Hello Readers it’s the best time of year Halloween. October growing up has always been my favorite time of year for two reasons one it’s my birthday month and two it’s Halloween. As a kid going out trick or treating and dressing up at school was so much fun. But the best part of this holiday season was the movies and TV specials. I would watch these movies and shows every day during this season from like the end of September to the end of October. I also love to listen to Halloween music as it just puts me in the mood and makes me happy. So here you go the movies, tv specials and music that gets me in the spooky Halloween mood.
Movies:
Halloweentown 1 & 2: Back in the late ‘90s on Disney Channel they used to show many original movies each month called DCOMS or Disney Channel Original Movies and for the Halloween month they showed this movie and its sequel. Halloweentown was a movie about a girl named Marnie and her brother and sister who figure out that they come from a family of witches. Their grandmother lives in this other world where basically all the Halloween characters all live away from humans. Now Marnie’s mom who is also a witch married a human and then moved to the mortal world and never told her kids about who she is. It wasn’t until their grandmother came to visit on Halloween and the kids followed her home. They find out about Halloweentown, learn about their culture and fight off an evil warlock with her mother. Then you have the second movie which picks up when Marnie turns 15 and the warlock that they killed off last movie his son poses as a human to lore Marnie to like him. Their grandmother moved in with the family in the mortal world and has a special room in the house where she keeps her spell book. The evil warlock’s son gets Marnie to take him into her grandmother’s room to steal her spell book. Then Marnie goes to the other realm to retrieve the spell book with her grandmother but when they try to go back to the mortal world but the portal is locked so they get stuck in Halloweentown. So while being stuck there all the people in Halloweentown end up with a spell on them where they turn into humans and all the people at this Halloween party turn into their costumes. Basically the rest of the movie is trying to reverse the curse on everyone and defeating the evil warlock’s son. Now the reason I love these movies to this day is because they where apart of my childhood and are just really fun movies. I mean I really did want to go to Halloweentown when I was a kid because I loved Halloween and the fun cooky characters. Check it out.
Mom’s Got A Date With A Vampire: Another DCOM of my childhood on Disney Channel this movie is about a kid who sets his mom up on a date with a vampire. He meets this guy online and sets his mom up unaware that this guy is a vampire until his little brother figures it out. The rest of the movie is basically just the brothers and their sister trying to find the vampires layer and save their mom. It’s a cute little movie and good to watch with your kids.
Hocus Pocus: Now this is one of those cult classic movies from the ‘90s for kids. Basically a movie about a kid who is new to town and likes this girl so while trick or treating with his little sister they end up at the girls house and they all go to this abandon house out in the woods where it is said that some old witches spirits from back in the day still live in the house. All they need to release them is a virgin to light the black candle in the house which is what this kid does to impress the girl he likes. They unleash the witches, funny things happen and the kids try to kill of the witches for good. It’s a really funny, fun Halloween treat.
The Little Vampire: This movie is just too cute. This kid (the kid from Stuart Little) movies into some European town and is picked on in school because he is into vampires (hey I was totally into vampires at his age and even had my own world called Vampire World don’t judge). When his parents go out to dinner one night some super adorable kid vampires come through this kids window and take him on a ride. Then basically the rest of the movie is this kid trying to protect his new vampire friends from the vampire hunters. This movie is just too cute and a super kid friendly movie.
Beetlejuice: ‘80s Tim Burton at its finest. Take goth Wynona Rider and some ghost + Beetlejuice. It’s fun, whimsical and bright I love it.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Ok this is another cult classic from the ‘90s for both kids and adults. I can recite this whole movie front words and back that is how many times I’ve seen this move since I first watched it on HBO as a kid. Now unless you live under a tree you know the premise of this move; Jack is the Skeleton King of Halloweentown but is restless and board in need of something new. So as the nosy, busy body that he is he goes snooping into another holiday Christmas and interprets the whole holiday wrong. He then brings the holiday back to Halloweentown gets the whole town hype and even kidnapped Santa. It takes him till the end of the movie to realize what he has done and fix everything while realizing how much he loves his own holiday. It’s got sing-a-long songs, romance and trick or treats to last a life time. Tim Burton at his prime.
