Halloween is that time of the year when all pranks and scares are fair and free for all.
As kids, trick or treating is not the only highlight of the experience. We tell kids stories of ghosts, aliens, and unknown creatures.
Fantasy stories involving vampires, pirates, werewolves, and witches are the most popular. So, Disney is not the first name on your mind when we speak of Halloween.
But, what if I told you that Disney has an enviable collection of Halloween movies?
Walt Disney's production is not all about fairies, princesses, princes, rainbows, and unicorns. Although animated shows and family movies have been the main draw, that's not all there is.
It is safe to say that even Walt Disney could not resist the temptation of a good scare.
From late 1920 up until 1940, Disney created a variety of animated shorts called the Silly Symphony.
Here various characters from popular children’s fables play out the symphonic music. With these shorts, Disney had its first tryst with Halloween in the form of the Skeleton Dance, Haunted Mansion, Steamboat Willie, etc.
Later in 1940, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks created their second feature-length animated movie, Pinocchio.
It was risque, showing kids smoking cigars and doing illegal things. It tried to preach against the vices in the world and the punishments you must reap for it.
The Black Hole was the first Disney film to get a PG rating in the US.
Disney dabbled in the horror genre with The Watcher in the Woods. It financed the innovative Tron.
Disney had minimal success with both films. Later, Walt Disney Corporation became a media conglomerate.
It took over other production companies, through partnership deals, and buyouts. Through these companies, Disney started to make more movies in the horror genre.
It amassed an enviable collection of Halloween movies with 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Marvel Entertainment, and more.
These movies dabble in the topic of unexplained, paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction. Here is the top collection of Disney movies to watch during Halloween this year.
It is a collection of ghost stories, science fiction, alien and paranormal adventures. Yet, most of them will be comedies or family entertainers.
At the end of the day, Disney productions are all family entertainers.
HorrorSci-Fi
Director:
Ridley Scott
Release Date:
Fri Jun 22 1979
Star Cast:
Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Budget:
$11,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$106,285,522
Alien has been dubbed as one of the greatest films of all time. This science-fiction horror film was directed by Ridley Scott, and it is based on a short story by O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.
The film follows the struggle of the crew of the spaceship called Nostromo. They encounter a space being that is aggressive and deadly.
It is roaming loose on the ship as no one can contain it. The film spawned multiple sequels, remakes, and spinoffs that made commendable profits for 20th Century Fox.
It also won several awards for its visual effects, including an Academy Award.
Recommended:
AnimationAdventureDrama
Director:
Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina
Release Date:
Wed Nov 22 2017
Star Cast:
Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt
Budget:
$175,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$814,337,054
"Coco" is a 2017 computer-animated fantasy film by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. It tells the story of Miguel, a 12-year-old boy who accidentally enters the Land of the Dead on the Day of the Dead.
Miguel seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return to the land of the living and reverse his family's ban on music. The film received critical acclaim for its animation, voice acting, music, visuals, and emotional story, as well as its respectful portrayal of Mexican culture.
It grossed over $807 million worldwide and won two Academy Awards.
Through Miguel's journey, the film explores themes of family, heritage, and pursuing one's passion. Ultimately, it highlights the power of music and the importance of remembering loved ones.
Recommended:
Horror
Director:
Jack Clayton
Release Date:
Fri Dec 15 1961
Star Cast:
Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins
Budget:
£430,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$30,103
The Innocents is a highly acclaimed movie. It is based on the novella, The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James.
The film was selected by The Guardian as one of the 25 best horror films ever made.
The psychological undertones and excellent camera work make this horror film a classic. The story is about a governess who watches over two children in the absence of their guardian.
She begins to fear that their large estate is haunted by ghosts and that the children are being possessed.
She is convinced that the spirit of two previous employees is troubling the children. The film became the center of a debate about the real psychological issue.
Many scholarly essays and articles were published about the interpretation of the novella by James.
The film was received well, and the performance for Deborah Kerr was praised as being outstanding.
The new camera angles and techniques were added to create a horror ambiance without being gory.
Recommended:
Comedy
Director:
Mel Brooks
Release Date:
Sun Dec 15 1974
Star Cast:
Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman
Budget:
$2,800,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$86,273,333
Young Frankenstein is a parody of the original monster film Frankenstein. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound and best-adapted screenplay.
The black comedy horror was hugely successful with the audience as well. The story starts with the grandchild of Victor Frankenstein working as a professor in a medical college in America.
He is ashamed of the legacy of his grandfather. Yet when he inherits property in Transylvania, he promptly goes there.
There he finds all the notes for the reanimation of corpses and decides to attempt it.
What happens next in this comedic horror movie and how it ends is a show to remember.
Mel Brooks made the entire film in black and white films, though they had color film technology in 1974.
He wanted to retain the magic of black and white film and sound effects too.
Recommended:
AnimationAdventureComedy
Director:
Pete Docter, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich
Release Date:
Fri Nov 2 2001
Star Cast:
Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs
Budget:
$115,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$579,707,738
Monsters, Inc is a Disney Pixar animated film. It is a computer-animated comedy with a world of monsters whose job is to scare small kids and collect energy from their screams.
