The 15 Best (Not Scary) Halloween Movies
Cue them up all October
Muahaha, Halloween is just a couple of weeks away. So while you’re rolling popcorn balls and stringing spider webs, here are 15 classics to get you in the mood.
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“Practical Magic”
Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are primo on their own. Together? Playing nonpracticing witches who try to use their hereditary gift for magic to fix their love lives? Solid gold. (Same goes for the Stevie Nicks soundtrack.)
“Hocus Pocus”
More witches! These—played by Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler and a pre-Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker—are resurrected after three centuries and just in time for trick-or-treaters.
“Beetlejuice”
Before she was a mom spooked on Stranger Things, Winona Ryder was a teenager spooked byghosts (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) in this comedy about a husband and wife haunting the new owners of their beloved house.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
This cult musical about a couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick) forced to rap on the door of a wacky scientist (Tim Curry) after their car breaks down is a must-watch for the soundtrack and costumes alone. (You also might want to get a watch in before Fox airs its new Laverne Cox version on October 21.)
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“Young Frankenstein”
In Mel Brooks’s masterpiece, Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) inherits his grandfather’s estate in Transylvania and resumes his monster-making experiments with the help of servants Igor (Marty Feldman), Inga (Teri Garr) and Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman).
“Ghostbusters”
The 2016 version was fun and all, but it’s tough to beat the hilarious 1984 classic—starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver—about a group of professors turned ghost removers.
“Edward Scissorhands”
For anyone who thinks Johnny Depp's kooky character acting began with Pirates of the Caribbean...
“Little Shop of Horrors”
Rick Moranis plays Seymour, a flower-shop assistant pining away for his coworker Audrey (Ellen Greene), who happens to have a boyfriend (Steve Martin). But when he discovers a plant that prefers to feed on human flesh and blood—boom, problem solved.
“The Addams Family”
Anjelica Huston was nominated for an Oscar for her role in this film about a group of con artists who try to pull a fast one on the famously eccentric family.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
No, not the TV show. This 1992 teen hit is what inspired the TV show. Kristy Swanson plays a flighty teenager who discovers she’s blessed with vampire butt-kicking powers. (Beverly Hills, 90210 heartthrob Luke Perry also stars.)
“Casper”
Christina Ricci is back at it when a friendly ghost falls in love with her, the spirit communicator’s daughter. Too bad his also-transparent relatives don’t approve. (PS: Bill Pullman is said spirit communicator.)
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
More for the family: Linus waits out the arrival of the Great Pumpkin, despite relentless teasing from Lucy, Sally and the rest of the Peanuts gang.
“Ernest Scared Stupid”
Seriously, the ’90s knew how to do Halloween. In this silly take on the holiday, Ernest accidentally unleashes an army of trolls on a small town on October 31. And to be honest, it holds up.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas”
It’s one of Tim Burton’s best: When Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town, gets bored scaring people every year, he moves on to Christmas Town—and his plan goes awry.
“Corpse Bride”
The other animated Halloween movie from Tim Burton, this one is about a shy groom (voiced by Johnny Depp) practicing his wedding vows in front of a dead woman (Helena Bonham Carter) who, confused, assumes she’s now his bride.
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