In the days before video on demand, YouTube, and streaming services, families relied on VHS tapes to record television programs as they aired. When October rolled around, getting into a ghostly mood meant pulling out the VHS tape filled with various Halloween specials. Here, listed in no particular order, are six of the best ones that we remember from those days.
Garfield’s Halloween Adventure
What’s It About?
In this 1985 cartoon, Garfield and Odie dress up as pirates for Halloween in order to get all the candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy. Garfield’s greed, however, leads them to a lonely island where they encounter a creepy old man and a 100-year-old secret from beyond the grave.
Does It Hold Up?
You bet it does. From the detailed 2D, hand-drawn animation and the catchy songs to the timeless jokes and the story itself, it’s a fun but eerie night out that takes Garfield and Odie out of their comfort zone and manages a couple good shivers.
Even though the last time I saw this special was 25+ years ago, I remembered all the songs and Garfield’s obsessive utterances of candy-candy-candy-candy. Even the music that played in the joke where Garfield gradually takes away all the breakfast food that Jon prepared was crystal clear in my memory. The other jokes hold up really well, too, since they’re all based on the situation at hand or Garfield’s own sarcastic wit. Even during his stand-up bit where he riffs on Odie like an insult comic, I was smiling the whole time.
As for the spookier bits, you have to admire the progression of scares as the episode goes on. They started with Garfield’s so-obvious-I-can’t-believe-they-jumped scares of Jon and Odie and continued to the silly-but-weird, underneath-the-costume reveals in the “Scaredy Cat” musical sequence. Then, after Garfield and Odie stumbled upon the house on the island, the old man is just as creepy as he ever was. First of all, he simply appears out of nowhere and then disappears just as quickly, which is eerie in and of itself. Moreover, his deep voice and character design just work so well together as he relates the story of the pirates. The build-up is quite impressive, and there’s a real sense of dread when the clock strikes midnight. When the ghostly pirates actually show up, their chalk-based designs are just otherworldly. I honestly don’t think I’ve seen anything like them outside “Night on Bald Mountain” from Disney’s Fantasia. But man, their appearance certainly frightened me a bit as a kid.
Seeing them now, however, the ghosts themselves don’t really do much. If Odie hadn’t sneezed and alerted the spirits to their presence, it’s very likely that the ghosts would’ve simply taken the treasure and gone on their merry way. Moreover, as Garfield and Odie make their escape on the dock, it’s odd that Odie is actually just walking away, instead of running. He’s hindered briefly by a broken blank, but then he calmly walks forward after he pulls himself up. That’s the only unusual bit, though. The special ends on the perfect note. After Garfield is back home, he turns on the TV right before bed and sees the old man again, who is somehow wearing the pirate hat that Garfield lost. Garfield calls it a night right then and there. “Nice touch,” as he would say.
Halloween is Grinch Night
What’s It About?
It’s a normal day in Whoville until a sour-sweet wind starts blowing, which wakes up the Greegrumps and the Hackencracks. And that brings the Grinch! As the Mean One heads down the mountain in order to terrorize the Whos, is there anyone at all who can stop him?
Does It Hold Up?
Absolutely. Dr. Seuss’s most famous villain appears in an animated story worthy of his name, even though it is not as popular or as lighthearted as his Christmas tale.
If How the Grinch Stole Christmas showed how the Grinch was redeemed, then Halloween is Grinch Night showed why he needed to be in the first place. This is a Grinch whose mere presence is feared by the Whos. They literally lock their whole town down as a response. As the story progresses, you see why: he’s a despicable bully. He’s as perfectly fine crushing flowers as he is abusing his dog or attacking a fuzzy, pink creature that’s the last of its kind in the area. It’s actually quite dark for a children’s story, being more like Grimm’s Fairy Tales—and I don’t mean the Disney versions.
Aside from the Grinch’s own horrible deeds, the horror he promises to bring to Whoville is even worse. His obliquely named Paraphernalia Wagon conceals terrors that are downright Lovecraftian. From creepy creatures straight out of Theodor Geisel’s Midnight Paintings to Eldritch horrors, a host of pure menace promises to hunt any and all who come into their path. And that’s not all. Dr. Seuss’s comical architecture is turned on its head to great effect. Those pursued are trapped within a varied and often abstract landscape, not knowing which way to turn in order to find safety. But as Euchariah, the show’s protagonist shows, it’s not so much a matter of overcoming such madness as it is to endure it just long enough.
