"The Halloween Tree" Finally Released on DVD!

Yes, it's true, after waiting for so many years to see this great animated film on DVD, Warner is finally releasing it on a "Made On Demand" disc.

Go here to buy it!

Every Halloween I have had to make do with a grainy transfer from my old VHS tape, but no longer. I am looking forward to having this on my shelf at last!

My First Monster Memory

Today's Monster Memories are of:
"The Abominable Snowman" From "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."

If you saw this coming up over the mountains you'd crap your pants
even if you weren't five years old.

Called "The Abominable Snow Monster of the North" on the show, but nicknamed "Bumble" by the crusty prospector Yukon Cornelius, this monster memory goes wa-a-a-y back... it's about the first monster I recall seeing, vividly and clearly remembering the scare it invoked. I was only 5 when the Rankin-Bass special played for the very first time, and I had seen the promos all week, so I was anxious to watch it. I even remember the Norelco electric shaver commercial that played during the breaks, that was animated in the same style and had Santa riding an electric razor over the snowy hills. Like the intended audience would need to shave!

Bumble did a little dance of joy at having spotted a fresh hot supper below.

I had seen other monsters before that, I know; in cartoons, and comics, and tv shows, but this was the one that made the biggest impression on my young mind. Perhaps it's because it was such a threat to the characters, and I felt their fear. I mean, look at that thing!

"Hey, kids! See you in your nightmares!"

Now just look at that creature... to a five-year old, that can be pretty darn scary, and it was to me. The TEETH, the roaring, the threating to EAT helpless little Clarrise, who was the first feminine love interest on a TV show that had made me feel warm and mushy inside! "Fluffy," the voracious man-eating creature in "The Crate" segment of Creepshow, seems to echo old Bumble... I wonder if the designer was influenced by his childhood memories?

Somehow I don't think this one's going to end up decorating the Christmas tree.

I know, a Christmas special such as this one is supposed to generate warmth and special memories. But I'm sure I'm not the only kid to be freaked out over this monstrosity who wants to devour alive his cuddly victims?

The voracious nature of the beast was intimated by his lair, a gaping maw waiting to swallow you up. Yes, Merry Christmas, kids! Try not to think about the horror that lurks within with huge teeth!

Of course, it ended up happily, with the defanged monster unable to eat solid food, (in a bloodless operation by amateur dentist Hermie) and I suppose he existed on mashed fruit and soggy cereal for the rest of his domesticated life, called upon to change lightbulbs and dust the places that the elves couldn't reach in the castle of Christmastown. Although, I can't help but muse that his meat-eating nature might reassert itself later, as the elves were small enough to swallow whole.

Watch this gem again this holiday season, if you haven't already! And don't think about the gruesome gore and unspeakable horror that would have happened had Yukon Cornelius not arrived in time... *shudder*

The Halloween Tree

Today's Monster Memories are of:

1993's "The Halloween Tree"
(Click on images to view full size.)

"The Halloween Tree," first broadcast in 1993, and televised each Halloween season on the Cartoon Network, has been a spooky holiday treat for kids (and adults like me) for years since. Inexplicably, it has not been released on DVD, although each October I keep hoping for it. In the meantime, I took my VHS copy, bought some years ago, and recorded it to DVD so I can watch it on the big screen TV. It will have to do until it gets a long-overdue DVD treatment.

This made-for-TV special has a lot going for it. The painted backgrounds are many and magnificent, the character design memorable, the voice work outstanding (particularly that by Leonard Nimoy), the theatrical-quality music by John Debney is worthy of a soundtrack CD release (which I have yet to see), and the narration by the author himself is icing on the cake.

Nearly-verbatim chunks of the original prose from the book are heard over sections of the story, that stand out as examples of the synergy between the poetry and the paintings. For example, the opening title sequence, the trip through The Ravine, and the first view of Moundshroud's house; all scenes that make me warm and chilly at the same time.

In case you haven't seen it in a while, here are a series of images I captured that will give you a chance to view and enjoy some of the dense artwork of the backgrounds and various scenes.

Ray Bradbury was more involved in this production than any other adaptation of his works. He wrote the screenplay, and provided the voice work for the narration. In the story, a group of friends are taken on a trip through time and space by the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, as they chase the soul of a dying friend. As it flits from place to place, the kids learn how all the customs of Halloween originated, and in the end are responsible for reclaiming the life of Pipkin from the designs their guide have upon it.

The following two panoramic scenes I stitched together from four screen captures each as the camera panned across the artwork. The camera movement caused a little blurring during the screen capture process but you can get a good idea of the original paintings.

The start of the film is similar in feel to the opening sequence in the other Bradbury movie adaptation, "Something Wicked This Way Comes," with the narration of the book's prose over scenes of autumn in a small midwest town of yesteryear.

Now, that's what I would call a haunted house!

Although meant to be the incarnation of Death, Mr. Moundshroud seems to have several different agendas going on at the same time. Is he evil, is he good, is he really trying to educate the kids, and to what purpose? Is he part of the natural order, or is he stealing souls for his own ends? Was their sacrifice for their friend at the end something he was subtly trying to encourage? His motivations are a mystery. What are your thoughts on the subject? Discuss.

