PG 13 Halloween Film Options

 THAT time of the year again... Halloween, woooo!!!

Well, there's no "trick or tricking" at my end, however there are other stuff one does to have a feel of Halloween,  the actual name being "All Hallows Eve". Put on a scary or funny costume, put out decorations... OR, watch a scary film.

Horror films aren't exactly for everyone, especially if you want to to have a good night's sleep without jumping up when you hear so much as a creak.

 Hence, such films like John Carpenter's Halloween and its reboot trilogy, Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street franchise or other  classics like The Fog, etc may NOT be for you. Happily, there are 'tamer' options to view on the 31st you don't want to leave the room screaming!

ParaNorman (2012)

Directed by Chris Butler, the stop motion animated film is about a boy, wno has the ability to see and talk to ghosts, decides to  use his skill to save his cursed town, with the help of his friends.  

Hocus Pocus (1993)  and Hocus Pocus II (2022)

Three  hanged witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) are accidentally brought back to life by a teenage boy (Omri Katz)  in modern day Salem, Massachusetts...on Halloween and begin terrorising children.   Luckily, Max and his friends have an ally, a talking black cat. In the sequel, the witches apparently return for some unfinished business. The original film was directed by Kenny Ortega, the sequel  by Anne Flecther. 

Ghostbusters: After Life (2021)

The sequel to the 1984 classic ( ignore the non popular part 2); a single mother and her  children move to a new town and discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters team and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver reprise their roles from the previous films and is directed by Jason Reitman. 

Coraline (2009) 

An animated adaptation of  Neil Gaiman' best selling novella of the same name, (regarded as a darker version of "Alice in Wonderland"), Dakota Fanning voices the titular character. A bored girl discovers a parallel universe behind a secret door in her new home, unaware that it contains a dark and sinister secret. Her unexpected ally is a black cat, voiced by Keith David. Directed by Henry Selick. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) and (1973)

Two of several adaptations of controversial author Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel of the name, Dorian Gray is a handsome young  man who  makes a wish to remain young forever after a friend paints his portrait. He gets his wish but as he embarks on one vice to another, the  portrait starts to change...

Hurd Hartifield starred as Dorian in the 1945 film, directed by Albert Lewin, Shane Briant in the 1973 T.V film, directed by Glenn Jordan. 

Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework (1997) 

An adaptation of one of the 13 "Shadow Zone" books by J.R Black, a teenager buys a doll that strongly resembles  his teacher, Mrs Fink (Shelley Duvall),  whom he hates. He soon discovers this was no ordinary doll and that Mrs Fink is in grave danger. The second  "Shadow Zone" book to be adapted for the screen, it was directed by Stephen Williams, who much later on, served as producer in the earlier seasons of "Lost". 

Frankenweenie (2012)

A parody of Mary Shelley's classic tale and a remake of Tim Burton's 1984 short film , the stop motion film is about a boy, Victor Frankenstein, who resurrects his dead dog Sparky via electricity;  which is asking for big trouble as his classmates follow his example. 

Happy viewing!