The Flashback : Halloween : Pepper Ann: A Tween Halloween

The Flashback Halloween 

      We've not done something  Pepper Ann  related  since  ("Thanksgiving Dad")  which we covered in 2017. So it's time to do a Halloween episode.  In great timing this episode turns 20  on October 31st , 2018 so that's fun.  It's also the only 11 minute Pepper Ann holiday themed episode since "Thanksgiving Dad" and "A Kosher Christmas" were both full 22 minutes specials.   

      Our main character , Pepper Ann, is twelve  and this seems to giving us an interesting plot for an Halloween episode. Where the character might be feeling a little too old for trick or treating.   You can also see this theme in the "Gravity Falls" episode "Summer-Ween"  I did get a little ahead of myself.    At the start Pepper Ann and her friend, Milo, are discussing what they dressing up as for Halloween.    The episode starts with the date stamp of  "October 29".  Anyway Pepper Ann wants to go over the top for Halloween this year.  At a thrift shop the two of them are searching for costumes.  When Milo grabs a box , a younger child wants the same box and when the younger children find out that Milo and Pepper Ann want to go trick or treating , they are shocked. 

Costume in a box is mine/ Copyright Disney 

        The statement that they are too old starts to bug Pepper Ann , while Milo doesn't care he will go out no matter what.  She asks here other friend, Nikki, how old is too old for T or T ing but Nikki doesn't like the tradition on the first place. (You'd think Pepper Ann would know how Nikki feels in the first place)  Pepper Ann decides to ask other students if they are going doing the thing and of course,  she finds out that they all said no.  I will note that Milo has decided to wear his costume to school days before Halloween.  He is playing the person who has decided that he doesn't care what other people think and will do it because he loves it.  (Could this be the moral of the episode?) 

I have a couple questions/ Copyright Disney 

       A thing about this show is that Pepper Ann has discussions with herself  to figure out  what she should do. Internally, she does want to go. At lunch she decides to declare that she is going to trick or treating.  Then she asks everyone to believe in Halloween  to which apparently everyone wore costumes under their clothes this day.  Oh it was a fantasy thing. (Well now I am sad)     When  she tries to do it for real, she gives up at the last second. 

Isn't he super?  / Copyright Disney 

    Later on she gets mad at Milo.  Now It's Halloween.  Milo comes over to her house and he's unhappy and says that he decided that she's right and that he's given up too. Pepper Ann tells him that she was wrong. They go trick or treating after all.  The end of the episode shows a montage of the other middle schoolers removing their costumes from their own night. (Even Nikki) 

Marge Simpson sure has changed her hair/ Copyright Disney 

    As I alluded, the center message of this episode is that if you love something (that's not harmful) why stop? Pepper Ann did want to continue doing what she liked but she felt  that that it would ruin her social status or something if she did. Milo was the pretty much willing to do it he cared for it Pepper Ann knew this that she decided when she saw that Milo gave up that snapped her into want to do it.  The ending was also nice to show it.   A nice Halloween episode with a different take to it than others. Even being 11 minutes didn't hurt it.      

  Anyway, tune in next time after we get candy.  

    

Halloween: Scary Godmother

Halloween 

        This time we go into a staple that many in the US who if they wanted Cartoon Network in the 2000's would know.  But before I talk about the special I am going to talk about where "Scary Godmother" comes from.   "Scary Godmother" started as a book series (also with some comics) created by Jill Thompson.  Scary Godmother is about a godmother (duh) but you know Halloween also she's not scary. (what?)   The next common step for a book series is to make it into a television special. There are two movies based off the books.  The first one we are talking about is called "Scary Godmother : Halloween Spooktacular" .  It first came out in 2003 and appeared on Cartoon Network in the US in 2004.    That's where we start.

     Let's get (not) scary.

             The animation style reminds me of a picture book but with 3D elements, I'll get to more in that later. The movie starts with some kids trick or treating because it' s Halloween (either that or it's may 25th).  There's a girl named Katie she's wearing a cat costume , and a boy named Daryl is who is dressed as a piece of candy because why not?  Daryl was seen running to Katie who was standing by a cemetery.  She informs him he's late .  Then another kid named Bert, who is dressed as a baseball player in an SUV (creative?), shows up and they are waiting for their friend , Jimmy.  Jimmy is late  because he to take his cousin, Hannah trick or treating with them. (He's a devil and she's a fairy princess).   Hannah is afraid of monsters.    (That's important info.)

