By Ethan Cidro, Senior Reporter
Spooky season is just around the corner, and some of us like to spend the night in fright by watching horror movies or telling scary stories with each other. Some movies with a spooky theme are great to watch in comfort, and here are ten movies that are not necessarily the scariest, but fit the theme of the coming eve.
Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands tells the story of an artificial man built by a scientist. However, before his construction was completed, the scientist passed away, and Edward finds himself ending up in the Suburbs with a family who takes him in, falling in love with the daughter of the family at the same time. The movie is directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as Edward and Winona Ryder as his daughter.
2. Corpse Bride
Another movie by Tim Burton starring Johny Depp, The Corpse Bride, is one of my personal favourite movies to watch during Halloween. The story follows a bachelor named Victor getting married in an arranged marriage with a girl named Victoria. Due to his nervousness, Victor rehearses his lines for the wedding in a forest, where he puts a ring on the finger of a Corpse he thought to be a branch. The Corpse Bride awakens and she accepts Victor's proposal, and brings him to the land of the dead for their wedding.
3. Coraline
The movie Coraline is a story by the renowned English writer, Neil Gaiman, adapted by Henry Selick. The story follows a young girl, Coraline Jones, voiced by Dakota Fanning, moving into her new home. Coraline dislikes the current state of her life, and one night, she discovers a door in her room that leads to a parallel world where everyone’s eyes are buttons. Coraline falls in love with this new world due to the prospect it offered her: her ideal life.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a movie directed once more by Henry Selick, and yet again a story by Tim Burton. The story follows the pumpkin king of Halloweentown, Jack Skellington. Jack Skellington is tired of the same old practice of Halloween itself. He wants to find something new outside of scaring people every year. Through his search, Jack finds himself in Christmastown, the novelty of the holiday revitalizes him, and he attempts to rebrand Halloween into a Christmas festivity. Jack Skellington is voiced by two people: Chris Sarandon for the dialogue and famous composer Danny Elfman for the musical parts.
5. Casper
Directed by Brad Silberling, Casper follows the story of Dr. James Harvey, a parapsychologist who deals with the supernatural, and his daughter Kathleen Harvey. When they move into a mansion, James, played by Bill Pullman, comes into contact with Casper and three other ghosts. Casper befriends Kat and develops feelings for her, and the only obstacle he has is that he is a spirit. The movie is lighthearted fun, wholesome, and is a great comfort movie to watch for Halloween.
6. Monster House
Less wholesome, Monster House, directed by Gil Kenan, features three kids facing off against an old man’s house possessed by a malevolent spirit. The problem is, no adults believe them, so they must take matters into their own hands to stop the house from continuing to harm kids trick-or-treating. The movie, despite being animated and from the 2000s, is a fun horror film with a dark undertone, perfect for light thrill seekers.
7. 9
Probably one of my favourite animated movies in terms of aesthetics, 9 is a film directed by Shane Acker, with Tim Burton serving as one of its producers. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world devoid of humans, where the only sentient life left are rag dolls that have come to life due to the spirit of their maker being infused into 9 separate dolls. 9, the final doll is the last to gain consciousness, and he traverses the wasteland where he reunites with other dolls as well as faces off against machine monsters.
8. ParaNorman
Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell, ParaNorman features the story of a young boy, Norman Babcock, who can see the spirits of the dead. Other than his friend Neil, everyone else thinks that his ability to see the dead is not real, leading him to be misunderstood. When he receives a message from his Great Uncle, he discovers that there is a curse that was cast on the town by a condemned young witch years ago. Now, Norman and his friends must find a way to stop the curse and save the town. The movie itself is a good comfort movie with a spooky vibe, taking themes from the famous Salem witch trials and putting their fictional narrative on it.
9. Sleepy Hollow
Yet another movie by Tim Burton starring his favourite actor, Johnny Depp, Sleepy Hollow features the legendary cryptid, the Headless Horsemen, a creature called a Dullahan in Irish folklore. With the decapitations of three people, Johnny Depp’s character, a constable called Ichabod Crane, is tasked to investigate the case. He’d soon find out that the decapitator is none other than the Headless Horseman, starring Christopher Walken. Like anything Tim Burton, the movie has his trademark of eerie atmosphere present in most of his films. And while not as wholesome as the previous movies I’ve listed, it is still a good movie to watch, and in some cases, a comfort movie for me.
10. Van Helsing
Directed by Stephen Sommers, Van Helsing is based on the legendary monster-slaying character called… Van Helsing. The movie includes cryptids such as werewolves, vampires (including Count Dracula), and Frankenstein. The film, for me, is a great amalgamation of all these cryptids plus Van Helsing duking it out, with entertaining fight sequences, and is definitely a good entertaining comfort movie for Halloween night.
