Halloween Movie Night
Halloween isn’t a holiday that we generally “celebrate” just because we are Empty Nesters. However, when our daughter was little we would do Halloween movie nights. Now that she has her own family and goes Trick or Treating with Elijah, those are all but memories. However, that doesn’t mean a grandma can’t dream!! While most of the time we aren’t with them in Cheyenne, we always Facetime so that way we can see the cutest little guy in costume.
While this picture was from 2020, our little Tater and his sidekick Grizzly were a farmer and a cow. But this year we are going to throw a Hocus Pocus themed movie night complete with food.
Here is how to have an epic Halloween movie night
Pick out the movies in advance
When it comes down to a movie night, you want to pick out your movies in advance. You would be surprised as to how many people watch movies on this night. If you rent movies, you’ll see how quickly they disappear. Luckily, there are also platforms like Amazon streaming and Netflix you can grab your favorite movies from. I still say it is fun to have the movie list picked out in advance.
Disney+ is brewing up another year of spooky programming for Hallowstream with exciting new originals and beloved Halloween classics. Beginning September 24, subscribers can enjoy all of their favorite Halloween-themed episodes and films in the new Halloween collection available on the streaming service. Disney+ will also debut three original programs “LEGO® Star Wars Terrifying Tales,” “Muppets Haunted Mansion” and “Just Beyond” as a part of the All Hallow’s Eve celebration.
About Hocus Pocus
One quarter of a century ago, three 17th century witches—Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy)—brewed the perfect magical movie for the whole family: Walt Disney Pictures’ live-action comedy/adventure “Hocus Pocus.” In celebration of the film’s silver anniversary, “Hocus Pocus” is being re-released to home audiences with a spellbinding new way to experience the film: the Trivia and Treats Edition. Way back in 2018 we celebrated the 25th Anniversary Edition of Hocus Pocus!
“The 25th Anniversary Edition of “Hocus Pocus” includes the original theatrical film and the We ♥︎ Hocus Pocus: Trivia and Treats Edition, featuring pop up video extras including fun facts, trivia, deleted scenes, cast and crew commentary, and behind-the-scenes secrets”… The Multi-Screen Edition of “Hocus Pocus” includes a Blu-ray and Digital Code giving viewers the flexibility to watch the film on different devices.
The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook
Celebrate it coming with picking up a copy of The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook is a must-have for all fans of the 1993 cult classic movie and cookbook lovers everywhere. It features recipes inspired by the film, as well as insights into its making, and interviews with cast and crew.
Now, as you plan your annual viewing of the family favorite flick, you can also conjure up your own spooky treats and bewitching drinks to celebrate Halloween. Whether you’re attending a surprise rave in town or just spending “a quiet evening at home,” you’ll enchant anyone who tastes these frightfully appetizing recipes, including:
Baked Witch Casserole
Bones of 100 Chickens
William’s Wormy Bed Dirt Cake
Dead Man’s Toes, Dead Man’s Toes
Brown Butter Booooook
Blondies Burning Rain of Death Punch
Airhead Virgin Mocktail
And many more!
The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook is the ultimate must have for fans of all ages—but don’t worry, no children were harmed in the testing of these recipes.
About the Author
Bridget Thoreson is a writer and booklover based in Brooklyn, New York. Her other books include XOXO: A Cocktail Book and consulting for Are You My Wine? Clearly, Bridget is very interested in drinking, eating, and pop culture.
New Disney+ Originals Premiering This October For Hallowstream
Premiering October 1, “LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales” is a seasonal celebration of the villainous dark side of the Star Wars galaxy— just in time for Halloween. After the events of “The Rise of Skywalker,” Poe and BB-8 must make an emergency landing on the volcanic planet Mustafar where they meet the greedy and conniving Graballa the Hutt who has purchased Darth Vader’s castle and is renovating it into the galaxy’s first all-inclusive Sith-inspired luxury hotel. While waiting for his X-Wing to be repaired, Poe, BB-8, Graballa, and Dean (a plucky and courageous young boy who works as Graballa’s mechanic) venture deep into the mysterious castle with Vader’s loyal servant, Vaneé. Along the way, Vaneé shares three creepy stories linked to ancient artifacts and iconic villains from across all eras of Star Wars. As Vaneé spins his tales and lures our heroes deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the castle, a sinister plan emerges. With the help of Dean, Poe and BB-8 will have to face their fears, stop an ancient evil from rising, and escape to make it back to their friends. A new image from “LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales” is now available.
