The Nightmare Before Christmas - (1993) This Tim Burton film follows the adventures of the creatures of Halloween Town as they try to kidnap “sandy claws” and take over Christmas. I love this movie because of its stop-action filming technique, so rarely seen in today’s CGI world. The characters are memorable and the plot is unique.

The Phantom of the Opera - (2004) This film isn’t strictly a Halloween movie, but with its aura of foreboding, it lends itself to viewing at this time of year. Phantom is tightly based on the Broadway musical of the same name about a mysterious phantom who violently haunts a theater. I hardly dare say it, but I actually enjoy the movie much more than I did the musical. Great things are done with the staging of the musical numbers, and the songs are top notch. My particular favorites include the ensemble number “Masquerade” and the intense, suspenseful “Point of No Return.” Also, Emmy Rossum rocks.

The Witches - (1990) Based on one of my very favorite Roald Dahl books, The Witches is the true story of the evil witches who live among us and their plot to destroy all the children of the world. The film is wonderfully cast, including the fabulous Anjelica Houston as the Grand High Witch. Dahl is wonderfully inventive and his creativity is translated well to screen. This movie may be a little scary for children, but I was able to handle it as a child because I read the book first and knew what was coming.

Casper - (1995) The friendly ghost makes his live-action debut in this surprisingly touching film. Christina Ricci plays Kat, a teenage girl who goes to live in a haunted house with her ghost therapist father, Dr. Harvey (Bill Pullman). Kat develops a bit of a love interest with Casper, the friendly ghost in the house. This is a really charming film that is actually a bit of a tear jerker. It is also interesting to watch as an earlier CGI effort. While interaction between live actors and ghoulies is now old hat, I remember being really impressed with the special effects at the time Casper was released.

Scary Movie 1, 2, 3, & 4 - (2000-2006) These are my type of “scary” movies. Each of the films in this series parodies suspense, horror, and various other movies that were been released around the time of its creation. Everything is fair game, from Scream to War of the Worlds. Granted there is a lot of unnecessary body humor, but every single one of the Scary Movies makes me laugh out loud. If you are a wimp like me, seeing a spoof of Saw is funny, even if actually sitting through the film itself is out of the question. Actually, in a couple of cases I have found myself less scared about viewing a horror movie after watching it get made fun of in one of the Scary Movies!

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! - (1966) This short animated film has been the “must see” Halloween movie for many families for forty years. While it is not shown on TV with the same frequency as it used to be, you can still catch the Peanuts gang on DVD and video. With its traditional Peanuts soundtrack and wry humor, his simple Halloween movie is as much (or more!) fun for adults as for children. In the words of Linus – “I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people. Politics, religion, and the Great Pumpkin.”

The Addams Family Movies - (1991 and 1993) This series has two films, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values. Both are inspired by the black and white Addams Family television show and star Anjelica Huston as Morticia Adams, Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester, and Christina Ricci as Wednesday Adams. There are major similarities between the two films, being that in both cases an outsider is trying to pull one over on the creepy yet goodhearted Addams Family. I think both are equally funny and great picks for the Halloween season.

Hocus Pocus - (1993) Hocus Pocus is an interesting combination of genres, incorporating comedy and scary moments into what is essentially a family film, albeit a very dark one. Three crazy witches are inadvertently brought back to life and seek revenge. An excellent casting decision brings Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy together in the lead role. While there are some tense and scary moments here, the comedy helps take the edge off the film and older kids should be able to handle it. The great soundtrack sticks in my head for weeks every time I watch the film. “I Put a Spell on You” is just a perfect song for this movie.

Garfield’s Halloween Adventure (1985) This half hour animated feature, also known as Garfield in Disguise, is my go-to movie for getting in the Halloween spirit each year. Garfield and Odie get into their usual mischief while trick or treating, and wind up having some very ghostly encounters. The humor is typical Garfield and the music is great. When I think of Halloween films, Garfield’s Halloween Adventure is the first one that comes to mind. That’s why its number one on my list!

Alice Cooper - Welcome to my Nightmare Yes it is not a movie per se, but a concert film. But who better personifies Halloween than Alice Cooper? Here we have a concert full of songs about spiders, death, and nightmares. Alice is in full make up and surrounded by ghosts, zombies and monsters. How much more appropriate can you get for Halloween?

Elvira - Mistress of the Dark A campy fun filled romp with my favorite horror movie hostess Elvira (Cassandra Petersen). Double entendres and baudy laughs abound in this comedy when the late night horror hostess inherits a haunted house in an uptight New England town.

Dawn of the Dead (2004) As remakes go, I thought this one was done pretty well! Director Zack Snyder actually outdoes Romero's own follow up Land of the Dead if not the original. This film is full of zombie gore!

The Grudge (2004) I enjoyed this Japanese horror film, it was sufficiently creepy and an interesting remake of the original. Takashi Shimizu redirected his creepy horror film Ju-On for American audiences, and turns in a great ghost story!