Spooky Movies for Halloween Movie Parties

Halloween parties and a movie night with friends can be combined to produce a safe and memorable Halloween for children and adults alike. Stock up on popcorn, apples, vegetable sticks and dip, chili or pizza and have a spooky good time.

Here are four acceptable Halloween movie choices for children 5 to 6 years old:

1. "Casper" a 1995 movie about Casper the friendly ghost.

2. "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" a 1966 movie with the inimitable Don Knotts at his wide eyed, and silly, best.

3. "The Ghost Breakers" a 1940s era Bob Hope movie that actually is said to have inspired the Disneyland Haunted Mansion.

4. "Under Wraps" a 1997 movie that is fun, gently adventurous, and involves a friendly mummy.

Movies that bump up the Halloween spooky factor and that are rated for older children in the 7 to 10 year old group are:

1. "The Witches" a 1990 movie, based on a Roald Dahl book is a slightly twisted tale of witches who want to turn all the worlds children into mice.

2. "The nightmare Before Christmas" is a 1993 movie with the Halloween characters trying to make your Christmas celebrations better. The mess they make of it is worth watching.

3. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" a 1949 release called "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" us a classic with all the requisite chills and thrills as well as being cute and fun.

For your tweens and teens a Halloween movie party must have a thrill to rivet the attention of the "almost adult"; see if you can find:

1. "The Watcher in the Woods" a 1980s Disney movie that is scary, mysterious and engaging. Peculiar goings on related to the disappearance of a girl in the woods many years before the setting of the movie give a sense of foreboding and enhance the Halloween theme.

2. "Beetlejuice" is a 1988 movie that is funny, but bizarre and sometimes gruesome. It is for older children only.

If you are having an adult Halloween movie night, look for these movies:

1. "Wait Until Dark" a 1967 suspense-thriller that was rated 10^th on Bravo's 100 scariest movie moments. The plot is not the point here and is not great but the "scream scene" is worthy of any Halloween themed party.

2. "Poltergeist" a 1982 movie, "Poltergeist II: the other side" and "Poltergeist III" are all unnerving examples of the ghost-horror film genre. It might be fun to have a Halloween Poltergeist Party and just overdose on Poltergeist films, popcorn and hot apple cider.

Of course there are many more movies available that you can choose. The children's movies have been vetted by Common Sense Media and if you want to find more movies appropriate for the younger set that you do not have to pre screen, you can trust the site found at http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ .

For Adults, any of the horror/slasher/movies might fit into your movie night party theme.