I',m also scared of whatever this is. 

      Jimmy tells his friends that they are going to ditch Hannah, which they don't seem to like this idea but convince themselves that this is a good plan.  So, Jimmy tells Hannah that if she wants to trick or treat with them then she has to go into the spook house. This house is described that  the people who lived there didn't give monsters candy  so they eaten. (monsters are mean)  He says that Hannah needs to leave candy in the house , so the kids around the neighborhood don't get eaten.  The plan doesn't go as uh planned so they have to create the scares themselves.  Hannah goes the basement  and she finds that Jimmy and his friends have left.  Then she starts crying.  Finally, the title character shows up. (9 minutes in this 47 minute film.)  She tries to get  Hannah's attention and instead of just saying hello she starts fake crying to get Hannah's attention.

She's afraid of monsters, but random ladies -nope. 

       She introduces herself as Hannah's Scary Godmother (roll credits) and Hannah says that 's she's scared of monsters, so the fairy takes Hannah on broom. (Good thing she's not afraid of brooms )  The end up another house that looks kind of nice. Back over to Jimmy and his gang they are laughing waiting for her to come out. Back to the SGM and Hannah. Scary is looking for her friend named Skully who is a skeleton.  He shows up.  Oh Scary is having a party.  He's a skeleton in the closet. (uhhhhh what?)  He says that almost everyone has a skeleton in their closet he's there to keep their secrets safe. (welp, I ummm out)  Scary uses magic to make her house  look good for the party.

This is my dream home 

    Over at the spooky house , Hannah hasn't gone out.   I think Katie and Daryl had a moment.  But, back to the party.   The first guest is werewolf named Harry. He really likes food. Hannah is scared of the werewolf.  He thinks that's she's a famous actress and they try to him that's she not but he  keeps talking.   Then the movie interrupts itself , yes it does. Scary tells how to make peanut butter and jelly crackers  which she then uses to shut up the werewolf. (so, it was  necessary) 

a werewolf and skeleton walk into a house... 

   The next guests are vampires : Count Maxwell , Ruby- his wife,  his boy Orson, that's it.  (When two vampires love each  other they have family) This movie goes with the vampires can't enter a house unless invited.  Orson and Hannah seem to hit it off. Up next, that next guest  named  Bug-A-Boo. He's an actual monster. Hannah is terrified of him and this causes a house chase around. Hannah tells him he's scary and he decides to leave ,but Hannah feels bad and tries talking with him. He stays.  Jimmy and his friends still wait for Hannah. (maybe she died ,Jimmy, maybe yous should check)  More monster party interludes because we need to fill in some that 47 minute run time.

Vampire Yawns.. 

      Jimmy and friends notice that the houses are closing up and they can't get tricks or treats  or see the Great Pumpkin. They start voting on who should be leader of the group this takes us nowhere.  We also have a recount joke, because 2000 happened. Then they rock paper, scissors and it keeps coming up rock. Jimmy conveniences them to try something different so, everyone tries scissors but Jimmy with a rock. (Need to fill that 47 minute run time.)  Then we get Maxwell talking about seeing his wife's dress and that's annoyed that you  can practically she her ankles.  (Woah, I though this was rated Y not TV PG)  Then it moves on to Max feeling down so his wife helps  his spirits then they umm neck. (Rated TV MA)  The werewolf guy  eats all the food.  So they decide to order Pizza.


    Hannah and the monster find out they have something in common.  Hannah finds out that monsters don't eat kids  because that would ruin the kid scaring business. (Wait I think Monster's Inc. got off that)  Jimmy+ gang still wait for Hannah and they start losing it.  So the only option is to  go back to the party and the pizza is there.  Also there's a Lincoln assassination joke in this movie. (awk-weird) Hannah has learned the true moral of Halloween - that monsters aren't that bad.  Anyway Hannah mentions Jimmy and they decide to something about him.  The kids decide to enter the house to see if they can get Hannah.  They meet Orson and don't believe  that he is a real a real vampire. His parents come out and scare the kids then Skully comes out and impresses them with a show tune.  They get scared when they figure out he's a skeleton.  They also get afraid of the werewolf who wants to eat Daryl because his costume.

oh my god, they do have eyes!!!!!! 

      They run to the basement for safety where they get scared by Bug and lucky Hannah "saves " them with her flashlight.  Scary gives Hannah a special key that she can use to visit them anytime she wants. 

