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My Favorite Halloween Movies and TV Episodes

Every year around Halloween I try to make time to watch a few films and tv episodes during the season. Not all of them are Halloween themed specifically but they're suited for this time of year. Some of these shows and films are more about nostalgia for me. As is the case with many of the reasons why people watch certain shows and movies throughout October. Here are some of my favorites in no particular order.

Ernest Scared Stupid

Ernest P. Worrell was one of my favorite characters in movies when I was a child. This film is no different and I've seen it quite a few times. It's a good film for nostalgia's sake.


The Hollow (2004)

There are a lot of people who don't like this film because of who stars in it (Nick Carter). And this was before the accusations against him. Ignoring his presence in the film as much as you can, this movie is an okay retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Further down the article I will also be highlighting a much better film based on Washington Irving's story.


Casper (1995)

1995's Casper film, starring Christina Ricci, goes along great with the Casper cartoons. The cartoons, which were also a favorite of mine growing up. We had a few episodes of them on those VHS tapes that'd you get from Ames (remember them?) and Kmart. Anyways, about the Caspar movie, the story is really good and the acting is also, in my opinion. The fact that CG in a film, from the mid-90s, looks as good as it does is also a plus.



Disney's Scary Tales (1983)

I used to watch this Disney special every year, during the month of October, when I was younger. In fact, this one was just about a must to watch when I was a child. You can find a few other Disney Halloween specials listed on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Tales



It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

No list is complete without this classic. Another Halloween cartoon I would watch every year growing up.


Wait Till Helen Comes

This is a more recent movie but was a story that I read as a child. I'd only remembered the name of the book once advertisements for the film were being shown online. The story stuck in my mind from my childhood and the film isn't all that bad.



Trick 'r Treat

I only found out about this film because I was watching True Blood and was looking for other similarly-themed stuff that starred any of the people from the HBO show. Specifically Anna Paquin. Trick 'r Treat was the film that fit the bill. Sam is an excellent standout character and one that makes this film itself stand out from many Halloween-season films of recent years. 


The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Last, but not least, is the 1980 movie, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", starring a young Jeff Goldblum who makes for the perfect Ichabod Crane. This adaptation of the Washington Irving story is much much better than The Hollow above. And it's far more atmospheric, partly owning to the age of the film and how it was filmed. Like The Hollow, it is also a made for tv film. I recommend watching this after watching The Hollow though. Maybe even on Halloween night if you have the time. The full version is currently available on YouTube.



I've probably forgotten quite a few of the greats for watching during October and during the Halloween season. So feel free to leave a comment about some of your Halloween tv and movie favorites.

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