Muppets Haunted Mansion
The Muppets’ first-ever Halloween special “Muppets Haunted Mansion” will premiere on Friday, October 8 on Disney+. The brand-new special will feature a star-studded Muppets cast, celebrity cameos, all-new music and spooky fun for families to enjoy together. “Muppets Haunted Mansion” takes place on Halloween night, when Gonzo is challenged to spend one very daring night in the most grim grinning place on Earth …
Just Beyond
All eight episodes of the supernatural anthology series “Just Beyond” will premiere on Wednesday, October 13 as a part of the Disney+ Hallowstream celebration. Inspired by the writings of R.L. Stine, the series tells astonishing and thought-provoking stories of a reality just beyond the one we know. Each episode introduces viewers to a new cast of characters who must go on a surprising journey of self-discovery in a supernatural world of witches, aliens, ghosts and parallel universes.
To kick off the celebration early, fans can watch “What If… Zombies?!”—the latest episode in Marvel Studios’ first-ever animated series—premiering today on Disney+. In this eerie episode, The Avengers are infected by a zombie plague, and surviving heroes must search for a cure.
2021 Halloween Collection Featuring Fan-Favorite Spooky Content
In addition to the Disney+ original content premiering in October, the Halloween collection will feature a lineup of memorable films and Halloween-themed episodes from fan-favorite series. Subscribers can celebrate the spooky holiday at home with classic films including “Hocus Pocus,” “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Haunted Mansion,” “Halloweentown,” “Twitches” and many more. The haunting new Disney Channel Original Movie “Under Wraps” will also be available Friday, October 8 on Disney+. Below is a full list of content included in this years’ Halloween collection available to all Disney+ subscribers on September 24:
Movies and Series
LEGO® Star Wars Terrifying Tales — Premieres Friday, October 1
Muppets Haunted Mansion — Premieres Friday, October 8
Just Beyond — All Episodes Streaming Wednesday, October 13
Bride of Boogedy
Can of Worms
Don’t Look Under the Bed
Edward Scissorhands
Frankenweenie (2012)
Gargoyles
Girl vs. Monster
Gravity Falls
Halloweentown
Halloweentown High
Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge
Hocus Pocus
Invisible Sister
James and the Giant Peach
Maleficent
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
Mom’s Got A Date With A Vampire
Mr. Boogedy
Phantom of the Megaplex
Return to Halloweentown
So Weird
Spooky Buddies
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
The Haunted Mansion
The Scream Team
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Twitches
Twitches Too
Vampirina
Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie
ZOMBIES
ZOMBIES 2
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror (I – XXX) and The Simpsons Horror Collection
Shorts and Specials
Captain Sparky Vs. The Flying Saucers
Frankenweenie (1984)
Lonesome Ghosts
Mater and the Ghostlight
The Legend of Mor’du
Toy Story of Terror!
Trick or Treat
Vampirina Ghoul Girls Rock!
Haunting Episodes
WandaVision – “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!”
What If…? – “What If…Zombies?!”
The Muppet Show – “Vincent Price”
Behind The Attraction – “The Haunted Mansion”
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse – “Houseghosts”
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse – “Once Upon An Apple”
Prop Culture – “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Earth To Ned – “Night of the Living Ned”
The Incredible Dr. Pol – “Pol-Tergeist”
America’s Funniest Home Videos – “Scared Silly, Trick or Treat, and a Home Wrecking Rodent”
America’s Funniest Home Videos – “Tricks & Treats, Costume Party and Baby Monsters”
America’s Funniest Home Videos – “Halloween Classics, Magic Mishaps, and Spiders”
America’s Funniest Home Videos – “Halloweenies and Creepy Crawlies”
America’s Funniest Home Videos – “Halloween, Instant Karma, and Scared Stupid”
America’s Funniest Home Videos – “Halloweenies 2012 and Second Guy Bites It”
Disney Channel Halloween Episodes
A.N.T Farm – “Mutant Farm”
Big City Greens – “Blood Moon Part 1 / Blood Moon Part 2”
Bunk’d – “Camp Kiki-slasher”
DuckTales (2017) – “Terror of the Terra-firmians!”