Indeed, the small, bespectacled Euchariah Who is in some ways the Grinch’s perfect target, but in other ways, he’s the perfect foil. He’s a child, so he’s physically weak. However, he’s clever, booksmart, and brave. He wants to protect his family from the Grinch, but he’s curious about the boogeyman behind all those stories as well.
This particular story is delivered musically, with songs being sung throughout, either by the characters themselves or by an unseen chorus. They don’t do much to ease the mood, though. For example, the Grinch offers a ragtime-inspired number that belies his message of terror. Moreover, old Joriah Who, Euchariah’s grandfather, explains in ever-increasing monetary terms how much he wouldn’t venture outside. All of them work really well, except one: the one sung by Max about his sad circumstances. The first problem, which I noticed even as a kid, is that the song starts rather abruptly. It simply doesn’t feel like there was an appropriate lead into it. The second and main problem is that it’s unnecessary. By the time we hear it, we already know he lives a horrible existence under the Grinch. It’s nothing more than filler, and the story would’ve been stronger without it.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though, just mostly. Dr. Seuss’s whimsical rhymes are present in the narration and the dialogue. The sillier lines come from Sergeant Samuel S. McPherson who observes the Grinch from afar and reports on his progress to the frightened townsfolk. However, the best joke in the entire special comes when Euchariah has to go to the bathroom. I won’t spoil it here, but Dr. Seuss certainly had a way with words.
Witch’s Night Out
What’s It About?
On Halloween, two children named Small and Tender desire to be transformed into creatures that can scare people, and a lonely, old witch grants their wish. However, when the members of their community see the monsters, a mob forms to hunt them down and keep the city safe. Making matters worse, the witch loses her wand, preventing the children from being changed back into their human forms.
Does It Hold Up?
Yes. The visuals in this 1978 cartoon may be a little dated, but the message it delivers is timeless: everyone wants to be appreciated, no matter who they are and how they express themselves.
The most recognizable part of the special are the character visuals. Twenty-five years later, I remembered little about the special other than the fact that all of the people in it are colored using one primary color from head to foot: orange, yellow, red, blue, pink, purple, and green. The design of each character is similarly simplistic but still distinctive. Even in silhouette, it’s easy to tell Goodly and Rotten apart. Speaking of which, the character names may be generic, but it’s more that they’re archetypal. The aforementioned Goodly is organized and tries to do his best. However, his attempts to do good do lead him astray. Similarly, Nicely is a woman eager to support, encourage, and reassure those like Goodly. Meanwhile, Malicious and Rotten are as pleasant as you’d expect them to be. And then there’s the witch.
The witch stands out from the rest of the characters, and not simply because she can use magic. Her character design is more detailed, and she’s painted with several colors like a “normal” cartoon character. She’s also the only one with a backstory, pining like a faded starlet for the days of her youth when people sought her magical abilities. The now-aged witch is forgotten now, her house, straight out of The Addams Family, in shambles. She literally and figuratively has more depth than everyone else.
Honestly, she’s the only character in tune with who she really is. Whereas everyone else has a persona for most of the year, she is only who is completely herself all of the time. She’s also the only one to hear Calm and Tender’s desires to change, and in the end, she helps everyone in town bring out their hidden true selves. For example, Goodly wants to be a ferocious warrior, Nicely wants to be a vampire, and even Malicious wants to be a fairy godmother. The only change that happens to the witch herself is a new set of clothes and a new recognition and appreciation by the community. That’s not bad at all for one night out.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
What’s It About?
Halloween has come again, and despite all the ridicule from his friends, Linus is adamant in his belief that a being called the Great Pumpkin will appear in the pumpkin patch and give gifts to all good children.
Does It Hold Up?
Very much so. In fact, this 1966 cartoon is not only an amusing story that children can enjoy; older viewers will be able to pick up on and ponder the various ideas raised.
First of all, it’s quite clear that Linus has confused Santa Claus with the Great Pumpkin. It’s not explained when or how this happened, but it’s evident that he’s believed this for quite some time. His sister, Lucy, and all of his friends—even Charlie Brown—make fun of him or question his belief at some point. But is it really justified? Santa Claus is an equally absurd concept, but society at large has long since accepted it. If the idea of the Great Pumpkin caught on, everyone would be sitting in the pumpkin patch with him (after trick-or-treating, of course).
