The Lookback : The Halloween Tree

The Flashback 
   

   When  I think of Halloween I don't think of trees , except for that they still have colored leaves on them taunting you. This is our lookback at a TV movie called "The Halloween Tree".
     In 1993 it was an animated movie produced by  Hanna-Barbera (their name comes up often in these lookbacks)  for TBS/Cartoon Network (all owned by ole' Ted Turner)  it is based on a book of the same name , written by  Ray Bradbury (hey, you calm down, we hear your screams from here). He also wrote the script for this movie which got him an Emmy for Outstanding writing in a children's program in 1994.

       The Movie starts with  narration from Ray Bradbury himself as a town prepares for Halloween night. We see our main characters  (in the book it was  8 boys , the movie changes it to 2 boys and 1 girl) who are wearing costumes.
                       
                     This is the intro.... that's all we have to say/ copyright H/B

     They all end up meeting up with their friend Pip who is called the Greatest Boy  whoever lived (don't tell the other boys) but he is going to the hospital because he has to have appendix removed. (not his glossary) Being good friends, they decide to follow him to the Hospital and take a short cut through the woods. (Which is something people do on Halloween) Then they think they see Pip running through the woods  where they think it was some sort of trick he is playing.  They race after "Pip" thinking it's him.   They end up going to an old mansion.
               
                                         

We aren't scared, just afraid of dust/ Copyright H&B

                                   
   A man answers the door his name is  Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud (really now? He's voiced by Lenord Nimoy , hey you calm down)   and he is disappointed  that none of the children  know the meaning of their costumes/ (Skeleton means the stuff under you skin and muscles and stuff)  The kids see Pip who is apparently a ghost now. (he died?, dark!) They try to chase after him but he disappears and they see a big tree with pumpkins growing on it. Mr.M (we aren't typing his full name twice)  tells them that is the Halloween Tree (roll credits).  Ghost Pip goes up the tree and there's a pumpkin that looks kind of like Pip. He grabs the pumpkin and leaps off the tree.

My precious/ Copyright H&B 

 So Pip has escaped and his friends want to find him and  they beg Mr. M   to help him so they can help Pip.  At first, He doesn't want to because he's annoyed that they don't know what their costumes mean or come from.  Then, he changes his mind and finally decides  to let them help and also see if they can learn about the meaning of Halloween at the same time.
                                                   

Are there snacks on this trip? / Copyright H/B

      The rest of the movie is the kids  and Mr.M going on a this trip to different countries. First, Mr.M  uses magic to  make a kite which, will be their transportation. (safe?)  They see Pip going 4,000 Halloweens ago. ( so this is a time traveling trip as well.)  They've gone back to ancient Egypt.   Where they see an Egyptian family having dinner with their grandfather , who's been dead for 67 years. (Grandpa's kind of late for dinner) They run after Pip and find a tomb then Ralph, the boy dressed as mummy, gets grabbed a mummy.  The mummy tells Ralph the reason where mummification came from.  Pip (or Pipkin) is being spirited away and Ralph has to save him. Ralph saves him by acting like a mummy.   But, Pip gets away again. 

aaaaaaaaa call my mummy/ copyright H&B 

     More after the jump 

           First, an "ad":  Do you have unwanted house guests or people that have been in your house too long?  Then call 1-555-Mum-Away we send people dressed as mummies to your house at the time you pick  to get those guests to pack away. Call or click today 

 now back to the lookback. 

      Now, where' s Pip?  Now Halloween is New Year's Eve (which I am not against)  They all land still back in time but now it's Stonehenge.  Also, terrifying cats.  I guess this one is for Jenny, since she's dressed as a witch and now there are witches doing broom stuff. (also magic brooms are real?)  The kids all end up flying on brooms, Jenny is not enjoying this because she's afraid of heights, but her friends give her some confidence. Anyway they about witches and why people were called witches.   It even gets dark by showing angry mobs burning people out. (oh my) Oh yeah , we found Pip again. 

You aren't flying that right/ Copyright H&B

      Let's see there are 2 more characters that need to learn about their costumes so Pip can't be gone yet.  They have to rebuild a cathedral to get to Pip luckily it builds itself.  (which is awesome).  Not just any cathedral but Norte Dame!   This is a trip for Wally  since he is dressed as a monster and they are going to learn more about monsters.  Pip has been turned into a gargoyle because, of course. Wally puts himself as the one to save Pip.   

I want a Pip fountain/ Copyright H&B

   One more kid's costume we haven't heard about yet, so it's time for Mexico. Day of the Dead time!  Meaning Skeletons are featured.  Funnily enough , the character's name is Tom Skelton.   They go into a grave to find  The grave has the living dead.  Mr.M asks Tom why he wears skeleton and he  says that if we face death then we aren't as scared off it.  He runs through the living dead to get to Pip. (what a nice friend)

I have friends on the web/ Copyright H&B 

   Anyway Pip's spirit crumbles into dust. (Wait what?)  Mr.M  is holding  Pip's Pumpkin and says that Pip belongs to him now because they didn't make it in time. Mr.M says this because Pip's rent was due and it was time. (Time for Pip to die?) Tom decides that this isn't where it stops and he makes a deal to give a year of his life to Mr.M.  A year at end off the end of his life. (well dang)  Jenny then also gives a year, followed by Ralph and Wally.    Pip's  soul is released.
                                   

  Can we give up this year? / copyright H&B

                 They all return home back to the current year.  The kids have learned about Halloween and the backgrounds of their costumes. They run to see if Pip is  ALLLLIVE.   He is alive, and appendix less. (still has his table of contents though) Pip says he had  a strange dream of the stuff we saw. The pumpkins leave the tree as the narrator says all but one. (meaning Pip's)

  So that's our lookback at this movie. It's was a great special and you tell  Ray Bradbury's style through out. (Again, he was narrator on the thing too)  and it's a great slightly dark story. It does change from the book but in this case it's fine. The tale is an fun one where they learn about things that make Halloween. King of dark with that edge of Pipkin trying to escape so he doesn't die and the idea that death is scary and you have to look in the eye to not fear it is a message you don't get month.   You can see it too with or without kids it's on DVD and other places, and also read the book. (Reading is power) It's  a great Halloween special.

     Tune in  next time when  we lookback at  a special about a man  who mad that kids don't understand Thanksgiving at all and sends them to 1620.