If you are not a fan of scary movie marathons, there are a ton of classic kids Halloween movies that will have you reminiscing about elementary school. Remember Disney’s glory days when Hocus Pocus and Under Wraps came on every Friday night in October? Thank goodness they’ve made a comeback so you can stuff your face with candy corn and take note of the characters’ awesome ‘90s clothes while the kids trick-or-treat.
Casper Meets Wendy (1998) combines two of the most nostalgic elements of my childhood: Casper the Friendly Ghost and Hilary Duff. In this movie, Casper teams up with Wendy the Witch in order to fight against an evil warlock. The whole gang of ghosts returns: Stinkie, Stretch and Fatso. A new trio of witches, comparable to the Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus, band with the ghosts to win the battle. The special effects are pretty awful, and Casper is anything but scary, but Hilary Duff as a little girl is quite possibly the most adorable thing ever.
The Addams Family (1991) brings to life one of the most eccentric families in film; a family so messed up you can’t help but love them. In this movie, con artists target the Addams family and present them with their long lost Uncle Fester. This fake uncle has to try to survive the family’s strangeness and complete his con job before he is caught. The Addams Family is a particularly funny movie because of its neurotic and strange humor. The Addams family may not make any sense, and their lifestyle may seem insane, but they are intriguing nonetheless. Plus, the character Wednesday (played by Christina Ricci) has so much sass that it’s terrifying.
Hocus Pocus (1993) tells the story of the notorious Sanderson sisters from Salem, Mass. circa 1600. When Max, his sister and his high school crush summon the witches back into present day existence, the Sanderson sisters return to torment children once again. They suck out the souls of children so they may be young forever, but Max, his gang and an immortal cat scurry about town on Halloween night in an attempt to banish the sisters forever. The movie is dark, but it has enough humor to lighten the mood. Hocus Pocus is entertaining, filled with catchy songs, and, not to mention, Sarah Jessica Parker is in it. What more could you want?
Halloweentown (1998) chronicles the creation of a world filled with witches, monsters and weird creatures like my favorite, the skeleton taxi driver. This movie follows Marnie and her siblings, Dylan and Sophie, as they discover the world of Halloweentown. They must fight evil and save their grandmother and mother. This world is very vivid and includes all types of monsters, myths and folklore. I fell in love with Halloweentown and secretly wanted to be able to use magic when I was younger. There are also three spin-off movies: Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001), Halloweentown High (2004) and Return to Halloweentown (2006). Halloweentown II follows a new villain as he threatens to bring the monsters of Halloweentown to the real world. Halloweentown High follows Marnie’s attempt to blend in at a normal high school even though she’s a witch. Return to Halloweentown is where they lose me and the original Marnie, because Kimberly J. Brown is replaced by Sara Paxton.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) was produced and co-written by Tim Burton, and it’s definitely the highlight of the Tim Burton cult following. The story takes place in a year round Halloween world. Jack, the main character, is unsatisfied with his role as the Pumpkin King. He finds his way to a Christmas Town and gets the grand idea to pretend to be Santa, fill their stockings with scary creatures and kidnap Santa and bring him to Halloween Town forever. The movie was made with fluid clay animation, which was quite innovative for the early ‘90s. The Nightmare Before Christmas also includes a soundtrack with memorable songs like the classic “This Is Halloween.” Since this movie is a cross between a Halloween and Christmas film, it is able to get you in the spirit for both holidays.
Under Wraps (1997) is about a group of teens who accidently bring a mummy to life. The mummy is set free, but they soon find out that if the mummy isn’t returned to his grave before the end of Halloween, he will fade away to dust. Not only that, but he will never be able to reunite with his lost love. The mummy isn’t scary; if anything, he’s like a pet to the kids. Under Wraps is a low quality movie, and the script is full of clichés. But it’s funny, and it’s sure to remind you of the good ole days when Disney Channel Original Movies used to something worth watching. If Under Wraps is still too childish for you, there’s always Don’t Look Under the Bed.
Alyssa Hingre can be reached at alyssa.hingre@spartans.ut.edu