A pair of monsters beg to differ and prove that monsters can collect energy when children laugh as well.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best sound editing, original score, and animated feature.
It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song 'If I Didn’t Have You'.
The film was also the third most successful film of the year, grossing over $ 577 million.
This inspired Disney to make a sequel and a prequel for Monsters, Inc.
AnimationFamilyFantasy
Director:
Henry Selick
Release Date:
Fri Oct 29 1993
Star Cast:
Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara
Budget:
$18,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$101,624,882
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a dark fantasy created in the style of a stop-motion animated film.
It is a musical with songs from Danny Elfman and the voice of Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, and more.
The film is a typical Tim Burton movie that is based on a poem by Tim Burton himself.
The film tells us a story where Christmas is celebrated in Halloween style. Jack the Pumpkinhead replaces Santa Claus, and presents are crafted and delivered by Halloween trick or treaters.
With Halloween-style songs and more. The film was a huge critical and commercial hit as kids loved the movie.
It was nominated for an Academy Award for visual effects and has built a cult following for itself.
ActionDramaMystery
Director:
Denis Villeneuve
Release Date:
Fri Oct 6 2017
Star Cast:
Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas
Budget:
$150,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$267,685,209
The Blade is a Marvel Comic book hero who fights supernatural villains, namely vampires. The movie racked up positive reviews from the audience and was a hit, making a good profit for the makers.
The film stars Wesley Snipes as the titular character Blade, a human vampire hybrid who can survive the sunlight.
Blade hunts Vampires who prey on innocent humans, but he searches for one particular vampire named Frost, who insists that vampire should rule the world not the other way.
The film set the stage for comic book heroes for Marvel cinemas. There were 2 more sequels of Blade, and many more superhero movies from Marvel Comics, all thanks to the success of Blade.
The production company, New Line, was interested in either Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne, or Wesley Snipes as the Blade.
But, the director insisted on taking only Wesley Snipes for the role.
AnimationComedyFamily
Director:
James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney
Release Date:
Fri Jan 6 1950
Star Cast:
Bing Crosby, Basil Rathbone, Eric Blore
This Disney Production consists of two distinct short films of Mr. Toad from Wind in The Willows and Ichabod from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
These stories are narrated by the legendary Basil Rathbone and Bing Cosby. While in England, Mr. Toad is cheated out of his property by a bunch of weasels.
He is sent to the scary Tower of London while his friends, Mr. MacBadger, Ratty, and Moley, try to release him.
On the other side of the pond, Ichabod Crane moves to Sleepy Hollow to work as the village schoolmaster.
Despite being a scaredy-cat and a superstitious lad, Crane wins the heart of many villagers, and the village bully and hero do not like it.
He bullies Cranes into a confrontation with the infamous Headless Horse.
DramaHorrorSci-Fi
Director:
Danny Boyle
Release Date:
Fri Jun 27 2003
Star Cast:
Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston
Budget:
$8,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$84,661,434
There is a virus leak, a virus that causes rage, from a laboratory in the UK.
This virus spreads fast and reaches an epidemic scale in Great Britain. A band of survivors all group together and struggle to survive until help arrives.
The film takes a hard-hitting look at the emotional and human cost of an epidemic.
It leaves behind broken families and hearts. The film shows a recently recovered coma patient who wakes up to find himself abandoned.
The first people he meets are hell-bent on killing him for some reason. He later finds a couple who informs him about the current situation, now they have to fight and survive.
The film was a hit with positive reviews and collections.
DramaMysteryThriller
Director:
M. Night Shyamalan
Release Date:
Fri Aug 6 1999
Star Cast:
Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
Budget:
$40,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$672,806,432
The boy says I see dead people. This is the Sixth Sense that Cole Sears possesses.
Because of this, he is constantly bullied and has psychological issues. Her mother calls in a child psychologist to help Sears.
Malcolm Crowe is the child psychologist who comes in to help Sears figure out what his issues are and make him feel normal again.
He encourages the boy to do different exercises that help him cope with the problems.
They seem to help Sears become more confident, and in turn, he aids Crowe in recognizing his own issue and fixing it.
This film received 6 Oscar nominations for most major categories like best picture, actor, actress, director, editing, and screenplay.
Although it did not win an Academy Award, it received an overwhelmingly positive response from audiences.
AnimationComedyDrama
Director:
Tim Burton
Release Date:
Fri Oct 5 2012
Star Cast:
Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short
Budget:
$39,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$84,247,681
This Walt Disney film is a 3D stop-motion, animated, science fiction, comedy, and horror film. It was directed by Tim Burton based on a short film of the same name.
It is also based on the classic horror film concept of Frankenstein. The film is about a young kid, Victor Frankenstein, who loses his beloved bull terrier dog, Sparky.
He attempts to bring the dog back from the dead and creates a Frankenstein dog that is Frankenweenie.
This comedy horror movie is a definite favorite for kids during Halloween. All the original characters play child versions in this stop-motion animated film.
The film was critiqued as an energetic stop-motion horror movie spoof with lovingly crafted visuals and a heartfelt, oddball story.
ActionDramaSci-Fi
Director:
Rupert Wyatt
Release Date:
Fri Aug 5 2011
Star Cast:
James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto
Budget:
$93,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$481,800,873
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes explains the origins of the Planet Of The Apes franchise.
