I’m a 90s Kid, and while the 90s isn’t necessarily known for the best horror movies, it no doubt (pun intended) had the best horror for kids. Whether it’s a Disney Channel Original, a TV show (or whole series), or a movie with horror elements that happens to be kid-friendly, we’ve got a spot highlighted for it each day in October. Check back every day to see the next mini-review!
October 1 — Are You Afraid of the Dark: The Tale of the Dollmaker (S3E5, 1994)
Out of all the AYAOTD episodes, this is one of the ones that stuck with me the most. A girl visits her aunt and uncle, only to find her friend has disappeared. The mysterious dollhouse in the attic has a lot to do with it, and the girl finds herself in the same danger when she decides to play with it. White porcelain faces, a toy house that seems to be alive, and the thought of slowly becoming an unmoving doll are more than frightening enough without adding in the very real feeling of having a child disappear without a trace. While I have a lot of logistical questions now, it scares me just as much as it did seeing it as a kid.
October 2 — Goosebumps: You Can’t Scare Me (S2E7, 1996)
I don’t know why, but this episode feels the most like my childhood. Hoping to one-up the smartest girl in class, two boys plot to scare her with the tale of the local Mud Monster. Little do they know, the monster is very real. I love this episode, so much that I have an Etsy notebook made from the hardcover itself. It’s a simple tale of kids trying to prank someone, only for it to go wrong. But not so wrong where people actually get hurt. It’s kids fun with a monster twist!
October 3 — The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Jack Skellington and Halloween Town is everything I ever wanted to be. This Tim Burton/Henry Selick masterpiece gives us the crossover of all time: Halloween x Christmas. A skeleton longing for newness and excitement decides to try Christmas, much to the chagrin of his neighbors and our human world. This is the movie that everyone knows, regardless of if they’ve seen it or not. A timeless story and characters, Nightmare is the pinnacle of kids horror and an aesthetic orgasm for young and old (poor wording, but you get the gist!).
October 4 — Legends of the Hidden Temple (series, 1993)
This isn’t technically horror, but it did scare me as a young kid. In this game show, groups of kids compete to answer questions and do small-scale stunts for a chance at the final round: the Temple Run. At this point, a player would run through an laser-tag-style maze, completing puzzles and escaping temple guards. Hidden Temple was intense, to say the least. As a person with anxiety, I can only imagine trying to make it out alive as guards pop out of nowhere like scareactors.
October 5 — The Addams Family (1991)
Sure the Addams’ have been around since the 60s, but this 90s family is the one we all wanted to be neighbors with. Creepy and kooky indeed, this family hilariously and scarily goes through the motions of everyday “normal” life while trying to find their long-lost uncle, who has lost his memory. Every character is played brilliantly, from Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia as Morticia and Gomez, to Christina Ricci and Christopher Lloyd as Wednesday and Uncle Fester. I can watch this all day, every day!
October 6 — Addams Family Values (1993)
The first was so good, we had to do a second! The Addams’, now with another sibling (hilariously named Pubert) once again have to save Uncle Fester when he’s seduced by Pubert’s nanny and serial killer in disguise, Debbie (played by the amazing Joan Cusack). She could fit in perfectly with the family… if only it weren’t for pastels. Debbie really makes this movie, and it’s a fun ride seeing the family somehow make it in this strange world.
October 7 — Goosebumps: One Day at HorrorLand (S3E8-9, 1997)
A family lost in their car stumbles along a roadside attraction run by what they think are people in costume: HorrorLand. All of the rides are scary, some even deadly. All of the food is gross and ghastly. And the staff happen to be actual monsters. This episode is good for many reasons: it’s fun for the kids, and it has fantastic plot points for the parents watching. HorrorLand could of course be done up bigger, but for a smaller-scale show it was adequate. The first installment of this two-episode story is better than the second.
