Tomorrow commemorates the 70th anniversary of the film version of the Wizard of Oz. For almost three quarters of a century, Judy Garland’s sweet voice has been taking audiences on a magical ride over the rainbow and it’s a story that’s inspired millions to remember that there’s no place like home.

Some of the most memorable characters in history were introduced to the world through the movie. “The Wizard of Oz” was itself an adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L Baum. Baum’s Oz novels also inspired the rock musical “The Wiz” in the 70’s, the deliciously terrifying “Return to Oz” in the 80s, Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (which inspired the Tony-Award-winning musical “Wicked”) in the 90s and 2000s and many many others.

We wanted to share our top 5 favorite Wizard of Oz characters with you this week. We hope you’ll chime in down in the comments to let us know what your favorite is:

TIN MAN: If we only had the heart

You’ve got to love a man with muscles whose in touch with his emotional side. It’s hard not to empathize with the Tin Man who just wants to be able to feel. We’d say that the Tin Man is about the ultimate struggle to become human but that would be way too deep for a site about Halloween costumes. Instead we’ll just ask you to pass the oil can.

DOROTHY: There’s no place like home

Dorothy is the center of the Oz story and the sweet heroine whose kindness changes the face of Oz forever. But let’s face it, it was really all about those shoes. What little girl didn’t stand in her mom’s high heels and click them together three times. Say it with me. “There’s no place like home.”

LION: We’ve lost our nerve

Was there ever a cuter king of the forest than the shy, Cowardly Lion? His roar was so fearsome he even scared himself and we couldn’t help loving him for it. Courage is about standing up for yourself and your friends when you’re scared out of your wits and he manages to do it with ease when push comes to shove.

SCARECROW: If we only had the brains

In the books, the Scarecrow goes on to take over for the vanished Wizard and learns to rule wisely and well but we’ll admit our hearts were won by that weak-legged dance, that boneless grace, that carefree attitude and of course the fact that in the Wicked musical…well, we won’t spoil the surprise.

GLINDA and THE WICKED WITCH: Are you a good witch or a bad witch?

We’ve got to give the number one spot to the elder stateswomen of the Oz movies.

Sure Dorothy and her friends traveled the road but it’s Glinda and The Wicked Witch of the West (called Elphaba in Maguire’s “Wicked”) that really get the show on the road. Quite literally. It’s Glinda who sends Dorothy on her journey and Elphaba who drives the suspense all the way until her chilling death. [Fun fact: In the original book, Glinda was the witch of the South, and not the same witch who met Dorothy in Munchkin Country.]

Without the witches, good and bad, all you have is a girl stuck in a land with a bunch of small people who like to sing strange songs about lollipops. And that’s not very memorable at all.

With only five weeks left before Halloween, it’s time to get serious about what you’re going to wear on the big day. You can’t just throw on any old thing last minute. that would leave you open for shame and scorn and, you know what? You’d totally deserve it.  No, for Halloween to be a success you need to think about your costume. Consider the angles. Pick the perfect persona.

But that’s not such an easy task. In order to make sure you get the right costume for you, we’ve put together a simple guide.  Ask yourself these questions and soon enough you’ll have a costume that no one will mock you for.

Location, Location, Location

The very first thing that you should consider when you’re narrowing down costumes is where you’re planning on wearing it. Are you going to be shaking your thang at a college party? [In which case, here's the link to sexy costumes. You're welcome.] Will you be partying at work where standards are a little more conservative? (Scary or unique costumes would be better here. If it has the word sexy in it, don’t wear it to work.) Is it a family party where you’ll be chasing after kids? (Avoid high heels!) Or are you just throwing on your costume for trick or treating? (Pick something super comfortable.)

If you’re going to be outside, you’ll want to think about the weather too. Short skirts and bare midriffs might work in Southern California but trick or treating in the same thing in Michigan will lead to frostbite in tender places. Dress for the location or you’re sure to end up sorry.

Partying with your Posse

All for one, one for all

Who will be at your party? Are you going with a group of your friends? With a date? If so, are you going to coordinate with group costumes or couples costumes? How about a little “I’ve got You, Babe” with some Sonny and Cher costumes? Or get the guys together for some old fashioned Musketeer action.

If you don’t want to get too matchy, think about a theme instead. Pick a decade or a genre. Get a bunch of girlfriends to vamp it up with film noir or punk out in 80s fashion.  You and your sweetie could be too cute for words or beyond naughty.