   The animation is early 2000's CGI, it's not too bad.Though of it's time.  The humans though do look at little strange with such tiny eyes except Hannah who has 'normal eyes' and not dots.  The backgrounds look like book drawings and that's a nice aesthetic look it gives.  Some of the backgrounds are 2D  which does give the characters some pop out.    The movie itself is enjoyable , it has points that do feel to drag on like they need to fit it for 47 minutes to fit an hour on a commercial channel.   Besides my joke from the Ankle line, it is an alright film for the children and family to watch.  So , anyway, we may talk about the sequel at some point, but that's for a later time.


   Tune in next time when we look at werewolves vs. cows. (If, it's not real then yay, if it is , we don't care)

The Flashback :Scooby Doo and The Ghoul School

The Flashback 

    Perfect timing fell into our lap, we wanted to do another Hanna and Barbera Superstars 10 special look , it's around Halloween, and this special is turning 30 on October 16th , 2018. (Which if I timed it right, was posted on that date.)    So it,s time  to take a look at this special TV movie from 1988. Also, I will link to past H&B Superstars 10 specials I have previously done at the end.

    So the movie starts with scary weather and Hanna and Barbera telling me they present Scooby Doo and the Ghouls School.  This movie is one of those Scooby media with just Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy.( oh great you left.)  Shaggy has gotten a new job.  I wonder what it will be? (Plumber, duh.) Shaggy has gotten a job at a place called "Ms.Grimwood's Finishing School for Girls".  (He's a teacher?)  Scooby crashes into the school and welcomed in by Thing ,who apparently left the Addams Family. (that's my guess)   The school has a moat because the best schools have moats with sharks in them. (Gotta keep boys out of the school some how)   Shaggy and the others meet Ms. Grimwood, herself.  Now, this isn't a normal finishing school it's a school with a vampire girl named  Sibella , the daughter of Dracula. (I didn't know he umm procreated)  Winnie the Werewolf (not the Pooh) , the daughter of The Wolf Man (guess there's only one),  Elsa Frankenteen, the daughter of ( random person walks in the room: you better say it right, or I'll umm bother you) Frankenstien's monster. (hey get out of here! also Frankenteen ,really?)  Running into these monsters plus being Shaggy means uhhhhhhhhhhh well you know.  Let's meet rest of the cast there's  phantom girl named  Phanty, (really you named your daughter Phanty, no wonder she's dead.)  Not sure who's kid she would be. There's also a mummy girl named Tanis , the Mummy's daughter.  (How'd that happen?)  She's the youngest ghoul girl.

oh no! They Killed Shaggy/ Copyright H&B 

 
         So, what is Shaggy's reasoning to be working at this school? (he needs money?) Apparently, they are going to be teachers. (well Shaggy does all trades ,I see) On his first day, Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy (don't leave) all teach ballet for the girls. (see guy of all trades)  They are doing this play a competing school ,a military school called Calloway Military Academy, when they play a volleyball match.   In speaking of that school, some of their students are spying on the girls' school. They are more normal human boys. ( shame on them spying on a school)

A uniformed army/ Copyright H&B 

       I guess I'll give their names too,  their school is run by Colonel Calloway,  the  leader of the cadets is a boy named Tug Roper. (really,that's the name?)  Miguel , Jamal Williams, Grunt and Baxter.  Now back to whatever this is.  They try to get their volleyball back , but the dragon doesn't want them to have it. (yes, the Grimwood School has a dragon)  His name is Matches.   Meanwhile, poor Shaggy wants food.  Sibella gets them a pizza, though the toppings might not be their picking, though they didn't seem to mind.  Oh we have another character who's this.( thanks for calling) Revollta  is a witch with 4 arms who has some sort of evil plan, but that'll have to wait.

Uhhhh evil/ Copyright H&B 

     Calloway invites the Grimwood school students for a volleyball match. ( I don't think he knows that they are real monsters)   The school also has an octopus butler  because of course.Shaggy excepts the challenge and it's volleyball time at 14:00 (2pm).  But first, some more exercise.  (Very 80's of this movie)   Back to the witch , she's still spying the girls with her assistant called the Grim Creeper (get it?) . It's time for the volleyball game.  As the match goes on, one of the boys put something in the ball to make it remote controlled.  Thanks to Scooby eating a hot dog and  ketchup causing Jamal to get it in his eyes the remote flies into Scooby's body as he accidentally swallows it.   Grimwood wins the game. (yay!)

