On today’s episode of Sounds of Cinema I continued the month-long Halloween theme with a look at family-friendly Halloween films: pictures that are scary or Halloween related and which parents ought to feel comfortable watching with their kids. Friends, family members, and others who have children have often expressed to me their frustration in finding movies that are family appropriate. Hopefully today’s show and the list below provide a few suggestions. However, please keep in mind that I am not a parent (truthfully, I’m not that crazy about kids) and different parents have different ideas about what is and is not suitable for children, so I suggest doing a little research of your own before selecting a title for family movie night.
The Addams Family (1991)
This was one of the better adaptations of a television show to a feature film. It is a little edgier than the show was but it is also a lot of fun.
Bride of Frankenstein
I like to suggest that viewers explore older movies whenever possible and holidays are a great time to do this. Halloween provides an opportunity to look back at horror classics like the Universal Monsters. These pictures were thought of as terrifying at the time of their initial release but now they are quite accessible, often about as scary as Disney films, and with their short running times they fit within the attention spans of young viewers. Of the Universal Monsters, the Frankenstein pictures are generally regarded as superior with Bride of Frankenstein the best of them.
The Burbs
A 1980s comedy in which a bizarre family moves into a suburban community and sets off paranoia among the neighbors.
Coraline
Directed by Henry Selick and based on the book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline has a sophisticated take on childhood and it is one of the best animated films of recent years.
Corpse Bride
Tim Burton directed this film about a living groom who gets involved with an undead bride. It isn’t as popular as The Nightmare Before Christmas but in many ways it is the better film.
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon is closer to a B-movies than other Universal Monsters but those qualities work in its favor as it is fast paced and has a sense of adventure.
The Dark Crystal
Since young people have been reintroduced to The Muppets in last year’s new Muppet movie, this may be a good time to revisit one of Jim Henson’s other projects: The Dark Crystal. This film was an attempt to push puppetry beyond the Muppets. That broader goal didn’t work out but the film remains a fun fantasy adventure.
Gremlins
I often regard Gremlins as a Christmas movie as it is set at Christmas time and makes broad swipes at the commercial aspects of the holiday season. But Gremlins makes for a good Halloween movie as well, although for a PG rating it gets pretty intense and it is often cited as one of the motivations for the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating’s board to create the PG-13 rating.
The Harry Potter Series
Virtually any film in the Harry Potter series will do, although the films get increasingly mature as the series goes on. The best installments are the middle three (The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, and The Order of the Phoenix).
Hocus Pocus
A trio of witches return from the grave on Halloween. Since its release this movie has been embraced in much the same way that A Christmas Story has become a part of many people’s December celebrations.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
The Disney label is often associated with soft and cuddly characters but Disney’s feature films can be pretty scary, at least for kids, and their villains are often memorable characters. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of the darker Disney animated features.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
In the mid-1980s, Steven Spielberg produced, wrote, and/or directed a string of movies that remain very frightening such a Poltergeist and Gremlins. For a long time Indy fans looked down on The Temple of Doom but since the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull its standing has improved. But with human sacrifices and violence against children, Temple of Doom remains a tough movie.
King Kong (1933)
Another classic film for Halloween viewing. There is a soulfulness to the stop motion animation ape of the original King Kong that neither the man in the suit of the 1976 version nor the computer generated 2005 edition quite match. If the original Kong is aged by anything it isn’t so much the special effects as it is the sexism and racism of the characters.
Monster House
A better and smarter film than it appears based on the trailer, Monster House is a great haunted house movie that has some strong frights but also moments of emotional resonance.
Monsters, Inc.
Monsters Inc. is fairly inoffensive, as are all of Pixar films, but it does have some great characters and a compelling idea.
Monster Squad
The influence of this overlooked family picture from the 1980s has shown up in recent R-rated films like Attack the Block and The Watch.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas is more of a Christmas movie than a Halloween film but it works well enough and features one of Danny Elfman’s best musical scores.
Return to Oz
This dark sort-of-sequel to The Wizard of Oz is sometimes bizarre and at the time of its release in 1985 it was considered too scary for children. But in the years since, Return of Oz has gathered a cult audience and contemporary viewers may find it worth revisiting.
The Sixth Sense
The Sixth Sense is a PG-13 haunting film and one that is probably for older viewers. This film goes get intense but the resolution leaves the viewer on a relieved note that softens the trauma.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka was criticized at the time of its release for being too mean spirited. But according to director Mel Stuart, those criticisms always came from parents but never came from kids, who understood and accepted the tone of the story.
The Witches
Another adaptation of a Roald Dahl book, The Witches is a well-made fantasy picture produced by Jim Henson although it is a little rough around the edges and has an absurd ending.
The Wizard of Oz
One of the essential family movies. In its time, the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys were considered too frightening for children but Margaret Hamilton’s performance endures as one of the great villains in Hollywood films.