Caitlin Kindred: 0:27

Uh hi, everybody. We're so glad you're here. Welcome to How to Be a Grown Up. This is the how-to show for moms who are absolutely thrilled that it is spooky season, like myself. Spooky season. I love it. Uh I'm Caitlin, and with me today is Ari Lamonty, novelist, and she's a snake plant with a side hustle. She's sharp, unkillable, and always fresh. I don't know if I was a record one. Uh okay. So um we're in the thick of spooky season now. We're 10 days out from Halloween. So, and I'm by saying that, of course, now I've just messed up dates or whatever. But anyway, when we're recording this, when this is being released, it'll be 10 days out from Halloween. So I am breaking down Halloween movies by age group. I'm gonna share my personal favorites, a few hot takes about movies, uh, maybe some controversial opinions, you know, because that's what we're here for. I don't know. I just made that up. Anyway, before we do that though, I want to make sure you're subscribed to this show. Hit follow, hit subscribe, or whatever word your favorite podcast app has to make sure you don't miss episodes. Before we begin, good job. You did it. Congratulations. Okay, so I have a few sources. There's thank you to the Threads fam for chipping in on some of these. They had some good ideas. And um, 35 plus Halloween movies for kids by age by Edward Shepherd and Diva Anwarie for Motherly, which is one of my favorite online magazines. And of course, Free Forms 31 Nights of Halloween and the schedule for 2025, which I assume barely changes year over year, but this is the 2025 schedule. Okay, so it's October. You need to figure out how to keep the spirit going without incessantly discussing costumes and the change of costume that happens three or four times in the month of October. So we're watching Halloween movies. You've got 31 nights of Halloween on freeform, which is always an option for you. However, they're not always appropriate for all children. So, and I mean, also, there's one movie a night there. You but that might not be enough for you. I'm more of a play that mess all day long if I can. That's what we're doing. Also, you might have different thresholds for what's too scary in your home. You are trying to find a sweet spot between boring for you and traumatizing for your kids. Yes. Um always. For example, you might still be recovering from a scary movie or a movie that just scared you as a kid. I'll tell you what mine was, but I want to know if you have one. The movie that scared the ever-loving Shadoobi out of me when I was a kid was E.T. I cannot like I can't, those fingers reaching for those. Oh my god. Freaked me out. I still don't like it. With the music?

Ariella Monti: 3:35

Uh no. No. Still freaks me out. No, I I could see that. I could totally see that. Um, mine was Candyman. Yeah, that's the one. I think there's another one. Yeah. I think there's a newer one now, but like the original Candyman.

Caitlin Kindred: 3:52

Yeah, ooh, with the honey and the bees and the nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Ariella Monti: 3:57

Yeah, I was so I remember watching it at my best friend's house, and I'm pretty sure when she picked when my mom picked me up, I asked my mom, I asked my mom not to go back to work. Like I was old enough to be home by myself. Like, and but I was like, don't don't go back to work. She's like, I have to go to work. I I gotta go to work. Sorry, but I will try to I think she came home a little early, or maybe came home for lunch, but I was afraid to be in the house by myself. That's how bad that one was. Yeah, that one terrified me.

Caitlin Kindred: 4:31

Do you have one that scared you that you love? Because in our house, common between my husband and myself, it's the Princess Bride. He was scared of the hag, and for whatever reason, that movie like just made me really uncomfortable when I was a kid. I love it now, and I can watch it like over and over again now, but something about it freaked me out when I was younger.

Ariella Monti: 4:49

I'm sure there is. I can't think of one. I can't think of it now.