If you’re striking out solo, there’s a different set of questions. Do you want to play up part of your personality? Or are you going to take this chance to walk on the wild side and live up what’s not you this year? Or is this going to be the time you show off your secret talent for sword fighting with a ninja costume.

Standing Out or Fitting In

Now that you know if you’re part of a group or a super solo act, it’s time to make a decision about popularity. Ask yourself “Do I want to have fun or make a statement?” We covered some of the top trends in Halloween costumes this year but that doesn’t mean you want to with the flow.

What characters are popular right now that will be recognized and liked by people who see you? Do I want to be creative or fit in with the crowd?  It’s great to be original but your homage to late 13th century epic poetry might not be a hit at the office. Go big, go memorable or go recognizable in large crowds.  If you’re just hanging out with your friends, you can get a little more obscure.

Finishing Touches

The clothes make get you started but it’s the accessories that bring a costume to the next level. You’re going to have to make some choices now.

• Do you want to wear a mask or have your face showing?
• What hairstyle would a costume require (or do you want a hat)?
• Do you need gloves? Shoes? Jewelry?
• Will that vampire costume need fake teeth or just some glitter body paint for an authentic look?

It’s all those little details that are going to make your Halloween costume more than just another silly outfit so pay attention and get it right.

Remember that Halloween is on a Saturday this year. You may end up needing more than one costume!

Why settle for an ordinary Halloween party when you can have the best Halloween ever? Pick an event or three off the list below, get a couple amazing Halloween costumes from us and get ready for the best Halloween you’ve ever had.

At the Theme Parks:

Take a magic carpet ride!

If you’ve got kids, then the other items on our list might not be for you but this one is. Family friendly Halloween fare can be found throughout the Halloween season at any number of theme parks around the country.

For a fun time for all ages, we recommend Disney Parks Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Treat or Treat Party at Disney World and Disneyland resorts. These are separate events from a regular day at the park and they sell out fast. Halloween itself is already gone but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time before Halloween itself and still go trick or treating on the day!

Older kids and teens might prefer the scary good time of Knott’s Scary Farm Haunt, or any of the Six Flags parks Fright Fests which typically go all out for terrorizing the paying guests. Probably not the best choice for kids under 10.

In the Big City:

New York’s Village Halloween Parade is one of the most justifiably famous events each Halloween. An estimated 60,000 costumed marchers take to the streets of the Big Apple making it the nations largest public Halloween celebration.

More than 2 million people have taken part in the parade and another million have watched it on television. It was even named one of the 100 Things to do Before You Die. We say no time like the present.

At College:

Pictured: Not your daughter

Look, do we have to spell this one out for you?

Here are the top 10 party schools in the country. Pick one, get a super sexy costume, find a party, get crazy.

(Note for parents of college age kids: Don’t worry, your sons and daughters will be at home studying. We promise.)

1. Penn State University, State College, Pa.
2. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
3. University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
4. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
5. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
6. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
7. University of Texas, Austin, Texas
8. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
9. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
10. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.

At the “Carnaval”:

Looking for a walk on the racier side? We suggest heading to the 21nd annual West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. This free event welcomes more than half a million brilliantly costumed and seriously sexy people. If you’ve ever wondered how four strategically placed feathers can be a whole costume, then WeHo has the answer.

Drive on down to Santa Monica Boulevard on Halloween night but be warned, parking is very limited and you might end up hiking quite a ways to the party. Festivities officially start at 6 pm.

In Prison:

Hello, Officer

The scariest, most authentically Halloween fright experience is found in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the infamous Eastern State Penitentiary, a very real maximum security prison that once housed the likes of Al Capone, now turned into the most terrifying haunted house event in the country.

Recommended by 5 out of 5 hot women in Police Costumes. Terror Behind the Walls is guaranteed to scare you away from a life of crime. We’re getting shivers just thinking about it.

It can be tough to pick the perfect costume for a teenager or a tween. This is the time when Halloween costumes become more about looking good than being authentic. Sure that ghost costume is scary but it’s it cute?  In order to make the very best costume descision this year, you’ve got to make sure you look great.  With that in mind, we picked seven stellar costumes for tweens.

