Halloween Movie Treats
Nothing screams Halloween quite like a good, old-fashioned movie marathon. Whether horror films are your jam, or lighter, nostalgia-filled favs are more your speed, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this most spooktacular time of year! But no great movie marathon would be complete without a brilliantly orchestrated buffet of snacks and beverages… What we’ve created below is a list of 13(ish) of our all-time favorite Halloween themed films paired with some of our favorite autumnal snacks, treats, and drinks. So, what are you waiting for? Round up your remotes, track down these films, make a snack run to the store (or your pandemic stocked pantry), and hunker in for some terrifyingly good times. Enjoy!
Candy
Witches Brew Kit-Kats with Hocus Pocus (1993, dir. Kenny Ortega)
These Kit-Kats are new, and green, and filled with a marshmallow crème… While this snack-sized candy is new to Halloween this year, I feel like someone had Hocus Pocus in mind when these were concocted (besides, who could resist the retro cartoon witch on the packaging?). Witches Brew Kit-Kats are utterly delicious, and remind me of the Sanderson Sisters’ green soul-sucking potion. Need I say more? – Sarah
Caramello with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971, dir. Mel Stuart)
We gotta take Lorelai Gilmore's word on this one: "You can't watch Willy Wonka without massive amounts of junk food." If you're as much of a Roald Dahl nut as I am, you may know that part of his inspiration for this story, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was rooted in his joy of taste-testing the chocolate samples the Cadbury company sent to his boarding school when he was a child. What better way to honor the author of the source material than by eating a Cadbury bar yourself? Caramello is one of the more accessible options in the U.S., and it's delicious, too! – Bailey
Autumnal Candy Corn Mix with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966, dir. Bill Melendez)
No Halloween themed movie marathon would be complete without watching this TV special. It is a classic, as is candy corn, and in my mind the two go hand-in-hand. There is just something so cheerful about the colors of the autumnal candy corn mix; splashes of orange, yellow, white, brown, and green, reminiscent of the colorful animation in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Whether you love the waxy texture and flavor of traditional candy corn, or not, it is a must have for me at this time of the year. I’m quite partial to mixing my candy corn with Goobers (or very salty peanuts), and it also tastes pretty good when mixed into a bowl of popcorn. – Sarah
Reese’s Pieces with E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982, dir. Steven Spielberg)
I cannot watch E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial without having some Reese’s Pieces on hand. (M&M’s missed out big time with this movie… just saying…) There are so many iconic moments in this film, from Elliot using Reese’s Pieces to lure E.T. into the house, to that iconic scene with E.T. being dressed up as a ghost on Halloween. This movie is a one nostalgia-filled, wild-ride that just screams Halloween. – Sarah
Drinks
Candy Cane Hot Cocoa with The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, dir. Henry Selick)
Seriously, we all know that one aisle in practically every store where the Christmas and Halloween decorations collide… This film just begs to be paired with some candy canes or holiday themed sweets. For me, The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect excuse to start drinking some peppermint hot cocoa, as chances are, I might still have some sad looking candy canes hanging around from last Christmas... – Sarah
Witch’s Brew Punch with Halloweentown (1998, dir. Duwayne Dunham)
This punch was a Halloween party staple in elementary school, and is appropriate with this film, as a family of witches attempt to brew a potion to save the titular Halloweentown, a world inhabited by fantastic beings associated with Halloween. It just takes a few scoops of sherbet, equal parts Hawaiian punch and Sprite, and bam! You have your own bubbly, foamy potion. Bonus points if you use lime sherbet and punch to make it a spooky shade of green. Eye of newt is optional. – Bailey
Savory Snacks
Pumpkin Spice Popcorn with Scream (1996, dir. Wes Craven)
Spice up your Jiffy Pop! The opening sequence in Scream, with Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) receiving ‘prank’ calls from an unknown stranger (a la Carol Kane in the 1979 horror film, When a Stranger Calls), while she makes some Jiffy Pop, is a particularly entertaining bit of horror filmmaking. While the Jiffy Pop in the film goes up in flames, I highly suggest that you spice up your own popcorn with some melted butter, a little salt, and a pinch, or two, of pumpkin spice seasoning (and if you want to give it a little bit more of a kick, a pinch of Cayenne can spice things up nicely). Just make sure your popcorn does not burn, and avoid answering phone calls from strangers… – Sarah
Ghost Pizza Bagels with Casper (1995, dir. Brad Silberling)
Mini bagels, plus marinara sauce, plus cheese slices cut with ghost shaped cookie cutters, plus some sliced black olives (for the ghost eyes, of course), pop under an oven broiler for about 5 minutes, and you have yourself the perfect snack-sized nostalgic movie food! For whatever reason, I associate Casper with pizza. Perhaps it has something to do with the movie tie-in Pizza Hut ads from the mid-‘90’s (check them out on YouTube here and here), as I know that I have one glow-in-the-dark Casper hand-puppet kicking around in a box of Halloween decorations somewhere… – Sarah
Just Because...
Chocolate Mousse with Rosemary's Baby (1968, dir. Roman Polanski)
This devilishly delicious dessert appears in a critical scene in this psychological thriller. A young couple expecting a child (Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes) develops a somewhat tense relationship with their quirky older neighbors (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer). This snack looks too good to pass up, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Never mind the "chalky undertaste." – Bailey
Cup O’ Dirt and Gummy Worms with Beetlejuice (1988, dir. Tim Burton)
It wouldn’t be a proper Halloween without at least one selection by director Tim Burton. Beetlejuice is a true favorite of mine; it is macabre, wacky, and filled to the brim with fantastical horror-comedy elements. While it is hard to find gummy snakes (as an homage to the giant snake that Betelgeuse sends to attack the Maitlands), gummy worms (eaten with a cup-o-dirt, you know: a chocolate pudding cup with crushed Oreos and gummy worms…) are readily available and an absolute must! Nothing puts the “trick” in Trick-or-Treat quite like some gummy worms… – Sarah
Pancakes with Matilda (1996, dir. Danny DeVito)
Is there a more iconic scene from this film about a young genius discovering her telekinesis than the montage in which young Matilda (Sara Magdalin) makes herself a stack of pancakes? Set to Rusted Root's "Send Me On My Way," this scene is a guaranteed feel-good moment that we all want to experience. Pancakes are an anytime food, so go crazy on your movie night! Maybe ask for an adult for assistance if you're four years old, as Matilda was in this scene. – Bailey
Cinnamon Cookies with Double Double Toil and Trouble (1993, dir. Stuart Margolin)
In this made-for-television film starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, two young girls must go head-to-head with their aunt, an evil witch who has trapped her kindhearted twin sister inside a mirror. If you've seen this fantastic Halloween film, you know that cinnamon cookies play a vital role in this film's plot and appear at both the beginning and end of the film. Remember: it's cinnamon cookies, not chocolate chip! – Bailey
Ghost Rice Krispies Treats with Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II (1984/1989, dir. Ivan Reitman)
“Who ya gonna call?” In honor of the one and only Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and the ghostly apparitions that the Ghostbusters must battle, cut some homemade treats into ghost shapes and pair them with these two Halloween movie staples. Add some green food coloring in a few as a shoutout to our man Slimer! - Bailey
What are your favorite Halloween-themed films and snack pairings? What do you think of our suggestions? Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know what movies you love marathoning during this season!
Copyright © 2020 Sarah Crane & Bailey Lizotte
