Ah, Halloween! If you’re like us, then you look forward to this time of year all year long. In celebration of the best holiday of the year, The Comic Stop brings you The 13 Days of Halloween!
Day #11 has us taking a look at some of the best animated holiday fare courtesy of Comic Stop General Manager Michael Byers.
Earlier, I talked about my favorite non-animated films to watch at Halloween with the whole family. Today I bring you my top ten animated films. Unlike the previous list, I’m just going to give you my ten favorite in no particular order. Let’s dive right in!
Coraline
From the mind of Neil Gaiman and the director of Nightmare Before Christmas comes the story of Coraline, a young lady who has definite opinions on how things should be and wishes that her life were very different. But, as the tag line suggests, be careful what you wish for! A fun movie with some great stop motion animation.
Monster House
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Monster House is an early Dan Harmon (Community) work and has many of the hallmarks that the fans of Community love. Quirky dialogue and funny characters are in abundance but this one has plenty of creepy moments as well. The computer animation is a little dated but it’s still a fun time.
Monsters Inc.
If you don’t have tear in your eye when Sulley opens the door at the end, it’s you who are a monster. Pixar at it’s absolute best!
Paranorman
A recent stop motion film, Paranorman has an excellent voice cast, great animation and, if you have it available to you, some cool 3-D work. Norman has the ability to see the dead spirits that haunt his town, which of course makes him an outcast. When sinister forces threaten to turn the friendly spirits of the town evil, Norman must work to stop it from happening.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Now considered a classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas was at first seen as a flop when it was released in theaters in 1993. Featuring a terrific score by Danny Elfman, fantastic vocal work by Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, Glen Shadix, William Hickey and Ken Page and brilliant stop motion animation, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a perennial holiday favorite.
Mad Monster Party?
It’s goofy and dated but I love it! Premiering in 1967, Mad Monster Party? was written by Mad Magazine alumni Harvey Kurtzman and featured monsters designed by fellow Mad creator Jack Davis. And it’s got Boris Karloff as the Mad Scientist! Lots and lots of fun!
Hotel Transylvania
I may not like Adam Sandler in most movies but he’s great as Dracula fretting over his daughter about to turn 18. Make that 118! As if that wasn’t enough to worry him, he’s got a human that’s found his secret hotel that prides itself on being a safe haven for monsters to get away from humans! This one has grown on me a little bit more each time I watch it with my family.
Corpse Bride
Tim Burton’s follow up to The Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t near as good but it’s still pretty enjoyable. Johnny Depp is particularly good as Victor, a man caught between marrying somebody he’s just met or the Corpse Bride, who seems to be more “alive” than anyone else in the Victorian Era setting that the movie takes place in.
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
It’s easy to remember this one from your childhood as lite family fare but upon re-watching it as an adult I was surprised at just how bleak this was! Still, my kids found it just as entertaining as I did when I was their age and it remains a holiday classic.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Headless Horseman chasing Ichabod Crain remains one of the most terrifying sequences in cinema! A Disney classic that still evokes some genuine scares even 60 years after it was first released.
