Moviefone: "10 Best Family-Friendly Horror Films to Watch on Halloween"

[JamesG]

10 Best Family-Friendly Horror Movies to Watch on Halloween
By Peter Hall
Posted Oct 25th 2010


Everyone wants to watch horror movies as Halloween grows closer, trouble is horror movies aren't for everyone. By its very nature, it's a genre filled with material that's meant to shock, disturb and otherwise provoke its audience.

But what about the young film fans out there? Don't they deserve to have something edgy but age-appropriate to watch when they get back from trick or treating?

Of course they do, which is why Moviefone has compiled a list of ten "horror movies" that a family can watch together.






Now what defines a family-friendly horror movie?

First off, it can't be rated higher than PG-13, and it is even preferable that the film be rated PG or below. That means no nudity, no gore and minimal violence and foul language.

Secondly, by "horror" we simply mean any movie that may contain edgier, Halloween-friendly material.




To help further provide information on these films, we've also included the Common Sense Rating (where available), as well as any notable scenes or themes that may still surprise youngsters (and parents) despite the rating.




10. Little Monsters (1989)










What's it about: A boy who discovers a gateway to a world of mischievous monsters under his bed.



Why kids will like it: Every child growing up is afraid of what's under their bed or in the closet and Little Monsters puts an adventurous spin on it whilst still keeping things a little creepy.



Why parents will like it: The always enjoyable Fred Savage stars, it has a nice nostalgia factor (for younger parents, at least), plus it helps teach kids to be mindful of their home and their belongings.



Common Sense Rating: Not Available, but it should be okay for anyone over the age of 9.



Notable Shocks: There is a tiny amount of language that might tweak some ears, but nothing that exceeds the MPAA's standards for a PG.

Toward the end of the film, the world of the monsters grows a bit darker and may contain some inhuman latex make-up effects that may startle some.











9. Coraline (2009)










What's it about: A young girl opens a doorway to an alternate world free of the frustrations she has at home, but filled with increasingly sinister implications.



Why kids will like it: The stop motion animation is captivating, Coraline's frustrations with her parents are relateable, it's brimming with imagination.



Why parents will like it: The stop motion is captivating, it's written by acclaimed author Neil Gaiman and directed by The Nightmare Before Christmas' Henry Selick.



Common Sense Rating: Age 9+, "Cool but creepy animated fantasy too scary for young kids."



Notable Shocks: A surprisingly vivacious pair of elderly ladies wear tiny swimsuits during a stage performance; the climax of the film might be too intense for younger viewers.











8. Matinee (1993)










What's it about: The extravagant premiere night of a new, low-budget horror movie during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis.



Why kids will like it: Matinee has amusing, men-in-suit type monsters that are all kept at a safe distance and plenty of sight gags to keep them entertained.



Why parents will like it: Joe Dante's film is filled with material that will go over the heads of younger family members.

It's got a great cast, a great story and is a total celebration of the sci-fi/horror films and theater-going experiences of yesteryear.



Common Sense Rating: Not available, but should be okay for over the age of 8.



Notable Shocks: Some salty language pops up from time to time, nothing that demanded higher than a PG, however.











7. Monster House (2006)










What's it about: A trio of kids who set out to discover why the creepy house on their street is so creepy.



Why kids will like it: Very cool animation, very funny kid characters and an infectious sense of "We can do this!" adventure.



Why parents will like it: Produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg, Monster House has a sophistication to its adult characters.

Plus, it's just an all-around fun movie.



Common Sense Rating: Age 10+, "Frightful fun for tweens and up."



Notable Shocks: The visuals, though animated, are surprisingly effective and spooky throughout; boasts poignant themes of death and loss.











6. Halloweentown (1998)










What's it about: Children who discover that their family is from the fantasy world of Halloweentown, which is currently under threat of an evil warlock.



Why kids will like it: The story is about discovering powers and abilities you never knew you had, Halloweentown is kind of like a full-scale Diagon Alley from Harry Potter.