The Adams Family & Adams Family Values: I have always been a big fan of the Adams Family and used to wish I was a part of that family as they always had so much fun. Well in this ‘90s version it was no different. With Christina Ricca as Wednesday (one of my favorite actresses) and the whole ‘90s feel they gave the movies it just great. Basically take the Adams Family right then take Uncle Fester coming back all though not the real Fester but one being manipulated by his evil parents. Then take the second move where the parents have another baby which the kids hate and try to kill so they hire a nanny who starts to like Fester because he is rich. She sends the kids to summer camp and moves in with Fester to steal his money all the while trying to kill him. Now what I love about these movies and just the franchise in general is that no matter what predicament they end up in they always get out of it with love. Plus Adams Family Values is so hilarious and has one of the best most realistic “Thanksgiving” stories ever it’s great.
Casper & Casper Meets Wendy: Another franchise I love is the Casper movies and in the ‘90s Christina Ricca also started in the Casper movie where her and her dad move into this old house to help Casper and his cousins crossover. This move I just love because again Christina Ricca but also because it’s very heartfelt. Then you have the movie Casper Meets Wendy where this time a young little Hilary Duff plays a powerful young witch who ends up attracting the attention of this evil warlock so her and her aunts have to lay low so they go to a summer resort. On the other hand Casper and his cousins go on vacation to the same resort and Wendy and Casper end up becoming best friends much to her aunts and his cousin’s dismay. In the end Casper and his cousins have to help Wendy and her aunts fight off the evil warlock. Again another super cute movie where it is heartfelt and all about friendship. Plus Hilary Duff is so cute back then.
Corpse Bride: Another stop motion movie by Tim Burton about a guy who is getting set up for marriage to a beautiful women with awful parents. He keeps messing up the wedding vows which upsets him and props him to go for a walk in the woods. He ends up dropping his wedding ring into the ground and it lands on the hand of a dead bride which makes her believe they are to get married. He ends up going to the grave world and basically this bride has to come face to face with the man she died for. I love his move not as much as Nightmare but still up there.
Coraline: Inspired by Tim Burton a stop motion movie about a girl who finds this other world when she moves into a new house with her parents. She finds this world in a door in the wall and meets her other mother and father. Everything in the other world seems perfect until she realizes her other family is evil and they sew buttons on your eyes so you can’t see the evil going on. In the end Coraline tries to stop the other mother before she gets to the real world.
Monster House: A story of a group of kids and the house across the street which is haunted. It takes these kids to fight off the evil house before it takes over the neighborhood. Check out this fun little movie this Halloween.
Rocky Horror Picture Show: “Let’s Do The Time Warp Again!” Classic from the original version to the Glee version to the new live version coming out on Halloween this year featuring Lavern Cox as the “sweet transvestite from transexual Transylvanian”. Tim Curry was classic in this movie and it just has some super catchy tunes to sing along to.
TV Specials:
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!: Everybody knows the story of the Great Pumpkin who rises out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and gives out lots of presents and goodies. Or at least that’s the story that little Linus tells everyone including his #1 ride or die Sally who falls for his nonsense and misses out on Halloween because of it. Classic.
The Cosby Show: The episode during season 2 when Vanessa likes James in her class and has a Halloween party and invites him to try and get his attention but makes a fool of herself but come to find out he thought it was cute. Meanwhile Rudy and her friends go trick or treating with Cliff and she is dressed up as a pumpkin.
Lizzie McGuire: The Day of the Dead episode where they scare Clare for dissing Maranda’s family’s traditions and skulls. Then Lizzie’s parents get pranked on by trick or treaters.
That’s So Raven: The episode when Raven and Chelsea turn into cows.
Spongebob: The episode when he tries scare people at the Halloween party dressed as a ghost and when he gets in trouble with the Flying Dutch Man.
Boy Meets World: #1- And Then There Was Shawn: The best Halloween episode of the whole series. It’s so well written, takes from all the cult classics yet puts that Boy Meets World spin on it and it is a just so funny.
#2- The Witches of Pennbrook: This one is during the same season as And Then There Was Shawn only earlier and in this one Jack ends up dating a witch but only Eric notices it. This one is a funny one too as this is the season they start to use Eric and Shawn even more as the comedic relief of the show.
#3- Who’s Afraid of Cory Wolf?: This is during season 2 when Cory thinks he has been bitten by a wolf and is turning into a werewolf. He even goes to a psychic for help. Just a little comedic relief as the rest of the season gets a little heavy.
#4- Boys II Mensa: A season one episode which deals less with Halloween and more with feeling guilty. It does show Cory and his little sister Morgan going out trick or treating.
My So Called Life: There was an episode where Angela, Rayanne and Brain Crackhow get locked inside their school on Halloween. While there Angela is dressed up as a girl that died from their school and while locked inside Angela relives how the student she liked died. Then Rayanne and Crackhow both get locked in the basement of the school and this part is pretty funny with those two. This is just a fun little episode if you want some teenage in your Halloween.
Glee: The episode when the football team and glee club have to work together to do a halftime show but the football team thinks it’s lame until pushed up against the wall and they all come through. It has one of my favorite mash up songs Thriller/Heads Will Roll (which I will talk about more below).
Scooby Doo: Every episode and that theme song.
Music:
Glee- Thriller/Heads Will Roll: Now like I said above I love this mash up because both songs are so haunting and fun and put together they make them both more awesome. Artie and Santana go off on this song and just bring the two together in a beautiful way.
Adams Family Theme: Classic!
The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff- Nightmare on My Street: Oh Freddie you are the things nightmares are made of. Will Smith in his hiphop prime and its perfect for any hiphop head or just a fan of Halloween rap (if that’s a thing).
Gorillaz- Dracula: In true Gorillaz fashion this song is weird yet totally fits the Halloween vibe.
This is Halloween & The Whole Soundtrack- The Nightmare Before Christmas: Classic for young and old!
Scatta- feat Foreign Beggars- Skrillex: Most of Skrillex music is a tad bit on the darker side of life but fits the Halloween mood very well especially this song.
Time Warp- Rocky Horror Picture Show: So catchy and fun to sing along to a song like this. It’s eccentric, cooky and strange but that’s the best part.
Ghostbusters- Ray Parker Jr: Classic! I fell in love with this song when I was in kindergarten before ever knowing about the movies. This was my Halloween jam and I couldn’t get enough of it and that is pretty much how I feel to this day. Go on with your bad self-Ray Parker Jr get it!
Somebody’s Watching Me- Rockwell: This song goes harder then I first thought. Did you know that Michael and Tido did backing vocals for this song? It explains why it was such a success at the time plus who doesn’t get a little paranoded from time to time.
I Put A Spell On You- Hocus Pocus: Now I love the original version of this song and the many covers that came after but the one that always gets me is the Hocus Pocus version when Bett Metler goes off as one of the old witches brought to life. She is about to cast a spell on you and your going to like it.
Remains of the Day- Corpse Bride: This bone daddy song from beyond the grave reminds me of some New Orleans singers getting down in this Tim Burton movie.
Purple People Eater- Sheb Wooley: This song is classic like my parents generation classic. I’ve loved this since I was a kid and every time I hear it it just reminds me of my childhood and is a song both my mom and I love. It’s a fun, catchy song for the whole family.
Thriller- MJ: Classic! I don’t know what more I can say about this ’80s classic for Mr. Jackson. I love him he is my favorite artist of all time and the fact that he gives me songs for each season of the year is amazing. The music video is iconic and that dance is legend no Halloween party is complete without an MJ Thriller flash dance. A favorite of mine and song for the ages.
Bonus MJ: Ghost- Not even close to Thriller but still good coming from MJ.
Oh and here is a dancing Drake as a Zombie on Degrassi Enjoy!
Alright All My Gools & Goblins…Have A Frightfully Fun Halloween 🎃
