Happy October 30th! Can you believe October is almost officially over? I feel like I still want one more week to celebrate all things Halloween before I shift over into Thanksgiving and Christmas fun.
I've enjoyed centering all my blog posts about spooky topics this month, but I'd be amiss not to acknowledge the sheer number of Halloween movies produced by Disney, both in terms of animation and Disney Channel Original Movies. And so for my final Halloween post (that is fittingly on the day before Halloween), I have a special treat for you! I'd like to welcome guest writers (or talkers) Colin Waters and Hannah Beth Turner. In full transparency, I intended on doing one of my typical ranking posts for the Halloween movies; however, I am still recovering after writing the great monstrosity that was The Evolution of Villains in all the Disney Princess Movies (and also just being a college senior during a pandemic).
Colin and Hannah Beth got together to talk about their favorite Disney Halloween movies, and they created a bracket to rank which Halloween movie reigns supreme. Which movie will win the March Madness of Halloween movies? Read a transcript of their chat to find out!
Without further ado, I'm turning it over to Colin and Hannah Beth. I hope you enjoy their bracket of Disney's Halloween movies!
Hi hi howdy howdy hi hi! It is me, Colin (Adrianna’s brother), and I have somehow finagled my way into being a guest writer this week for Adrianna’s blog. Along with me today is one of my best friends and Disney guru, Hannah Beth Turner. We figured while we are still in the Halloween season, we might as well dabble in a special Halloween post for all our fans. Normally Adrianna has a ranking once a week, but we thought we’d shake things up and add our own twist. So, Hannah Beth and I are excited and proud to bring you Genie Lamp of Stories’ first-ever Halloween Bracket.
This week we will walk you through a vintage 8 seed bracket of some classic Disney films-as HB and I ultimately uncover “The Best Disney Halloween Movie.” To begin, I picked what I believed to be the top 8 Disney Halloween Movies(in no particular order): Halloweentown, Twitches, Haunted Mansion, Maleficent, My Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Nightmare before Christmas, and Hocus Pocus. I placed them into a bracket generator--seeding was completely random, so that each movie had a fair chance. You can see the initial bracket below. For each round, HB and I shared our opinions until we could ultimately compromise on the victor.
Round One: My Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire VS. Twitches
Colin: Right out of the gate, we are facing a pretty tough, and what I would argue, evenly matched round. We start with the infamous Disney Channel Original My Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire. As a child watching this movie, I’d never experienced something so high stakes in my life. My heart truly never stopped racing. It was goosebumps level scary, for me. Twitches didn’t have as much of the spooky factor for me, but boy did it have some great drama. Also, it was Tia and Tamara, who I think were the face of Disney Channel for a damn while. Twitches had some great representation, especially early on in those Disney Channel Originals. Truly ahead of its time. So, I have a feeling I know where you are leaning, Hannah Beth, and maybe that will sway my answer.
Hannah Beth: So I also liked My Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire, it scared me a little, I’ll be honest.
Colin: Mmhmm, we love to be spooked.
Hannah Beth: I don’t know if I necessarily love to be spooked. I watched it multiple times, it was one that I could get through all the way, but not my fav to be honest. TWITCHES-my fav. A) Great representation. B) Love Tia and Tamara- amazing, AMAZING people. I just think they’re so talented and once-again groundbreaking in their field. Just two, young, black women-standing out.
Colin: It passes the Bechdel Test.
Hannah Beth: It DEFINITELY passes the Bechdel Test, which I really needed from D-Coms when I was little. I didn’t even know what (the Bechdel test) was when I was little, but I was fulfilled. C) Twitches has a lot of lure. I love the backstory on all of the magic. D) It spurred a sequel.
Colin: You know, I think it is time to vote.
Hannah Beth: I vote Twitches.
Colin: Alright, so Twitches moves on.
Round One: Hocus Pocus VS. Halloweentown
Colin: Now this round suffered a lot at the hands of the “random seed generator.” I could have seen these two in a finale together. But, here we are with Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus. I’m not gonna lie, I have a very clear winner on this one, though.
Hannah Beth: Oh you do? I’m very much tied on this one.
Colin: Okay, then how about you lead first.
Hannah Beth: Hocus Pocus is just a CLASSIC, it doesn’t get better than that in terms of comedy. I would also say I love all of the fun Hocus Pocus stuff they do in the parks. I just think this show is the epitome of Halloween comedy. Love the cast.
Colin: LOVE the cast.
Hannah Beth: But, Halloweentown is just sentimental to me. Every year a new one would come out around my birthday. I would get so excited for a new Halloweentown. I loved all of them and was lit for more Halloweentown content and to go back into that world. They take you into an entirely different universe. I connected with Marnee being my age, unlike Hocus Pocus.