The film attempts to explain the reason for the intelligence of the apes. Why do they rebel against humans so aggressively?
The film offers brilliant performances as apes from different actors, mainly Andy Serkis as Caesar.
They received special training in ape behavior and movements from actor-stuntman Terry Notary. The film garnered an approval rating of 82% from rotten tomatoes.
One of the critics praised the movie, saying that, led by Rupert Wyatt's stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathes unlikely new life to a long-running franchise.
AdventureDramaMystery
Director:
James Cameron
Release Date:
Wed Aug 9 1989
Star Cast:
Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn
Budget:
$70,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$90,520,202
The Abyss is a science fiction film that revolves around the recovery of a nuclear submarine.
It was downed by an unknown entity in the deepest part of the ocean. The US Navy recruits a group of civilian divers under the command of a Navy Seals team to recover and assist them.
The special effects used in this movie were absolutely amazing, and they won an Academy Award for it.
The whole premise of a nuclear submarine, stranded in the deepest part of the ocean, in imminent danger is nerve-wracking.
If you have claustrophobia, this movie is the worst of your fears. This is what the audience felt as well, and hence they made the film a hit.
The critics, however, found the plot lacking. There were too many unanswered questions at the end.
ActionComedyHorror
Director:
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Release Date:
Wed Aug 21 2019
Star Cast:
Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien
Budget:
$6,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$57,615,777
Ready Or Not is a dark comedy horror movie that is perfect for your Halloween fun.
The film comes highly praised with an approval rating of 88%. The critical consensus of the site reads: Smart, seditious, and darkly funny, Ready or Not is a crowd-pleasing horror film with a giddily entertaining bite.
The film does a comedy take on a cursed family. They play a deadly game, Hide and Seek, with the young bride of the second son.
The only problem is that if the bride is found, she will be killed. If she is not found, the entire family dies by sunrise.
How it plays out and who wins is the horror part with tremendous performances with the entire cast.
HorrorMystery
Director:
Richard Donner
Release Date:
Fri Jun 25 1976
Star Cast:
Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens
Budget:
$2,800,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$60,922,980
The Omen is probably the most easily recognizable horror movie of all time. This supernatural horror was nominated for 2 Oscars and won an award for the best original score for Jerry Goldstein.
This iconic movie spurred multiple sequels that sadly could not replicate the success of the first movie.
The movie starts with the arrival of a child into the family of Robert Thorn.
The original child of Thorn dies at birth, and he is switched with an orphan, who turns out to be the Antichrist.
How the kid grows and turns eviler and eviler makes up the rest of the plot.
Many people try to stop him and kill him, but all fail. The film score is vital to creating the scary atmosphere as there are no jump scares or gory faces.
HorrorSci-Fi
Director:
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Release Date:
Fri May 11 2007
Star Cast:
Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, Robert Carlyle
Budget:
$15,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$65,048,678
This post-apocalyptic science fiction horror is the sequel to the Danny Boyle flick 28 Days Later.
The plotline carries on with the same virus infestation in Britain. Yet, where the first movie was more concentrated on the emotional horror of the outbreak, this movie is more about mindless killing, impactful dialogue, and action.
28 weeks later, the US army sends a contingent of settlers and army troops to create a settlement and protect them.
They plan to contain the virus within the island, yet due to negligence and human folly, the virus has spread.
The film was praised as an exciting, action-packed, and superbly directed thriller that more than lives up to the original.
The film was a hit.
Sci-FiThriller
Director:
Danny Boyle
Release Date:
Fri Jul 27 2007
Star Cast:
Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Chris Evans
Budget:
£26,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$34,806,812
This Danny Boyle film is a psychological thriller. It is set in the future when the sun has started to cool down.
The earth is also freezing due to this. There is no other way out but to jumpstart the sun with an explosion on its surface.
The crew set off on a spacecraft called Icarus II and made their way toward the sun through all the unexpected difficulties and hurdles along the way.
The film has been praised for its most scientifically accurate portrayal and depiction of the whole process.
Cillian Murphy, the physicist Capo, had trained with Brian Cox from the CERN center for this movie.
The audience and critics both appreciated the film, but it was not a commercial success.
The film has been called one of the greatest films, after Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
AdventureMysterySci-Fi
Director:
Ridley Scott
Release Date:
Fri Jun 8 2012
Star Cast:
Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender
Budget:
$130,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$403,354,469
Prometheus is a spaceship that is built to follow the star map that was recently discovered in Scotland.
Weyland Corporation funds the operation and plans to discover the secrets held by those superior beings who live on the faraway planet.
The idea for this film was to create it as a prequel to Alien which was made in 1979.
Ridley Scott, who worked on Alien, directed this movie as well. The film received a strong approval rating of 71%, and many critics praised the visual grandeur and the compelling performances of the crew.
They feel that though Prometheus does not answer many of the questions from Alien, it is as stunning and spellbinding as Alien.