October 8 — Halloweentown (1998)
Fuck yeah, the OG! If you haven’t seen Disney’s Halloweentown, get with the program, alright? One Halloween night, Marnie and her two siblings find out they are actually a magical family, something their mother was trying to hide. They travel to Halloweentown with their witchy grandma to help save its citizens from an evil warlock’s curse. This is probably one of the first “horror” movies many millennials have seen, and I appreciate it for that. It’s attention to detail on monsters, magic, and good ol’ Halloween fun is astounding, so it’s no wonder we come back to watch every year. Scary? Hell no (c’mon, it’s Disney!), but it sure is nostalgic.
October 9 — Eerie Indiana (series, 1991)
I didn’t watch this during its original run, but I pulled up a few episodes for this year’s 31 Nights. Think of a mix between something like Are You Afraid of the Dark, The X Files, and Unsolved Mysteries; a teen and his friend investigate odd occurrences around their town (Eerie, Indiana), and come across urban legends, monsters, and more. While I appreciate the slightly-darker tone compared so Goosebumps or AYAOTD, I had already had my fill of those. I loved the atmosphere though. It’s almost like an R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour of the 90s.
October 10 — Hocus Pocus (1993)
Another OG, and this time, ready for the sequel this year! Surprisingly, I had never seen this before, but pulled it out just for you guys. Three wicked witches, who were sentenced to death in 1600s Salem, are accidentally resurrected by present-day kids; the witches must go through trials and tribulations to gain power again, but the kids spoil their plans. I may not be a huge fan of Disney, but they really did know how to do 90s Halloween. Like Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus makes Halloween a very family-friendly event. There are witches, monsters, magic, and purples, oranges, and candy, and costumes, and comedy and everything! Do I think it’s the most amazing Halloween movie ever? No, but I can see why it’s enjoyed by both Disney Adults and more “horrible” people like me.
October 11 — Courage the Cowardly Dog (series, 1999)
Overall, Courage is more of an early 2000s show, but it started in ‘99 so we’re including it. The title sequence explains it all: “Abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel, who lives in the middle of Nowhere with her husband, Eustace Bagge. But creepy stuff happens in Nowhere. It’s up to Courage to save his new home!” This purple pup faces monsters, aliens, crazy cats, and a myriad of other evils trying to save his owners and just live his life peacefully. There are certainly a few more-than-memorable episodes, including said Cat and an Egyptian Pharaoh. It’s all in good fun though.
October 12 — Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: Monsters, Get Real (S1E2a, 1994)
While Disney has original Halloween movies down pat, Nickelodeon was ruling the TV series sphere. Three monsters-in-training spend their days learning how to be Master Scarers at scare school, getting into trouble in the real world; in this episode, Ickis endangers the world of monsters by leaving his Scare Manual in the human (surface) world. I love this show, and it’s definitely part of every 90s kid’s memories. Not scary, just normal fun monster stuff and funny cartoon antics here.
October 13 — SpongeBob SquarePants: Scaredy Pants (S1E13a, 1999)
If you didn’t know, pre-first movie Spongebob is my jam! I had a calendar that I kept on a picture of this episode (for October, of course) for years after the fact. Spongebob wracks his brain trying to be scary for Halloween, and ends up terrifying the whole town. Spongebob’s ending “costume” is absolutely iconic, and this is an episode they definitely should play more often.
October 14 — Animorphs (series, 1998)
Ok so I didn’t watch the whole series because it scared 7-year-old me. We did have the books though! Basically, kids can change into animals. It’s a cool concept but not scary; well, except for the little squirmy monsters that crawl into your ears. Fuck them parasites.
October 15 — Don’t Look Under the Bed (1999)
Disney, y’all didn’t have to go that hard! Kids meet the BoogeyMan: not a complicated concept. Usually boogeymen wouldn’t be that scary, but these guys are something else! Pointy teeth, sharp claws, and yellow eyes are the reason this movie is memed as nightmare fuel. It’s one of the few Disney Halloween originals that is actually frightening.
October 16 — A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: The Ghost of Mrs. Shusham (S4 E2b, 1991)
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo is a show that ended way too early (but lucky for us, just into the 90s). It’s Scooby-Doo but they’re all kids. In this episode, a librarian ghost haunts the gang over an overdue book. While more silly than scary, a young me would’ve been scared seeing this, especially because I was terrified over an overdue library book in kindergarten. Technically you could count all of Scooby-Doo and its spin-offs as horror, which I do, but at the end of the day, it’s mainly a kids thing.
October 17 — Goosebumps: Go Eat Worms (S2E6, 1996)
A boy obsessed with wiggly, slimy worms gets more than he’s bargained for. So normal Goosebumps stories don’t really have things that are too bad happen to the main characters; Go Eat Worms is this way, but it’s a different story for the “antagonists.” This child is literally torturing worms – bruh! Serial Killer in the making. Seeing this as a kid, I wasn’t thinking that. Today, however, it’s questionable.
October 18 — Are You Afraid of the Dark: The Tale of the Lonely Ghost (S1E3, 1992)
Alright, so we all know AYATOD can get serious; in this episode, Amanda is forced to spend the night in a haunted house, or face the wrath of her bully cousin Beth. Not only does this make me want to punch Beth in the face, but it also makes me incredibly sad and worried as a mom. I can only imagine the terror of being trapped inside of a mirror (or a house, as this mute ghost is) or the sadness of losing a child. It’s a better (scarier) episode, but I don’t really like to watch it too often.
October 19 — Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
There are definitely certain Scooby-Doo episodes and movies we all remember, and Zombie Island is one of them, sticking out because of its scare factor. After splitting up, our favorite Mystery, Inc. members come back together to solve a mystery involving very real monsters, as opposed to the people in suits they were so used to. Just outside of New Orleans, the gang encounters zombies from an old pirate ship, voodoo rituals, and a group of werecats. While I can do without the werecats, the zombies are impressively animated for just the right amount of scare, their faces burned into our little brains to remain there forever. And put that against a bayou background in infamous New Orleans? It’s no wonder this is a favorite!
October 20 — Sleepy Hollow (1999)
If I could pick one Tim Burton film that reigns supreme (for the live action works, at least), it is Sleepy Hollow. We get the American classic of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (and Headless Horseman), Burton’s typical Hallow-Goth aesthetic, and the marvelous main acts of Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. I could watch this every day and still find something new that was both macabre and beautiful. It also blends truly horrific effects with gorgeous cinematography and set pieces.
October 21 — Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: Monsters Are real (S2E2a, 1995)
We’re back with our favorite monsters! This time, Ickis messes up again by getting his picture taken, making the gang go out to retrieve all the copies before the other monsters (and humans) find out. While not scary in cartoon form, imagine this happening in real life! We get the tried and true cartoon antics, which are fun to watch, so it’s no biggie.
October 22 — Goosebumps: Shocker on Shock Street (S3E1, 1997)
Shocker on Shock Street is what we would get if Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights was year round. Two kids get a chance to tour an amusement park based on horror movies, but everything looks and feels a little bit too real. I hope that someday we can have a real Shock Street amusement park, because I love the idea of having kid-friendly “shocks” all the time. Now, are the monsters the best? No, it’s a kids TV series from 30 years ago. But was it effective? Yes, so much so that I still think about it to this day.
October 23 — Rugrats: Ghost Story (S6E12, 1999)
Does anyone remember that time when Nickelodeon crossed over two series before Timmy and Jimmy? This was it! The Rugrats tell each other scary stories when all of a sudden, the monsters from our favorite scare school show up (in their imaginations, at least). Being a show about literal babies, there’s no way this could be as frightening as some of the other picks on this list. But it is memorable, and it does in fact stay in the Halloween spirit. Horror is funny in that something can be horrifying while remaining fun and playful, just like this episode.
