As a child I enjoyed a good scary movie during Halloween, something that continued into adulthood. Every year, I buy a few new horror movies when the Halloween season kicks in, getting my share of scares. It’s not difficult to do; the DVD shelves are littered with scores of horror titles. But while there are plenty of horror and monster movies out there for adults, finding something the kids and adults can watch together can be difficult.

Difficult, but not impossible. Here are some suggestions for your kids and for the kid at heart:

Bring On The Monsters
First up are my absolute favorites - the Universal Monsters. These movies include the iconic versions of Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), The Wolf Man (1941), and The Mummy (1932), as well as The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and the always fun Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Tame perhaps by today’s standards, these movies aren’t gory or intense but still deliver in terms of suspense and mild scares for the kids. I grew up watching the Universal monster movies whenever one of the local UHF stations would play them on Saturday afternoons. It may be difficult at first to get kids interested, since they are slower paced than much ofthe rapid-fire nonsense kids are subjected to today (not to mention that they are in black and white), but often, after the first glance of Lugosi’s Dracula or Karloff’s Frankenstein, kids will hunker down and give these celluloid classics a shot.

My personal favorite has always been The Creature From The Black Lagoon. In telling the story of an expedition to the remote Amazon, where the explorers find a half-fish, half-man monster, Universal created not only a monster that has become a fixture in pop culture, but a movie that has some great underwater fight scenes (considering the time) and fun surprises.

Almost all of the Universal Monster movies have been released on DVD in special edition sets that usually include the original movie and the “sequels”. For example, on Frankenstein: The Legacy Collection, you get the original Frankenstein from 1931, Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein and House of Frankenstein for around $25. Not bad, even if the movies do get progressively worse with each trip to the well.

A great kids Halloween flick just begging for a DVD release is Monster Squad. Made in 1987, the movie’s premise is basically that a bunch of neighborhood misfits who have a club devoted to monsters have to fight Dracula and the other Universal-esque monsters when the monsters try and take over the world. It’s funny, introducing the idea that “The Wolf Man has nards”, as well as having solid screams and lots of heart (particularly Frankenstein’s sacrifice at the end). Also, if you or your kids happen to be big Jason Hervey of The Wonder Years fans, you can’t miss this one.

The Grandaddy Of Monsters
Following on the heels of those classic monsters is perhaps the greatest of all the movie monsters: King Kong.

I’m actually pretty excited about the Peter Jackson remake because it seems he is going to stick closely to the original 1933 version of King Kong. And that’s a good thing. The original is a great, fun adventure that slowly gives way to some kid-friendly chills and battles once Ann Darrow (played famously by Fay Wray) and friends reach Skull Island. Not only is this a great monster movie for kids, it’s also an excellent film in and of itself, selected as one of AFI’s top 50 movies of the century. Kids will thrill to Kong battling the prehistoric residents of Skull Island, and if there is a dry eye in sight after the great ape’s demise in New York, well, you’re just not human.

About the only problem here is that the movie won’t be available on DVD until after Halloween. In November, Warner Brothers is releasing a two-disc special edition, complete with a commentary track by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, along with Merian C. Cooper and Fay Wray. That feature may not thrill the kids, but what I like about the release is that it’s yet another set that both the kids and adults can enjoy.

One film I recommend even though it may be too intense for a lot of children is Jurassic Park. The 1993 Spielberg dinosaur epic has some great visuals going for it. The T-Rex still looks like state-of-the-art CGI more than 10 years after the film’s release. The storyline has its scares, particularly at the very end when the velicoraptors are loose, but for most children it shouldn’t be scary to the point of fear. In fact, most kids I know who have seen it focus so much on the dinosaurs that they tend to not be shocked by any of the attacks. The plot and story are well done, so the adults won’t be bored. The acting, particularly Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm, is pretty good. If dinosaurs fascinate your kids, this is the movie they will love to see again and again. And again. Until you are swearing vengeance on Steven Spielberg for ruining your home life.

But I digress.

Of The Dark And Fun…
Another fascination kids have is Corey Haim. OK, not really, but he can be used as a cautionary tale for youngsters. That’s just another reason The Lost Boys is a fine horror/monster movie for the whole family. The 1987 directed Joel Schumacher classic is witty, hip, and definitely provides a few scares beyond Haim and fellow Corey, Corey Feldman.

Basically, a group of vampires in Santa Carla set their sights on the new kids in town, Sam (Haim) and Mike (Jason Patric). Kiefer Sutherland does a good job as the leader (though not head vampire) of the pack. That role goes to … well, that would be giving it away. You might see the surprise coming. It’s not that ingenious, but the plot stands up pretty well overall. Its main fault would be in perhaps being just a little too MTV-ized, but I think it fits the movie well. Instead of entering into the same old gothic vampire story, Schumacher was able to create something modern and hip. The movie has a nice two-disc special edition that was released a while ago that includes a commentary by Schumacher and some documentaries.

Speaking of hip, I don’t think there are many funky hipsters who make better films than Tim Burton. His 1993 movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he wrote but did not direct, is a wonderful blend of darkness and joy. The animation is wonderful, and the story plenty of fun. In Nightmare, no matter how hard Jack Skellington and the other ghosts and ghouls of Halloween Town try, they can’t quite get Christmas right. The movie has some nice comic moments; Jack’s gifts to some unsuspecting children comes to mind. This shouldn’t frighten children unless they are easily impressionable or complete pansies. It was good to see him jump back into similar territory with the recent Corpse Bride. There is a solid DVD release for the movie, which contains a director's commentary and some deleted scenes.

… And The Crazy, Too
Tom Cruise is crazy. His recent performance on The Today show would most likely be enough to scare any child (and most adults) into catatonia. His 1985 performance in Legend won’t prompt similar scares, though it does boast a nice horror-like fantasy atmosphere. I have to admit to having never seen this movie in its entirety, but my wife demanded its inclusion on the list since it was her favorite scary movie as a kid. The plot is simple - your basic battle against good and evil - and will entertain completely. The ever competent and stylish Ridley Scott directs, and that’s frankly good enough for me. The wife also guarantees it won’t scare the kids too badly. If she’s wrong, don't blame me. As far as the DVD goes, there was a recent “Ultimate Edition” released that includes Scott’s never before seen directors cut, a bunch of lost scenes and documentaries, galleries of photos and storyboards and more. Well worth hunting down.

Next on the list are two movies that are pretty much interchangeable to me. Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and The Watcher in The Woods (1980) are both Disney movies, and I think they show it by their lack of competent effects at times and lame storytelling. Both involve sibling combos, but in one, Witch Mountain, they’re trying to get away from Eddie Albert, surely because of his involvement in Green Acres, and the other, Watcher, they’re trying to get away from Bette Davis so she doesn’t go all Baby Jane on them. Either way, you know with the Disney label your in for kid safe and mildly entertaining fair. Both have nice DVD releases available.

The last movie on the list is Something Wicked This Way Comes. Even though it is a Disney movie, I separate it from the above two because I think it’s much more competent in terms of plot and story, and actually has a real sense of suspense. Based on the Ray Bradbury novel about Dark's Pandemonium Carnival rolling into sleepy Greentown, Illinois, it’s intense enough to provide chills but not bloody or full of frightening scares; a nice, dark fantasy by any measure. The DVD release contains the film and no real extra content.

Go Get Your Scares
Based on the above, it’s easy to see that with a bit of looking, chilling Halloween tales don’t have to be just for the adults. It turns out there are kid friendly horror/suspense movies to enjoy this Halloween season.

And the nice thing about getting the kids started early? You can guarantee that when they get older they won’t try to make you watch the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead over the vastly superior original version.