by NATALIE PENRY
WESTFIELD, Ind. (Oct. 2019) - Hello, and welcome to my TedTalk. Today, you’re going to learn about the 10 best Halloween movies in the world. For qualification purposes, I am not including horror movies because while they are spooky, they aren’t always centered on Halloween. Alright, let’s dive in, ya spooky skeletons.
Number 10: “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge”
Barely making the list is “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge.” While we all loved returning to our favorite spooky town, this isn’t as fantastic as the original. However, bonus points for Debbie Reynolds and an easy anti-spell. (Seriously, the opposite of ‘apart’ is ‘trapa’? Classic Disney)
Number 9: “The Corpse Bride”
While a lot of my friends disagree with this, saying “The Corpse Bride” should be a lot higher, but honestly it just freaks me out. All of the people have abnormally long fingers and legs and ick. On the other hand, it combines Emma Watson and Helena Bonham Carter with the freakiest man alive, Johnny Depp, so it seems like a good Halloween-vibe.
Number 8: “Halloweentown”
Ahh, back to land of Marnie and Aggie. The original craziness, and original DCOM Halloween flick. Witch-training, secret bad guys and a lovable manservant all rolled into one. Halloweentown has all the charm of its sequel without the darker undertones, securing its number eight ranking on my list.
Number 7: “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
With “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” we return to the world of creepy Tim Burton animation. This slightly edges out “The Corpse Bride” because it’s more of a spooky, Halloween vibe. I mean, this movie combines every American child’s two favorite holidays, so Jack Skellington can get his creepy pumpkin head to spot number seven, and stop there, because he will give me nightmares.
Number 6: “The Haunted Mansion”
What’s not to love about Eddie Murphy and a bunch of funny ghosts? The Haunted Mansion is both one of my favorite spooky season movies and rides at Disney, so of course it’s making the list. While critics widely panned this movie for its...tackiness...and lack of scares...and they’re not entirely wrong...it’s a Halloween classic. You cannot convince me this is anything less than comedy gold with your classic vengeful ghosts and creepy fortune tellers
Number 5: “Twitches”
Okay, I swear I’m almost done with the DCOM, but you gotta admit, they are classics. Twitches. Iconic. I mean, I have nothing more to say. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t buy my best friend and I sun and moon friendship bracelets so I could fulfill my dream of being a twin witch. Tia and Tamera didn’t have to go that hard, but they did, and we should all be bowing down to those absolute queens.
Number 4: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
I know that I’ve said every movie on this list is a classic, but in this case, it’s actually true. “Charlie Brown” is a Golden Oldie, a true classic for the ages. With Linus’s search for the Great Pumpkin, Lucy’s sass, and Charlie Brown’s bag of rocks, this movie reminds us all of simpler times while giving us that warm, happy feeling of fall and Halloween. Less spooky, but a total charmer nonetheless.
Number 3: “The Little Vampire”
The ultimate sleep candidate. Few have heard of it. Fewer have seen it. They are missing out. Little boy falls asleep dreaming of vampires? Said vampires have cute accents, crazy vampire-hunter provides some laughs (as do the oblivious parents), a young Anna Pompelwell (think the Narnia series or Reign), and vampire cows. It all culminates with a wonderful curse/origin story that keeps me coming year after year for some classic 2000s Halloween.
Number 2: “The Addams Family”
Cue the catchy theme song. Whether you’re watching the musical or the movie, it’s not an understatement to say the whole fam is a cultural icon. Morticia and Gomez have their… interesting relationship, Wednesday is a literal queen (who I dressed up as circa freshman year), and Fester is a mess of funny mistakes. Bring on the identity scams, the torture devices and the family crypt. “The Addams Family” is one for the ages.
Number 1: “Hocus Pocus”
There is no changing my mind. “Hocus Pocus” is, without a doubt, the best Halloween movie in existence. The Sanderson Sisters are everything you could ever want in a movie, plus a talking cat and an adorable younger sister. When I heard that Disney+ is bringing back the gang for a sequel, I legitimately screamed. This is a cinematic masterpiece in every way, and I will fight anyone that says otherwise.
Okay, now that you’ve made it through my list, happy haunting! Let me know what movies you think should have made the list. Happy ~Spooky Season~