Just need a shot of Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy(don't leave) / Copyright H&B 

   Now, I wasn't doing a lose tangent on this having something to do with Halloween. The next part is there's a Halloween Open House at the school.  The girls' parents are coming like Dracula. (nice to see ole Drac coming)   This makes Shaggy  and Scooby nervous that they are going to be stuck in a house full of monsters( uhh guys).   Still don't know what the witch's plan is, but let's get back the open house.  Shaggy and Scooby meets the parents. (Coming soon to CBS)  The parents are happy that they are teachers. (Happy ending for all)    The girls present their parents with some gifts. Before the parents leave  and they tell Shaggy and Scooby they better do a good job or else. (eek)

Frankenstein's monster you don't wanna see him angry/ Copyright H&B 

    Back to Revollta. She mind controls Shaggy and tells him to take the girls to a field trip , so she can take them for her evil plan. Funny timing, the boys going to the same place Shaggy was told to take the girls.  The Grim Creeper is there to capture the girls and he's not very good at it.  Revollta's spider-bat things do the trick though and give her a mind control thing too.   The boys get stuck in the quick sand thankfully, Tanis and  Elsa help them out.  Winnie gets the mind control device on to Phanty.  They try get the device on Sibella but the proves hard.   They do manage to get Tanis and Elsa though. (Sadly, Sibella too)  Then, Revollta takes them into her control. Shaggy and the gang go rescue the girls.  Shaggy finds a mirror that he thinks is fun house mirror, but the figure that looks like him but more werewolf-y (that's a word) takes him and traps him in the mirror.  Fake Shaggy chases Scooby.  Matches saves the day by scaring  fake Shaggy  away back into the mirror with Shaggy getting kicked out.

       Shaggy tries to help the girls but he figures out they are all under the spell.  The boys decide to go and help after feeling guilty for not helping earlier.  It's now midnight and Revollta is doing her plan to  turn the girls to her mindless  army. Shaggy and Scooby come in at the nick of time and help the girls out.  The boys send down some  water balloons to help. Revollta turns Scooby into a toad to make sure the girls do her bidding.   Thanks to the flying bat spider chasing Scooby Revollta's potion gets changed.    The wand gets thrown in the potion and this will cause an explosion. The boys save the girls and Revollta is defeated.

She's like the wind / Copyright H&B 

      How do you end this ?  1980's wrap.  Also there are new students coming to the school. Shaggy and the rest run away as fast as can be.  That's the movie.
   

Also the other H&B Superstars 10 lookbacks

Scooby Doo  Meets the Boo Brothers 

The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones 

Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf 

Freeform's Kickoff To Christmas Schedule (Formerly known as Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas)

Freeform Christmas

    Freeform has re branded their annual event known as "Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas"  to a new name as "Kick off To Christmas" also it has expanded to start on November 1st running the entire month of November.  Also in that month there will be a new Freeform Original movie called "The Truth About Christmas" on November 25th.  To reiterate this is not the 25 Days of Christmas schedule, that will be coming out later. 

Here's the full schedule

Thursday, November 1
5pm/4c Christmas with the Kranks
7:10pm/6:10c The Nightmare Before Christmas
8:50pm/7:50c Disney/Pixar's Inside Out
12am/11c Snowglobe

Friday, November 2
2:30pm/1:30c Christmas with the Kranks
4:40pm/3:40c The Nightmare Before Christmas
6:20pm/5:20c Disney/Pixar's Inside Out
8:30pm/7:30c Disney's Frozen
12am/11c 12 Dates of Christmas

Saturday, November 3
7am/6c Titanic (1997)
11:30am/10:30c 12 Dates of Christmas
1:35pm/12:35c The Holiday
4:50pm/3:50c Disney's Frozen
7:20pm/6:20c Pitch Perfect
10pm/9c Life-Size  (Freeform Premiere )
12am/11c Snow

Sunday, November 4
7am/6c Sixteen Candles
9:05am/8:05c Snow
11:10am/10:10c The Holiday
2:25pm/1:25c Life-Size
4:30pm/3:30c Pitch Perfect
7:10pm/6:10c Just Go With It
9:50pm/8:50c Maleficent
11:55pm/10:55c Sixteen Candles

Monday, November 5
4pm/3c Just Go With It
6:30pm/5:30c Maleficent
8:30pm/7:30c Jumanji (1995)
12am/11c Billy Madison

