Scooby-Doo
It would be a crime to have a list of spooky movies for kids without including the Mystery Gang. Luckily for us, Scooby-Doo has released a plethora of animated movies, as well as two beloved live-action movies. This suggestion is going to look a little different from the others, as instead of writing what makes this entry a good watch, I’ll be listing some of the best Scooby-Doo movies to watch this season.
Scooby-Doo & Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
First, we have the best live-action movies. These movies probably shouldn’t work at all. They’re an adaptation of an animated series, they star an early CG character, and the first one started life as a more “adult” flick.
But somehow they manage to strike absolute gold. The cast is absolutely perfect; every actor embodies their animated counterpart to an almost spooky degree. Matthew Lillard, in particular, is so perfect as Shaggy that he’s since taken over voicing the character in animated media. Scooby Doo, being CG, surprisingly doesn’t pull you out of the movie either; it’s impressive stuff for the time. Scooby, as a general rule, doesn’t touch the other characters often, but the few instances of live-action characters interacting with Scooby are done quite cleverly with a touch of practical effects to sell the moment.
For fans of the franchise, the original live-action movie is a real treat, including a lot of references to the show while not taking itself too seriously. The gang are reunited on the predictably named Spooky Island, where they repair their broken relationship while searching for the answer to the island’s mysteries. They include a good mix of jokes for kids and parents, and it’s altogether a really well-executed family movie.
The sequel, Monsters Unleashed, is more of the same, but with the added twist that now they have to contend with their iconic adversaries of the past, who have been brought to life for real this time.
Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase
This classic is beloved among Scooby-Doo fans, and for good reason.
Cyber Chase strikes a good balance between the original TV show’s idea of there being an ultimately harmless villain to unmask and the movie’s tendency to make the villains actual supernatural creatures.
The gang visits an old friend and college student, Eric, who has made a super high-tech video game based on their adventures. They are soon attacked by the Phantom Virus, who uses another invention of Eric’s to beam them into the game.
The gang now must explore each level of the game while working out how to defeat the Phantom Virus, as well as trying to solve the wider mystery of who created the virus in the first place.
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School
This one is a bit different. Whilst yes, it’s still Scooby, it doesn’t seem to be in the universe we know. First off, there’s no Fred, Daphne, or Velma. Secondly, Shaggy is wearing a red T-shirt. What is that about? Anyway, despite the conspiracy theories, this movie is perfect for the Halloween season. There’s a mummy girl, a werewolf, witches, ghosts, spiders… The list goes on and on.
Scooby, Shaggy, and Scrappy find themselves hired as gym teachers at a school that houses a ragtag group of supernatural children. Upon finding out that these girls are the children of famous monsters, i.e, Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy and the like, they find themselves a bit reluctant to stay; however, ultimately they do stay.
After winning a volleyball match against the nearby boys’ school and a night of Halloween partying, Shaggy gets hypnotised by a power-hungry witch, Revolta. He takes the girls on a school trip to a nearby bog, where the girls get kidnapped. The girls end up getting hypnotised, their safety is put at risk, and ultimately, the girls are in danger of getting turned evil forever. Can Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy save the girls?
This movie is a Halloween staple. I remember getting very excited whenever I saw that it was showing on Boomerang. I would watch it multiple times a year, and eventually, I bought the DVD for my child to enjoy as they grew up, too.
Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire
The mystery gang are on vacation, and where else would they go but sunny Australia? After spending a little time at Bondi Beach, the gang heads to the outback, hoping to catch the Vampire Rock festival. Here, they learn that the main musician for their unlicensed musicians’ competition, Matt Marvellous, was kidnapped.
We learn a bit of background on the area, including the legend of the Vampire who lives inside the bat-shaped mountain and the previous runners-up of the competition getting lost when camping up there. Following this, the gang take the place of the kidnapped Matt in the competition.
In usual Scooby Doo fashion, when Fred, Velma, and Daphne get to investigating, Scooby and Shaggy get into a bout of trouble with the monster. This run-in includes garlic powder, silver, mirrors, and tanning beds. But when another band, the ones that the gang initially suspected to be behind the troubles, get kidnapped by the vampire, a whole new can of worms is opened. With plenty of questions, the gang proceed to get to the bottom of this mystery and find out who is behind the kidnappings in the Australian outback.
Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!
One of the biggest mysteries of our world has been the Bermuda Triangle, and that’s exactly where this movie takes place. When a crew’s ship sails into the triangle, suddenly the compass goes haywire, an eerie fog rolls in, and all wind ceases to exist. Then, in a turn of events, the ship is boarded by ghost pirates, who then proceed to take over the crew’s vessel, with their own ship firing cannons at them.
Cut to The Mystery Machine, and we see the gang making their way to a pier to board a cruise for Freddie’s birthday, invited by and paid for by his parents. Freddie’s parents are adorable. Upon boarding the ship, the gang discover that this cruise is a special one. A mystery cruise. Unfortunately for the other passengers, the gang are way too good at the mysteries conducted by the captain and stewardess. That’s when they come across a man overboard in the ocean, claiming to have seen ghost pirates… Fred sees this as another mystery created by the cruise crew, and vows to let the other passengers solve it.
During the ship’s scheduled mystery show, a blackout occurs. With the passengers panicking, running around, and screaming, the ship gets overrun by ghost pirates in search of someone. After Fred’s parents get kidnapped by the bandits, the gang must find out where they were taken, who the pirates are, and who they are looking for.
Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf
Do you remember Wacky Races? Well, this one is basically Wacky Races with classic Halloween monsters. Oh, and Scooby, Shaggy, Scrappy and Googie are there. Who’s Googie? Well, she’s Shaggy’s girlfriend, don’t get too attached to her; she hasn’t been seen since.
In a break from mystery-solving with the rest of the gang, Shaggy has improbably become a successful racecar driver with Scooby, Scrappy and Googie acting as his pit crew. After winning a race, Shaggy is chosen by Dracula (bizarrely not the same one from Ghoul School) to become the werewolf competitor in his “Monster Road Rally.”
Now stuck in werewolf form, Shaggy and his friends must work together to win the race and reverse the spell cast by Dracula. Altogether, it’s a good time despite missing half the classic gang.
Scooby-Doo! and the Witch’s Ghost
This movie is the best of the best when it comes to Scooby-Doo movies. Not only is it the introduction of the well-loved Hex Girls, but we also get the incredible voice talents of the legendary Tim Curry.
When the Mystery Gang show up in Oakhaven, they’re told of the history of the town. More specifically, the story of Sarah Ravencroft, a witch whose ghost terrorises the town. After the revelation that the mayor has turned the story and town into a tourist attraction, we learn that the witch is an ancestor of one of Velma’s favourite horror writers — Ben Ravencroft. Ben then reveals that his ancestor was not a witch, but a wiccan who used natural herbs and remedies to heal the people of Oakhaven, and wishes to prove her innocence 400 years after her persecution.
The Mystery (Inc.)
In an attempt to witness the witch’s ghost (haha, that’s the title of the movie) at night, the gang and other visitors of the town stick around. However, they do not end up seeing the ghost. Shaggy and Scooby have a run-in with the ghost. Being chased and blasted by fireballs, they run into the rest of the gang and Ben, making their way home.
After investigating the scene of the crime, they discover some broken branches in the bushes. Upon closer inspection, the gang see a gothic girl band playing music in the forest. They surely fit the bill for someone summoning an ancient ghost of a witch, what with their edgy exteriors and their “spell-casting” lyricism. So, who is behind the recent ghost attacks? Is it the tourist-hungry mayor? The horror-yearning writer? Or the young “witches” looking to ramp up their image?
I will pre-warn you, though. Your child might become a goth after watching this movie. (That’s not a negative, embrace it and encourage their personal preferences <3)
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
While Scooby Doo and the Boo Brothers was the first animated Scooby Doo movie released, if you were to ask any casual fan which the first Doo movie they remember is, they’d very likely say Zombie Island. (Melty note: I haven’t seen Zombie Island; Ghoul School is the first I’d mention.) What it was was the first movie made by Warner Bros. Animation after Hanna-Barbera was bought out. With insanely high production values compared to the TV series’ comparatively cheap look, Zombie Island really wowed audiences on release.