Caitlin Kindred: 4:57

But if you do during the episode, just shout it out because I'm curious. Yeah. If you are listening to this episode and you are following us on social, send us a message. Like just add us, reply something so that we can we want to know what the movie is either one, the one that scared you when you were a kid, or the one that traumatized you and you now love it. Either one. Want to hear. Okay. So I'm gonna preface this. This is our um what's it called? Our disclosures right here. Here's the challenges of me, us, Ariella and I, picking kids' Halloween movies for you as the listener. One, every family is different, right? You might have different thresholds for what's appropriate for your kid. Understood. Also, what one seven-year-old finds hilarious, another one finds absolutely terrifying. So you know your kid best. These are guidelines, not rules. For most of these, I include common sense media ratings, and otherwise, just use your best judgment, mom. You understand. Okay. Um, okay, starting with the youngers, the babies, toddlers to early elementary. Super safe movies. One, it's the great pumpkin Charlie Brown. But I mean, I'm obsessed with the Peanuts Gang and Snoopy, so obviously that's a classic must-watch every season that's rated G. Do it. Uh Pooh's Heffalump Halloween movie, also rated G, Sweet and Silly for toddlers. And Curious George, a Halloween boo fest. Okay. No, I have to. If our dear friend Brennan is listening, she will be like, ooh, careful with that one. Because there's a character in Curious George Halloween Boo Fest named No-Noggin, and no Noggin freaked out her older son. Like, he was scared of No-Naggin for a while. No noggin is a scarecrow, boys and girls. It's fine. Like, it's not a thing. It's a scarecrow without a head. Uh, and you learn why it doesn't have a head. But just putting it out there, again, these are super safe, and yet her little one was traumatized, which is why I put that disclosure, that you know, asterisk at the bottom of this episode. So another one, Mickey's House of Villains, also rated G, Disney villains, make it kid friendly. So I personally, if I'm gonna, if I'm gonna be a Disney person, I live for Maleficent, all right? Maleficent is the best, she's the most badass of all of the Disney villains. So anytime I see another character dress as her, I like absolutely die for it. Daisy is perfect. Also, Stitch from Lilo and Stitch often will be found in a Maleficent costume, and I die. I love it. So anytime I can see Disney villains dressed as each other, just so good. So that's amazing. Adorable. Other ones, slightly spooky, still safe, all rated G. Okay. Um, Monsters Inc., not a Halloween movie, however. Talking about monsters and scaring and all that stuff. Um, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, that's a classic. That's the one with like the big they do the big nose, like Ichabod Crane sort of. I feel like all of us uh like Elder Millennials, Gen Xers saw that movie when we were kids. Like on the free Disney week or whatever, they would always do a free Disney week and that was when I would watch it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh Wallace and Gromit, The Curse of the Were Rabbit. Wallace and Gromit. I mean. I don't I never saw that one. Or maybe I did. I'm it's Wallace and Gromit are so classic, like everybody has seen something of them, but this one is when they save the giant vegetable competition from the Ware Rabbit. It's a it's cute. Bed knobs and broomsticks. Also rated G. However, I'm gonna put this out there. This is World War II kids who escape with a witch's help. Just be prepared to explain the context if you have kids who ask questions. So just putting that out there. But again, World War II children. So take that as you will. Um, these are also still for littles, so toddlers through, you know, pre-K, but these might be a little bit more intense for you. These are primarily rated PG. One, Po Tel Transylvania.

Ariella Monti: 9:09

I've never seen it, but anything with Adam Sandler.

Caitlin Kindred: 9:12

Yeah, it's Adam Sandler's voice work. I've heard kids love it, but your tolerance for Adam Sandler may vary. Who knows? It's I mean, I think it's him being like a Dracula, so it's well, you know, whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nightmare Before Christmas. Uh this one, Oogie Boogie can be a little scary. So just putting and like so, like it's Tim Burton. Like it's creepy, right? So like it could be kind of freaky, but um, some kids really love it. So, and if you're like a musical person, you know, that could it' works well too. Right. Yeah. Coco. I love the movie. Not necessarily Halloween, but the context is Day of the Dead. So there you go. I love it. I think it fits here. I love this pick for the cultural significance. This movie, the first time I watched it, I was watching it with sixth graders, and I was like basically telling the boys to shut up. I'm like, I wanna watch it! Shh. I was supposed to be like working while they were watching a movie, and I pulled up a chair and like sat in the middle of the crew, and I was like, shut up. So um, I love this tearjerker, beloved by all ages, such a good one, and it's beautiful. It's a beautifully done movie. It's so gorgeous.

Ariella Monti: 10:24

Yeah, yeah. It is just visually stunning.

Caitlin Kindred: 10:28

Yeah, and funny. Like, give me some Mama Imelda and how crazy she oh, I just I love her. She's a nutbag for sure. Um, another Tim Burton one, Frank and Weenie. Uh, boy brings his dog back to life. Again, you may have some explaining to do, could be a little intense, you know, zombie doggy, whatever. But, you know, any Tim Burton stop motion, Coraline, you know, yeah, any of that's probably gonna be a good thing.

Ariella Monti: 10:56

Anything with Tim Burton is like proceed with caution, right?

Caitlin Kindred: 11:02

Yeah, but also probably Halloween appropriate. Have you ever seen Big Fish? Oh yeah. Big Fish is like probably also Halloween appropriate. It is like what? So, yes, no sweeney Todd for kids, okay? Like, but yes, Tim Burton probably qualifies on this list, okay. Yeah, for ages like nine and up, late elementary, middle school. So this is there's some weird ones, there's some classics, gonna put these on here. PG movies, labyrinth. Sorry, you know, gotta watch it.