Tuesday, November 6
3:30pm/2:30c Billy Madison
5:30pm/4:30c Jumanji (1995)
8pm/7c Mrs. Doubtfire
12am/11c Angels Sing  (Freeform Premiere )


Wednesday, November 7
3:30pm/2:30c Angels Sing
5:30pm/4:30c Mrs. Doubtfire
8:30pm/7:30c Sweet Home Alabama
12am/11c The Family Stone


Thursday, November 8
3:30pm/2:30c The Family Stone
6pm/5c Sweet Home Alabama
8:30pm/7:30c Love the Coopers (Freeform Premiere )
12am/11c Babe

Friday, November 9
1pm/12c Babe
3:05pm/2:05c Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
5:10pm/4:10c Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (Freeform Premiere )
7:15pm/6:15c Storks (Freeform Premiere )
9:20pm/8:20c The Nightmare Before Christmas
12am/11c Beethoven

Saturday, November 10
7am/6c Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
9:10am/8:10c Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
11:15am/10:15c Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
1:20pm/12:20c Richie Rich's Christmas Wish
3:25pm/2:25c Storks
5:30pm/4:30c Disney's Meet the Robinsons
7:35pm/6:35c The Nightmare Before Christmas
9:15pm/8:15c Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
11:55pm/10:55c Call Me Claus (Freeform Premiere )

Sunday, November 11
7am/6c Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic
8am/7c Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
10:10am/9:10c Richie Rich's Christmas Wish
12:20pm/11:20c Call Me Claus
2:25pm/1:25c Disney's Meet the Robinsons
4:30pm/3:30c Deck the Halls
6:35pm/5:35c Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
9:15pm/8:15c Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles
11:55pm/10:55c Norm of the North (Network Television Premiere )

Monday, November 12
4pm/3c Norm of the North
6:10pm/5:10c Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles
8:50pm/7:50c Ice Age: Continental Drift (Freeform Premiere )
12am/11c Dennis the Menace (1993)

Tuesday, November 13
4:30pm/3:30c Dennis the Menace (1993)
6:40pm/5:40c Ice Age: Continental Drift
8:50pm/7:50c Despicable Me
12am/11c I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)

Wednesday, November 14
4:30pm/3:30c I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998)
6:40pm/5:40c Despicable Me
8:50pm/7:50c Disney/Pixar's The Good Dinosaur
12am/11c Daddy Day Care

November 15 to 30th after the Jump

The Lookback : Boo to you ! Winnie the Pooh.

Halloween  The Flashback 


       I haven't done something related to Winnie the Pooh in sometime  so it's time to rectify that.  This special is a television special that aired on October 25th 1996 on the CBS. (Cutting it close to Disney owning ABC there)    So let's take a look at this special.

       The narrator starts the special by telling us that it's Halloween in a nice flowery way that is better than this sentence here. We are in familiar territory  of the 100 acre wood.  Winnie the Pooh is practicing  for trick or treating.   He's dressed up like the creature that makes the honey, bees, while Tigger then jumps on him and he's dressed up like a skeleton.  Gopher is dressed up like Eeyore while Eeyore is a mummy. (Which Eeyore calls Gopher's costume a yak costume) Tigger wants to start trick or treating but Pooh stops him because Piglet hasn't showed up yet.  Meanwhile, at Piglet's house he's trying not be scared of Halloween.  Also, he sings a song. (so it's one of those specials) Sung by Steve Schatzberg , who also did the singing voice for Piglet in "Pooh's Grand Adventure"and voiced Piglet in "Winnie the Pooh :Seasons of Giving"

   The gang goes to Piglet's house.  Piglet doesn't have a costume , but Tigger wants to go now and that's what they do. Pooh can't let his honey addiction go (joke, well kind of ) he decides to go to a tree where bees are to take some of their honey. (this seems like a bad plan)  The bees do fall for his costume  until it comes off and the bees swarm after him and rest of the gang.  They run from the bees and right through Rabbit's pumpkins and smashed them. (Which he named.)  Rabbit isn't a fan of Halloween.

    The storm that has been going on gets stronger and Tigger decides to bring up scary things and causes Piglet to get frightened.  Oh hey the narrator returns after the commercial break.  Piglet runs back home and boards up everything.   Anyway, another song this time Tigger's turn. Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger decide to celebrate "Hallowasn't" with Piglet.   He mistakes them for  monsters in their costumes  and runs away. They open the door and see that he has gone.

