Nostalgia plays a huge role in making any holiday more enjoyable, and I think that’s especially true for Halloween. For me, Disney Channel Original Halloween Movies are pretty dang nostalgic. Growing up, it was a yearly tradition to watch these movies on a loop while eating countless bowls of Count Chocula during October. It’s also very typical for these DCOM to sneak in some deeper messages among the cheesy acting and blown out special effects, that I love.
Here are my top picks as well as my interpretation on what messages Disney was trying to send to us sugar-ladened kids.
Smart House (1999)
I am fairly certain this movie came out in the summer, but I am also certain that this was in the rotation for Disney’s fall schedule. Katey Sagal lends her voice to this movie about a family winning a “smart house” in a contest. After the main character, Ben, alters the virtual assistant’s settings to be more maternal, things get intense when the house starts to become more controlling. While this movie doesn’t have the typical spooky setting, I think we can all agree that computers coming to life is one of the scariest possibilities out there. THE HOUSE ACTUALLY KIDNAPS THE FAMILY. Also, Katey Sagal’s presence in anything is an absolute delight.
I think Disney was trying to tell us that we can’t always get what we want, and we shouldn’t try to force things to be what they aren’t. And, they were probably trying to warn us about how invasive technology could be.
Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)
God, I love this one. A monster movie-obsessed pre-teen, and his older sister, set up their mom on a date so they can sneak out of the house. But, turns out, the man they set her up with is a vampire – the kind that turns into a freaking bat in dark alleyways.
There’s so much Halloween goodness in this movie. It centers around a harvest festival, there’s vintage Halloween and horror movie decorations everywhere, and even a vampire movie within the actual movie that sets up some nice foreshadowing. Also, I would kill for one of those “Headless Horseman” rock band tees that the main character is always wearing.
So many messages here – don’t use your family members to get what you want, you’re never too old to have a good time, don’t meet strangers on the internet, and true love can mean more than romantic love.
Underwraps (1997)
Three teenagers befriend a not-so-dead mummy after discovering him in a basement. They name him Harold, and spend the rest of the movie trying to make sure he gets back in his sarcophagus, alongside his beloved mummy wife, by Halloween night. If the kids fail, Harold would cease to exist.
Underwraps is allegedly Disney’s first DCOM, and it’s pure 90’s gold. I would venture to say that it plays on the line of being considered a “dark comedy.” The jokes and one-liners get pretty macabre, and sometimes inappropriate for a kids film. The actor who plays Harold offers some great physical comedy, and also makes you really have a soft spot for him. The relationship between the mummy and the teenagers is as endearing as any creature feature.
The messages I think I got from Underwraps – face your fears, and also true love can spill over into the afterlife.
Halloweentown (1998)
A young girl named Marnie Cromwell discovers that she comes from a long line of witches, but her mother has kept it a secret all her life. Marnie then follows her grandmother, played by Debbie Reynolds, to a place called Halloweentown, where all sorts of witches, warlocks, and taxi driving skeletons live. There’s a “bad thing” that is terrorizing the town so Marnie and her two younger siblings have to help their grandmother stop it, all while trying to learn about their own magical powers.
I don’t think it gets more wholesome than Halloweentown. It’s a perfect movie for anyone in the family, and it’s set within a charming and whimsical backdrop. Who doesn’t fantasize about their grandmother taking them to a magical land to teach you how to be a witch or a warlock?
Halloweentown so loved that there is even a festival every year in St Helens, Oregon where the movie was filmed. Kimberly J. Brown, the actress who plays Marnie, has attended the festival on numerous occasions. Brown also has an entire Etsy shop dedicated to the film as well. It’s always on my must watch list for spooky season.
The only life lesson we need to remember from Halloweentown is:
“Being Normal is Vastly Overrated”
Brittany Fernandez is a Lifestyle Writer for SoBros Network. She’s a Nashville native covering events on the local scene, B-movie horror reviews, and everything in between. Her go to karaoke song is “No Diggity.” Follow on Twitter: @brittbutspooky
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