Let's Go Get a Movie:Not-so Scary Movies for Friendly, Fearful Nights

It's the first week of October and the bewitching hour is upon us. Hopefully everyone is coming for some spooky boooooooks ( I am, I'm currently rereading Meg Cabot's   YA series, The Mediator ).

Besides being the time for  spooky and pumpkiny tales, this is also the time for scary movies . However, not everyone is into Saw or Halloween ( including yours truly). I much prefer old-fashioned haunts or silly and scary. So, here are some of my favorite not-so scary movies( a bit of a different bookworm list) to check out. Most can be found on DVD, but they also be playing this month on TV ( or you can always Netflix or Youtube). While these are mildly scary, it's best to screen ahead of time before showing it to the kids.

• Hocus Pocus ( 1993)- Directed by Kenny Orgeta ( High School Musical), this frightfully fun Disney movie of twenty years ago stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker as three witches that return on Halloween to seek out the souls of children to gain immortality. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll go "amuck, amuck, amuck." (Best line of the movie!) Rated PG.

• Haunted Mansion ( 2003)- After the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney decided to turn another beloved attraction into a movie, this one featuring Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Tilly. It wasn't successful as Pirates, but if you are a fan of the actual ride, you'll enjoy all the nods to its elements, from singing busts to Madame Leota.Rated PG.

• Adams Family (1991)  and Adams Family Values (1993)- Possibly one of the better TV to movie adaptations, both ghoulishly fun movies feature Anjelica Huston as Morticia, Christina Ricci as Wednesday, and the late great Raul Julia as Gomez. I actually like Values more because of the summer camp that features perky counselors, the Harmony Hut ( a shed filled with oh so adorable stuff where Wednesday, Pugsley, and another misfit are forced to watch Annie and other oh so cute movies) and the inaccurate Thanksgiving pageant with Puglesy the singing turkey ( "Eat me!")  Both are rated PG-13.

• Casper ( 1995)- After playing Wednesday Addams, Christina Ricci starred in this wonderful cartoon/live action film of the friendliest ghost. It's silly, it's sweet, but you will need lots of tissues toward the end. There are also a few direct to DVD sequels, but I don't anything about them ( other than Casper and Wendy has a young Hillary Duff.) Rated PG.

• The Wizard of Oz (1939)-Because of witches and costumes (oh my), I think Oz is perfect during this time of year ( plus they are starting their 75th anniversary celebrations a bit early). For a triple feature, I am also recommending the Disney-inspired sequels, 1985's Return to Oz ( which features a lot of characters from the Baum books, like Ozma and Tik-Tok) and this year's Oz the Great and Powerful ( which is bright and beautiful, and features the most awesome transformation scene of the Wicked Witch of the West.) Rated G.

• Any Tim Burton film- Well, not Sweeney Todd ( a bit too violent.) For younger kids, I would go with Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride. For older kids, check out Beetlejuice, Alice in Wonderland, and Sleepy Hollow. ( Rating vary from G to PG-13.)

• Women in Black (2012)- This is just good old-fashioned jump in your seat horrors, starring Daniel Radcliffe in his first non-Harry Potter role. Set in Edwardian era, a young lawyer (Radcliffe) travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals. Very good thematic elements, lots of loud noise (so you know the scariness is coming), but not so nuts about the ending. ( Note-Radcliffe is starring another horror-like movie coming out next year is  Horns. Having seen some of the early pictures, I'm looking forward to this). Rated PG-13.

• The Good Witch series (2008-)  Only  the first movie, The Good Witch, is available on DVD. For the rest of the series, you might want to try Youtube or check the Hallmark Channel website to see when the movie(s) are airing. A mysterious woman (Catherine Bell of JAG) causes a stir when she moves to a small town and begins having a strange effect on those around her, including the town police chief and his family. Being that this is from Hallmark, this and the five other movies are cute and sappy and enjoyable. A new one, The Good Witch's Destiny, will air the weekend before Halloween ( and there will be a marathon of all the movies before this one). No Rating
•  Harry Potter  movies ( First two movies of the series are rated PG, later movies in the series are rated PG-13.

• Twilight movies ( All five movies are PG-13.)

I am also going to recommending anything involving a character (s) that could pass for a costume. In other words, any Disney movie, any superhero movie, Spongebob, Indiana Jones, Scooby-Doo, etc. 

And not to forget, there's always It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. 

 Happy Halloween and good viewing!