago. I happened to catch it. And I loved it. So sue me. Eddie Kaye Thomas of American Pie fame stars as guy who turns into a werewolf, but his fiancé doesn't know about it. Comedy ensues.
9. My Pet Monster (1986) There used to be this plush doll in the 80s that you could keep as a "pet". It came with break-away handcuffs that I used to put on myself and pretend I was the Hulk. There was a really, really, really... emphasis on really... low-budget movie made about the doll, around the same time there was a cartoon of it on TV. It was so bad, but I loved it.
10. Treehouse of Horror (1990) Granted this isn't a movie, but I can't imagine Halloween without a special from The Simpsons. I still have this episode taped on a clunky VHS tape from when it aired.
11. Monster Squad (1987) I think every person my age loves this film. I don't know any 25 year old and above who doesn't know where "wolfman's got nards" came from. Back in the 80s, movies were allowed to have pubescent kids smoking, drinking, swearing, and looking at nudie mags... what happened to that? The kids depicted in the film pretty much paralleled what my childhood was like... an obsession with monsters and comic books. Naturally I gravitated towards it.
12. Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) Yup. I said it. Ernest Scared Stupid is a movie of epic proportions. Sometimes I like to call milk MIAK and it still makes me laugh out loud.
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