Why parents will like it: It's mainly made for kids, but it's well-cast and doesn't ever get too silly.



Common Sense Rating: Age 7+, "Tween brew: Witchy fun, a pinch of fright."



Notable Shocks: Nothing out of the ordinary considering Halloweentown was made for the Disney Channel.











5. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)










What's it about: A boy who becomes half-vampire and joins a traveling band of circus freaks.



Why kids will like it: The world of the freaks is cool; it's got a good sense of humor, nice action and an exceedingly likable cast.



Why parents will like it: It doesn't pander to the younger, vampire-loving crowd despite being based on a series of young-adult fantasy novels and arriving at the height of Twilight-mania; great cast of both young and old actors; has nice hat tips to iconic figures of fright.



Common Sense Rating: Age 12+, "Teen vampire flick is scarier, edgier than the book series."



Notable Shocks: The hero is a boy who fakes his death to get away from his parents; some of the freaks (and their powers) are definitely too scary for kids below the age of 12.











4. Casper (1995)










What's it about: A girl who befriends a ghost after moving into a dusty old mansion.



Why kids will like it: Casper is a simple and often quite silly defanging of ghosts and the other side.



Why parents will like it: Nice production values (dated CGI aside), a cast of familiar faces and voices.



Common Sense Rating: Age 6+, "Haunted house tale not as mild as the cartoons."



Notable Shocks: Nothing outrageous, Casper is the most all-ages film on this list.











3. Arachnophobia (1990)










What's it about: A family that relocates to a farmhouse that happens to be infected with a deadly South American spider.



Why kids will like it: It's scary, but not traumatizing; great to watch in a group.



Why parents will like it: It's bound to have a few skin-crawling scenes; neat practical effects; never too kiddy.



Common Sense Rating: Age 12+, "Creepy/clever creature feature with touches of humor."



Notable Shocks: Anyone of any age who is already prone to arachnophobia will be freaked out by the legion of creepy crawlies here.

Spots of mild language.











2. Gremlins (1984)










What's it about: A town that threatens to be overrun by a strange breed of new pet.



Why kids will like it: The puppetry is fantastic; Gizmo is lovable; the violence is cartoonish.



Why parents will like it: It's a Joe Dante movie filled with cool special effects and funny gags.

Plus, Gremlins teaches kids to properly take care of their pets.



Common Sense Rating: Age 9+, "A comic horror movie classic."



Notable Shocks: The gremlins often act like out-of-control adults, partaking in excessive booze, smoking and gambling.

They also tend to make a mess upon death.











1. The Witches (1990)










What's it about: A young boy who, on a vacation with his Grandmother, learns that his hotel is hosting a witches' convention.



Why kids will like it: It's a crazy fantasy story that's both weird and wonderful.



Why parents will like it: Strong cast; story is an adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel, which is a classic for a certain generation.



Common Sense Rating: Age 8+, "Some kids will love it, some may find disturbing."



Notable Shocks: Death may not always be the big deal it really is; some of the effects and revelations are certain to bother those under the age of 8 (and possibly a few over it).

http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/10/25...horror-movies/

[PlayOn]

No 'Hocus Pocus'?

[HuntingtonM15]

Originally Posted by PlayOn

No 'Hocus Pocus'?

Yeah, that's weird.

I used to love Little Monsters as a kid, but I don't think I would find it all that great anymore.

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by PlayOn

No 'Hocus Pocus'?

Yeah, that one should have been there.

I would have also included Troll.

[70s show watcher]

i saw the witches on tv the other day and i thought it was one of the dumbest movies i ever saw i finally gave up after 45 minutes and changed the channel

[70s show watcher]

Originally Posted by PlayOn

No 'Hocus Pocus'?

i agree im not a fan of bette midler at all but even i enjoyed that movie

[Torgo]

Originally Posted by 70s show watcher

i saw the witches on tv the other day and i thought it was one of the dumbest movies i ever saw i finally gave up after 45 minutes and changed the channel

The Witches is excellent.

