Creepy For The Kiddies

Well hey there everyone, I know there's been a bit of hiatus on my posts and I apologize. Part of that was gearing up for the next month and making sure I had easy access to enough movies to watch and all that business. I can report that it all went very well. But now I'm here with something for the parents that may happen to read this blog, kid friendly horror movies. Now, when I say kid friendly, you have to remember that the purpose of a scary movie is to be, well, scary. Some of these are more than likely to illicit screams or some nightmares, but I'm sure we all know adults that the same things happen to. I personally used to get super freaked out by horror movies, but here I am now making it a pass time to watch the things. Nothing wrong with getting a little scared here and there. I have a few criteria I tried to stick to with these. 

"Are you sure this stuff is for kids?"

- Light on foul language. There will likely by a little here and there, but it's really not that bad. 

- Minimal blood. You'd actually be surprised how little blood comes up in some horror films. Even Texas Chainsaw Massacre was really low on the gore. Not to say it won't show up, but it won't be a torrent of viscera. 

-No over the top violence. No one is going to get their head chopped off with a weed whacker and get it kicked into an ant hill or any crazy shit like that. Individuals may be stabbed or cut, maybe even strangled, but it's no worse than a prime time show or video game that most kids get their hands on without issue. 

-The last thing, when I say kid, I don't mean much younger than maybe 10. There are a few for the even younger crowd on the list, but not all. 

So, with that said, on with the list!

Hocus Pocus (1993)

These are the villains of the movie and I can't help but smile at their antics!

Easily one of my favorites from childhood until now and good for all ages. Hocus Pocus follows the story of a few young kids who unwittingly release 300 year old bumbling witches on the town of Salem. The witches want to take the souls of children to be immortal and the kids are out to stop them. This is Disney at the top of it's live action game, with wonderful sets, fabulous costumes and even a catchy musical number in the middle. There is enough comedy and fun to keep the kids entertained and a few things sprinkled in for adults to get a laugh. I'd have to say this is a must watch for the kiddos over the month of October. As of typing this, it's easily available in stores and rumors are floating around about a sequel. If it's even close to as good as the first, I'll be very happy. 

Insidious (2010)

Insidious, is made by one of the best horror directors in recent years, James Wan. My favorite thing about Insidious is how conscious the crew was of horror cliches and they go out of their way to avoid them. Insidious is a ghost story with a twist, only one person meets their end in the whole movie and most of the horror comes from strange happenings, ghosts and atmosphere. Insidious is great at getting you worked up for places you think there should be a scare and not delivering. Then the second you relax there is something there. Towards the end it gets pretty scary and has some of the more creative and memorable imagery I've seen in a horror film. This really is one of the gems of PG-13 horror. 

The Conjuring (2013)

Another movie from James Wan, based on "true events". I can say it's not much different than Insidious. A family struggles with a vengeful entity trying to invade their lives just because they moved into the wrong house. It's low on the jump scares but will deliver a few good ones when the time is right. 

Paranormal Activity (2007)

The movie that brought found footage back to the mainstream in a big way and spawned four more installments. The creepy factor and tension created by this movie is very real, because you're just waiting for something to happen. The waiting is what gets to you. Then when something little happens after all the waiting, it's just freaky. Cool thing about Paranormal Activity is that it does everything with no gore, one off screen death and very little in the way of regular horror tropes. 

Halloween (1978)

That time of year again, huh?

A classic of the slasher genre and first film to utilize the steady cam. Halloween has left it's mark on the popular culture in a big way. Watching Halloween now, it's really tame compared to what came after. Michael Myers doesn't tear anyone's head off or anything crazy, yes, he strangles and stabs people to death. But on the scale of how graphic it is, it's really not at all. I can't recall much blood at any point. Halloween really thrives off it's camera work and the creepy idea that the boogeyman could be watching you around the corner and you'd never know. There's a touch of language, a little sexual content and some violence, but it's really nothing wild. 

Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

"I just hate it when monsters eat kids, know what I mean Vern?"

A kid's movie pure and simple. The lovable character of Ernest trying to save the kids of his small town from an evil troll invasion that he himself let loose by just being a simpleton. But we still love him, because as the town garbage man, he's gonna clean up the mess. Beyond the performance off Jim Varney, Ernest Scared Stupid brings some amazing monster effects and fun characters together to make this a really good time to watch. Even as a kid I thought the trolls were just scary, I'd even swear to you at times they were from a different movie all together. 

There are more on the list of course and I'm likely to post a part two, October is a whole month after all. For the parents though, don't just take my advice. Watch the movies yourself first and make sure it fits with what you want for your kids. I'm just a guy on the internet.