It definitely speaks to the idea of faith, religious or otherwise. Is Linus a fool for missing out on trick-or-treating and going to Violet’s party, especially when the Great Pumpkin doesn’t show up (yet again), or are his beliefs strong in the face of incredible adversity and constant disappointment? It likely depends on the final outcome, but we’re nowhere close to having that information at the end of the special.
Disappointment does feature pretty heavily throughout. Charlie Brown hopes to finally kick the football without having Lucy pull it away (the first time this running gag was ever animated), but she, of course, does and he lands on his back. He is also excited to get candy while trick-or-treating, but he gets nothing but rocks. Even at Violet’s party, his happiness is only momentary as his invitation to be a model turns out to be as a canvas for a pumpkin carving. Good grief, indeed. It’s not just limited to Charlie Brown either. Snoopy loses his imaginary battle as a World War I flying ace (again, the first time it was ever animated), and Sally, having decided to wait with Linus for the Great Pumpkin, is incredibly and justifiably angered when it turns out to be for nothing. But that’s how life is sometimes. Our choice is whether we mope about it, try to learn from it and move on, or do the same thing and hope for a different outcome.
Children may or may not pick on all of these topics. Instead, they’ll be too busy laughing at Charlie Brown’s misfortune, enjoying Snoopy’s antics, and/or deciding to call everyone blockheads. Perhaps they have the right of it in the end.
Disney’s Halloween Treat / A Disney Halloween
What’s It About?
These Halloween-themed compilations created by the House of Mouse weave together clips from their various animated films and shorts. The 90-minute A Disney Halloween was the first of them, but it was later reedited into the shorter Disney’s Halloween Treat.
Does It Hold Up?
Mostly. Ranging from the haunting symphony of demonic revelry of “Night on Bald Mountain” and the atmospheric “The Old Mill” to the more traditional stories of ghosts and witches, along with anything tangentially related to the dark, this special showcases the legacy of Disney animation up to the early 1980s.
An important part of any compilation is focus, and this one occasionally loses it from time to time. As a result, those segments where this happens feel very much like the creators were stretching the idea of what actually made sense for Halloween. In the part where cats are covered, a clip is skillfully utilized where a cat is on the hunt for rodents in a dark, medieval basement. It’s moody, tense, and rather quite violent (unseen, of course). However, that is then followed up by the Siamese Cat song from Lady in the Tramp, where two conniving cats make trouble for Lady. It’s not spooky or scary in any way, shape or form; it’s just there to say that cats can be mischievous. The song is catchy, too, which doesn’t exactly fit the Halloween mood.
Actually, a sizable portion of the special is taken up by a spotlight on Disney villains, with mixed results. The scenes with the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves work extremely well, as she mixes dangerous ingredients together and then drinks the created potion which painfully transforms her into an old crone. The witch-like woman then tricks Snow White into poisoning herself. Similarly, Sleeping Beauty’s evil sorceress Maleficent taunts the captive Prince Philip and then the two do battle in her demonic dragon form. On the other hand, the inclusion of villains like Edgar from The Aristocats is less effective. Sure, he kidnaps cats, but that’s a tenuous tie-in to Halloween in and of itself. Furthermore, the clip used barely even features him. Instead, it focuses on a comedic scene between the two dogs, Napoleon and Lafayette, as they prepare to rescue them. It simply shouldn’t have been in there.
The rest of the compilation works much better. “Night on Bald Mountain” and “The Old Mill,” both from Fantasia, are equally relevant. The former is a deranged celebration of dark spirits, while the latter is scary in a more nature-based sense. Furthermore, Ichabod Crane going up against the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow is as nerve-wracking as it ever was. Meanwhile, Winnie the Pooh seems like the last thing one would associate with Halloween, but the “Heffalumps and Woozles” dream sequence actually works with its otherworldly creatures that tease the hapless bear. Dreams gone wrong are used again to great effect in the clip where Pluto has a nightmare where he’s lured into a hell lorded over by cats who put him on trial.
Beyond those are the traditional stories with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy going up against ghosts, witches, and even one’s own overactive imagination. In the case of “Mickey’s Parrot”, Mickey slowly goes down into his basement, shotgun at the ready (not a broom!), after he hears a strange noise coming from down there. A pair of old boots manage to entangle themselves on the back half of the gun and “walk” down the steps with him. Later, those same boots make it seem like someone is standing right behind him. It’s comical because, as viewers, we see what’s really happening, but we’d be completely scared if we were in his position. The specials suitably end with the most direct Halloween cartoon “Trick or Treat.” In it, Donald Duck’s nephews get help from a witch to make their stingy uncle give them candy. It’s a fine example of Disney comedy, mischief, and charm all rolled into one. Trick or treat for Halloween, indeed.