Girls:

Pink Cat Costume: This classically cute costume is the perfect balance between innocent kitten and naughty black cat. It’s not bad luck to cross a cat this adorable. We like to pair it with fishnets and ballet flats so you can be silent and sneaky as the real thing.

---

Devil Bride Costume: Go ahead and claim that the Devil made you do it, but you’ll know that the truth is that bad girls have more fun. Take a walk on the dark side this Halloween. It’s okay, it’s only one night after all.

---

Black Skull Fairy: This is what it would look like if fairies played roller derby. Not all fairies are sweetness and light. This is a fairy costume for the emo-punk rebel in you. Dress it up and make it rockabilly or go for a goth look.  Either way, no one’s going to be mistaking you for Tinkerbell in this cute yet rebellious number.

---

Ladybug Costume: Ever heard the phrase cute as a bug? No trips to the Ugly Bug Ball in this sweet number. We like this one because it’s fun and flirty but Mom will still let you out of the house. How very ladylike, ladybug.

---

Pink Pirate: Pirates are never going out of style again. We don’t know why, maybe it’s because they’re the punks of the old days but something about pirates remains cool. They’re even making another Pirates of the Caribbean movie. (It’s called “On Stranger Tides” and yeah, Johnny Depp will be back.) We picked this pirate costume because it’s not your typical pirate lass. It’s got modern attitude. Skip the eye patch but don’t forget your pirate earrings.

---

---

Guys

Teen Zombie:  Back in the dark ages, zombies were slow, dumb and only wanted your brains. Now zombies are fast, smart and …well, okay, they’re still after your brains. But in an awesome way. It’s only a matter of time before the zombapocalypse. Make the right choice.

---

Death Rider: Leather jacket, check. Ripped jeans, check. Bad attitude, check. Spirit of vengeance instilled by an angry god? Check plus. Yeah, you’re ready. Grab your bike and ride.

If Comic-Con in San Diego is nerd prom, then Dragon*Con in Atlanta is the after party.  The world’s largest Sci-Fi and Fantasy convention storms Georgia’s capital city every Labor Day weekend and throws one heck of a bash for fans and fanboys of every geek stripe.  Perhaps because the attendees at this show are among the most passionate, the costumes at Dragon*Con are unmatched and no holds barred.  In fact there are no fewer than nine different costume contests being held this year.

Here’s the run down:

Cosplay Contest - For Anime fans, this one’s the gold standard. More improbable hair colors than you can shake a stick at.

Dragon-After-Dark – You want sexy costumes? This one’s so sexy they check your IDs at the door.

Dawn Look-Alike Contest – Or as I like to call it, how many attractive redheads can you fit in the same room at a time?

Friday Night Costuming Contest

Hallway Costume Contest - The most casual of the contests and the only one decided by popular vote.

Masquerade Costume Contest - Contests work year round for their chance to shine on the Masquerade stage and it’s well worth the effort.

Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant, and it’s Force-tastic counterpart the Mr. Star Wars 2009 contest are chances for the fiercest Star Trek female fan and most dedicated male Star Wars fan to strut their stuff.

Star Wars Costume Contest 2009 ­- Jedi, Sith, Stormtrooper or Rebel, there’s no end to the brilliant twists on the beloved sci-fi tale of long, long ago.

But don’t think that Dragon*Con is the one event this September that gets fantasy fans excited.  September 19th is Talk Like A Pirate Day and there’s no better chance to practice swashbuckling, sword fighting and scurvy-avoiding (eat fresh fruits and veggies, kids!)  Pirates and privateers of all ages might want to check out the awesome Pirate Faire in Ojai, California.

And just in case you think we’ve forgotten, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party kicks off tonight at Disney Theme Parks. Tickets to the party are separate from regular day passes but Disney encourages you to come in costume for a spooky time. This event Halloween Street approves as fun for the whole family and it’s a great time to test out your Disney costume before the big day.

Remember, there’s only 8 weeks left until Halloween.  Start celebrating early and make this the best Fall ever and make sure you have the best Halloween costume ever!

Good morning, angels! Welcome once again to Halloween Street. As always I’m your host Professor Doctor Dippel. I am most excited to see how many of you are looking positively angelic today!

That is assuming you’ve all been working very hard to earn your angel wings like we taught you last week! I certainly have–do you like my new robes? I think they go very well with my lab coat, don’t you?