AdventureComedyCrime
Director:
Craig Gillespie
Release Date:
Fri May 28 2021
Star Cast:
Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
Budget:
$100,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$233,503,234
"Cruella" is a 2021 crime comedy film that serves as an origin story for the iconic character Cruella de Vil from "The Hundred and One Dalmatians." Set in 1970s London during the punk rock era, the movie follows Estella Miller, an aspiring fashion designer who transforms into the notorious Cruella de Vil.
Emma Stone stars as the title character, with Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, and Paul Walter Hauser in supporting roles. The film received positive reviews, praising the performances, direction, visual style, costume design, and soundtrack.
It grossed over $233 million worldwide and won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.
The story follows Estella's journey from a creative child to a talented fashion designer, as she navigates personal tragedies, betrayal, and her transformation into Cruella, seeking revenge against the influential fashion designer known as the Baroness.
AdventureComedyDrama
Director:
Rob Marshall
Release Date:
Thu Dec 25 2014
Star Cast:
Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine
Budget:
$50,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$212,902,372
This Disney film is a fantastical film inspired by all the fairytale characters from the Grimms Brothers.
You can find characters from the stories of Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Cinderella.
The story revolves around Baker and his wife, who cannot have children because of a curse placed by the witch.
They plan to have their curse reversed, so they undertake the witch’s request for different items to prepare her potion.
Once everyone gets what they wanted, they realize that their troubles have only begun. The film is a sort of disillusionment of life after the fairytale ends.
The film received an overall positive response with many praising the performance of Meryl Streep as the witch.
AdventureFamilyFantasy
Director:
John Hough
Release Date:
Fri Mar 21 1975
Star Cast:
Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence
Box Office (Worldwide):
$20,000,000
Escape to Witch Mountain is an adaptation of a science fiction novel by the same name written by Alexander H. Key.
This movie is based on the first of the series. The film starts with 2 orphans Tia and Tony, who have many psychic abilities like communicating with animals, telekinesis, premonitions, etc.
They are being hounded by different groups of people. They either want to use or kill them out of fear.
How they get out of these situations and find their home makes up for the rest of the plot.
The film opened to positive reviews all around. It was described as a fun film that is cheerfully implausible.
It is scary but not too much, and it works.
FantasyMysteryThriller
Director:
Jack Clayton
Release Date:
Fri Apr 29 1983
Star Cast:
Mary Grace Canfield, Richard Davalos, Jake Dengel
Budget:
$19,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$8,400,000
The title of the film was inspired by a line from Macbeth of William Shakespeare.
The plot is as dubious as Macbeth, with a dark and evil circus owner Mr. Dark and his friend, the Dust Witch. This duo snares the souls of greedy and wicked people under the guise of fulfilling their wildest dreams.
Mr. Dark and his circus are bad news. The naughty boys of the village have until autumn to solve the mystery and run the circus out of town.
How they manage to do it makes up for the movie. The production was fraught with troubles, dismissals, script changes, and more from day one, and hence it went over budget.
The film did not do well at the box office either. An interesting piece of trivia about the movie is that Stephen King, the famed horror novelist, also wrote one of the rejected scripts of this movie.
DramaMysterySci-Fi
Director:
Rob Bowman
Release Date:
Fri Jun 19 1998
Star Cast:
David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, John Neville
Budget:
$66,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$189,176,423
The X-Files movie is based on a highly successful TV series of the same name.
The script was also written by Chris Carter, the creator of the TV series. Incidentally, most of the TV cast and crew also worked on the movie.
The movie works on the premise that aliens and alien intelligence have been living among humans on earth since prehistoric times.
The government is aware of this and has been trying to cover up all this while.
The fans of the TV series loved the movie and made it a hit. If you are a newcomer or a first-time viewer of the X-Files, the plot may seem a little difficult to catch up with due to all the references from the TV show.
If you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials and aliens, the X-Files is just the show for you.
It is a definite Halloween must-watch.
AdventureDramaFamily
Director:
Tim Burton
Release Date:
Fri Sep 30 2016
Star Cast:
Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson
Budget:
$110,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$296,482,446
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a 2016 fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Ransom Riggs. The film stars Eva Green as Miss Peregrine, an ymbryne (a type of witch) who cares for a group of peculiar children, who have extraordinary powers.
The film follows Jake Portman, a teenager who discovers Miss Peregrine's home after his grandfather, Abe, leaves him a series of mysterious photographs. Jake soon learns that the children in the photographs are real and that they are in danger from a group of hollowgasts, monstrous creatures that hunt peculiar children.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a visually stunning film with a heartwarming story about the importance of family, friendship, and acceptance. It is a must-see for fans of fantasy, adventure, and Tim Burton's unique style.
ComedyRomance
Director:
Greg Berlanti
Release Date:
Fri Jul 12 2024
Star Cast:
Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson
Budget:
$100,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$42,247,783
The Fly is a science fiction psychological horror film that is a remake of the original from 1958.
Both movies are based on a short story written in 1957 with the same name, by George Langelaan.
The Fly was very successful in both wowing the audience with its makeup and scaring them too.
The story is about a brilliant scientist who invents a revolutionary new teleportation pod that can move objects from one pod to another.
The scientist and his girlfriend try to move living beings. They realize that the device is not teleporting the objects themselves, but it is replicating them.
When he continues to try and teleport himself, the scientist fails. He ends up becoming a monstrous fly.