October 24 — Practical Magic (1998)
Who said horror and Halloween couldn’t be romantic? Two sisters use magic to battle both their hearts’ desires and a murder charge. I love how convoluted but entrancing the story is. Women uniting through the power of love – sounds a lot like magic to me. I also love the thought of magic being used for everyday things, like putting a bit of oomph into your herbal skincare, or casting a centuries-long love spell. Y’know, practical magic!
October 25 — Casper (1995)
Perfect timing between the new Chucky and Wednesday series, because Devon Sawa and Christina Ricci are back! Casper, a friendly ghost, haunts an estate where he gets to meet a teenaged Ricci. In a plot to find some hidden treasure and bring ghosts back to life, Casper and Ricci (“Kat” in the movie) spark a friendship and learn about love and loss. It’s a cute little story with characters that are all likable in their own ways. It’s also nice seeing ghosts as non-threatening for once.
October 26 — Are You Afraid of the Dark: The Tale of the Vacant Lot (S5E10, 1996)
I think this episode is honestly underrated; it’s both scary and teaches a really good lesson for older kids and young teens. A girl, tired of being “average” and “not good enough” realizes the things she’s giving away are a lot more important than running faster or getting the guy she wants. I totally get why someone would want to make the choices this girl does, and The Vacant Lot plays a lot on those sentiments. It also goes to show that someone who is seemingly pretty and has it all can still be a monster in their own right.
October 27 — The Witches (1990)
You probably have an idea of a typical witch in your head. 1990’s The Witches ramps that up when a coven of beautifully-disguised, hideous witches have their evil plans foiled by a boy and his grandma. This is another one that slipped through my fingers, and I only recently watched this. Honestly, it wasn’t quite for me; it was a very fun movie and I’m not surprised why this stuck with so many people as they grew older. Unfortunately I’ve passed that age and it was just on the better side of OK. But I will commend the filmmakers for the famous transformation scene, where the witches take of their disguises, revealing terrible, ugly faces.
October 28 — Goosebumps: Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns (S2E10, 1996)
Never have I ever wanted to be in a Goosebumps episode more than in this one. It’s Halloween night and a group of kids goes trick-or-treating. Not wanting to be scared by some prankster siblings, main character Drew gets help from her “other-worldly” friends. It’s Halloween. It’s pumpkins (and Pumpkin monsters). It’s a good ol’ scare with a twist you might not see coming. Can we have this every night?!
October 29 — A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Horror of the Haunted Hairpiece (S3E2, 1990)
A hair monster? C’mon! The gang fights against a hair monster that has seemed to spawn from a new video game. We’re all laughs here; if you thought the monsters in Scooby-Doo couldn’t get any sillier, you’d be wrong. Again, it’s very kid-friendly horror (almost resulting in no horror), but everyone needs some kind of entry into the genre.
October 30 — Are You Afraid of the Dark: The Tale of Laughing in the Dark (S1E2, 1992)
Fuck this episode. Possibly the scariest episode that I know of, Laughing in the Dark is an amusement park Haunt that features an evil clown animatronic named Zeebo. Steal the clown’s nose, and he goes where you go. I’m not scared of clowns, but Zeebo is on a whole other level – and he’s not even real! The scares are simple to pull off but extremely effective, and the clown is so well-known, he is referenced in other episodes as well.
October 31 — Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask (S1E1-2, 1995)
Aww yeah, another Halloween episode! This is the centuries-old story of a magical mask that changes the person the longer they wear it. Carly Beth, done with being called a scaredy cat, dawns a grotesque mask from a costume shop and becomes the fright of the night amongst trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, the mask makes Carly Beth into a monster in real life. She must figure out how to get it off before the change is permanent. Love the mask. Love the story. Love the acting. Love that it’s on Halloween night. Everything about this episode is *chef’s kiss.* There is a part 2, but this first installment is the real goldmine.