Hey all, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the stomach for scary or gory movies this year (or any year, honestly, but more so now). So I’m building a list of films and TV shows that we can watch this holiday season. I’ll start with the obscure and end with the obvious.

Spaced Invaders (1990)

I’d strongly suggest Spaced Invaders This is a wacky comedy, that will have you giggling — if you’re in the right mood. How is this a Hallowe’en movie? The premise is that very short, and somewhat stupid, Martians invade Earth during Hallowe’en. It’s not going well, but they’re hearing a rebroadcast of Orson Well’s War of the Worlds, and think they’re winning. Meanwhile, us Earthlings all assume they’re just well-costumed kids trick-or-treating. And the cast? The only name I recognise is a very young Ariana Richards, who would gain fame three years later when she played Lex in the original Jurassic Park.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

While we’re on the topic of strange, have you ever seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show? This musical is 50 years old! This is one film that needs to be seen in the theatre (preferably at a midnight screening) to truly be experienced, but watch it at home, if you must. Even with “Horror” in the title, this musical, about a transvestite alien’s desire to make a love slave, is not scary. Many of the songs are unforgettable. The cast were mostly unknowns at the time, but Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf all went on to fame.

The Tim Burton Trifecta

Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and Sleepy Hollow (1999) Hallowe’en may actually be too early in the year to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I’ll leave it here. Edward Scissorhands, where everyone but one young lady sees Edward as Frankenstein’s monster, is a weird but enjoyable romp through suburbia. Sleepy Hollow is as close as I will get to a ’scary movie” on this list, and The Nightmare Before Christmas is just a fun musical with a very twisted sense of humour.

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1965)

The last, and most obvious entry is the classic It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Not as good as A Charlie Brown Christmas, but probably the last truly original Charlie Brown special. The special is credited with codifying much of how Hallowe’en is celebrated today, and as such is probably the most culturally relevant entry on this list, even as it’s by far skewed the youngest.

Hopefully there’s something here that you’d like. I know I’m going to be singing “Science Fiction Double Feature” for the next few days. If you don’t get that reference… have a happy Hallowe’en anyway.