Halloween Movies For Children

At the moment Oisìn is slightly too young to watch all the Halloween movies aimed at children

so I have divided this post into toddler friendly Halloween movies and then some for older children.

Spookley The Square Pumpkin (2005) Cert U

We watched this over the weekend and Oisìn really enjoyed this story of Spookley

the pumpkin who is square instead of round and feels very lonely because he is different.

His friends the bats, spiders and a Scarecrow show him how special he is and it's okay to be different. It's not scary at all but a nice seasonal tale

Monsters Inc (2001) Cert U

This is one of Oisìn's favourite movies he loves Pixar and this is a go to movie for when he is feeling poorly. This about the world of Monsters and to fuel there world Monsters must harvest the screams of the children they scare at bedtime. It sounds very scary when put like that but this is Disney/Pixar so it is a funny gentle lovely tale. Oisìn's favourites are Sully and Boo but I find Billy Crystal as Mike very funny! 

Scooby Doo (2002) Cert PG

This is one of the hubby's favourites and he recently introduced Oisìn to it, while the little guy liked most of it we did need to fast forward some of the more scary scenes at the end of the movie. He loves the new cartoons of Scooby Doo and while most of this movie held his attention I think it might have just been a bit long for a toddler.
The gang are brought to a strange island to solve the weird things happening. While the mystery isn't much of a mystery I do really like the casting of this movie.

Casper (1995) Cert PG
Now this brings back memories of my childhood I went to see this in the cinema with my family when I was around 10! I loved it and had a huge crush on Devon Sawa who played Casper towards the end of the movie!! Kat and her Father move into a huge mansion when her Father is hired to get rid of the ghosts that haunt there by a heiress. Kat soon becomes friends with Casper the young friendly ghost who lives there, he falls in love with Kat, but she is struggling to fit in at her new school. In the end it's up to Kat and her Father to help the ghosts move on to the other side.
I haven't watched this yet with Oisìn but I think he will enjoy it but we might have to fast forward some of the scarier scenes!

Hocus Pocus (1993) Cert PG
We watched this over the weekend Oisìn didn't bother with it much to be honest
but he did dance around to the party scene when Bette Milder sings I'll Put A Spell On You
we had to rewind that scene four times for Oisìn to sing and dance too!
Other than that he didn't seem to care about the movie he like the talking cat, but I think this movie is for older children but not to scary to have on while younger children are in the room.
I love this movie it's a Sunday afternoon movie from my childhood! The Sanderson sisters are some of the most evil witches on film! Yet even as a young child I could tell how cool they actually where!

Monster House (2006) Cert PG
Oisìn was quite scared of this when I showed it to him the other day
So I turned it off although it's PG I would say it's for older kids around 6 upwards
It's about three early teens who discover the house in there neighbourhood is a real
monster!

Now here is my list for older children

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1995) Cert PG
While this is one of my favourite Halloween and Christmas movies Oisìn is just too young to watch it with me yet. I know its far too creepy and scary for him to enjoy yet without him having serious nightmares! I first watched this on a Christmas Eve night with my brother I think I was around 11 or 12 and I loved it! The whole premise of the Jack The Pumpkin King who was bored of the same old thing, found Christmas land and decided to take it for himself with disastrous results! The score, the songs and the creepy Tim Burton animation I adored it!
In a few years time I look forward to sharing it with Oisìn

The Witches (1990) Cert PG
Now this was one that gave me nightmares! This Roald Dahl book turned movie scared the living daylights out of me when I was a kid. This was another one I remember watching on a Sunday afternoon its about a somewhat spoiled young boy Luke who is staying with his Grandmother in a fancy old hotel when he stumbles across a witches convention. He watches as the leader (Anjelica Huston) reveals her true witch like self. I think that stayed with me my whole childhood!! That scene itself makes this movie for older kids! Luke must try stop the witches go through with there plan to rid England of all children!

The Adams Family (1991) Cert PG
This is a Halloween family classic. A new take on the classic 1960's show a con artist tells the family he is there long lost eccentric Uncle. The cast in this movie is what makes it for me Anjelica Huston as Mortica, Raul Juila as Gomez, Christopher Lloyd as Fester and Christina Ricci as Wednesday.

The Monster Squad (1987) Cert PG-13

I have spoke of myself and hubby's love for this movie on this blog before, hubby watched this as a young child and it stayed with him ever since. I finally managed to get a copy on DVD for him one Christmas and I watched it and totally fell in love with it too! It's very like The Goonies but with classic monsters Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, The Mummy and Gill-man. It has 80's music montages, a cute little girl who becomes friends with Frankenstein and of course a group of kids who have to stop this monster squad.
It is definitely one for the older kids there is violent, sexual innuendos and a very intense Dracula who choke holds one of the young hero's! Look past all the cheese and it's a Halloween classic!

So that's our list of Halloween movies to watch with your kids
Would you add any?