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror (1990s)
What’s It About?
The Simpsons family and the other residents of Springfield are placed into hilarious and horrifying situations that often parody famous television series, books, and movies.
Does It Hold Up?
Absolutely. Ever since its first iteration way back in the show’s second season, with Bart and Lisa telling scary stories in an actual treehouse, Treehouse of Horror has been a staple of Halloween television for 30 years (and counting). It’s not hard to see why these episodes are so memorable. Instead of telling standard stories that involve Halloween like every other sitcom, these episodes allow the show and the characters to step outside of its continuity and dive headfirst into other genres.
Take “The Raven” from the very first one, where Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem is dramatized with Homer as the protagonist, Bart as the raven, and the incredible James Earl Jones in charge of narration. Creator Matt Groening noted that he had concerns that it would be viewed as pretentious by viewers. Indeed, I and many people had to read the poem in school, and while it was an interesting read, it wasn’t exactly funny. However, the Simpsons creative team adeptly works their comedic magic. The sight gags are pitch perfect, such as Marge Simpson’s Lenore needing two picture frames to contain her massive hairdo, and Bart’s commentary relates some of our own feelings toward the work. Moreover, Homer’s famous “D’oh” and “Why you little…” catchphrase outbursts toward the raven fit incredibly well. In all, I would posit that this is one of the best adaptations of the poem ever created, if not the best.
The realm of science fiction is also explored again and again. “Time and Punishment” sees Homer getting his hand stuck in a toaster that sends him back to the time of the dinosaurs. His dad warned him not to kill anything should he ever find himself transported to the past, but he still does so without thinking. Enter the butterfly effect, where a small change in one area causes massive changes elsewhere. When he warps back to the present, it is now a 1984-esque dystopia ruled by his friendly neighbor Ned Flanders. Homer escapes and continuously travels back and forward through time attempting to get back to his normal life. In one instance, he finds himself in a seemingly perfect future where his family is rich and agreeable. However, he immediately screams all the way back to the past when he learns that doughnuts don’t exist in that world. Of course, the comedy and tragedy of it is evident moments after he disappears as doughnuts come raining down from the sky.
In “Homer3“, Homer stumbles upon and gets trapped within the third dimension. It’s not just an impressive use of then-revolutionary computer graphics but also a clever wink at the nature of reality, since for the Simpsons themselves, their world exists in two dimensions. Similarly, “The Genesis Tub” has Lisa Simpson accidentally creating a tiny civilization in a petri dish for a science project. The inhabitants of said dish eventually become so scientifically advanced that they send out a ship that shrinks Lisa down to their size. In addition to worshipping her as their creator, they want her to save them from the devil, Bart. Of course, meeting your god in person comes with its own set of problems.
These episodes also serve as another way for the show to satirize politics and consumer culture. In “Citizen Kang,” aliens Kudos and Kang assume the identities of then-President Bill Clinton and his Republican challenger Bob Dole in an attempt to take over the world. Aside from Homer, who knows the truth, no one realizes that the two candidates have been replaced as they spout patriotic platitudes. Moreover, when they are unmasked as aliens, they cleverly point out that one of them has to win because American essentially has a two-party system (much to the chagrin of Ross Perot, who punches through his hat in another gag). Kang becomes president and enslaves the Earth, but Homer doesn’t take responsibility because he voted for Kudos. “Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores” takes a similar route, using the format of 1950s B-movies to literally and figuratively show that unchecked marketing is destroying the world.
Of course, let us not forget the horror in Treehouse of Horror. Whether it’s taking from well-known Twilight Zone or Amazing Stories episodes or masterfully using classic horror films like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Nightmare on Elm Street, or The Shining to the point that the parodies are just as famous as the originals, there is plenty of blood and scares in these episodes. You want zombies, check out “Dial ‘Z’ for Zombies.” Killer dolls? “Clown Without Pity” sees an evil Krusty doll going after Homer. Eating children has never been funnier than in “Nightmare Cafeteria,” and even an evil twin shows up in the form of fish-head-eating Hugo from “The Thing and I.”
One could go on for days listing off incredible episodes: “The Devil and Homer Simpson”, “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace” (lousy Smarch weather), “Hell Toupée”, and many more. Admittedly, some Treehouse episodes are weaker than others, but as a whole, few do Halloween quite like The Simpsons.