Things are busier than ever here on Halloween Street! It’s only 9 weeks until the best day of the year: Halloween! We’re getting ready for the big day here and we thought we’d provide you with a shopping guide and some reasons to get your Halloween started early. Why get to planning, pricing and playing already? Glad you asked.

Here’s the Top 9 Reasons to Get Excited about Halloween:

1. More time for parties! It is essential that you start picking out all the best ones to go to and making sure your friends will be there too.
2. Plan your own Halloween Party. Remember Halloween is Saturday this year. That means you can start partying Friday not and keep going until you fall into bed about two hours before you have to get up on Monday morning.
3. First dibs! Don’t let someone else steal your idea! (This happens to Scarface every year because he’s a procrastinator.)
4. You know you’re going to change your mind about your costume a million times before Halloween anyway. Even if you don’t feel like you need to make a decision right now, it’s a good idea to start thinking about the possibilities. Making that choice between Wolverine and Mr. Spock is going to be tough.
5. Practice getting in character. The clothes make the man (or woman) but are you really committing to the bit if you can’t deliver a solid “Live long and prosper”? No, you’re not.
6. Shopping early means getting in before all the good stuff is gone. Some days, we barely unpack the boxes before all the costumes are sold. We won’t ever tell you that something is in stock when it’s not.
7. Avoid overnight shipping that costs more than the costume.
8. Kids: Plan your trick or treating strategy for maximum candy.
9. Adults: Sexy costumes are all the rage and good for just about any day of the week. Don’t believe me? Just ask your partner.

Convinced? Good! But, Professor, surely you can’t just let me go without any more guidance. Of course I won’t. And don’t call me Shirley. Without further ado, the Top 9 Costume Trends this Halloween:

1. Star Trek – JJ Abrams reimagining of the sci-fi classic has taken the world by storm. We shut down the lab to go see the film on IMAX and it’s no surprise that our officially licensed Star Trek Costumes are flying off the shelves. But don’t just stop with New Trek. A franchise that’s spanned five decades is sure to have something for everyone. (Like that pleasure planet from Star Trek: TNG, you know what I mean?)

2. Superheroes — We’ve written about how popular superhero costumes are once or twice before on the blog but even WE didn’t expect this level of excitement about it. Everyone and their mama wants to be a hero this year. Bah, I’ll never understand it. Supervillains, that’s where it’s at.

3. Glowman — I don’t think I even need to explain this one. There’s literally not a thing more that we haven’t already said about Glowman costumes that isn’t summed up in this video. They’re fun, they’re different and they glow in the dark. It’s genius!

4. Bobbleheads – You know what they say about a man who wears big hats? He must be wearing a bobble head costume! Women go wild for a bobble head man. Just the other day I was wearing my Grim Reaper bobble head costume to the supermarket (it relaxes me) and security actually asked me to leave because I was “distracting” the other shoppers. Mission accomplished.

5. Sexy – Quick, cover the eyes of any children in the room. You want to know what the real top trend of Halloween is? Sexy costumes. The kind that make you plot dastardly deeds and wicked ways.

Enough said.

6. The Wizard of Oz – With Wicked the Musical touring the nation and the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Wizard of Oz this year, we’ve seen a complete frenzy when it comes to getting Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Whether you’re a good witch or a bad witch, there’s no denying that somewhere over the rainbow is the perfect costume for you. And your little dog too!

7. Mascots — Okay, technically these aren’t Halloween trends but with school starting, college mascots are once again serious business. Are you going to let your school go out there with the same ratty old mascot costume that they’ve always used or do you have the school pride to suit up in a professional quality mascot costume from Halloween Street? The choice is yours. Just don’t blame me when your team spirit isn’t inspired without it.

8. Zombies — Zombie flash mobs are springing up all over the country. Jane Austen’s classic novel has been rewritten as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. All Jonathan Coulton’s fans want to do is eat your brains. If this isn’t the year of the zombie, I don’t know what is.

9. Unique – The top most trend of Halloween 2009 is no trend at all! Halloween is the perfect time to show your individuality. Like Buffy said, Halloween is the time when not you is you. You know? So throw out the rule book and go with your gut because the very best Halloween costume is the one that gets you excited and makes you want to scream with joy.

Remember to use our special code HS5 to get 15% off your Halloween costume purchase. Or be an angel and buy a gift for a sick child and receive a thank you code for even more discounts.

Dippel out!

