What's behind the Halloween tradition? These entertaining and enlightening documentaries present the history and original traditions that have evolved into the popular holiday where kids of all ages dress up and parade through town seeking free sweets and other treats.
Halloween: The Happy Haunting of America! (1997)
Lots of scares, lots of fun, lots of interviews with your favorite horror icons. Halloween: The Happy Haunting of America is a mocking documentary that takes you on a trip to 40 of America's best haunted attractions and presents interviews with 30 celebrities, experts and horror filmmakers. If your trip isn't trick or treat, this film is a great Halloween escape.Halloween - 25 Years of Terror (2006)
The definitive documentary about the Halloween franchise that has kept horror movie fans thrilled with each new edition. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, plus 80 interviews with cast and crew including John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Jamie Lee Curtis, Moustapha Akkad, Tom Atkins, Danielle Harris, Kathleen Kinmont, Nancy Loomis, Greg Nicotero, and others, as well as with famous fans including Rob Zombie, Clive Barker, Kim Newman, Edgar Wright and everyone at the legendary Return To Haddonfield Convention.The Pagan Invastion: Halloween--Trick or Treat (2007)
This documentary details Halloween's pagan origins and history, tracing rites and ceremonies back to the mystic Druids 4000 years ago and suggests Halloween is still a high holy holiday for witches, pagans and satanists. The film interprets Halloween's symbols--black cats, broomsticks, bonfires, trick or treat, apple dunking and jack-o'-lanterns--from the Christian perspective. Occult rituals in the documentary are supposedly authentic. Actually, the film is a cautionary tale to show parents that Halloween activities aren't as innocent and just-for-fun as purveyors of candies and costumes would have us believe. Whether you agree or not, the documentary is an interesting, informative Halloween watch. But it's scary for kids!The Haunted History of Halloween (1997)
TV news anchor Harry Smith serves as narrator and guide for the History Channel's entertaining and educational The Haunted History of Halloween, a tell-all documentary about the origins, traditions and modern practices of Halloween.
