13 Spooky Movie Classics

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...but even it can't hold a candle to these spooky classic films!

Here in the tri-state, winter has finally hit!  It's been cold, wet, and even a little snowy at times.  Therefore, leaving the house unless absolutely necessary hasn't been a huge priority for me.  So what have I been doing to fill my time?  Watching scary old movies on Youtube, of course!  Grab some popcorn and a cuddle buddy and enjoy these horrifying examples of classic horror, cherry-picked from among my personal favorites!

1. Carnival of Souls (1962)--Before there was The Others or The Sixth Sense, there was Carnival of Souls.  After a tragic accident, a young woman journeys across the country to settle into her new life, but along the way she's plagued by strange happenings.

2. Suspiria (1977)--A new-comer to a prestigious ballet academy quickly finds out that there is something very sinister going on.  Is a coven of witches responsible for the brutal murder of one of the students?

3. White Zombie (1932)--In order to steal a beautiful, young bride-to-be away from her fiance, a jealous suitor employs a witch doctor to turn her into a zombie.  Unfortunately for him, the plan backfires.

4. The Ghoul (1933)--An Egyptologist returns from the grave to exact revenge on those who plundered his tomb.

5. The Vampire Bat (1933)--When the citizens of a small town start dying of a mysterious blood loss, it is believed that the culprit is a vampire...but is it really a vampire, or something much worse?

6. The Old Dark House (1932)--Five travelers seeking shelter during a terrible storm find themselves at a strange old house with even an even stranger family living inside.  Will they make it through the night alive?

7. House on Haunted Hill (1959)--Guests are challenged to spend the night in a haunted house for a cash award.  Who will take home the prize...and who will die trying?

8. Ghosts of Hanley House (1968)--Another movie where guests are staying the night in a haunted house, and start dying off.

9. Terror in the Haunted House (1958)--When a young bride is taken by her husband to their new home in Florida, she's shocked to see that the home is one that she has never seen in person...but has been having nightmares about.

10. Horror Hotel (1960)--A young student spends her school break researching witchcraft in a small town.  However, she soon finds out that things are not quite what they seem and that witchcraft might still be alive and well here.

11. The Ghost Walks (1934)--Another movie involving stranded motorists trapped in a sinister house, where the widow of a murder victim is 'mourning' the anniversary of her husband's death.

12. Nosferatu (1922)--The classic silent film that sparked a cultural phenomena of vampire movies.  Even after all these years, the Count is one of the creepiest depictions of a leading role vampire you'll EVER see on screen.

13. The Phantom Carriage (1921)--A silent film about a drunkard telling the legend of the Phantom Carriage.  It's New Year's Eve and the legend states that whomever is last to die in a year will be cursed to drive the phantom carriage...who will the unlucky soul be?

Family Friendly Halloween Movies

I absolutely LOVE Halloween and am so blessed that my five year old son also shares in my passion for the holiday and everything spooky about it--including the movies!  This is a really fun age for him, because he's still young enough to really enjoy his favorite cartoon characters and their crazy Halloween hijinks...but he's also getting to the age where he can really watch and understand some spookier tales.  In no particular order, here's a list of 11 of our favorite Halloween movies to watch together as a family!  Some are more suited for little kids, while many of them are really meant for a slightly older audience.  Almost all can be appreciated, at least in part, by the grown-ups!

1. Paranorman (2012)-- A young boy has the ability to see dead people.  It's kinda like The Sixth Sense in CGI, but with more of a purpose.  I really like this movie.  It's a cute kid's movie, but there are some rather adult innuendos thrown in for the parents, which hopefully, will go right over the heads of most children.  Oh, and there are zombies...lots and lots of zombies.  If you have a Netflix account, you can watch this one on there.

2. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Disney version (1949)--This is an annual tradition for us, and we even named one of our kitty cats Ichabod after Mr. Crane and his thin frame and voracious appetite.  The atmosphere is delightfully spooky and there's just something about vintage Disney that puts me in the Halloween spirit.  It's a wonderful adaptation of the Headless Horseman tale with wonderful music thrown in.

3. Hocus Pocus (1993)--One of THE best Halloween movies ever made, in my opinion.  Its exciting, its spooky, and the kids win!  It also has one of the best adaptations of 'I Put a Spell on You' that I've heard.  Since 1993, this tale of the Sanderson Sisters of Salem, who are resurrected on Halloween night by an unwitting virgin has captured the hearts of cult movie lovers, lol.

4. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!  (1966)--Another timeless classic that is at the top of every family's Halloween season viewing!  Linus awaiting the Great Pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, Lucy's terrifying witch mask, and poor Charlie Brown's candy bag full of rocks will never get old.

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)--Dark and spooky and quintessentially Halloween. There's really not much more I can say about this one.

6. The Worst Witch (1986)--Mildred Hubble is a witch; possibly the WORST witch!  This classic 80s coming of age tale with a twist covers all the cliche themes of being yourself, doing your best, and the value of friendship...but with witches!  For the parents, especially the mommies, Tim Curry makes a spectacular appearance as the Grand Wizard, and wows students and teachers alike with his funky dance moves, catchy Halloween song, and high tech 80s special effects.  This one is available to watch for free on Youtube.

7. The Witches (1990)--Based off the Roald Dahl book, this film has one of the creepiest moments in cinematic history as the head witch peels off her face mask to reveal her true form.

8. Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest--I absolutely love Curious George and this one-hour long Halloween special is really cute and cleverly done.  It's a spin-off of the cherished Headless Horseman tale, but its done is a very non-scary, yet mysterious way.  Little kids will love the twist at the end, and even those a little older will appreciate some of the jokes.  This one is available on Netflix if you miss it on PBS.

9. Ghost Busters (1984)--This is probably Luke's favorite movie out of all these mentioned.  I'm not sure what it is about a group of guys running after some actually pretty scary ghosts, but he'll watch it over and over again and sing "Who Ya Gonna Call?"  until you physically make him stop!  The part where the evil dog-thing attacks Rick Moranis' character is a little intense for him, but the rest of the movie doesn't faze him a bit...and its one of my favorites, too.

10. Halloween is Grinch Night (1977)--Until this year, I had no idea this movie even existed, but found it in its entirety to watch FREE on Youtube.  Obviously, nothing can replace the Grinch's timeless Christmas tale, but this Halloween prequel had its moments and plenty of catchy lil' tunes.  At a little over 25 minutes long, this is a perfect pre-bedtime quickie. 

11. Winnie the Pooh's Halloween Stories--I actually found this one while posting the Youtube link to Halloween is Grinch Night and had to post it!  It's your classic Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood telling spooky stories.  At one hour long, this collection of tales is great for movie night with even the youngest of family members.

There are tons of awesome family-friendly Halloween movies and specials out there.  If you or your family has a favorite that you didn't see mentioned here, head over to Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page and let me know about it!  Happy Halloween!