“The Legend of the Vampire” is a bittersweet occasion. As it is one of the many, many “Scooby Doo” animated movies, it is also apparently the first Scooby-Doo movie to feature Casey Kasem, Heather North, Nicole Jaffe and Frank Welker together since 1973. The gang are back together to bring what is a pretty strong and fun mixing of the usual Mystery Inc. exploits and some great rock and roll music. Once again, we see the appearance of The Hex Girls who should, by all rights, have their own animated spin off by now. Ah well, a man can dream.
Tag Archives: Animation
The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow (2002)
I always get a kick out of Washington Irving’s story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. And I always get a kick out of movies that put a little twist on the formula. “The Haunted Pumpkin” is a short but sweet Halloween tale that takes the whole Headless Horseman story and brings it in to the modern age; the animators and writers insert a little bit of hijinks, and some comedy in what is basically embracing the tale of the Headless Horseman to an effective degree.
Mickey’s a Tale of Two Witches (2021)
“A Tale of Two Witches” is a weird special in that it involves Mickey telling the story that becomes the center of the entire short. There’s no reason why we have to keep jumping back and forth from Mickey telling Pluto the story, and getting to the story. I don’t know why this couldn’t have been just a stand alone Halloween tale. In either case, “A Tale of Two Witches” is a fun and simple Halloween special that has a good time celebrating the holiday.
For Better or for Worse: The Good for Nothing (1993)
It’s weird how “For Better or Worse” never actually took off as an animated series. Comic strips like “Charlie Brown,” “Garfield” and even “The Boondocks” hit big as series, with the former two offering up their own iconic Halloween special. “The Good For Nothing” is a Halloween special mostly in spirit as the central conflict is set primarily on Halloween. That doesn’t make “The Good for Nothing” bad. It just never quite rises to the occasion to be as good as “The Great Pumpkin.”
DTV Monster Hits (1987)
I admittedly was a tad too young to really savor “DTV Monster Hits” as around 1987 I was four. But years later I was able to check out the VHS copy from a cousin, and I’ve been fascinated by this compilation ever since. Although “Monster Hits” is meant to celebrate Halloween, and the long history of Disney being some twisted people under the skin, it’s also a fun compilation of some huge eighties hits. And this was 1987, the peak of the decade where Michael Jackson reigned supreme. And it’s not a surprise that the artist that leads this small compilation is Michael Jackson whose massive hit “Thriller” plays over segments of a lot of Disney animation.
LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales (2021)
I have never really been a big follower of the LEGO movie verse over the years, I’ll admit. I loved “LEGO Batman” and “The LEGO Movie” but that’s as far as it’s ever gone. LEGO and Star Wars have teamed up for a while to deliver prime kid content and this time they merge to offer up a Halloween themed movie that’s great for the holiday but also good for the young Star Wars fan. “Star Wars” isn’t exactly known for their spooky stories, but I think they do a very good job mixing their mythology with some horror themed elements. A lot of it proves to be actually quite clever.
Steadfast Stanley (2015)
It’s impossible to put in to words the value that dogs bring in to our lives. Dogs are some of the most loyal, forgiving, loving, and adoring animals in the world. “Steadfast Stanley” is a wonderful short film that’s set during the zombie apocalypse, sure, but it’s also a testament to the resilience of our dogs, and what we mean to them.