Must watch Halloween movies and tv shows

Halloween is fast approaching. I can't believe it's so close!  I love this time of year.  I love the changing colors, the costumes, the pumpkins, corn mazes, cider, doughnuts, candy. All of it.  But my absolute favorite part of this season is what's playing on my television screen.  Nothing gets me in the spirit more than a cup of hot cocoa and something spooky to watch.      

That's why I wanted to share with you my must watch, can't get into the spirit without, absolute favorite Halloween movies and TV specials. 

Let's start with movies, shall we?
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My number one (probably most people's number one):  Hocus Pocus

It is legitimately not Halloween until I've watched this.  Nothing feels more like Halloween than this movie.  Bette Midler is the queen of Halloween and I bow down to her genius.

The next one's aren't in any particular order.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit

This movie is hilarious for both adults and kids.  And from an artist's stand point the animation is amazing.  I love that it's all hand done claymation. And those little bunnies are possibly the cutest things I've ever seen. 

Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein

This one is such a classic.  It's goofy and ridiculous but that's why I love it.  My favorite part, though?  The monsters (Frankenstein, The Wolfman, and Dracula) are all played by the original actors from the classic monster movies.  Who doesn't love Bela Lugosi as Dracula?  You don't get more Halloween than that!

Practical Magic

Witches, Sandra Bullock, house porn.  What's not to love?  That house, though.  I won't lie, I watch this movie for the house.  Don't get me wrong, the movie is excellent, but the house is the best part.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

I wasn't sure if I should count this as a movie or TV special because it's only half an hour long but I'm going with movie.  Mostly because I have it on DVD and that's all that's on there.  So in my head it counts as a movie. And who can get through this time of year without visiting the pumpkin patch with Linus? I know I can't.


Now, onto TV shows!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Arguably any episode could work for Halloween since it's all about vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness but Buffy had a few really great Halloween episodes (and one not so great one that I'll be skipping right over)

From season two: Halloween
In this episode the Scooby gang gets turned into their Halloween costumes by chaos worshiping Ethan Rayne.  Buffy becomes a helpless 18th century noblewoman, Willow a ghost hooker, and Xander an army guy (which they use for the rest of the series to explain any random knowledge they need to know about guns, rocket launchers, and the military in general.)  Add a dash of Spike being all evil and sexy and you've got a great episode, my friends.

From season 4: Fear Itself
A college party and a haunted house.  Two very Halloween-y things.  The gang is invited to a haunted house that's been possessed by a fear demon feeding off the terror it instills on anyone inside.  The highlight of this episode is definitely Anya's bunny costume followed very closely by Giles in a sombrero.

Bonus creepy episode: again from season 4 : Hush
Not specifically a Halloween episode but super creepy. The Gentlemen may be the scariest monster in the Whedonverse. They're silent but they have those huge evil smiles that are the stuff of nightmares.  This is a must watch for me this time of year.

​Supernatural  

From Season 4: Monster Movie
Again this is one of those TV shows that just about any episode would be appropriate for Halloween but Monster Movie is Halloween perfection. It's all in black and white and it's a play on the classic monster movies.  And Jensen Ackles in lederhosen is hilarious.

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes

I've been watching these since I was a little kid. So these episodes hold a special place in my heart.  

​And for a very family friendly option: Home Improvement

This one is a blast from the past, I know.  I hadn't watched this show in so long but this year I busted out some of the Halloween episodes and they are so much funnier than I remember.  I love the family dynamic, the wholesome but still hilarious humor, and the nostalgia of the 90's.  When I was a kid my mom filmed all of these on VHS for us and we watched them every year. 

That is all for my list.  I know there are so many more but these are my personal favorites.  Now I'm gonna go pop some corn, grab a giant bowl full of bite sized candy bars, and watch some of these gems.