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Thursday, October 20, 2022

Halloween: Spooky Bats and Scaredy Cats

Halloween 




             In the process of looking for Halloween media to write about,  I had this special written down in a list and never got back to that...list. Anyway this one is interesting, I don't know much about it, except that apparently it's a TV special, but not sure where it aired and aired in like 2009, at least IMBD says that so. but who cares?  This gives us time to focus on  the special itself. 

      First off, it's stop motion and has a nice charm to how it looks.  This special looks good, it's fall, Halloween night the coloring is warm but feels like night, it feels like Halloween oozing through its look.  We have two main children characters named, Makean (pronounced as Mak-key-an) and his sister, named Katie. They are trick or treating on this night. Nothing too much makes them stand out as characters, but  I don't think that's the purpose.  Makean is worried about 'spooks' because he's young and thinks spooks exist. (They do)  The first person, we see, they visit gives them a not so good treat.  
The Penguin and Catwoman ... what? 



       There's also the Candleman.  Whom they seem to know.  Why? Quick search....  This is part of a series of specials  where this one is number 2, and a Christmas special called "The Christmas Light" is the first one and so yeah cool.  That's why they aren't like "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" for the special which could limit the special for some, but again maybe we don't need to know too much about him for this special.  His design is cool, if not dangerous with all those candles.  He's apparently handing out pickles to trick or treaters.  He also has floating swimming fish, because sure.  
That hat is a fire hazard  


      
          Really, this shouldn't be the question too much special, we'd be here a long time. Candleman asks if they'd like to help  him complete a task to delver some invitations.  He gives the kids a map and puts them on a fancy carriage, and he's like I'm off, bye. ( Same)    The first place is Spooky Hallow. (Which really sounds a like tourist trap, I'm going)   Anyway Makean's fears are part of the plot and he is nervous about everything. 
       
        Stop one, a place that looks like they are entering an ancient Egyptian tomb and oh look a mummy.  Even Katie screams as she gives him is invitation, but he seems like a nice mummy. (Katie thinks it was a costume, after she apparently thought it out)   Next, the swamp, a good place to meet a swamp monster.  Do love the design because it looks both kind of unsettling, but not menacing. 
That's how he gets his victims, they think he doesn't look menacing  then he eats your head goes out at night and eats cars 


     They meet the wolfman, the Grim Reaper, scare crow, (there's a song that playing during the montage that sounds like someone really liked "The Nightmare Before Christmas and wanted something like that for a song)  Next they meet a witch, that or a woman making soup.   Also the way she talks she really should understand that it sounds like she wants to eat them. (I'd like to have you for dinner) 
    

            She does give them two brooms, to fly to Frank's place (is that the bar on 53th and Franklin?) . Frank is Frankenstein's monster just in case you needed that. They seem to be enjoying the broom flying instead of going ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Katie also maybe realizes that this all might be real stuff.  Frank meets them (oh good he's trademark safe)  Didn't need him picking up a girl though, that brings up flashbacks.  (of what ? oooh) 
I've learned to ask people if they want to swim since the incident 





            Frank seemed nice, not much of a talker.  The two kids run from ole Frank, because now Katie realizes the monsters are real. The moral of the story is Makean was right, always listen to him. (what?)  They see the monsters we just saw following them and  in a slow speed chase. (Chopper 32 is tired, we're going home)  They decide to run to old castle, the monsters catch up to them and ring the doorbell.  Candleman answers the door and the monsters are his friends. (oooh) 

Death takes the night off... 



            It's a monster mash. It's kind of fun to see these monsters not be scary and just having some fun at a party.   The special ends with a nice shot of the house. 

           I do find it funny that Katie doesn't think spooks were real but accepts a flying fish and a guy wearing candles on his head as like sure, normal, and then she's like no these are guys in costumes, and still seems a skeptic until the broom ride.  But I'm not here to tear apart a this, (I am though ,*rips paper) 
     
        The animation is charming, it's a simple straight forward story with showing Makean to have some courage.  I'm not sure if there is a moral besides courage through fear can get you far or that monsters aren't as bad as they seem? I don't know.  It's not a high thinking special, but it's there to relax with or show younger children, it's fine.  

     That's it for now, tune in next time when we find a monster and think he's not so bad and get eaten!  

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