Last week I shared how my family is prepping for Halloween, including listening to scary stories. But no Halloween is complete without a good spooky movie marathon! There are tons of fantastic, family-friendly films out there, but there are six we just added to our playlist now that Narayan is into scary movies. To make the fun last longer, we watch the movies in the days leading up to Halloween night. It builds anticipation for all of us, and really gets us into the spirit before our annual Halloween bash! I thought I’d share our movie list today, so you can get into the spirit this weekend, too. If you have little ones that are too young to go out trick-or-treating, a spooky family movie night is a great way to spend the evening. Grab some candy corn – you’re in for a treat.
Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker star in this 90s classic about three Salem witch sisters who are brought back to life by an unsuspecting teenager who accidentally frees them with an ancient spell book. With the help of a magical cat, the teen, his sister, and their friend embark on a fun and spook-filled mission to prevent the witches from stealing life from the kids of Salem. This film has been one of my Halloween go-to's since I was a preteen.
Beyond the great sets and costumes, the story is the perfect mix of spookiness, family drama, and laugh-out-loud comedy as the Addams family begins to suspect that their recently returned long-lost brother (played by Christopher Lloyd) might actually be a fraud. It’s hard to imagine Halloween without references to the Addams Family, so if you’ve never watched the film, do it ASAP!
One of the most famous films of all time, E.T. is about an extraterrestrial who gets stranded on earth and the special relationship that forms between him, a young boy and his family. Disclaimer: If it’s your first time watching this movie, be sure to have some tissues on hand, because it’s a tear jerker (in the best way possible).
I grew up watching the classic version of this movie, but last year’s remake with a female cast is a new favorite in my household. Melissa McCarthy stars as a paranormal researcher leading a team of brilliant, ghost-busting women battling thousands of ghouls in Times Square. And with two of my other favorite funny ladies, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon in the cast, you really can’t go wrong!
Disney and Pixar teamed up to make this brilliant animated film about a “scare factory” where monsters make energy for the city by scaring children. The twist? The monsters are actually afraid that the children are toxic to them, which causes problems when a little girl finds her way into the factory! It's a fun and touching story for adults and kids of all ages.
TAGS: family, halloween, momlife