[Torgo]

I agree, Hocus Pocus should have been on there.


Also-

The Watcher In The Woods

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Mad Monster Party(From Rankin/Bass who gave us all the great Holiday specials like Rudolph's Shiny New Year. Same style of animation, featuring voices by Boris Karloff and Phillis Diller)

The Halloween Tree

The Corpse Bride

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Disney's The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

[Torgo]

Kenny and Co. '76 (Before Don Coscarelli went on to make Phantasm, he made this family film that takes place the week before and the night of Halloween)

Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein(They also meet Dracula, and The Wolfman. Still a classic)

Hold That Ghost(Abbott and Costello and a group of travelers find themselves stranded at a spooky Inn)

The Time Of Their Lives(Lou Costello is a ghost! One of Abbott and Costello's most underrated films)

The Ghost Breakers(Bob Hope finds ghosts and a zombie in Havana)

Scared Stiff(Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis star in this remake of The Ghost Breakers)

Blondie Has Servant Trouble(From the long running Blondie film series based on the comic strip. Blondie, Dagwood, and Baby Dumpling spend a weekend at a creepy old mansion)

The Ghost And Mr Chicken(Don Knotts must spend the night at a haunted mansion.)

The Monster Club(Fred Dekker wanted to make a movie that blended The Little Rascals and Abbott And Costello Meets Frankenstein.)

The Ghost Train(1940's British spooky-comedy about train passengers stranded at a haunted train station)

[dlemond]

Originally Posted by Torgo

Kenny and Co. '76 (Before Don Coscarelli went on to make Phantasm, he made this family film that takes place the week before and the night of Halloween)

Love this movie. Was very excited when it came on DVD.
I have to break that out and watch it.
---

Problem with a lot of these movies for me is that my son is not yet 6.
And though he's seen his share of movies that can be scary, I don't want to deliberately start a movie that may cause nightmares or psychologically frighten him.

[browneyes106]

Hocus Pocus should definetely be on the list.

[JamesG]

Another family-friendly horror flick to mention is Disney's The Haunted Mansion.

I know that the movie wasn't that great nor was it well-received but if you are looking for something for the kids you can be safe with this one.

(Here's hoping Guillermo del Toro's version will be better)




Also, Disney made a television movie based off of the attraction The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror with Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst in 1997.

It's been put to DVD (I bought my copy down at Walt Disney World)

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

I used to love Little Monsters as a kid, but I don't think I would find it all that great anymore.

I do wonder how Howie Mandel, known for being OCD and having mysophobia (fear of germs), handled the make-up sessions for that movie.

[70s show watcher]

Originally Posted by Torgo

Kenny and Co. '76 (Before Don Coscarelli went on to make Phantasm, he made this family film that takes place the week before and the night of Halloween)

Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein(They also meet Dracula, and The Wolfman. Still a classic)

Hold That Ghost(Abbott and Costello and a group of travelers find themselves stranded at a spooky Inn)

The Time Of Their Lives(Lou Costello is a ghost! One of Abbott and Costello's most underrated films)

The Ghost Breakers(Bob Hope finds ghosts and a zombie in Havana)

Scared Stiff(Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis star in this remake of The Ghost Breakers)

Blondie Has Servant Trouble(From the long running Blondie film series based on the comic strip. Blondie, Dagwood, and Baby Dumpling spend a weekend at a creepy old mansion)

The Ghost And Mr Chicken(Don Knotts must spend the night at a haunted mansion.)

The Monster Club(Fred Dekker wanted to make a movie that blended The Little Rascals and Abbott And Costello Meets Frankenstein.)

The Ghost Train(1940's British spooky-comedy about train passengers stranded at a haunted train station)

blondie has servant trouble was very funny

[sh3k]

ahan good i think you really worked hard to gather all these movies to watch on hallowen