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Or, October viewing for those who want a little of the old "It's -fun- to be scared!" thrill without losing sleep at night.

I'm a wimp. I can read a truly scary horror story only if I know I won't be required to get up early the next day.

(I never should have read Stephen King's 1408 on a work night!)

Likewise, I can only bring myself to watch truly intense horror films every few years. My imagination's too effective. I lose all distance from the movie. I end up a jittery wreck.

That said, I love watching Halloween-oriented movies. What are your favorites that provide scares without deep emotional and psychological scarring?

Some of mine:

• The Monster Squad- Basically, this film is The Goonies Versus the Universal Monsters. Only, not. Count Dracula has secretly set up shop in Anytown, USA, summoning several powerful allies, intent on getting an amulet that will allow him to rule the world. Only a club of snarky kids who adore the monster movies of Hollywood's Golden Age have any idea of the truth, and the Count plans to kill them all. A flop back in the day, it later became something of a cult hit due to home video and cable viewings. Mostly because of the memorable one-liners, fast-moving plot, dazzling creature makeup by Stan Winston, and several genuinely frightening moments.
• Return to Oz- A Disney film! Based on a second and third Oz books, plus some conceits borrowed (legally) from the more famous 1939 MGM film! That couldn't possibly be scary, right?
  
  Right.
  
  Dorothy, trapped in an insane asylum. Munchkinland deserted and faded. The Yellow Brick Road shattered. The Emerald City a barren, mouldering wreck. Psychotic wheeled men. A witch princess with a secret room full of living, screaming heads. People touching a cursed desert and crumbling into sand...slowly. There are endearing heroes and a happy ending, but this remains one of the darkest fantasy films of the 80s.
• The Innocents- A stylish 1960s Gothic film about a repressed, obsessive governess. She believes she's protecting her charges from supernatural evil. But as her "protection" becomes increasingly intense, one begins to wonder if the children will survive it...
  
  At first Deborah Kerr would seem to be seriously miscast in this adaptation of The Turn of the Screw. She doesn't seem as young or naive as the character in the original story seemed.
  
  Then, I realized she's actually perfect. She's a woman who never truly grew up, knowing on some level that there's something missing inside. Hungry, so hungry to find something to fill that emptiness with...
  
  She becomes a sympathetic, but ultimately terrifying monster.

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Originally posted by Bella Bee:

Have to say though, if you're going to revisit disturbing movies of your eighties childhood, Labyrinth is much, much better. And *blush* I still adore the ballroom scene.

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I love Labyrinth! However, it seems to be much better remembered than Return to Oz, so I tend to mention the latter more often.

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Originally posted by ketchupqueen:
Labyrinth is awesome. Also The Dark Crystal. I don't find either very creepy, though.

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Yeah. I grew up watching The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock, both of which occasionally featured grotesque, monstrous-looking Muppets. So, not much in either film bothered me.

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Originally posted by SenojRetep:
Rewatching them more recently has been a bit of a let down, particularly Something Wicked; it's aged very poorly.

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