    Tigger assumes that Piglet has been "pignapped". Piglet meanwhile, searched all the houses for the others and this terrifies him. The rest of the special goes through them pretty much scaring each other unintentionally.  Piglet ends up "saving" Pooh.  At the end all of them go trick or treating.

    This special gives off a  Halloween feeling , a well done one.  Pooh specials do go for a more simple plot kind of like the "Peanuts" holiday specials and I think it gives them some character that you'd expect from a Winnie the Pooh special. The artwork is very nice and gives a nice Halloween spooky feeling. I can feel the chill  in the air the special wants to give. The two  songs are pretty nice and don't over stay their welcome.  So if you like Winnie the Pooh and Halloween there's this special.

That's our lookback tune in next time when we watch Halloween special about Christmas trees taking over a town. (What?)

A Brief Moment into the Twilight : If She Dies.

The Flashback Halloween 

       It's about that time where I dip back into the 1985 version of "The Twilight Zone"  for another half an episode since the show ran for an hour and had more than 1 segment.  If you missed out last time looking an episode segment of this series : you can read that here.   The episode I am looking at this time  is from season 1 it's episode 5 part a called "If She Dies" it first aired in on October 25th 1985. 


     Let's start the episode.   It starts with a father making some breakfast when his daughter tells him it's time to hurry up. She also gives him a birthday present (awww) , a brand new wallet she made in art class. The mother of the family has passed on as evidenced by the picture and her saying that she misses her (the woman in the picture).  On the drive to school the father doesn't pay attention to his driving while talking to his daughter until he sees a boy in a bike pull out and swerves and crashes.

Aww the happy before the storm

    The episode cuts to the daughter in the hospital and the voice over doing it's thing. Also the father's name is Paul Marano.  The doctor tells Paul that she's not responding and that the outlook doesn't look good.  Paul is  of course, distraught. On the way to his car he sees a figure on top of a roof of an orphanage but then it disappears.  He tells the nun that he saw a little girl on the roof but the nun informs him that the orphanage closed down and all the children weren't there.

Are there children here?  There are nun. (boo!) 

     The nun also says everything there is for sale. (well alright then) The same little girl was seen again this time on the swing and she points at something then disappears again. Paul goes and looks at what she pointed to  it was an old  child's bed. Paul at first doesn't think  to buy it first, but then he changes his mind and buys it.  Paul thinks what he just did was silly. (kind of random there, Paul) A little later, the little  girl walks over to Paul and this scares him as he asks what does she want. She wants someone named Toby.  The girl asks if he can take her back to bed  so the sisters don't get mad.  He feels that her hand is cold.  Her name is Sarah.

Sarah, stop playing with the make up! 

     Paul sits with her until she falls asleep.  Also, she disappears again.  The next day, he goes to a convent and he wants to know something about the bed. He finds out that Sarah was once alive and she died of tuberculosis.  He figures out that maybe Sarah is a ghost and that Toby is a stuffed teddy bear. He asks the sister if he can the bear and tells her that he saw Sarah and promised to give her Toby.  She gives him Toby.   Then he takes his daughter, Cathy, out of the hospital in quick regard and decides to take her home. (The girl is still in a coma)   He lays her in the Sarah bed and sleeps in a chair next to it.  The next morning after some time she wakes up and then the girl asks for Toby. This confuses him because she's not heard that name. The end.

uhhhhhhhhhhhhh help me!!! This is not happy ending.

   First some background information  Cathy, the daughter, is played by  Andrea Barber  whom, you may know from "Full House" as Kimmy Gibbler.  Sarah was played by now singer, Jenny Lewis she also did a voice on the 1983 Peanuts special (since everything on this blog always goes back to Peanuts), "It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown".   The Nun  was played by Nan Martian  whom horror fans will know from being Amanda Kruger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3.

   This episode feels like 1 inch from being a horror film It's shot in an older fashioned horror film way. The music doesn't help either.  The ending is slightly ambiguous either it's the ending of Kathy is awakened and just happens to know who Sarah is because after life crossing or something and Toby was to be taken care by Kathy or Kathy died and Sarah took her body.  (Or some variant  on that.)  Paul's face at the end doesn't help.  In anyway , the ending is unsettling.  I will get back to more Twilight  Zone (1985) in the future. 

  That's out look back tune in next time when we tell you about that time we bought an old dog bed from a lawyer and then the cat started barking.
 

Halloween : The Loud House: Tricked!