What are the consequences of this? How does it end? These are shown in the rest of the movie.
The Fly was critically acclaimed, with most praise going to the performance of Goldblum and the special effects.
It won an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
ActionAdventureFantasy
Director:
Gore Verbinski
Release Date:
Fri Jul 7 2006
Star Cast:
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Budget:
$225,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$1,066,179,747
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is one of the most successful franchises of Disney, and it is based on the fantasy world of pirates, demigods, curses, and more.
The Dead Man’s Chest is the second installment of the series and introduces the main antagonist of the series Davy Jones.
The film relies heavily on the fantasy world of pirates, the undead crew of the Flying Dutchman, and a voodoo priestess.
Though the film is not a horror movie, all the creatures, cannibals, and curses, qualify the movie as a Halloween film.
The cast is headed by the talented Johnny Depp, Kiera Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Jonathan Pryce, Geoffrey Rush, etc.
The film performed extremely well at the box office, leading to multiple sequels.
ActionAdventureDrama
Director:
Robert Stromberg
Release Date:
Fri May 30 2014
Star Cast:
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley
Budget:
$180,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$759,853,685
Angelina Jolie stars as the wicked fairy queen Maleficent in this adaptation of the classic children’s fairy tale of 'The Sleeping Beauty'.
This live-action movie is not just an adaptation of Sleeping beauty, but it is from the perspective of the witch Maleficent.
The movie takes us through a fantastical journey of love, betrayal, revenge, remorse, and redemption through the eyes of the wicked Maleficent and princess Aurora.
The movie is a Halloween favorite that inspired its sequel too. The movie boasts fabulous cinematography and spellbinding costumes, and set designs.
In fact, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. This picture is a must-watch for this Halloween.
HorrorMysteryThriller
Director:
Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Release Date:
Fri Oct 19 2001
Star Cast:
Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm
Budget:
$35,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$74,558,115
The film is a perfect Halloween picture as it follows the infamous Jack The Ripper murders.
It is based on the graphic novel of the same name, written by Allan Moore and Eddie Campbell.
The plot is about the murders committed by Jack The Ripper from the perspective of a police detective/inspector.
Johnny Depp plays the lead inspector with Heather Graham as the prostitute Mary Shelly. The movie was a decent hit, and it made double the amount it invested in it.
However, the critics were divided in their opinions. Some felt the plot was underdeveloped, with gory murders.
While some thought that it was a stylish and gripping thriller.
AnimationActionAdventure
Director:
Ted Berman, Richard Rich
Release Date:
Wed Jul 24 1985
Star Cast:
Grant Bardsley, Freddie Jones, Susan Sheridan
Budget:
$44,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$21,288,692
The Black Cauldron is an animated Disney film based on The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.
These Welsh mythology novels are from the middle ages about an evil king who yearned for the magical black cauldron to gain power.
Originally the film was much scarier, so Disney producers decided to cut the climax scenes to make it friendly for kids.
The film was the first Disney animated film to receive a PG rating, and it was also the first film to use computer-generated imagery in motion pictures.
The film bombed at the box office, yet it holds a great charm during Halloween time.
A critic even said that The Black Cauldron is technically brilliant as usual but lacks the compelling characters of other Disney animated classics.
ActionHorrorSci-Fi
Director:
David Fincher
Release Date:
Fri May 22 1992
Star Cast:
Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance
Budget:
$50,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$159,814,498
This third installment sees the return of Sigourney Weaver in the role of Ellen Ripley.
It picks up right after the end of the second movie. Ripley, Newt, and the android Bishop get into the escape pod and escape the spaceship.
The film starts when the pod crash lands on Florini 161, it is a facility to house antisocial males.
We are shown that the alien queen was aboard the escape pod and is currently running free in the base, killing the inmates.
Ripley now has to convince the inmates to help her kill the space being. The movie was not as great as the first two installments, and the troubles with an incomplete script, production problems, deadline changes were to blame.
However, the movie got nominated for an Academy Award for visual effects and multiple Saturn Awards.
AdventureFamilyFantasy
Director:
Walter Murch
Release Date:
Fri Jun 21 1985
Star Cast:
Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh
Budget:
$25,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$11,137,801
The film is adapted from the Oz novel series by Frank L. Baum, mainly based on The Marvellous Land Of Oz and Ozma Of Oz.
Disney owned the rights to make these two novels into films, and the rights were due to expire soon so, they made it.
Disney studios had to pay MGM a considerable amount of money to use the iconic Ruby Slipper of Dorothy in this movie.
Though it did not do well in the USA, it was hit overseas. The picture has since built a cult following.
The film follows Dorothy as she returns to Oz and helps her new friends restore Oz to its former self.
Dorothy’s new friends are Billina, Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, The Gump, and Princess Ozma. Critics opined that Return to Oz taps into the darker side of L. Frank Baum's book series is for an intermittently dazzling adventure that never quite recaptures the magic of its classic predecessor.
FamilyHorrorMystery
Director:
John Hough, Vincent McEveety
Release Date:
Fri Oct 9 1981
Star Cast:
Bette Davis, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards
Box Office (Worldwide):
$5,000,000
The Watcher In The Woods is one of the earliest live-action film of Disney. It also marked the foray of Disney into the young adult and teen entertainment world.
