How do we make sure we order enough DVDs for a big release? We crunch the numbers. Now, we're sharing a fun tidbit of insight from the movie data we've collected over the last 18 years. Got questions you want us to answer with data? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook!
Trick-or-treat! If you're like some of us (and our kids), scary movies are, well, too scary! Luckily, Halloween is for everyone, and movies can be full of Halloween merriment without the spooky dreams. We dug into our data to discover the top-rented Halloween flicks that aren't about gore, graphic violence, or intense fear.
Drumroll, please!
Netflix's All-Time Top 5 Un-Scary Halloween Movies on DVD, As Rented By Our Members:
#5: Spooky Buddies
There's absolutely nothing scary about puppies (unless you're Cujo, but that's a different post).
And dogs in costumes having a ball at Halloween? Count us in. Those of us without kids hadn't seen this reel of cuteness, but when we saw how much you loved it, we watched it and were enthralled. These puppies are the adorable offspring of famed canine athlete Air Bud, and their joy in exploring a haunted mansion to solve the Mystery of the Haunted Hound will ensure pleasant puppy-filled dreams on Halloween night.
#4: Hocus Pocus
There's a reason this movie is on your list: it’s the reigning queen of beloved Halloween comedies! Hocus Pocus is Halloween’s Mean Girls in terms of watchability - you’ll probably see it several times this month, and you’ll still enjoy it each time.
In a movie full of memorable scenes, Bette Midler’s dramatics and rousing performance of “I Put A Spell On You” is among the highlights.
Bonus points: Pre-"Sex and The City" Sarah Jessica Parker frolics in some seriously goth outfits, and Kathy Najimi of Sister Act co-stars.
#3: It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Only shown once on live network Television each year (and it already ran this year!), this perennial favorite is as much beloved by us as it is by you.
You don't need a plot summary, do you? Just curl up with a cup of hot cocoa, enjoy the jazz of Vince Guaraldi, and wait for the Great Pumpkin with Sally, Linus, and all the Peanuts gang.
Our favorite part: poor Charlie Brown, who always gets rocks in his trick-or-treat bag.
While you're at it, why not put the soon-to-be-released The Peanuts Movie in your queue in advance?
#2: Sleepy Hollow
Want something a bit more adult, but still not nightmare-inducing? Give this modern retelling of the classic story about schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, set in the period of the American Revolution, a try.
When we saw how much you loved this movie at Halloween, we immediately knew why. Tim Burton brings his unique filmmaking style to a classy spooky tale filled with romance. Gorgeous costumes and scenery, along with costars Johnny Depp and (another great Halloween film) Addams Family's Christina Ricci create a perfect brew of spooky AND safe.
#1: The Nightmare Before Christmas
No one at Netflix was surprised that you loved this brilliant movie as much as we do! There's a reason Tim Burton holds both the #1 and #2 spots on this list, and frankly, you could probably do an entire Halloween weekend on his films alone if you added in Frankenweenie, Corpse Bride, Ed Wood, and Dark Shadows.
You've been stranded on a desert island and haven't seen it yet? Celebrate the season of Hallogivingsmas with all the movies' fans by adding this masterpiece to your queue.
More Halloween DVD Treats You'll Love:
