Halloween Movie Traditions

At the beginning of October, my wife made a list of 16 "Halloween" movies she wanted to watch in October. So I thought, for Halloween, it would be fun to go through and share my thoughts and ranking on these 14 films we watched together for Halloween. I also included Halloween (the horror movie) on this list as I like to watch it every year but my wife won't. Overall, Halloween movies are just kind of mediocre for me. There are only about 5 of them that I would actually watch on my own but it was fun to watch all these movies with my wife as she really enjoys a lot of these movies. So with that being said, here is my ranking of the 14 (plus Halloween) movies we like to watch every Halloween.

Honorable Mention: It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

I wanted to give Charlie Brown a little Honorable mention on this list. This is of course a staple for Halloween movie watching and is something we watch every year and have watched every year since we were kids. But at 20 minutes, it was just too short to really qualify as a movie and be able to rank against the other films on this list. This is a fun little short that I always enjoy watching. It has some funny moments that no matter how many times I see them, just always make me laugh. I also really like all of the characters with Snoopy being my favorite. This special is just so iconic and has so many quotable lines ("I got a Rock!") that it is just a must to watch every Halloween.

15. The Burbs

The Burbs is definitely the film I like the least. The humor is pretty lackluster and the characters are incredibly stupid. I think the stupid characters are why some people like this movie so much but to me, it was more cringy than funny. The only somewhat redeeming qualities are Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher but even they aren't enough to really save this movie. The ending also seems really rushed and doesn't really make much sense. I also never really understood the point of the neighbor kid watching everything. He doesn't add much to the story other than provide some commentary and even that isn't all that funny. Though I don't think the film is all that good, I do get some level of entertainment out of it.

Score:5/10 Grade: C

14. Haunted Mansion

Another film that I don't really think is all that good but still has a likable lead actor that somewhat redeems the movie. Eddie Murphy takes center stage in this film and is somewhat entertaining to see. However, he plays a very bland character in the film so you really don't get to see his regular humor at full display. I also felt like the story wasn't totally there. The first half of the film was about figuring out the mystery of the mansion with the second half suddenly shifting to a treasure hunt. Finally, the movie doesn't show much character growth for the Eddie Murphy character. After exiting the mansion, he is just magically a better husband when there wasn't really much throughout the movie that would cause him to change. Overall, another movie my wife really enjoys but one that I just find mediocre.

Score: 5.5/10 Grade: C

13. Halloweentown

Halloweentown is a bit tougher to place on this list. It is not a great movie, but as it is a Disney Channel Original movie, it should be graded at a slight curve as its resources are a bit limited that the other films on this list. I found the premise quite interesting with there being a town centered around Halloween filled with monsters and other spooky creatures. I also found the main kids pretty likable. The mom character was straight-up terrible and was so unlikeable that it kind of took me out of the movie. The plot itself is where the movie kind of falls for me. It starts off pretty interesting but then once the Grandma is taken out, shifts into a rushed treasure hunt movie. Finally, the villain was not good at all in this film. He felt so random and out of place and his motivation and plan were not clear at all. In the end, this is a movie with an interesting premise and fun character but really falls apart on a plot level in the second half.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

12. Casper

Casper is another film on this list with cute characters but a poor story. I really enjoyed all of the ghost characters in the film. Stretch, Stinky and Fatso were all really funny and stole every scene they were in. Casper was also a very sweet character and had some nice moments with Kat. I also thought the dance at the end was a very sweet way to end the film. The thing that makes this film so low is that there is really nothing driving the story. The first hour or so is just us watching Kat and her father interact with the ghosts with no direction for the story to go and no goal to work towards. The last 30 minutes try to introduce somewhat of a conflict but it is too late in the game to really do any good. Finally, the villains in the film were really lackluster, they don't do much of anything in the film until about the final 15 minutes which just adds to the lack of conflict and direction in the film. Overall, this is a film with cute characters but not much of a plot to drive the story.

Score 6.3/10 Grade: C+

11. Hocus Pocus 2

Hocus Pocus 2 was a fun addition to this list. It was fun to see the Sanderson sisters again and see them interact with today's culture. Overall, the story is decent enough but it really doesn't have the substance of the original film. The movie felt like there was less to it than the original when in fact it was about 20 minutes longer. The human characters were also pretty forgettable but we all know the focus of the film was never on them anyways. The main thing that holds this film back is the redemption arc they try to pull off at the end of the film. I felt that it undermined everything established about these characters and really didn't sit well with me. In the end, this is an entertaining enough film, but not good enough to really justify being a sequel 30 years after the original.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

10. The Addams Family

The Addams Family is my wife's favorite Halloween movie but for me is more of a lower-level film. The film does indeed have some funny moments as it embraces more of a darker sense of humor. I also really enjoyed all of the characters and felt that they each had something unique they brought to the story. Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown) was fun to see as Fester in the film and was able to deliver the energy associated with his characters. There were several sequences that I also thought were fun such as the party sequence towards the end of the film and the play with Wednesday and Pugsly. The main issue I have is that I have never been a bit fan of the story. It has just never sat well with me how they used Gordon to impersonate Fester instead of having him be a part of the film like in the TV show. I wish they would let Fester just do his antics instead of having him be the "villain". Overall, I was entertained by the film, I just was not a fan of what they did with Fester.

Score: 6.7/10 Grade: B-

9. Monster House

Monster House was a lot better than I expected it to be. It had an interesting premise and could create intrigue and draw the audience into the mystery very well. It also had a good amount of funny moments in it that made me laugh out loud as well as quite a bit of adult humor. The movie was also able to balance the scariness in it very well. It has some scares that one would expect from a horror movie but is handled in a way that is suitable for kids. One of the main things that hold it back is that I felt the ending went off the rails just a bit. I wish they would have spent more time in the house and had a smaller-scale sort of finale. I also wasn't a big fan of the animation style. It felt like a video game cutscene that hadn't finished rendering yet. All in all, it was a movie that was better than it had any right to be but had enough wrong with it that kept it in the bottom half.