Ariella Monti: 11:38

I've never seen it.

Caitlin Kindred: 11:41

Which is blasphemy as an elder millennial dead answer.

Ariella Monti: 11:46

As an elder millennial Muppet devotee. Oh my god, I thought you were calling yourself a muppet.

Caitlin Kindred: 11:53

You're calling like you're a Muppet? What? Okay, got it. No, you have to see it.

Ariella Monti: 11:57

I know. I um I might have seen it when I was much, much younger, but I like I don't remember watching it. So yeah, it's it's one that I have to I do have to I do have to watch.

Caitlin Kindred: 12:10

I have to Yeah, you might watch it on your own first if you haven't seen it so that you know like what's good for your kids. But like just it's just it's a classic. We have to watch Labyrinth. It is a classic, yeah, yeah, yeah. Beetlejuice. Betelgeuse is PG. Love it. Common Sense Media says 13 and up, so technically should be PG 13. However, um my son has seen parts of it at age nine and been fine. So just it's mostly like campy and silly, so I would think yeah, it's probably fine. I actually have never seen all of Beetlejuice in one sitting, I've only seen like chunks. So I'm sure there's parts of it that I've missed, and I don't know how that's possible that I haven't seen all of it, but I've been watching it more this season because it's been on free floor.

Ariella Monti: 12:58

So yeah it's been fun though. Love it. I watched the TV show like religiously before I saw the movie, I think. Yeah. So when I was watching the movie, I was like, what is happening here? Like, because what I was familiar with was the TV show.

Caitlin Kindred: 13:16

But stay away from edibles before watching Beetlejuice. Or do it, but do it by yourself. I'm just saying. Young Frankenstein is another option here. I've never been into Young Frankenstein, however, it has been recommended. Several people on threads recommended it, and um, so did the author who wrote the article that I was interested in. So it's worth it's worth watching. It might not be your jam, but could be fun. You know, just see what happens. Um, again, creepy stop motion. Already a couple of mentions I've done here. Paranorman is one. Um, good for like fourth and fifth grade and up. There's some genuine scares in it, so just putting that out there. Coraline, creepy, beautiful, Tim Burton-esque. The Corpse Bride, again, creepy, beautiful. Um, it's not a classic, but a lot of people really like it. So just thought I'd throw it out there. Yeah. I think it's got a cult following. For sure. Absolutely. I would agree with that. Yeah.

Ariella Monti: 14:19

Um, like a sub, like you've got your Tim Burton cultural. And then within there, it's like yeah, yeah, yeah.

Caitlin Kindred: 14:26

It's more of like a it's almost like a deep cut, but it's not really like you know, anyway. Um also James and the Giant Peach, the rolled doll adaptation done by Tim Burton, it is creepy. It it really is. So, um, and there's it's like live action and then it turns into Tim Burton stop motion. Um so you know, but it's it's good. We actually watched it uh earlier this year because Sam's third grade class did like a book study on James and the Giant Peach, and he was really into it. So but but definitely enough creepiness to kind of do the job for Halloween. Okay, some actually scary ones. I'm gonna preface this first one by saying I haven't seen it, but it's called Monster House. The neighbor's house is a monster, it's got some creepy scenes, never seen it, but I've heard good things about it. Um The Witches, dude. Okay. Angelica Houston as as like the head witch is absolutely Angelica Houston is the definition of creepy Halloween lady, right? She's amazing. Right. Um however, this movie, this is one of the ones that freaked out my husband when he was a kid. And I read the book, I've never actually seen the full movie again because it like it creeped me out, right? So the book though, it is creepy, it will freak you out, it will freak out your kid if they're not prepared for it. Um but if your kid likes that, this could be a great option. I I will tell you if you haven't read the book, read the book like before you anyway. Um another actually scary one, Goosebumps, the movie. Uh, I believe it stars Jack Black, actually, is what is the one who just, yeah. Um, but it's based on it's a like a uh kind of think like a good version of the Mario movie where they take all the stories and kind of mishmash them together, which is what they did with the Mario movie, where they take all the games and mishmash them together. But there's this is like this is an option. Um, if you liked those Goosebumps book as a kid, it's a it's you'll recognize some of the stuff. You'll be like, oh yeah, I remember when that happened in that one book. So it's a good option. Um, my son watched it last year actually and loved it. So uh totally worth uh checking out if you haven't already. Um The Spider Wick Chronicles, again, one I haven't seen before, but uh Magical Creatures, Dark Mysteries. It got recommended to me by a couple of parents um on threads, so worth looking at. And The Haunted Mansion. I mean, this is Eddie Murphy, like he he ruled our childhood and teenage early teenage years, right? So I'm yeah, I've definitely seen it. It's based on the the theme park ride at Disney. So um totally worth a watch. It's a good one. If your child is again old enough, remember this is late middle, um, late elementary, early middle. There's some classics that maybe your parents watched or had you watched when you were younger that might be worth watching. Dracula with the Kronos Quartet. So this is Bella Lugossi version. So could be really good. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And like the Universal Studios monster movies. So Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the creature from the Black Lagoon. Uh, those are on like every watch list for Halloween. I don't know if they're not, then they should be. Um, you could do a retro movie night, and the kids might be like, it's been boring, but I think they'll probably enjoy at least one of them. So yeah. Um, especially like they'll be like, oh my god, it's so it's so cringy. Look at this, this, the animation or what the technology, like, yeah, but it was like 60 years ago, so maybe don't be a jerk about it. Like just a thought. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so there's some there's some good ones there. For preteens and beyond. So we're talking middle school, like seventh grade, and beyond for these. We've got some must-watch classics. I'm gonna put these on the list, and if you haven't seen them, you are going to go watch them right now. You are excused from listening to this episode. I got my listen. We're good. Here we go. One Ghostbusters. Yes.