Colin: Looking at Hocus Pocus, it is one of those movies that is a staple to getting into the spirit of Halloween. I honestly didn’t watch it that much when I was growing up though, and I think that’s why it has swayed my opinion that I am 100% team Halloweentown. Halloweentown or bust, baby. Hocus Pocus- great film, but it doesn’t hold that nostalgia for me. There is also something about Halloweentown that has this “we’re the kids of America” feel. All of these monsters, living their own lives, united on one front. Just misfits being misfits. Also, there’s Debbie Reynolds. She graced us. Aggie is one of the best characters in Disney Channel History. Even when they recast Marnie for the 4th movie, audiences were like “what the heck?” but still remained loyal to the franchise. It didn’t keep them from not seeing the movie.
Hannah Beth: I think I am gonna have to vote for Halloweentown.
Colin: Halloweentown it is. What a polarizing answer from us. I’m sure this will shake up some households. But we said we said, and this is our bracket. Yikes.
Round One: Nightmare Before Christmas VS. Haunted Mansion
Colin: I’d say right now I am on the fence between these two. For me, Haunted Mansion was the movie I watched more as a kid. Honestly, Nightmare wasn’t really a part of my movie repertoire until recently. I have always LOVED the music for Nightmare though. This year on October 1st I literally played “This is Halloween” to ring in the month of October. On the other hand, I am a big ole Eddie Murphy fan. When we were young, I loved his work and always looked up to him.
Hannah Beth: Well, I will start with Haunted Mansion. I love a movie that is based on a Disney ride. Walt Disney actually created the Haunted Mansion ride. It was smart of them to wait to create a movie to live up to the ride until they had the means necessary. That way they could add the ghost special effects and make it spooky. I love that it brought a storyline to the Haunted Mansion, because before the ride was just a haunted house. It was very cool of them to take a ride from the 60s and when they turn it into a film it centers around a black family. That being said, I am gonna have to throw my vote at Nightmare Before Christmas whole-heartedly because I think it is artistically an A+ for me. I love the characters, the music, the design, the concept.
Colin: Well, you know what, I am here and I am down to go with Nightmare before Christmas. I think that’s the winner for this round.
Hannah Beth: Yes!
Round One: Maleficent VS. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Colin: I have a clear winner out of the gate….
Hannah Beth: Yeah, same….
(awkward silence)
Colin: Yeah, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad…. I don’t think we even really need to say much about this, haha. It was the OG Disney Halloween movie. It was made like way back in the day.
Hannah Beth: Yes! The headless horseman is SCARY! The animation was ahead of its time for when it came out.
Colin: I’m gonna do some light research. It looks like the movie was made in 1949. Wow. Truman was president when that came out. Groundbreaking.
Hannah Beth: I will say, I don’t think Maleficent is even a Halloween movie, and I just didn’t like it. It didn’t hit it for me.
Colin: Yeah, me too me too. it was kinda just a wild card for me and the bracket needed an 8th slot. This was just an easy bye round for The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Round Two: Twitches VS. Halloweentown
Hannah Beth: You know, I am gonna have to go with Halloweentown.
Colin: Oh you know that's where my vote is going. There’s something about it.
Hannah Beth: It’s the world, I think.
Colin: It is practically its own franchise. It could survive on its own. Harry Potter. The Hunger Games. Halloweentown.
Hannah Beth: People are always petitioning to have a Halloweentown in the parks.
Colin: I would love that. Or even if there was a Halloweentown somewhere in the middle of the US. Like in Iowa or something. An entire town devoted to being a replica of Halloweentown.
Hannah Beth: But we love you Tia and Tamara.
Colin: Yes, of course.
Round Two: The Nightmare Before Christmas Vs. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Colin: I’m just gonna say this one is going straight to The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Hannah Beth: I mean it is gonna sweep the floor with The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Colin: Yeah… They really tried. They don’t even have a fighting chance, in comparison. It’s just hard to watch. There’s nothing we can do except just let the battle happen. BUT, we recognize it for what it was and the role it played in the history of Disney Halloween movies.
Hannah Beth: Perhaps, without the groundwork that “Adventures” laid, we wouldn’t even have The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Colin: Yes, it is time for someone else to be in office. You’ve just reached your term limit, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad….
Final Round: Halloweentown VS. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Hannah Beth: This one is really hard…. (ponders her decision in silence for 30 seconds) but I think I am going to have to go with Halloweentown.
Colin: Yeah, that was clearly my answer. There was never any doubt for me.
Hannah Beth: Yeah, I love The Nightmare Before Christmas so much, but Halloweentown makes me want to go there and be there and be Marnie.
Colin: Yes! Put a warty, galaxy-esque goblin mask on me and get me a ticket to the next train to Halloweentown. Well, there ya have it folks. It was a journey getting here, but we are pleased to crown Halloweentown as the victor of the “Best Disney Halloween Movie Bracket.” Sorry if your favorite got knocked out during the tournament, but we’d love for you to use the bracket yourself and decide your winner.
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