It is based on a novel by the same name written by Florence Engel Randall.
The film is about the disappearance of a young girl in the woods behind her home.
The film is set in Britain, and it dabbles in topics like the occult, aliens, mystery, etc.
A young girl had gone missing in the woods on the night of the lunar eclipse 30 years ago.
A new family that moved into the same house tries to solve her mystery and bring peace to the grieving mother.
The film was panned by most critics and described as a somewhat tantalizing but ultimately ridiculous suspense movie.
However, the art direction, especially Alan Hume’s stunning camera work, was praiseworthy. It was duly noted by many.
DramaHorrorMystery
Director:
Walter Salles
Release Date:
Fri Jul 8 2005
Star Cast:
Jennifer Connelly, Ariel Gade, John C. Reilly
Budget:
$30,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$68,357,079
Dark water is the remake of a Japanese film of the same name. This psychological horror is a subtle horror where you will not find many jump-scares.
It presents a dark and scary picture that every family fears in modern society. The film follows the mother-daughter pair as they move into a run-down apartment after being separated from the father.
Soon after this, many unexplained leaks, weird sights, unruly neighbors, unhelpful building managers start off.
They accumulate to bring about a situation where the mother has to choose between her life or the life of her child.
The original Japanese version was more successful, and it garnered better reviews. Though the Hollywood version could not replicate the same unease and fear as the original.
It was pretty close to making us scared.
ComedyFamilyFantasy
Director:
Kenny Ortega
Release Date:
Fri Jul 16 1993
Star Cast:
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Budget:
$28,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$50,789,441
This quintessential Halloween movie takes place in Salem on All Hallows Day. The Sanderson sisters, 3 witches, create a spell to escape being burnt on the stake.
They cast a spell that will resurrect them if any virgin lights the black candle on Halloween day.
That is what happens, and now we have to kill them once again. The hero, a teenager named Max, releases the three witches, who target his little sister to gain back their youth.
To save his sister and kill the witches, he takes the help of a cursed cat named Binx, a zombie who was an ex-lover of one of the witches and his girlfriend.
The movie was originally a critical and commercial loss for Disney, yet the audiences rediscovered the fun in this movie during Halloween reruns and loved it.
The 3 witches, played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker, were perfect for the role.
AdventureComedyFamily
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Release Date:
Thu Oct 22 2020
Star Cast:
Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci
Box Office (Worldwide):
$29,303,571
"Twitches" is a 2005 Disney Channel original movie based on the book series of the same name.
The film follows twin sisters Alexandra (Camryn) and Camryn (Alex) who were separated at birth in the magical dimension of Coventry. On their 21st birthday, they reunite on Earth and discover their magical abilities.
With the guidance of Karsh and Ileana, they learn about their true identities and their mission to defeat the Darkness and save Coventry. The movie explores their journey of sisterhood, self-discovery, and embracing their magical powers.
"Twitches" was a commercial success, with millions of viewers tuning in during its initial airing and subsequent airings, making it one of Disney Channel's popular programs.
ActionAdventureComedy
Director:
Terry Gilliam
Release Date:
Fri Aug 26 2005
Star Cast:
Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Monica Bellucci
Budget:
$88,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$105,316,267
The Grimm brothers are con artists who dupe people in the name of ghostbusting. They remove curses, hexes, and exorcise ghosts when paid a heavy price by gullible villagers.
They have managed to pass off undetected until now. With a recent slew of child kidnappings in a nearby village, the Grimm brothers are challenged and insulted by the French provincial government.
To save face, they have to solve an actual supernatural crime for the first time in their life.
The film may be blamed for having a weak plot, but the expensive sets, imagery, costumes, and cinematography make up for this.
You can enjoy all the pranks and tomfoolery by the two brothers. A fascinating trivia states that both Damon and Ledgers were cast to play the other brother.
But, they switched their roles after reading the script.
ActionAdventureFamily
Director:
Jon Turteltaub
Release Date:
Wed Jul 14 2010
Star Cast:
Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina
Budget:
$150,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$215,283,742
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice draws inspiration from multiple sources like the segment with the same name from the Disney classic Fantasia, the symphonic poem by Paul Dukas, and a ballad by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe apart from Arthurian wizard Merlin.
A wizard named Balthazar Blake, is searching for the resurrection of the Prime Merliner in the modern world so that he can train him and be done with the job.
His nemesis Maxim Horvath attempts to free Morgana La Fay from a sealed container to bring darkness into the world.
All these ancient Arthurian wizards converge on an unsuspecting physics nerd, who turns out to be the Prime Merliner, as he gets sucked into this world of wizards to save the world from the plot by Morgana La Fay.
The film was much appreciated for its spectacular CGI works. But it was also panned for its less-than-inspiring plot.
The film, however, made a decent profit.
ActionComedyHorror
Director:
Steve Miner
Release Date:
Fri Jul 16 1999
Star Cast:
Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt
Budget:
$35,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$56,870,414
This movie is a Creature Feature with a giant crocodile that is terrorizing Aroostook County in Maine.
The Fish and Game officer of that county and the sheriff try all they can to contain the animal and capture it before it can cause more damage.