Ariella Monti: 18:53

That's one that I love now that scared me a little bit. I don't know which one it was with the um with the the painting. Oh. The I don't know. I don't remember which one it was either, but I know what you're talking about. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The painting terrified me. Yeah. Yeah. That was another one that I prefer I I watched the cartoon religiously. Me too. Probably before I saw I saw the classics.

Caitlin Kindred: 19:17

Yeah. And there's like, there's what, three Ghostbusters movies, and then there was the um remake that they did recently that was the all-women cast with like I need to watch that. I need to watch that one too, but I I'm here for any of the Ghostbusters content. Like any of it. So good. Marshmallow Man could be funny, could be scary, depends on your kid. Just keep that in mind. Other classic movies on the list. Hocus pocus.

Ariella Monti: 19:44

Yep.

Caitlin Kindred: 19:44

I'm sorry. Common sense media says PG 10. Sam's watched it, not a problem. We have to watch it in our house. There is no ifs, ands, or buts. It must be watched. I am obsessed with that movie. I love Bette Midler so much in that movie. I cannot get enough. So we watch it every year. And I will say, when they did the remake, or not the sequel to it, it's good. It's a good sequel. Oh, that's right. I think my husband likes that one more than the original one.

Ariella Monti: 20:15

Yeah.

Caitlin Kindred: 20:15

It's so good. And watching them walk through like a Walgreens or a CVS or whatever and look at makeup is hilarious. You have you, it's so good. You have to see it. The Adams Family. Oh, yeah. I'm gonna go the Christina Ricci version with Is it Angelica Houston again as Morticia Adams? Yes. Yes. Perfect. I personally think this is a great one for modeling true romance and healthy masculinity. If you know you know Gomez Adams. The standard by which all men should be held to.

Ariella Monti: 20:51

I almost feel like Wednesday, the Netflix series might be okay for this. It's on here. It's on here. I gotcha. Okay. I gotcha. Got it. For sure. I have been loving that.

Caitlin Kindred: 21:04

I haven't seen the new season yet. We're I'm we'll get to it. We'll get to it.

Ariella Monti: 21:07

Yeah. Okay.

Caitlin Kindred: 21:08

Casper.

Ariella Monti: 21:09

Oh, Casper, of course.

Caitlin Kindred: 21:11

Friendly ghosts, heartfelt fun. Great way to swoon over Devin Sawa all over again. Can I keep you? Oh, precious little baby 13-year-old Devin Sawa. And Christina Ricci. Like and what? Bill Pullman is in it. And a bunch of other, like, pretty classic voices and actors. Like, I want to say that guy who played uh Ramon Ray Ramon's brother on Everybody Loves Raymond. He's in it. And then a couple of like Simpsons voices. Like it's it's a classic. There's a lot of really famous people in that movie, so totally worth watching. Yep. Uh Scooby-Doo, the live action Scooby-Doo. They've also with uh Matt Lillard playing Shaggy, which is like he's perfect. He's so perfect. Um, but there's also they've redone Scooby-Doo cartoons and released them, and I believe it's either like all American rejects or some 41 that is read that redid the Scooby-Doo theme song. So like I'm listening, I my son is like binge watching Scooby-Doo in the morning, and I'm listening and I'm going, why do I know this band? Like, why? And I'm like, it's not blink. It's not, but it's it's got that Sum 41, All-American Rejex sort of sound to it. Uh and I I want to say it's all American Rejects. Anyway, but they redid it and it was it's pretty awesome.

