Today Halloween is celebrated pretty much all around the world. It has greater expression in some countries than in others, but adherence has increased over the years.
Learn more about the History of Halloween here
There was a time in which horror movies were my genre. Films such as “The Conjuring” or “Friday the 13th” were among my favourites. Occasionally, I’d give them a watch around Halloween.
That feels like ages ago though. I was a sensitive in the closet and a hopeless romantic in denial. I’d stick to the horror genre as an attempt to remain tough. What a load of bollocks.
Since I began to embrace more parts of myself, I stopped watching such films. I spend most of the time contorting myself. More often than not, I have to look away or cover my eyes.
So long story short, today I still love to watch Halloween-themed movies but I opt for lighter ones. I choose films that are a bit scary but also high on fun and magic.
I think this also reflects how my attitude toward Halloween has changed. I look forward to celebrating it more now than I used to. Maybe I learned to appreciate the fun and whimsical parts of it.
Time Travel to The 90s
Halloween also makes me go back in time. In Portugal, we knew very little about Halloween. Most of us would only hear about it in 5th grade. That’s when English was introduced into the school curriculum.
For Halloween, we had to come up with an original paperboard presentation. We were required to use English words such as cat, pumpkin, and ghost.
That was the late 90s and today I’m sharing three movies from that time too. Let me know if you already watched any of these or have other fun suggestions to add to this list.
Practical Magic (1999)
The movie follows two sisters who are born with peculiar gifts. Magic runs in their blood. However, that’s not the only thing that runs in their family. A curse says every Owen family’s woman who falls in love will see their beloved meet death. Find out how these two sisters navigate through life and manage their gifts in this great movie from the 90s.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
This movie revolves around the story of a boy who moves to Salem with his family. Salem is famous for its 1692 witch trials but that’s not enough to make him like his new home. He accidentally brings the Sanderson sisters back to life, who had been sentenced to death in the 17th century for practising witchcraft. These sisters are up to no good though and the movie is a series of adventures to make them go away again.
Casper (1995)
Casper is our friendly ghost and this is surely a friendly movie to watch on Halloween. It has all the magical elements of the 90s family movies and it also teaches us about some important life principles such as the importance of keeping your word in a friendship and meeting others with kindness. If you are looking for spooky action with a sweet twist, then this movie is for you.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we had great fun watching these movies. They are great options for those who want to get into the spirit of Halloween but are not so much into the gore aspect of it.
Since these titles were part of our community Halloween movie marathon, each session was also very intentional. We benefited from creating the time to sit down and watch them together.
You can also watch and enjoy these by yourself. Turn it into a commitment to yourself. Make it a challenge to add fun and entertainment of quality to your routine.
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This brought back some memories! I recently watched Hocus Pocus 2 and was just thinking I should see the original again!
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Fantastic, did you enjoy HP2? It’s on my waiting list too, I look forward to it.
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I’ve seen Casper once, and I think like a few minutes of it. I still can’t remember much from it. I’ve never seen all the other movies before. I can’t believe I used to be like you. I’d watch heavy horror movies. Now I prefer light ones. May be a good time to watch Casper again after all these years!
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Practical Magic and Casper are two very familiar movies that I did enjoy watching and still do. Brings back a whole lot of awesome times and memories. A great 90s selection. Thank you for this reminder of some great halloween favorites.
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Oh, how great, it’s lovely to know that. Those are definitely among my favourites too!
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I think I had the same experience with Halloween. In the Netherlands we never really celebrated Halloween. But as I started traveling and while teaching English I started to get more exposed to it. I still can’t tell whether I really like it. But this year, I’m in the U.S., so let’s see if this can get the fire going. I doubt it, though.
Scary movies is not my genre, I prefer a feel good or sci-fi. But those movies you recommend are great. I watched the last two, but Practical Magic is one I haven’t seen yet. I might add it.
Thanks for sharing.
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What a great opportunity to experience Halloween in a different location and culture. I hope you enjoy the experience! Thank you for sharing how you relate to Halloween, it’s cool to learn about other people’s experiences!
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These are some great suggestions. I need to watch the new Hocus Pocus, but it’s one of my old faves. Also Casper – need to watch this with my little one!
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I’m glad you liked these. I hope you enjoy a good time with your little one, Casper is very fun and friendly.
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What a fun post!! I honestly don’t think I’ve even seen Casper so that could be a fun one!
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Let me know if you give it a watch! It’s a fun one to watch, especially with kids between 8 and 12 😊
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I have watched Casper but haven’t watched the others before (that I can remember anyway). Thank you for sharing your throwbacks!
Lauren
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My kids love Casper! I am so glad I get to share it with them!
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We love watching Hocus Pocus every year!
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When I was younger, (teens/ 20s), I LOVED scary movies. Now though, I just can’t deal with them. I think there’s a certain naivety that comes from youth that allows you to suspend disbelief and immerse yourself. Now, I’m much more careful with what I watch because my kid is with me. I also can’t handle any of the psychological mind tricks anymore. There’s too much horror in life for me to enjoy it as entertainment too. But, I will say that Casper is great. I also enjoyed Hocus Pocus. I can’t remember Practical Magic. If I do watch anything now, like you, it has to be on the lighter side.
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I always watch those movies with my family and they are some of my favorite movies all year around. We happened to have just watched Casper not too long ago which was the first time I have seen it in a long time and I forgot how cute of a movie it is. That is a very good list and I recommend these movies to anyone who hast seen them.
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Great movies as an alternative to horror films. Happy Halloween, Vanessa! Many Blessings, Lisa
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