The film was met with average to negative reviews, and one critic stated that Lake Placid is swamped by a smarmy script and inability to deliver on the creature feature mayhem.
The premise of a giant paleolithic crocodile living in a small county lake created quite a buzz among audiences, and the movie had a decent run at the box office.
It recovered its costs and made a small profit that spawned a few remakes as well.
ActionFantasyHorror
Director:
Timur Bekmambetov
Release Date:
Fri Jun 22 2012
Star Cast:
Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Dominic Cooper
Budget:
$69,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$116,471,580
The film attempts to turn the honest Abe into a vampire hunter. Into a fictional hero who not only delivers America from slavery but also vampires.
This Tim Burton production sticks to his inimitable style of dark and gory, although fantastical and far-fetched, interestingly.
Lincoln loses his mother to a vampire at the age of 9, and he discovers their existence and begins training to fight and kill them.
He works as a store clerk, gets his law degree, marries Mary Todd, and all the while, he continues to fight vampires at night.
Once he starts campaigning to become president, he discovers that the vampires are helping the confederates in the civil war.
This strengthens his resolve, and he joins the civil war to fight the vampires and slave owners.
HorrorMysteryThriller
Director:
Brando Lee
Release Date:
Fri Oct 7 2022
Star Cast:
Jordan Belfi, Ashlyn Boots, Malin Crépin
Box Office (Worldwide):
$869,325
This Disney channel TV movie is one of the best-loved Halloween specials for young kids and teens.
The movie is full of cheesy characters that land in unreal problems with imaginary friends to solve them.
Yet, it is sure to be entertaining. The whole town is facing a series of pranks.
Everyone suspects it is Frances Bacon McCausland, a high school student. It is now up to her and her imaginary friend, Larry Houdini, to catch the culprit.
This makes for some fun-filled entertainment. Don’t Look Under The Bed was too scary for its young viewers.
Disney received a barrage of email complaints from concerned parents. Hence it was not aired again.
HorrorThriller
Director:
Johannes Roberts
Release Date:
Fri Mar 4 2016
Star Cast:
Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto, Sofia Rosinsky
Box Office (Worldwide):
$14,332,467
This British American horror movie is based on the guilt of a mother. She fails to save her son from drowning in a car accident in India.
She tries contacting his soul to get the closure that she needs. She makes a mistake during the ritual to contact her dead son.
She opens the door for him to get back into the world of the living.
Now that he is back, he does not want to go away. The horror starts piling up and consumes her whole family in the end.
The film utilizes the premise that the Indian maid gives the grieving mother a means of contacting the dead.
By resorting to racial appropriations while depicting India, the movie received a lot of hate.
Critics opined that the movie has a lot more potential and the script was lacking, and the film failed due to it.
AdventureComedyDrama
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Release Date:
Thu Sep 8 2022
Star Cast:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hanks, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
Budget:
$150,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$33,731
Pinocchio is the second feature-length film produced by Walt Disney Productions, and it is based on the famous children’s story, The Adventures Of Pinocchio.
At first glance, everyone will be shocked to find this movie on the Halloween list.
So, let me explain the reason Entoin put this movie on the list. The story of Pinocchio has all the makings of a fantasy picture and horror movie.
An honest and loving old puppeteer creates a puppet named Pinocchio. He regretfully moans that he does not have children and hopes for a child-like Pinocchio.
A fairy hears his prayer and grants his wish, and turns the puppet into a boy.
However, this boy falls prey to all the bad habits in the world and joins the wrong company.
Seeing his beloved boy turn misguided, the old man goes out searching for him. He gets eaten by a whale and is lost at sea.
Is it not a cautionary tale for all children? The movie was loved by audiences and critics alike.
ActionFantasyThriller
Director:
Mark Steven Johnson
Release Date:
Fri Feb 16 2007
Star Cast:
Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott
Budget:
$110,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$228,738,393
Ghost Ride is based on the Marvel comic book character. He is a bounty hunter for a demon, meant to collect stray souls and send them to Hell.
He escapes with the contract of San Venganza, and it now falls in the hands of Johnny Blaze to retrieve this contract.
The film was panned by the critics with a low score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was successful.
It made a killing at the box office and spawned a sequel. Though the performance of Nic Cage earned him a Golden Razzie, the film was nominated for Best Horror at the Saturn Awards.
For the movie, Nicholas Cage had to cover up his actual Ghost Rider tattoo to play the stunt bike rider, Johnny Blaze.
Horror
Director:
Paul Naschy
Star Cast:
Paul Naschy, Julia Saly, Silvia Aguilar
Werewolf by Night is a 2022 American television special based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is the first Marvel Studios Special Presentation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The special stars Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell, a werewolf hunter who must compete with other hunters to win a powerful relic.
The story begins with the death of Ulysses Bloodstone, the leader of a secret cabal of monster hunters. His widow, Verussa Bloodstone, summons five experienced hunters to Bloodstone Manor, where they are instructed to participate in a competitive hunt to determine their new leader, who will wield the powerful Bloodstone.
