MOVIE LAND — October is the month my heart reluctantly lets go of summer and my thoughts turn toward the holiday season. For me, the holiday season officially begins on Oct. 1 with the buildup to the main event on Halloween Night.

With this in mind, the KSL Movie Club wanted to focus this month on movies that make up the traditions of Halloween.

Much of the Halloween tradition is built around the idea of extracting as much fear as legally possible, so it was difficult to agree upon four movies that were suitable for most, if not all, of the family. After much deliberation, here is our list of classic Halloween movies that are not likely going to scar your children or grandparents for life:

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1949)

This is the animated Disney classic that has been around forever and for good reason. This was the first movie that exposed my young mind to the concept of the living dead. The image of a headless man seated upon a horse — even though animated — terrified and fascinated my developing mind.

This tale has been told and re-told with the most recent film version being made by Tim Burton in 1999. Taken from the Washington Irving story from the late 1700s, this tale has doubtless conjured many nightmares over the centuries— talk about tradition.

"Young Frankenstein" (1974)

This movie has cemented its place as a Halloween movie classic in the same way "Christmas Vacation" has become the go-to movie of the Christmas season. Released in 1974, Mel Brooks and Gene Hackman tell the hilarious story of a young Dr. Frankenstein as he tries to build upon the work of his grandfather Victor Von Frankenstein, but doesn’t get the results he had hoped for.

We love this movie because it is hilarious, timeless and classic Gene Wilder. The fact that this movie is still to this day being shown in movie theaters at Halloween time is proof that this film is a tradition for many years to come.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993)

While it can be argued “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is technically a Christmas movie, it can't be argued that it isn't a classic. At a mere 23 years old and the youngest on the list, this movie was an instant hit with anyone who is a fan of the dark humor of Tim Burton.

As a Disney-owned property, this movie went on to become a year-round staple of popular culture. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is the perfect example of Burton's dark wit and unique story telling. The fact that his movie was made using stop motion animation only added to the creepiness of the film while inspiring a new crop of movie makers to use the same technique to tell their dark stories (think “Paranorman”.)

"Wait Until Dark" (1967)

I have not personally seen this movie yet, but it was recommended to me by several people I talked to while compiling this list. "Wait Until Dark" is a movie about a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn) terrorized by three men who think her apartment contains a stuffed doll full of heroin. The idea of being blind while trying to protect yourself from an enemy you cannot see sounds terrifying to me, but so does leaving my phone at home, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one.

With the recent release of the movie "Don't Breathe," a horror film about a blind man trying to defend his home from three punk kids while protecting his own dark secret, it is easy to see why "Wait Until Dark" remains a classic.

This movie is unrated because it came out before the rating system was really a thing. The movie is intense and may not be suitable for young children, but it should be fine for grandparents, and frankly, I would be disappointed if your grandparents have not seen this yet.

Conclusion

The KSL Movie Club is part of the KSL Popcorn Report podcast and much like a book club, it promotes a list of four new movies we all get to watch/re-watch together and talk about. The whole idea of the KSL Movie Club is to have a bigger discussion about these movies and what our experiences are with them. I personally love the dialogue we get going with everyone who participates and comments. My motto is "Talking about a movie after the movie is the best part of the movie."

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If you follow the KSL Popcorn Report podcast at all, you know we’re pretty fond of the Netflix original series, “Stranger Things.”

What do you think of our list? What is your movie tradition at Halloween? Watch these films with us and be sure to comment, as we will include your feedback in the podcasts we do each week this month.

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