Ariella Monti: 22:33

So there is also a supernatural episode. Ooh. Scooby, Scooby-Doo supernatural crossover episode in some of the later, in one of the later seasons. It's a ridiculous episode and it is glorious as a ridiculous episode.

Caitlin Kindred: 22:50

Oh, that's amazing. I mean, hang on. I'm not so now I'm looking at it's called What's New Scooby-Doo. Simple Plan. It's simple plan. That's used to be. Oh, yeah. But like they all sounded the same. Some 401 Almond Green. Yeah, like they all sound the same. Like Simple Plan. They do. But you'll if you listen to that kind of music as a younger version of yourself, you'll be like, I know this voice. It's not quite like where are you? Sounding, but it is a little, it is a little close to that. You're welcome for me just busting out some blank right there. Um, okay. Darker 80s and 90s movies that should be on your list. This is one that I've forgotten that I should mention. Gremlins. That scared the mess out of me when I was a kid. Gremlins 2 is like wild in kind of a good way, but Gremlins freaked me out, but it's worth it's worth watch. Kind of fun for kids who kind of like that sort of vibe. Something wicked This Way comes. Haven't seen all that. I don't really do scary movies very well, so most of these ones I haven't like done a deep dive into, but but it's an evil circus in that movie, and I hate clowns, so there's no way I'm watching that one. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. Poltergeist. Somehow this is rated PG, but this should be rated PG 13. This movie scared the it's S out of me.

Ariella Monti: 24:07

PG in like the 80s version of PG.

Caitlin Kindred: 24:10

In the time when parents like just let you just be by yourself as a latchkey kid when you were six years old. Like it is not. This is not a movie that is this is definitely for high school kids, in my opinion. Um practical magic didn't make it onto any of the lists, but practical magic must be on this list. However, this is like rom-com spooky. So I that's why I put it in these darker, in the darker category. I love that movie.

Ariella Monti: 24:38

So what's funny about this? So I've never seen practical magic, which apparently that makes me a bad bisexual, but I've never seen it. Yes, it does. So, but on my threads today, I am seeing I'm seeing conversation and debate about practical magic because I guess uh people were say it's a a rom-com, but then other people are like, no, wait, no, it's not a rom, it's really dark. It is, and then other people are like, wait, no, it's uh it's not a rom-com. And so now I'm sitting here like, oh, I thought this was like a a you know, John Cusack, Meg Ryan type of rom com.

Caitlin Kindred: 25:22

Nope, nope, okay.

Ariella Monti: 25:23

That's that's good. It's so funny that because that's what that's what's on my threads feed today is practical magic.

Caitlin Kindred: 25:31

Deals with um manipulation, like emotional manipulation. Um, also deal like full-on witchcraft, like getting an assault circle, possession, uh like a creature being possessed, um, deals with um domestic violence and a domestic abuse situation. Like this is not a like it's it's a for some reason it's feel-good because it's Sandra Bullock. Like she gives this the feel-good vibe, but it is a dark movie. So got it, got it. Okay. I love it though, and it's there's there's comedy value in it. There is rom-com value. It's kind of like um die hard where there is a debate about is it a Christmas movie, is it a movie that takes place at Christmas? Okay. It's like it's a rom-com, but it's dark. So just it I I would air more on the comedy? Yeah, I would air more dark comedy, less rom-com. There is there is a romantic element, but it's not and it's sort of the premise of the movie, but it it's the romance is what what makes the rest of the movie happen, but it's not the like main character of the movie, if that makes sense. Got it. Oh, got it. So you have to watch it though. It doesn't like it doesn't matter. No, it doesn't. Bad bisexual, go watch it. You just got your hand slapped. Like, you need to go watch it. It's so good. And if you've been a very early listener of this show, we have made references to that movie a very unhealthy amount of times. Like a very unhealthy, like Stalker Channing, like Midnight Margaritas. We've made all the references. So um, props to you if you're like, wait, but they always talk about that movie. It's because we actually always did talk about that movie. So so good. Love that. There's my there's my hot takes for you. More on this list of darker 80s, 90s movies, The Monster Squad. It's got like adult themes and language in it. I wouldn't say it's scary. It's kind of like Goonies, right? Like it's one of those yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, another one, this one is at this point, everybody knows the the the spoiler, but it's the sixth sense. Um that movie did scare me. Like my mom was watching it with me, and I remember being in like high school and being like, Can you just turn this off for a minute? I mean it's not. I mean, there's some jump scares in it. You know what I've learned over time? It's the music that really gets to me. Like I have auditory issues, and so when the music starts to get creepy, I really get uncomfortable. Um, yeah. That's how I feel about No Country for Old Men, which is a different, it doesn't belong on this list. It's just a thriller. But the music or like lack of music in that, the sound really got to me. So that was part of what. But yeah, so those are my those are my uh 80s, 90s dark movies. Gremlin's Something Wicked This Way Comes, Poltergeist Practical Magic, Monster Squad, and The Sixth Sense. Alright. Bonus mentions, TV shows. These are TV shows my family loved, still loves, watches all the time. Super monsters on Netflix. If you have a toddler and you haven't watched super monsters, it is really cute. It isn't into it, but it is cute. Oh my gosh, and it's got like little monsters learn about navigating social situations with authenticity and oh there's fireworks behind me and grace, and like I there's one where they are they say really nasty things about a particular creature, and then they learn that that the person they were saying those things about actually was one of those creatures and how they apologize and deal with it. It's like it's so precious. Oh, and it's just oh my god, it's so cute. I love that. I wish I remember being like, oh man, he doesn't like super monsters anymore. But my Netflix, yeah, my Netflix character is still Spike from Super Monsters because I love that little dragon. Halloween Wars on Food Network is literally impossible to not get into the Halloween spirit when you're watching these people make creepy cakes that bleed and eat eyeballs for their tasting element. Awesome. Same thing with Halloween Baking Championship, Outrageous Pumpkins, Killer Cakes, any of those baking shows where they have to make Halloween stuff, go for it.

Ariella Monti: 29:46

Is it cake has a new season that is Halloween based and it just came out like last week or something?

Caitlin Kindred: 29:53

Cool. All right, well, if you can handle Mikey Day that much, then go for it with that one. Lots of Mikey Day. Um lots of Mikey Day, lots of Mikey Day. Yeah, awesome. Stranger Things, not necessarily Halloween, but creepy, so why not? You can use it to get into it.

Ariella Monti: 30:10

Yeah, and you know, you could take the time to watch it for whenever they put out the new season, and then you'll you'll be caught up because it's like five years in between.

Caitlin Kindred: 30:22

But also like five years of stuff like we watched Millie Bobby Brown go from being a child. In that to now she's married. Right. Like did she really? Yeah, she's married to John Bon Jovi's uh son. Get out! Yeah, seriously? That's wild. Isn't that a cool one? That's a cool, that's a cool relationship. I like that one. Yeah. Are you afraid of the dark and goosebumps the TV shows? Yeah. I mean, are you afraid of the dark? Yes. Had to. And you mentioned Wednesday. We just so I've seen all the first season. I haven't watched any of the second season yet, uh, which it it just came out fairly recently, I believe. But my husband had seen like episodes one through six of the first or one through five of the first season, and so he put on six, and my son is into it. Now, here's the problem, and I just read this at an ADHD thread the other day that, or this morning actually, that was like kids with ADHD or people with ADHD will predict the end of the movie. Sorry, they're gonna do it. They pick up on patterns faster than anyone else, and my son already knows. Like, he just watched episode six, yeah, and then he watched uh halfway through episode seven, he's like, Okay, I know what's going on. And I'm like, shut up. And he'd be like, Can you just tell me if I'm right? And I'm like, No, I'm not telling you. And then he learned that he was right, and he was like, I told you, so meanwhile, Bryce is like, Wait, what? What happened? So it's pretty good. But if you have a kid with ADHD and they've never seen it, they'll spoil it, just putting it out there. However, it is totally fun to watch Wednesday, you know, dark and creepy, but also General Ortega is amazing, so awesome. Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah. Okay, other ones that are not technically Halloween, however, I think that they belong on this list. Batman Returns. Listen, this is set in wintertime. However, creepy Danny DeVito as Penguin feels like Halloween to me. Just saying.

Ariella Monti: 32:08

Danny DeVito as Penguin biting into a fish continues to haunt me to this day. Yeah. In my 40s. Creepy. I mean, was Batman Returns also the one with with um Michelle Pfeiffer?

Caitlin Kindred: 32:26

I thought it was. Yeah, it is. It's the one with Michelle Pfeiffer.

Ariella Monti: 32:29

Okay, yeah. That I I should have known I was bi when that when I watched that movie because of Michelle Pfeiffer. Yeah. But it would take me like 30 some odd years to reflect on that and be like, uh Yeah, no.