Even Stevens – “A Very Scary Story”
Girl Meets World – “Girl Meets World of Terror”
Good Luck Charlie – “Scary Had a Little Lamb”
Goof Troop – “Hallow-Weenies”
Gravity Falls – “Summerween”
Hannah Montana – “Torn Between Two Hannahs”
Jessie – “The Whining”
K.C. Undercover – “All Howls Eve”
Kim Possible – “October 31st”
Lab Rats – “Night of The Living Virus”
Liv and Maddie – “Haunt-A-Rooney”
Lizzie McGuire – “Night of the Day of the Dead”
Mickey Mouse (Shorts) – “Ghoul Friend”
Phil of the Future – “Halloween”
Phineas and Ferb – “Terrifying Tri-State Trilogy of Terror” (Part 1 and 2)
Raven’s Home – “Switch-Or-Treat”
Recess – “Terrifying Tales of Recess”
Shake It Up – “Haunt It Up”
Sonny With A Chance – “A So Random Halloween Special”
Star vs. The Forces of Evil – “Hungry Larry/Spider with a Top Hat”
Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure – “The Wrath of Ruthless Ruth”
That’s So Raven – “Don’t Have a Cow”
The Proud Family – “A Hero For Halloween”
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody – “Ghost of 613”
The Suite Life On Deck – “Sea Monster Mash”
Wizards of Waverly Place – “Halloween”
Disney Junior Halloween Episodes
Doc McStuffins – “Boo-Hoo to You! / It’s Glow Time”
Doc McStuffins – “Hallie Halloween / Don’t Fence Me In”
Doc McStuffins “Mirror, Mirror On My Penguin / Hide and Eek!”
Fancy Nancy – “Nancy’s Costume Clash / Nancy’s Ghostly Halloween”
Goldie & Bear – “Witch Cat is Which? / Trick or Treat Trouble”
Handy Manny – “Halloween / Squeeze’s Magic Show”
Henry Hugglemonster – “Halloween Scramble / Scouts Night Out”
Henry Hugglemonster – “Huggleween Moon”
Imagination Movers – “A Monster Problem”
Imagination Movers – “Haunted Halloween”
Jake and the Never Land Pirates – “Escape from Ghost Island / The Island of Doctor Undergear”
Jake and the Never Land Pirates – “Night of the Golden Pumpkin / Trick or Treasure!”
Jake and the Never Land Pirates – “Phantoms of Never-Nether Land / Magical Mayhem”
Jake and the Never Land Pirates – “Pirate Ghost Story / Queen Izzybella”
Jake and the Never Land Pirates – “Tricks, Treats and Treasure! / Season of the Sea Witch”
Little Einsteins – “A Little Einsteins Halloween”
Mickey and the Roadster Racers – “Goof Mansion / A Doozy Night of Mystery”
Mickey and the Roadster Racers – “The Haunted Hot Rod / Pete’s Ghostly Gala”
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – “Mickey’s Monster Musical” (Part 1 and 2)
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – “Mickey’s Treat”
Miles from Tomorrowland – “Ghost Moon / Stormy Night in a Dark Nebula”
Muppet Babies – “Happy Hallowocka!/The Teeth-Chattering Tale of the Haunted Pancakes”
Out of the Box – “Trick or Treat”
Puppy Dog Pals – “Return to the Pumpkin Patch / Haunted Howl-oween”
Sheriff Callie’s Wild West – “The Great Hallow”
Sofia the First – “Cauldronation Day”
Sofia the First – “Ghostly Gala”
Sofia the First – “Princess Butterfly”
The Lion Guard – “Beware the Zimwi”
Vampirina – “Hauntleyween / Frankenflower”
Don’t forget the snacks!
I like to make Halloween movie night extra fun by getting scary snacks ready. When it comes to Halloween, you need scary-type-snacks to go with everything. I’m a huge fan of things like candy eyeballs and squirmy looking snacks. It is amazing what you can make these days in your own kitchen. In my opinion, the scarier the snack the better, on Halloween. But I usually make popcorn balls, like Nana used to make along with lots of theater-type candies.
Hocus Pocus first premiered 28 years ago in the golden age of ’90s cinema, and has since achieved cult-classic fame with both children and adults as a loyal fanbase. Fans fall in love with the delightful, demonic and diva-esque Sanderson Sisters and the sleepy New England town they torment.
Now as you plan your annual viewing of the family favorite flick, you can also conjure up your own spooky treats and bewitching drinks to celebrate Halloween.
So this cookbook will have to tide us over until Hocus Pocus 2 is released in 2022!
Don’t forget to whip up some Jack Skellington Cookies to celebrate!
Make it dark
You cannot have a successful Halloween movie night if you do not make it dark. The rule in our house is every light gets turned off. Not every movie we watch on Halloween is scary, but it is still fun to keep it dark. And since we live in the country we don’t have a big stream of Trick or Treaters so it works perfectly for us.
For a successful Halloween movie night, all you need are snacks, great movies, and a spooky atmosphere. What tips do you have to make Halloween special?
Check out some of my favorite movies for Halloween Movie Night!
If you’re going to have a Halloween movie night, make sure you put these guys on your list. Tell me, what’s your favorite Halloween movie?
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