Nickelodeon  Halloween 

    It's unknown at this point if  "The Loud  House" will be seered into  people's memories as Nickelodeon classic Nicktoon like many predecessors from Nick were. So umm future readers , please tell me  how well it made it please. Anyway, I am not here to talk about time travel... hold on, (checking my papers) yep, we are instead talking about an episode of "The Loud House".  Not any episode, mind you (we'll do that later) but the Halloween episode , since it's that time of year again. (Unless you are reading this in some other month then, that's alright too)   Let's take a look at Season 2's Halloween special called "tricked!"


       The theme song intro doesn't change except at the end where it does wooooooo. It starts with a scream it's coming from their father , Lynn Loud Sr.,as there's a decapitated head in the fridge. (It's not real?)   He says that he doesn't like Halloween then Lucy Loud comes in and grabs the head saying she loves Halloween.  The kids are working on Halloween , Lucy is in charge because she's the spooky girl.   They get to do a  haunted corn maze. Lincoln starts talking to us (I'm scared now)  and his friend Clyde replies on the walkie-talkie. They have some good Halloween plans.

Haunted Corn, the scariest corn. / Copyright Viacom

       Lincoln has a mission for Halloween : to get full size candy bars, the holy grail. (I added that line my self)  So, he found a rich neighborhood that has the big candy bars it's a gated neighborhood too so, they need a way to get in. Good thing two children who kind of look like Lincoln and Clyde are leaving.  The two run into two big kids (I guess)  and they ask for the best place for the good candy. Lincoln tells them to go to his neighborhood. (What could go wrong?) 

Yeah what could go wrong?  /Copyright Viacom 

     The younger Louds are preparing for their own tricks or treats (this blog writes about Peanuts specials so we are going to say it like that don't write us complaints!)  Like the twins, Lola and Lana, have three costumes to maximize candy getting. Lisa has used her brain by using the youngest, Lilly, as cute-bait. (that's a word.)  Clyde and Lincoln dress as stereo typed high class British kids.   Lynn Sr. doesn't want to take them because read above. He goes anyway. (by force!)  The two big kids from before also show up to do what they plan. (Again what could go wrong?)   Lucy and the older Louds, including Rita (Mom)  are all starting the haunted corn maze at  the house.

Zombie Mom coming soon, / Copyright Viacom

      Lincoln and Clyde get into the fancy spot and turn in to their real costumes. Lana and Lola do their trick and they some candy then Lisa does her thing and apparently , find a woman who is so enthralled by cuteness that she dumps the whole bowl in there.   Remember when I said "What could Go Wrong?"  Well ... Lincoln and Clyde bury the candy because taking it to either of their homes were negative options. They come back to Lincoln's street and see smashed pumpkins and stuff.  Two boys (guess who?)smashed through and stole candy and scared everyone one off.  The Louds go into their house dejected. Lincoln and Clyde feel guilty since it was their fault sending those boys to their neighborhood. 

We were super not heroes/ Copyright Viacom

   The plan is to find those guys and get the candy back.  They do try and Grinch the candy from them while the boys sleep but that doesn't go well. (Violence!)  They also say they will return to the neighborhood next year to cause more havoc.  Lincoln calls Lucy because he has a plan.  The two big boys get led back to the neighborhood to get them into the haunted corn maze. Also , a song. The two boys get scared in song montage in the maze. ( Also noted back : that the two boys don't like blood and it makes sick)  They also say they won't come back the next year.  Then neighborhood kids hear the commotion.  Lincoln decides to give away the candy he and Clyde got.   The end.

A happy ending I think/ Copyright Viacom (note: this is not the final shot) 

      That was a great Halloween episode.  Since Lucy is the character that is set as the one who likes "spooky" stuff it gives her a place to shine, though this episode is mostly framed from main character Lincoln and his best friend, Clyde. It's plot is simple and basic ones Halloween is known  for such as, trick or treating, haunted places (corn maze in this case), and scaring people. Lincoln and Clyde's quest for the holy-grail of  trick or treating, the full size, candy bar is fun and maybe relate able . The special combines our two plots to cause Lincoln and Clyde to fix the problem they unintentionally created  though, I will add that Lincoln really shouldn't have sent those two boys to their spot. I am surprised  the Loud sisters sit there dejected about the maze, they have been shown to be willing to fight back in the first place.  We needed a plot with some drama so, there we go.  It does work out in the end because they scare the boys from ever coming back again.  The ending with Lincoln and Clyde giving away their large store of candy was a nice ending.