Five Things 35/52

Hi everyone hope you are keeping safe from the crazy weather/storm we are having at the moment! Technically it's still the weekend here in Ireland its a Bank Holiday! We have a October/Halloween Bank Holiday that alot of other countries don't have this weekend! It's great and it's nice to have one last one before Christmas. Here is my five things from this weekend.

Getting out for lunch on Saturday this isn't normally a big deal but with being on bed rest again for the foreseeable future it was nice to get out and about on Saturday. I probably shouldn't have gone out but I needed some fresh air and my body was getting all achy and stiff so I needed a little walk too! Lunch was yummy!

This weekend in Dublin city center it was the Bram Stoker festival. There where lots of events going on, from many Dublin buildings turning red for the night, tours of Bram's childhood home, to a vampire hunt,  and various readings of Dracula. We where looking up what vampire movies where being shown on Merrion Square when Paul saw that they where playing his favourite childhood movie we had to go in to watch it. The festival went on all weekend and there are still events on today.

Relaxing Saturday night with of course a Dracula movie after a long day!

Loving this Cussons Mum & Me Sleep Mist. I didn't expect anything from it to be honest but I have been using it the past few nights and it really works! Got a few really good nights sleep with it waking up feeling really rested.

Lighting candles and getting all cosy while watching Downton Abbey while the wind howled outside on Sunday night!

So that my five things whats yours?

My Favourite Halloween Movies

With the weekend that is in it the hubby and I will be watching some horror movies here are my favourite Halloween movies, first of all I am not into the normal scary movies i.e. Friday 13th, Scream, Saw, or Nightmare on Elm Street are not my cup of tea! Here are my top 10 Halloween Movies.

10. The Wicker Man

I watched this movie when I was 17 and it scared the daylights out of me! The story of the young police man (Edward Woodward) who comes in search of a young woman who goes missing on a strange remote island. Stranger still is the crazy pagan rituals that still go on in this small island. The ending stayed with me for days! Stay away from the terrible remake with Nicholas Cage.

9. Carrie

Another movie I watched when I was 17!! I sat down to watch this thinking it was a coming of age movie how wrong was I!? Pigs blood, God fearing Mother, bulling, and a teenagers scorn left me terrified! Remake of this movie in the works.

8. Zombieland

Unlike my hubby who loves all things Zombie. Games (Dead Island) films (28 Days later) and TV shows (The Walking Dead) I am NOT into anything zombie except this movie. Its sh*t ass scary with zombies jumping out from everywhere but it has some humour too with Woody Harrelson running around trying to find the last Twinkie in America! Meant to be a sequel in the works!

7. Misery

You dirty bird!! Again other classic I saw in my teens and I enjoyed it. Kathy Bates is fantastic as the crazy obsessed fan of James Cann's author character. Classic line from Kathy Bates, great novel and screenplay from Stephen King.

6.Alien

A Film I never watched fully until recently I really enjoy this jump fest by Ridley Scott. S Weaver is amazing as Ripley, as the crew realise that they are not alone on there ship or the planet they have come to explore. The best of all the Alien movies by far.

5. The Wolfman

In my opinion a very underrated remake of the classic 1941 movie with Lon Chaney Jr. This movie made in 2007 and released in 2010 has a number of different issues with directors leaving half way through shooting and three different release dates. It did however have a amazing cast including Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt and Anthony Hopkins it has become one of my favourite movies ever. Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright. 

4. Lost Boys

 I love this classic 80's movie from the cast to the great 80's soundtrack Dianne West & Edward Herrmann lead this cast of youths. Its of course Kiefer Sutherland who out classes everyone with his amazing acting as vampire gang leader David. I forget how many times I have watched this movie, but I stay away from the straight to TV sequels.

3. The Monster Squad

This is like the Goonies of the horror films! I love this tongue in cheek horror/family movie. It is about young Sean who forms a monster squad with his different aged friends. He believes Dracula is alive and he is right! Dracula is making his own monster squad with Frankenstein, the mummy, the wolfman and Gillman. With out Sean and his friends help the world will be doomed, great film pity its so hard to find on DVD.

2. Fright Night

One of my favourite movies EVER!! The poster for this movie always and still does scary the crap out of me!! Charlie loves watching old horror movies especially the old vampire ones his hero is the vampire slayer Peter Vincent, but when two men move next door and only come out at night is Charlie imagination getting the better of him? When women start to literally fall at his neighbours Jerry's feet Charlie knows there is something not right. Chris Sarandon at his most hotest!I love this movie the new remake 2011 is not too bad either!

1. American Werewolf in London

I see the pale moon rising! Two American tourists get lost on the moors and all hell breaks lose! When his best friend is killed on the moors in England David has the most horrible dreams. He begins to feel different, but none of the locals will admit an animal attacked the two men. A werewolf is roaming London but who is he? I love this movie and John Landis wrote and directed this is an  amazing movie and Rick Baker werewolf make and effects are outstanding.

What is you favourite Halloween movies and what do you think of my list?