Halloween DVDs for Kids and Family

Halloween began as a pagen harvest festival and considered the Celtic New Year. As Christianity took root, the Church instituted All Hallows Day, more commonly known in modern times as "All Saints Day," celebrating the lives and miracles of all the Catholic Church's saints. The night before All Hallows Day became known as "All Hallow Even," the evening before All Hallows Day. "Hallowe'en" replaced the Gaelic custom of dressing up as ghosts and spirits on October 31st. They believed a door between our world and the spirit world was opened for that day only. Evil spirits invaded the world to wreck havoc on human beings. The costumes were believed to appease the spirit world, lessening the destruction they brought. Since then, Halloween has become a day of revelry for all ages, and an opportunity to "play dress-up" as adults. Costumed children go begging door-to-door, calling "trick or treat," delighting their neighbors with their costumes, ranging from angels to devils and monster. Thankfully, the "trick" part of this custom is no longer considered acceptable.

Another favorite part of Halloween is watching scary movies, television episodes, and cartoons. Here are some of our old and new favorites for kids and family.

Scholastic and Fox Home Entertainment have released three Goosebumps DVDs based on R. L. Stine's writings: One Day at Horrorland; Monster Blood; and A Night in Terror Tower DVDs. The first title is part of the Stine's HorrorLand series that also includes books and video games. The Goosebumps book and television series receives a great deal of criticism some parents' groups. Nevertheless, they are entertaining scary stories for the preteens who love this genre. Stine's stories seem to be inspired by O'Henry's surprise endings and Twilight Zone's twists and turns.

Each episode of HIT Entertainment's Halloween Spooktacular DVD collection of stories and activities is not scary and written for preschoolers and early elementary age children. The episodes cover a variety of Halloween topics, including choosing a costume, safety carving and handling pumpkins, what to expect while trick-or-treating, good manners for trick-or-treating, owning up to one's mistakes, being a good friend, cooperative play, and slightly spooky ghost stories. Episodes are taken from Barney, Angelina Ballerina, Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam, and Bob the Builder. A Fifi and the Flower Tots bonus episode is also included.

Nickelodeon Films and Paramount Pictures finally did justice to a movie adaptation of a children's book series when it released The Spiderwick Chronicles. When his parents separate, Jared Grace, his twin brother Simon, sister Mallory, and his mother, Helen, move from New York to a mysterious old house in the country. It is owned by their great great uncle Arthur Spiderwick and great aunt Lucinda. The brothers and sister soon learn that the Field Guide their elderly uncle wrote isn't a fantasy. These creatures actually exist! The only way a human can see these creatures is through a special seeing stone, or by being spat in the eye by an icky goblin. The Grace children desperately try to keep the key to the Unseen World out of Mulgareth's evil hands. As the Graces develop their powers and face these magical, sometimes frightening beings, they overcome their personal conflicts.

Don Knotts was best known for his roles as the suspicious, bumbling deputy in The Andy Griffiths Show and the suspicious, bumbling apartment manager in Three's Company. But, he also made a name for himself in family comedy movies, the best of which is The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, released in 1966. It's all silly and your kids will find the special effects and props outdated. It is, however, still funny. Knotts plays Luther Heggs, a newspaper typesetter back in the day when setting up a newspaper for printing required setting it up on a huge printers. He dreams of becoming a reporter. One day, he Luther is given a dare to stay overnight in the town's haunted house. He decides that the best way to draw attention to his investivative reporting skills is by finding out what is going on in the house. But, he is so frightened by the happenings at the house that he doesn't make it. He tells of his terrifying evening, which makes him the laughing stock of the town. Determined to save face, Luther continues to investigate the mysterious house.

The magical adventure The Little Vampire is a delightful children's fantasy film, complete with flying cows. Kids will watch as an underdog gains confidence as he helps his new friends overcome a huge obstacle and evade a klutzy vampire hunter. The parents are loving and caring, but bemused at Tony's make-believe vampire friends - until they are introduced. In the end, good conquers evil. Those who were thought to be evil weren't so bad, after all. They were just stuck in a bad situation and needed a little help getting out of it. The acting and writing is remarkably good, compared to many kids' movies of this genre. The story keeps the attention of the kids. And, adults will catch themselves laughing along with the kids.