Score: 6.8/10 Grade: B-

8. Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride is another one of my wife's favorites and is by her favorite director Tim Burton. I find some level of enjoyment in it, but this type of film isn't really my thing. The story itself is interesting enough and all of the characters are likable. I also thought the songs were all pretty good yet not all that memorable. This film moves very quick at less than 80 minutes long and has a very simple story. But in the end, I am just not a huge fan of these types of films. I find the animation style interesting because of how it is made but aesthetically it is just a bit too weird for my taste and isn't really something I would find myself putting on by myself.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a slightly better story about a town centered around Halloween filled with monsters and other spooky creatures. I have the same issues with this one that I do with Corpse Bride but with this film, I enjoy it a bit more. The story is better in this film. I really like the idea of Halloween characters trying to take over Christmas and failing. The songs in this movie are also really good with almost all of the songs being really catchy and memorable. I also like Jack much better as a character than Victor in Corpse Bride. I also liked that this film had a bit of subtle dark humor in it. Overall, a solid film that I surprisingly enjoy despite not being a fan of the animation style.

Score: 7.2/10 Grade: B

6. Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania was surprisingly a lot better than I expected it to be. It has a lot of funny moments and a surprisingly sweet story. The voice cast is just great in this movie with a lot of well-known people. The story itself is also quite solid. It can connect with kids through just the simple nature of the story but it is also able to connect more with parents as they can connect with Dracula and his struggles with letting go of his daughter. I also liked the idea of showing the human-monster relationship from a monster's point of view and really showing how misunderstood the monsters can be. Overall, this is a fun animated film that was better than it had any business being.

Score: 7.4/10 Grade: B

5. Hocus Pocus

Hocus Pocus is a 90s Halloween movie classic. Of course, the stars of the movie are the Sanderson Sisters as they make the movie so much fun and steal every scene that they are in. Unlike Hocus Pocus 2, the human characters and this film are pretty memorable and actually likable. The story in this film is really interesting and fast-moving. I also liked how to keep the witches as the villains and don't allow the audience to sympathize with them. The movie also has a decent amount of humor in it but so much that the movie comes across as overly jokey. At this point, there isn't a whole lot I dislike about these movies is more a matter of which I like more. Overall, this is a solid Halloween film that has become a staple for many in their 20s and 30s.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

4. Ghostbuster: Afterlife

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a movie I find really special. It is a great sequel to the original Ghostbusters film. It has some great new characters with Phoebe really shining as the main character. The plot is also really well done, it is somewhat derivative of the original film. But the way it is done, it feels more like a love letter to the original than just a remake. They also handled paying tribute to the original team really nicely. They gave them their moment to shine but didn't allow them to overpower the movie. The movie also is just a really nice tribute to Harold Ramis. It gives him and Egon the proper respect in this film and sends him off in a way that is both tasteful and emotional. Finally, the last 15 minutes of the movie are just fantastic. It has some great fan service and a fantastic final battle and just a really emotional and well-done ending. This is an example of how to do a legacy sequel perfectly.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

3. Halloween

This is the one movie on this list that my wife did not watch as she doesn't like horror movies but it is such an iconic movie, I felt it had to be included as I still watch it every year. Halloween (the movie) is the quintessential Halloween (the holiday) horror movie. It is also the first prominent slasher film that would lay the groundwork for films such as Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. Michael Myers is of course the iconic slasher killer and is a great part of this film. This film has a really good simple story and can build tension with it. It is so gradual with the tension that you can really feel everything building to the big climax. Laurie Strode is also a really great character in the film. She is very likable and easy to route for. The score in this movie is also very good. It has the perfect amount of creepiness that causes the movie to have such a great tone to it. Not only is this one of the best movies I've watched this October, but it is also one of my favorite horror films.

Score: 8.7/10 Grade: A-

2. Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice is one of my favorite movies to watch every Halloween as well as my favorite Tim Burton movie. This movie just so much in both its story and characters. Barbra and Adam are just so likable that you really want them to be happy. Lydia is also a really strong character as you really want her to be able to connect with people and not be so alone. But of course, the standout of this film is Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is just so much fun as a character. He brings such high energy and chaos to the movie. Even though he is only in the movie for about 15 minutes, he really steals the show and makes the movie so memorable. I will watch just his scenes on YouTube because I like him so much. Besides the character, the story is just really fun. It moves at a very fast pace but is still easy to understand and so entertaining to watch. Finally, this movie has so many iconic songs and scenes with the standout being the Day-O dance. This movie is just a lot of fun from beginning to end and is one of the movies I look forward to every Halloween.

Score: 9.2/10 Grade: A

1. Ghostbusters

With no contest, my favorite movie we watch every Halloween is Ghostbusters. This is such a great movie. It has so many strong characters and a strong story. The original team (Egon, Ray, Peter, and Winston) have such great chemistry together. Each character is funny in their own way and manages to deliver laughs throughout the film. The story is just so iconic too. The action is really strong too and the special effects hold up reasonably well. The movie runs at a solid pace with all the right twists and turns. There are just so many iconic scenes that everyone remembers, from the stay puff marshmallow man to the intro with muncher. There is just not much of anything wrong with this film and it is just so enjoyable to watch. Not only is it my favorite movie to watch every October but it is also just one of my favorite movies of all time. The film is such an icon and everybody should see it at least once.

Score:9.5/10 Grade: A