Scarface tells me that Saturday is Be An Angel Day. While no one here at the lab knows what that means, we do know all the best ways to gain some good karma to offset all the time we spend trying to take over the world and rule it with an iron fist. Here are the 10 ways we’ve tried to earn our halos and harps this year.

1. Put on your walking shoes:
Here at the lab, we have a team every year for our annual Relay for Life which supports the American Cancer Society (www.relayforlife.org/relay). Organize your friends, your family, your coworkers even and set up a reasonable goal for your team. Get donations and walk for a cure.

2. Give a hand:
Times are tough all over. Earn your wings by finding a local soup kitchen and volunteering once a week. Not sure how to find one? Call your local government office or churches in the area. Even if they don’t run one themselves, it’s likely they’ll be able to direct you to the right place.

3. Turn trash to treasure:
If you’ve got little kids, chances are they’re outgrowing their clothes every day. Take those gently used shirts and skirts and pants to local thrift stores such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Some services will even come to you and take away donations right from your front porch. You can take unwanted books or magazines to the public library’s Friends of the Library bookstore.

4. Be a bookworm:
While you’re dropping off those books at your local library, why not ask and see if they can use some help? Public libraries depend on public funds and the strength of community to keep them afloat. Putting in a few hours here and there makes the whole neighborhood better.

5. Hang out with the friendly vampires:
The American Red Cross is always looking for more people to donate blood. Go to GiveLife.org to find a blood drive in your area. It only takes about an hour and they give you juice and cookies afterward!

If you really want to go the extra mile, you can also donate bone marrow. Only 30% of patients are able to match to a family member, so registered marrow donors of all ethnicities are badly needed. Check out www.marrow.org for more information on this type of donation. Registering as a bone marrow donor CAN save a life.

6. Make a furry friend:
If you’re not a people person (and we’re not judging, neither are we) then why not help out man’s best friend instead? Volunteer at animal shelters or animal rescues. You can help out by exercising, feeding and brushing the sweetest animals on the planet. You might even get to recommend pets to families. If nothing else it’s fun for everyone to just play with the animals.

7. Use your brain:
Got a few extra hours and a liberal arts degree you’re not using? Now that school’s starting back up again, there are going to be lots of kids that can’t tell a sonnet from a sestina. (I’m not sure what that means, but Scarface assures me it’s hilarious.) Math, science, history…whatever your specialty, someone needs your help. Consider looking for tutoring opportunities in your area at http://www.volunteermatch.org/

8. Think big:
Plan ahead for this one: October 5th is World Habitat Day. That’s our busiest time of year (there are only 26 days left to Halloween at that point!) so we encourage you to step up and pitch in while we can’t. We think everyone deserves to have a roof over their head. You can find where Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org) is doing work near you by using their locator tool.

9. Think small:
Not every good deed has to change the whole world. Look close to home for ways to make life just a little better. Make unexpected homemade food gifts for a busy or sick neighbor; take a stressed-out mom to Starbucks; offer to babysit a single mom’s kids and even mow an elderly neighbor’s lawn. You might not change the world, but you’ll definitely touch someone’s life.

10. Think green:
Last year, you were a Man-eating Shark and it was a hit. This year, you’re going even bigger and better with the new Devil Bobble Head costume (no angels here).

But what to do with last year’s costume? Let’s face it, Halloween costumes are like prom dresses — you can’t wear the same dress more than once and you don’t want to throw it out. How about donating it to a charity gift shop the thrift store at Sloan-Kettering? You can donate last year’s Halloween costumes to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Thrift Shop to fund research and treatment for cancer patients.

BONUS! 11. Donate NEW costumes to Sloan-Kettering:
Every year, here at Halloweenstreet.com we send NEW Halloween costumes to the pediatric patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center so that even though these children are in the hospital for cancer treatments, they can have a happy, spooky and fun Halloween. We have so much fun doing this that we wanted to share it with you, too!

Use the promotional code SLD to donate a NEW costume to Sloan-Kettering Pediatric Ward. As a special thank you, we’ll send you a discount promotional code for 20% off your own Halloween costume. This promotional code will come to you via the e-mail confirmation from your donation.

We thank you in advance for your donation to children that so need to know that they are not alone in their fight for life!

We’re going to leave the comments open on this one. Tell us your favorite ways to earn your wings!

