13 Comedies to Get You in the Halloween Spirit

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It’s the spookiest time of the year, but, if you’re like me, you may not want to watch a straight up horror film in order to get into the holiday spirit. Though some old-school horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th are more grounded in suspense than gore, sometimes you just want to laugh your way to Halloween.

I’ve comprised a list of 13 Halloween comedies that are bound to get you in the spirit.

1. Hocus Pocus

This is probably a Halloween staple for every household, but bears repeating. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are insanely brilliant in this 1993 classic and it delivers laughs throughout the entire thing.

2. Little Shop of Horrors

This quirky musical features a plant that feeds on human blood. Add that to a dentist that gets a thrill from causing people pain played by Steve Martin and you’re in for one ridiculous movie. There is language, so maybe not the best one to watch with your kids.

3. The Monster Squad

I only just recently discovered this movie, but it’s essentially The Goonies meets classic movie monsters. The make-up in this film alone make it worth the watch, but there were several moments that have you bust out laughing because you can’t believe little kids said that. It is also deceptively heartwarming.

4. The Addams Family & Addams Family Values

Another classic with terrific casting, both Addams Family movies deliver a slew of laughs with their dark humor. I like Addams Family Values more than its predecessor, but that’s because placing Wednesday and Pugsley at a summer camp is comedy gold.

5. Casper

This is an incredibly well-done film that handles the subject of loss, but it manages to deal a number of laughs with the hi-jinks of the ghostly uncles. Plus, Casper is so adorable.

6. Monster House

This movie surprised me with how good it actually is. It delivers a great balance between laughs, spooks, and heart, actually proving to be a little bit scary for a kid’s film. Overall, it’s a really solid film.

7. Ghostbusters

Yet another classic film, Ghostbusters is just plain fun. You get laughs and scares and an adorably evil marshmallow man. What more could you want from a Halloween movie?

8. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

This is probably my favorite Halloween movie. Abbott and Costello’s chemistry is electric and what makes their movies so good. This one in particular has them meeting not just Frankenstein but Dracula and the Wolfman.

9. Beetlejuice

You can pretty much choose any of Tim Burton’s films to get you in the Halloween spirit, but Beetlejuice is probably the most zany of them all because of Beetlejuice himself. You have ghosts, hauntings, and a ginormous snake that are all bound to give you a little scare, but above all, this movie makes you laugh.

10. Hotel Transylvania

This was another animated movie that I was pleasantly surprised by. It’s a really good film and delivers in terms of comedy. The entire cast is great, but Adam Sandler really does a spectacular job as Dracula.

11. Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein may be my favorite Mel Brooks film, and I quote it all the time. Gene Wilder portrays the grandson of Victor von Frankenstein, who is trying to break away from the Frankenstein name (pronounced Frankensteen), and he is incredible. Everything about this film is great and it makes you laugh every single time you watch it.

12. Zombieland

In a world overrun by zombies, how would you live your life? Definitely by going to an amusement park or trying to find Twinkies. A little on the bloody side, but the film definitely goes about it in a comedic way. There’s even a “Zombie Kill of the Week” segment featuring death by piano. It’s pretty great.

13. Shaun of the Dead

I love this movie, but I pretty much love anything that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost do. Another bloody comedy, but much like Zombieland, it handles its gore in such a stylized and comedic way that it doesn’t seem so bad. My favorite is the master class on how to be a zombie, but really, the entire movie is hilarious.

What’s you’re favorite non-horror Halloween flick?

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