Caitlin Kindred: 32:45

Okay. But also it's Michelle Pfeiffer. Like she was gorgeous then, she's gorgeous now. Like right. I mean, come on. So yeah. Yeah.

Ariella Monti: 32:55

But the the Danny DeVito and the fish. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent creepy.

Caitlin Kindred: 33:02

Right. Um, another one that again works, not technically Halloween, but well, no, this kind of is Halloween. Yeah. It's not a Halloween movie, takes place during Halloween. It's E.T. Yeah. Right? Like that's how they get away with so much, is that it's set at Halloween time. Yep. Um, this one will make you cry as an adult, just putting it out there now. It just the fingers will still creep me out, so I probably still can't watch that scene. Um, my I remember my mom, my poor mom. I was like five. So this movie came out in '88, '89, somewhere in that time frame. We were little.

Ariella Monti: 33:37

Yeah, I think it was even earlier than that. We were little, but it might have been early.

Caitlin Kindred: 33:40

Maybe, you know, maybe like 87. Some I I don't remember. Um, and it was supposed to be like this feel-good like family movie. And my mom puts it on, and I was freaked out. Could not watch it, could not handle it.

Ariella Monti: 33:56

It was so upsetting. Yeah, it wasn't like I remember being, I remember like just being a kid and just being so upset by it. I mean, now I guess like knowing we've got ADHD and the the whole like feeling your feelings really strongly. But yeah, no, I remember being really not afraid of it, but definitely upset by it.

Caitlin Kindred: 34:20

82. I was very wrong about that. So before we were born, uh, but still I was trying to watch it as a before you were born. Okay. You're not wait, you're end of 82. Well, no, I'm 80. I'm I thought you were 80. Okay. Yeah. Like, no. I'm end of 82. You're end of 82. I'm I'm early. Depending on when it came out. 80. Yeah. No, it probably was before you were born. It didn't come out like Christmas. So, anyway. Um, and the last one, this one needs to be in your high school later group, The Craft. Listen, I remember there was a certain subset of girls in high school who were obsessed with the craft. For a reason, you know, legit. Um, but also spooky, dark, uh deals with very adult themes. Yeah. But it it should be on the list, is my thought here. Okay, yeah so I've just given you, let me, I'm gonna try and go back through the list. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, wait, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty-two, two, three, two four, twenty five, two, six, two, seven, twenty eight, twenty-nine. More than thirty. No, I lied. No, yeah, more than thirty. This is like a list of 40 different things that you could be watching with your kids. And between now and Halloween, you don't have that much time. You could watch four of these a day and be like all about it. Like binge, go hard on the Halloween in your house. So, once again, though, I do have to say one more time common sense matters here. You know your kids' threshold better than any sort of rating system. Um, so don't just say, Oh, it's PG, and then just walk away. What scared you as a kid might not scare them, and vice versa. Some kids love being a little freaked out, others will have nightmares. So just keep that in mind. And with that, it is okay to turn something off if it's too much. And they might say, like, turn it off, turn it off, I'm scared. You might want to watch the rest of it, be a parent and turn it off for them and watch it later when you want to. Okay. It's also okay, and Ariella can attest to this with Is It Cake, it's okay to let them watch something over and over and over and over and over again, even if you're sick of it. Yeah, it'll just become white noise for you anyway, so you might as well just let it be. Yep. Mikey Day is very white noise. Yes, which is good because it his voice doesn't start out that way. Um, I don't mean to hate on Mikey Day. I'm just saying there's only so much is it's cake watching him stab a couch that is actually made of cake. Whatever. But here's the thing: I use Halloween movies to build traditions, right? Halloween movie watching can become part of your family tradition. You could build your Halloween traditions around watching Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween. You can do uh a Beetlejuice marathon, like how they play what's that Christmas movie where they play it all day long uh on TV.

Ariella Monti: 37:16

Oh, Christmas story?

Caitlin Kindred: 37:18

Thank you. Yes, you could do that. There might be a Beetlejuice marathon. Just do it, it's fun. Even ones that you watch when or that were too scary for you will become a funny story later on. So unless you know your kids are traumatized, then don't turn it into a funny story, right? Make it fun. Have popcorn, do cozy blankets, do all the things that are good for movie nights. Just use it to bring your family closer together if Halloween is part of your celebration throughout the year. What I'd love to know from our listeners is if they have Halloween movie traditions, did I did I hit it? Did I get one? Or any of these movies you wish you'd known about sooner, Practical Magic. I'd love to know your hot takes. So tell me all about them. Next week for our Halloween, like our actual Halloween episode, I'm giving you a history lesson all about everyone's favorite pop-up, Spirit Halloween.

