MyFiveBest Scary Movies For Kids

Halloween is for the kids and what better way to scare the little ones than with a scary movie? OK. Maybe it shouldn't be too scary of a movie unless you want them to be sleeping in your room for a month, but something that will give them a thrill and keep them on their toes. So get out the popcorn, hope for a thunderstorm and turn out the lights this Halloween and enjoy one of these horror classics with your young ones!

The Corpse Bride (2005)
This is one of Tim Burton's dark stories in the vein of "Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993) and stars Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. It is a stop action film and has musical numbers in it to add to the ghouly fun. The story is set in Victorian England where Victor (Depp) is set to marry Victoria (Emily Watson). The marriage is arranged and when Victor sees her, he falls deeply in love. However, there is a problem and he finds himself being chased by an undead woman, known as the Corpse Bride (Carter). This is a good (and dark) fairy tale with a happy ending that your kids will love.

Gremlins (1984)
This horror-comedy is a film that introduces a lovable, furry creature with a very strict set of rules. When you don't follow those rules (and they are simple enough to follow) you've got some big problems! Namely, they transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. The creatures cause a huge amount of trouble. This film was written by Chris Columbus (Home Alone) and produced by Steven Spielberg. While some of the scenes might be a bit gruesome for kids under the age of 10, it will be loved by those who like sick and disgusting scenes of plush animals being killed.

Ghostbusters (1984)
I have to admit it, I still love this movie. Even though it is a few years back now, it is a lively comedy with spooky ghosts and an all-star cast. There wasn't anything overly frightening about Ghostbusters, but it had a good Halloween feel. Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, Rick Moranis, and Ernie Hudson, how could you go wrong? The Ghostbusters were a group of unemployed misfit parapsychologists who decide to go into business capturing ghosts in a for-profit business venture. Along the way, they find themselves saving New York City. This is a great movie for the whole family to watch. The kids will love the comical ghosts and there is nothing more fun than a fifty story Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man!

Beetlejuice (1988)
This scary kids film was also brought to us Tim Burton. Beetlejuice is a live film about a couple (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) who are killed in a car accident and are trying to haunt the people who are now moving into their home. They are able to communicate with the gothic little girl (Winona Ryder) and summon a "Bio-exorcist" by the name of Beetlejuice to get rid of the new inhabitants. Beetlejuice turns on the family and the ghostly couple can't get rid of him. Mayhem ensues. This is also a great Halloween film for kids of all ages that even the parents will love.

Ghoulies (1985)
This series was a little more "adult" than the rest and should be kept for young teens. It deals with demons summoned to earth by devil worshipers. It's all done in Hollywood-comical way. The movie was such a hit that it spawned (literally) three more sequels. It's very campy and parents at the time of the first movie complained because children that were being potty trained at the time became frightened to go to the bathroom because the image on the movie poster and VHS box showed a demon coming out of the toilet! You might want to make sure your kids are a little older for this one!