As became tradition for the movies, this follows the gang encountering genuine supernatural beings. Set some time after the TV show, Daphne now hosts a successful paranormal investigation show, and they arrive in New Orleans in search of the supernatural. They are invited to Moonscar Island, where they are soon hunted by genuine undead.
Sporting some of the most visually appealing animation of the entire franchise and a soundtrack that is frankly iconic, if you only have time for one animated Scooby Doo movie this October, you can’t go far wrong with this one.
I couldn’t possibly write about every Scooby-Doo movie in the timeframe I gave myself, so if you really want to delve into the world of Mystery Inc., there are a lot more that you can watch besides what I’ve listed above. Others include Scooby-Doo! and the Boo Brothers, Scooby-Doo! and the 13 Ghosts, and Scooby-Doo! in Where’s My Mummy? just to name a few. The franchise has a plethora of media, and you won’t miss out on media, even if you watch everything back-to-back. The gang have been around since 1969, after all!
The Addams Family
Here they are! The best family of this, the previous, and the next generation. The Addams. If you read our Spooky Games list, you’ll know that I’ve already recommended these guys to you. But that was the game. Here we’re talking about movies, and boy, if they aren’t some of the best, I don’t know what is.
The Addams Family (1991) & Addams Family Values (1993)
When someone mentions The Addams Family, 80% of the time, they’re referring to these movies. The powerhouse movies of the ’90s feature talents from Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci.
In the first movie, we see the heartbreak of Gomez as he laments over the loss of his brother, Fester, after a falling out 25 years prior. After a seance performed by Grandmama Addams, a familiar face shows up at their door, alongside a German psychiatrist who found Fester in a bunch of tuna nets.
However, not all is as it seems. These two are Gordon and his adoptive mother, Abigail Craven. They have posed as the beloved family member and his saviour to infiltrate the family’s walls and steal their wealth. Although they are welcomed with open arms, the family soon become suspicious of the duo. With terrifying traps, dubious nostalgia-trips, and questionable quips, will the family find out the truth of what happened to Fester?
The Addamses
In the second movie, after the birth of a new Addams, Pubert, we see Fester (yes, it’s actually him!) with a new boo-thing. The new nanny, Debbie. Oh, Debbie, how I love you, despite your pastels. With Wednesday and Pugsley away at a summer camp, there is plenty of screen time available for both the adults and the children.
Back at home, we learn that Debbie is a serial killer, looking to marry Fester, then kill him for his inheritance. Despite this, she fits in perfectly with the macabre family, much to her dismay. When in camp, we see Wednesday and Pugsley singled out by the other campers for their dark mannerisms, except for one boy who grows attracted to Wednesday.
With the family life not being as it usually is, Morticia and Gomez are horrified to find that Pubert has developed blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and blonde hair to boot. So, will Debbie successfully murder Fester? Will Wednesday and Pugsley finally fit in? And is there a blue-eyed blondie permanently added to the Addams family?
This movie has multiple iconic moments. If you’ve seen any screenshots, clips, or memes flying around that are definitely from an Addams Family movie, it’s likely from this one.
The Addams Family (2019) & The Addams Family 2 (2021)
These are not to everyone’s tastes, especially if you’re a fan of the previous live-action adaptations. While it’s true that the character’s designs are much more in line with their comic originals, these movies are much more action-oriented than you might be used to seeing from the franchise.
The Addams Family sees the origin of the family retold as they are chased from their homeland. They find a new home in New Jersey, where their iconic mansion id reframed as an abandoned insane asylum, where they find Lurch. 13 years later, the family has grown to include Wednesday, Pugsley, a pet lion and a sentient tree. Pugsley is getting ready for a special coming-of-age ceremony, and Wednesday is starting to get curious about the outside world. Unfortunately for the family’s plans, the outside world will soon be coming to them.
The sequel sees the family going on vacation while Wednesday is pursued for her scientific achievements. Drama and action ensue.
Overall, while long-time fans of the franchise might not mesh well with these films, newcomers and children especially will have fun with the zany and kooky action.
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