Ariella Monti: 38:13

Yeah.

Caitlin Kindred: 38:13

It's gonna be so good. Subscribe now if you don't miss it. We'll be right back. Okay, y'all. POV. You find a diary exposing forbidden magic, and the hot museum caretaker's life depends on you burning it. Roots and Inc., the debut novel by Ariela Monti, is the fantasy romance for rebels. Use promo code CK and GK to get 20% off your copy at ariellamonty.com. Again, that's all caps at C K A N D G K for 20% off on Arielemonte.com. Get your copy for 20% off today. So we've talked about like some of our creepy uh movies that freaked us out. What do you guys have a Halloween tradition that you haven't shared with me before or that you haven't shared with our listeners?

Ariella Monti: 39:11

We don't. I I am the one who's like big on tradition, but my child and my husband are not really big on it. Interesting. So we don't really have anything, much to my chagrin. Yeah, I don't think so. Do you do something for yourself? Uh you know what I think I'm gonna start doing this weekend. I was working on a craft project while I watched The Crow, like the original The Crow, which is not a movie for children.

Caitlin Kindred: 39:49

It does not belong on this list.

Ariella Monti: 39:51

I mean, granted, no, like granted I watched it when I was 12. But 80s and 90s would be a different time. Right. Right. And it was like my personality. And like watching it now, I'm kind of like, oh, I kind of get why I am the way I am now. But I feel like I'm gonna watch that. I feel like I have to watch that movie once a year. Because that is a Halloween movie in that it does happen. Yeah. It you know, it happens like it takes place over the course of like Devil's Night and stuff. But yeah, I don't know. I might I might do that. Mine is maybe throw in some other movies too.

Caitlin Kindred: 40:28

Well, no, I think you have to like I'm gonna force practical magic down your throat. Like you have to watch it. No, I do need to watch it. So good. Yeah. Um and we again, we it's not Halloween here until we watch Hocus Pocus. Like it's just, it's just not. Like we so every every year on the first, we put out our Halloween inflatables. We have Punkney and Skelly. They're a big hit in the neighborhood. When we when when we introduce ourselves to people in the neighborhood later on in the year, it'll be like May. And they're like, where do you live? And we're like, oh, we're the we're the we're the dragon house, we're the dinosaur house on the street. And they're like, Oh, yeah, I love that. It's so fun. My kids like to take pictures in front of it. And we're like, Yeah, I know you're taking pictures in front of my house. It's creepy and weird. Um, but but have fun. Um so we put that out and put out the Halloween stuff outside, and then I have to watch Hocus Pocus in order for it to be Halloween. So um, but I love it. I have like all my Halloween gear. I gotta, I gotta watch the only thing I haven't watched yet this year that I need to watch is it's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Uh I love that one. It's it's it's kind of like friends when you see crazy Monica, right? Because Monica is like the normal, like put together one. So when you see Unhinged Linus like completely losing his mind as the voice of reason and not getting it, you have to watch it. It's just so entertaining. So that's that's my those are my Halloween things. I have to do gotta put out the inflatables, gotta watch Hocus Pocus, gotta watch Great Pumpkin. Um, and then it's then it's officially Halloween at our house.

Ariella Monti: 41:54

So I would say maybe the one post-Halloween tradition we have, because we will go and get pumpkins at some point, and I guess this is my issue with living in the south during the fall, is that it doesn't feel like fall. Right. Like when you're from New York, like it doesn't feel like fall, right? Um, but we will go and get pumpkins, and then after Halloween, when the pumpkins are starting to like rot, we will take them and we will throw them into the air and watch them crash to the ground, or we'll take like a hammer to them and just do like a smashing pumpkins thing, and then we have chickens, so we like you know that's cool though.

Caitlin Kindred: 42:38

Yeah, we don't always carve pumpkins because it's so hot that they like immediately just start to bl everywhere. Yeah, and whenever we've done that, sometimes teenagers come through and like smash them, which is kind of a bummer. Um, but we want to this year, so Halloween's on a Friday this year, which is so great. So, like, why not just do all the things anyway? So um we hope you enjoyed this episode. Hope you are getting into the festivities if Halloween is your jam. If it's not, you know, thanks for listening anyway. And there are movies on here that are not for Halloween that are just Halloween esque, so you can watch those. Right. All right. Yeah. In the meantime, as Jenny would say, make good choices. Love you mean it. Have a great day. Bye! Bye.