We’ve decided to follow up our post of Fright Night on Halloween Street with a great list for a Halloween movie marathon countdown starting today! With Halloween only 75 days away, there are plenty of scary movies out there that warrant watching for the first time, or over and over again. So we’ve created a Top 75 Halloween Countdown Movie list for everyone, kids to adults, and everyone in-between with our Top 25 movies for different categories:

Top 25 Halloween Movies for Adults

Top 25 Favorite Vampire Movies

Top 25 Kids Movies from Now until Halloween

We did some research and found several lists of the top rated movie titles of all time. We’ve taken our favorites from four of the lists that we found (IMDB, About.com, themovieboy.com and Boston.com). Some of them we haven’t seen yet, but based on the synopsis, we think we want to! We welcome your recommendations on ones that you think we missed or if you think we just plain missed the whole boat. Which ones would you pick to show at your Halloween get together? Here’s our list of the top 75 Halloween countdown movies, listed by release date.

Starting with the adults, this list of top 25 Halloween movies are best viewed after the kids have gone trick or treating and hopefully are in bed in a candy-induced coma.

1. Psycho (1960)
2. The Innocents  (1961)
3. The Exorcist  (1973)
4. Don’t Look Now  (1973)
5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre  (1974)
6. Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
7. Halloween  (1978)
8. Amityville Horror  (1978)
9. Alien  (1979)
10. Salem’s Lot  (1979)
11. The Changeling  (1980)
12. The Shining  (1980)
13. The Thing  (1982)
14. Videodrome  (1983)
15. Nightmare on Elm Street  (1984)
16. Pet Sematary  (1989)
17. The Silence of the Lambs  (1991)
18. Scream  (1996)
19. The Blair Witch Project  (1999)
20. Audition  (1999)
21. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
22. American Psycho (2000)
23. The Ring  (2002)
24. Saw  (2004)
25. The Grudge (2004)
26. Rec  (2007)
27. Cloverfield  (2008)

Okay, we said 25 movies, but there were a few in there that we haven’t seen that we now want to see based on the synopsis we read on Boston.com or in themovieboy.com’s reviews!

Vampires have a special place in our hearts that began with Dracula, continued with Interview with the Vampire, and maybe neverending with Twilight. What Vampire movies would be on your list? Here are our Top 25 Favorite Vampire movies:

1. Nosferatu (1922)
2. Dracula (1931)
3. Salem’s Lot (1979)
4. Fright Night (1985)
5. The Lost Boys (1987)
6. Near Dark (1987)
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
8. Dracula (Bram Stoker’s) (1992)
9. Interview with the Vampire (1994)
10. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
11. Vampires (1998)
12. Blade (1998)
13. Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
14. Blade II (2002)
15. Underworld (2003)
16. 30 Days of Night (2007)
17. Twilight (2009)
18. Queen of the Damned (2002)
19. Van Helsing (2004)
20. Vamp (1986)
21. Vampire’s Kiss (1989)
22. Love at First Bite (1979)
23. The Last Man on Earth (1964)
24. The Night Stalker (1972)
25. Horror of Dracula (1958)

It’s hard to decide what scary movies to recommend for kids because children mature at different rates. Therefore, we advise you to read reviews on the following movies, and/or see them before you allow your kids to see them. Of course, some of them are classics, and you probably saw them when you were a kid yourself! So perhaps, instead of renting some adult horror films and having an adult scary movie marathon, rent one of our suggestions below, cook up some popcorn, turn off all the lights and snuggle up with your little ones for some frights!

Here is our list of the Top 25 fun, scary and classic movies for kids to see as you countdown to Halloween:

1. Wizard of Oz (1939)
2. Pinocchio (1940)
3. Abbott & Costello Meet Frakenstein (1948)
4. It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966)
5. Gremlins (1984)
6. Frankenweenie (1984)
7. Ghoulies (1985)
8. Critters (1986)
9. Monster Squad (1987)
10. The Addams Family (1991)
11. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
12. Casper (1995)
13. Scooby Doo’s Creepiest Capers (2000)
14. Monster’s Inc (2001)
15. Spirited Away (2002)
16. Mickey’s House of Villains (2002)
17. Rugrats Halloween (2002)
18. Hocus Pocus (2002)
19. The Haunted Mansion (2003)
20. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (and others) (2004)
21. Monster House (2006)
22. Goosebumps: Stay Out of the Basement (and others) (2008)
23. Igor (2008)
24. Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
25. Coraline (2009)

As we countdown the days to Halloween, we hope this list is creepy but fun and useful too. See these top Halloween movies one at a time each day starting today until Halloween or save some for a marathon movie night. We think we might even dress up each night in a different Halloween costume for each separate movie for extra fun! Whatever you decide to do with this list and your countdown to Halloween, we hope it’s fun and safe, and only temporarily frightening!