The hunters include Jack Russell, Elsa Bloodstone, Ulysses' estranged daughter, Azarel, a skilled tracker, Barasso, a strongman, and Jovan, a mysterious archer. The hunt begins in a large maze on the grounds of the manor, with a captured monster that has been implanted with the Bloodstone as the hunters' quarry.
Werewolf by Night is a dark and atmospheric film with a unique and stylish aesthetic. It is a must-see for fans of the MCU and horror films alike.
ActionSci-Fi
Director:
Gary Nelson
Release Date:
Fri Dec 21 1979
Star Cast:
Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster
Budget:
$20,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$35,841,901
The Black Hole was one of the earliest attempts of Disney production to make science fiction movies.
It was also the first film from Disney to get a PG rating. The film was made in the wake of the first moon landing, and it was about spaceships.
The USS Palomino is returning to earth after its mission, but it discovers the USS Cygnus close to a Blackhole.
Since the ship had gone missing 20 years ago along with the father of Dr.McCrae, the crew of USS Palomino decided to investigate it. Here begins the horror as the crew slowly discovers what went wrong with the first crew and how they can escape the same fate.
The movie was slated to be a disaster film, yet the script iteration made, later on, created an escape tactic for the crew.
AdventureDramaSci-Fi
Director:
M. Night Shyamalan
Release Date:
Fri Jun 13 2008
Star Cast:
Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
Budget:
$48,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$163,403,799
The Happening comes from the stable of the master filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. He is known for his psychological horror films.
Before the release of the movies, he mentioned that his aim was to make a first-rate B movie, and it was appreciated by the audiences for it.
Though the film received negative reviews from critics as they called the movie confusing, it made a good profit.
The story is a science fiction horror where there is a sudden epidemic of suicides across Northeastern America.
A group of survivors travels across America trying to figure out the reasons for this epidemic and survive suicidal thoughts.
The premise is that nature and plants are releasing neurotoxins that induce suicidal thoughts in people.
This premise was not believable to many viewers. Even the star of the film Mark Whalberg was wondering why he acted in such a film.
ComedyFamilyFantasy
Director:
Rob Minkoff
Release Date:
Wed Nov 26 2003
Star Cast:
Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly
Budget:
$90,000,000 (estimated)
Box Office (Worldwide):
$182,290,266
The inspiration for The Haunted Mansion came from another Disney attraction. It is based on the Disney Paris attraction by the name Phantom Manor.
It is about a lonely princess who is waiting for her long-lost love. It follows the Evers family as they try to escape the haunted mansion.
They are lured into the mansion under the pretext of selling it to prospective buyers.
Being a workaholic real estate agent, Jim Evers cannot escape the bait. The movie is a quintessential Eddie Murphy entertainer.
The film is packed with scary ghosts, fun ghosts, helpful ghosts, sad ghosts, and lost ghosts.
It is a definite fun movie for the complete family during the Halloween weekend.
ComedyHorror
Director:
Tom Six
Release Date:
Thu Jun 18 2015
Star Cast:
Dieter Laser, Laurence R. Harvey, Eric Roberts
Box Office (Worldwide):
$16,184
This is the third installment of the Omen trilogy, called The Final Conflict. Here the Antichrist is fully resurrected and has come into full powers.
In this installment, the second coming of Christ is discovered, and Thorn has to stop this from happening.
The film stars Sam Neill as Damien Thorn the Antichrist. The conflict between evil and the forces of God comes down to 7 priests who have come into possession of the Seven Daggers of Megiddo.
These are the only weapons that can kill Thorn and stop the Devil. The film was faced with a lot of negativity and criticism as many felt that the final conflict between good and evil should have been more dramatic and on a grand scale.
Despite this, the film was a hit with surplus earnings of up to $ 15 million.
ActionAdventureSci-Fi
Director:
Jared Cohn
Release Date:
Thu Feb 15 2018
Star Cast:
Steve Richard Harris, Xavi Israel, Jenna Enns
"Girl vs. Monster" is a 2012 Disney Channel Original Movie centered around Skylar, a 15-year-old girl who discovers that she comes from a long line of monster hunters.
On the eve of Halloween, she accidentally releases monsters from her parents' containment chamber and must recapture them to save her mom and dad.
The film explores Skylar's journey as she confronts her fears and embraces her destiny as a monster hunter. With the help of her friends, she learns to channel her inner strength and face not only the physical monsters but also her own personal fears.
As the story unfolds, Skylar realizes the truth about her parents' secret and must overcome the unleashed monster, Deimata, who aims to prey on her family's fear.
ActionSci-Fi
Director:
Wes Ball
Release Date:
Fri May 10 2024
Star Cast:
Kevin Durand, Freya Allan, William H. Macy
After discussing the Rise of The Planet of The Apes, which tells us how it happened, we need to also watch the original movie that started this franchise.
Planet Of The Apes was made in 1968 and introduced us to a world where apes ruled over men and made them their slaves.
The film starts with the crash landing of a spaceship on a desolate planet. Before the ship is destroyed, we get a glimpse of the date.
It is 3978, 2 millennia into the future. From here, the survivors come out and discover the inhabitants, struggling to understand how this fate came to be.
Once they understand that this is the future of their own planet, they now have to return back in time to hopefully stop this fate and reverse it.
The rest of the movie shows how they do it and if they are successful.