I'd dearly love to own some of the artwork done for these backgrounds to frame, wouldn't you? Each one belongs in a museum art display.

"Sweet skulls, sweet skulls, crystal sugar candy skulls..." -Mr. Moundshroud from Ray Bradbury's "The Halloween Tree."

This line of text was the inspiration for the name of my other blog, "Sweet Skulls." Every year I enjoy reading the short book, which is roughly the same size as "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," itself another reading/viewing tradition during October.

Disney's 1977 Halloween Hall O' Fame

Today's Monster Memories are of: Disney's 1977 Halloween Hall 'O Fame

Page updated on 10-3-2019 to add these color images of the makeup process posted online by William Forsche! Photos by Gene Trindl.

Last October as I was going through old videos, to put favorites on DVD, I found two treasures that I had taped off TV back in the early 80's... both versions of the Disney Halloween specials! The first, (and best) was the "Halloween Hall O' Fame," and featured Jonathan Winters as a security guard and pumpkin-headed Jack O. Lantern. The show, part of the weekly "Wonderful World of Disney," premiered on October 30th, 1977.

This was my first introduction to my now-favorite Disney Halloween cartoons; "Lonesome Ghosts," "Trick or Treat," "Pluto's Judgement Day" and most importantly "Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Later I searched out the entire cartoons, but for years this tape was must-watch each October. But it got lost in the boxes of tapes, and now has been rediscovered like an old toy from childhood.

Last October I transferred it to DVD and now have it to savor again. I also have the next special that came out a few years later, "Disney's Halloween Treat," with the talking pumpkin on the table. Although it is padded out with the "Disney Villains" clips, (which have nothing to do with Halloween to me), it is good as well for all the actual HW clips. After the new one began showing, the one with Jonanthan Winters was no longer seen, which was a shame. And there's zero chance it will ever be sold on DVD, unless it's part of a collection of Wonderful World of Disney shows. If you have this on tape somewhere, treasure it! I know my DVD transfer will be viewed many times in years to come.

Loathe to lose a customer, Joe the barber didn't have the heart to tell Jack he had no hair left to trim.

On October 3rd, 1977, Time magazine published this mention about the upcoming special in an article:

Cinderella's coach turned into a pumpkin—and Jonathan Winters' head has now suffered the same fate. With a little help from his makeup man, Comic Winters ripens into a big jack-o'-lantern on the set of Walt Disney's special, The Halloween Hall o' Fame. The show, scheduled to air Oct. 30 on NBC, stars Winters as a bumbling night watchman who swaps heads with a talking pumpkin. The tricks and treats are vintage Disney, and Winters loved it all—especially his costume. "I was secure with my head," he says. "I knew I was a pumpkin mentally. There's a lot of seeds up there—some gone."

After kicking off this year's Halloween season by watching it, I made some screen captures off of the DVD to share with you. Enjoy!

The program opens at night, as we move past the sign and toward a window in a building on the Disney campus. Inside, we see a beagle walking down a hallway, followed by the night watchman, played by Winters. The dog's name is Peanuts. That doesn't sound like what he is saying, though.

Peanuts senses something strange in a dark room, and the night watchman goes in to check it out.

Bumping into a skeleton unawares, the guard gets a scare as he cautiously secures the room.

It turns out to be a prop room, with all sorts of interesting things laying about. This prompts the night watchman to mess around with some, doing impromptu bits using various items on a table. This is the kind of comedy Winters was famous for, unrehearsed improv using various voices and characters.

Giving an award to the midget baseball team, whose players are the same size as the trophy.

After finding a bird that had been placed in his lunch pail, he discovers that it had eaten his food.

An Indian fakir charms a snake but gets bitten, then bites the snake in return.

A small-town fire chief rallies his men to put out a doghouse fire.

A doctor chides his patient for not eating his veggies.

Jack O. Lantern startles the night watchman when he appears in a crystal ball.

Challenging the pumpkin-headed intruder, he learns that Jack is hiding out til midnight to avoid Halloween. He doesn't like what it has become, a kid's holiday full of fun and not true scares.

The night watchman disagrees, telling his he ought to be ashamed; a pumpkin hiding on Halloween!

Jack tells how back in the old days they had real ghosts and goblins, not like today. To illustrate, he shows some clips from classic Disney cartoons in his crystal ball. The first is "Trick or Treat."

The final scene from "Trick Or Treat," a last-second "boo" shot if there ever was one.

The next was an edited version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." So... was the Headless Horseman in this cartoon a real ghost, or just the jealous Brom Bones?

After all the cartoons, at the end of "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the night watchman, using some reverse psychology, cleverly provokes the spirit of Halloween to come out of hiding and go celebrate the season.

Finding himself temporarily in the crystal ball, our hero wonders what is going on.

Jack tells him he's using his body to go out and mix with the trick or treaters.

Thinking he is paying back the night watchman for questioning his ability to frighten, Jack has a good laugh and heads out into the night.

Content to switch places just for the evening, the night watchman is happy that he got the spook to join the celebrations.

"And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Halloween well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, Happy Halloween, Every One!"

A treat fer ya; Here's a Youtube post someone has made of the entire special!