Photo credit Mirko Macari on Flickr

Hello ghosts and ghouls, welcome again to the lab.

As you can see, things are quite in a bustle around here as we gear up for fright night, the very best time of year. We’ve been stocking shelves with Halloween costumes and mixing up vats of fake blood for weeks now. But all work and no play makes for a dull Doctor, so we’ve decided to plan a horror movie marathon for this Halloween season. Guaranteed to thrill and chill.

Our very favorite films made the list first: Interview With The Vampire, Rocky Horror Picture Show and, of course, Halloween. But after that, negotiations, you might say, broke down? Horror is a very broad genre and everyone has their own idea about what makes a truly terrifying film. It goes beyond scary makeup and creepy sets, even beyond scary costumes (though every film needs a good villain.)

It seems some people think that Japanese Horror Films are superior to all others and loaded the list with Ringu, The Grudge, Battle Royale and so many other creepy films from our friends in Japan.

Scarface, surprisingly enough, is a connoisseur of, shall we call it, Camp Horror? He was the one who introduced us to Rocky Horror Show, you see. For him, it isn’t a horror movie unless it’s been directed by Sam Raimi and stars Bruce Campbell. He also likes it best when there are supernatural elements–ghosts and ghouls and the wolfman.

Photo credit D Sharon Pruitt on Flickr

Personally, I must prefer a good thriller. Call it a case of the evil that men do–true terror comes from the people in your own life. Did Pyscho need a monster? Would Hannibal Lector have been any more terrifying if he’d been a demon? No, of course not. Even the Oscars recognize this phenomenon. Just look at the praise they heaped upon No Country for Old Men. And of course, I’m always up for a film featuring a diabolically brilliant mad scientist. It’s like having a class reunion.

We’ll settle out our differences soon enough and our movie marathon. Rest assured, we’re looking for good clean fun. There will be none of the most terrifying horror franchise of them all:

High School Musical

Football for all ages!

Rush the goalposts and bring on the cheerleaders and team mascots, good friends, it’s almost football season!

To kick off this most wondrous of times, we have a block party here on Halloween Street. We all have our fantasy football leagues drawn up and we’re ready for the season to start. Scarface staffed his team entirely with cheerleaders. (Scarface isn’t very good at this football thing.)

American football is, of course, quite a young sport. Professional football only began in 1892. Back then it was my great grandfather, Doctor Professor Dippel who ran things around here. He’s gone on to a better place now. Maui, last we heard, something about a secret base inside a volcano. But we were talking football.

The most important part of professional football is the cheerleaders! Did you know that the first official cheerleader was a man? Yes, in 1892, young Johnny Campbell paved the way for the talented ladies of today by rallying the crowd at his college football game. For 25 years, cheerleading was an all-male activity.

Check out those pom-poms!

As Scarface would say, there ain’t nothing like a dame, so in 1923, women started to get into the sport and things really took off. One of the most dangerous sports in high school is now traditionally done by tiny girls taking huge risks! And, boy, do they take it seriously! Have you seen those Bring It On movies? Cheerleading is more important than the game sometimes and cheerleading competitions bring in big time sponsors. These girls have SPIRIT with a capital S-P-I-R-I-T!

The last important element of a football game is the mascot. More than just some poor freshman in a funny costume, the mascot is charged with raising team spirit, pumping up the crowd and aiding the cheerleaders in bringing the fans to their feet with team pride.

Historically, the term ‘mascot’ was derived from the word ‘masqu’, meaning masked or concealed. A mascot was popularized to bring good luck. Mascot costumes are different from regular Halloween costumes — they’re built tough because they have to withstand hours of running and jumping, often in the heat of the day, week in and week out. The cost pays off though when fan support carries the team to victory.

No matter how you enjoy the game, it’s impossible to deny that there’s something magic about a football game. So grab your football and head for the 50 yard line! It’s time for football season!