Hotel Transylvania's premise is a good joke told sincerely: what if the classic Universal monsters just wanted somewhere to holiday without humans staring at them? Dracula runs the hotel, and he runs it as an overprotective father rather than a lord of darkness.

Genndy Tartakovsky's direction is what makes the films work. He came from Samurai Jack and Dexter's Laboratory, and he animated these characters with cartoon timing rather than realistic weight — snap poses, extreme squash and stretch, and a lot of jokes that land in a single frame.

The emotional plot is simple parenting anxiety in monster costume. Mavis wants to see the world, Drac wants her safe, and Johnny arrives as the human disaster who resolves the argument by accident.

The supporting monsters are all affectionately handled — Frank held together by stitches, Murray shedding sand everywhere, Wayne exhausted by his enormous family.

This collection covers the hotel's residents and guests. Works especially well in October.