   That's it for us this time , tune in next time when we visit the Louds for Thanksgiving and wonder where's our cut of the turkey.  (There's No Loud House Thanksgiving special as of this writing so boo)
   

Halloween : Let's talk about "The Great Pumpkin"

Peanuts   Halloween 

  This is where I can't call it a lookback because my rule about non-holiday specials (except Arbor Day, America's best holiday) being the primary focus and avoiding the holiday specials on purpose. I do sometime assume that everyone knows the holiday specials at least the main three (Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving in that order)  though that's not necessarily true. I am not going to go into the special's goings on  like a lookback would but just going to focus  on maybe my thoughts on the special.  This was my disclaimer I like to do these when I touch holiday peanuts specials.

   The Great Pumpkin , Charlie Brown was the third Peanuts special ever.  I've covered the second one this year , called "Charlie Brown's All Stars".  In 1965 The Christmas special came out, in 1966 we got two specials "All Stars" and this one meaning that's alot of work going on in short  time. It originally aired on CBS  and has repeated every year even moving from CBS to ABC in 2001. Meaning that is a mainstay and if it ever not aired then that's when TV dies.

 
    It starts like the Christmas episode in establishing the mood with Lucy and Linus going to do the classic going to pumpkin patch,  one that is larger than both of them, and taking it back home to carve. Though, when Lucy starts hacking away Linus starts to cry because he didn't know she was going to"kill" it.   Then it establishes the fall atmosphere well  like Charlie Brown raking leaves only to have Linus mess it up by jumping it, we also need to finally animate the famous football gag, this is the first Peanuts special to show that.  Also, when many think of fall or autumn they think of football. (Chet here with JOL Sports and it's time for Tuesday Lunchtime football)  It's a very good atmosphere set up to tell  the viewer that it's fall and Halloween is soon upon the characters.

       In the comic strips though time wavers a little, Linus and Charlie Brown are best friends (unless I've been reading it wrong) the way the hang out together you can forget that Linus is a little younger than Charlie Brown. Lucy seems to be the same age as Charlie Brown and if Linus is her little brother  then well that means.  I think he is closer to maybe a year or two older than Sally.  I bring up his age stance because of the primary plot of this special : Linus and the Great Pumpkin.   Linus at some point screwed up the story of Santa Claus as a story for Halloween and The Great Pumpkin.  He even writes a letter to  TGP (shorthand  for well you know).  I do question why people just walk into Linus' house to mock him.    Linus doesn't let anybody get to him and the belief that TGP will come.

    This special also shows us the traditions of Halloween that we have become accustomed.  As our main children characters participate in the customs of that holiday (except Linus and Sally more on that later).   Trick or treating takes up a segment of the special starting with the kids making costumes , mostly ghosts, and Lucy's witch costume. (No comment)  Also Charlie Brown , I hope you didn't cut up the good sheets , I mean really.  Then the kids go trick or treating and they go through the normal traditional ritual of Halloween evenings.  I do question why the neighbors gave Charlie Brown rocks why do they hate Charlie Brown? They are lucky Charlie Brown isn't the kind to just start throwing the rocks back at them through their windows.  It's a strange thing to see really.

    Fun fact about the rock thing :

Mendelson also cites Melendez’s influence in the trick-or-treat scenes, as poor Charlie Brown endures a stone-cold, heartless Halloween.
“When Charles Schulz said Charlie Brown should get a rock at the first house in his treat bag, Bill suggested it be done three times at three houses,” Mendelson recounts. “I mildly objected that is was too cruel, but I was vetoed, fortunately, as it is something that people still quote today.” (“I got a rock,” indeed.)
                                                        From the Washington Post , 2016

        Meanwhile, Linus has convinced someone to join him in his waiting (in the comic strip this happened alot where he got Peppermint Patty, Marcie , and Snoopy to wait with him) though it wasn't hard, Sally is his accomplice hoping she gave up "tricks or treats" for this.  Linus is genuinely happy that someone has joined  him. After the trick or treating the kids decide to go take sometime and make fun of Linus. ( 1. I will make note that Charlie Brown didn't do anything to make fun of Linus and his sister, and 2. Kids are cruel)  Now, they did this before they went T or T-ing as well.

      Snoopy gets a lot more to do in this special than say in the first two where he's there and has some gags but otherwise is minor.  (Yeah Snoopy minor)  He gets to play his most famous character , the World War I flying Ace.  It really is random to have this in a special about Halloween and this would seem to make no sense but no it in no way seems to be out of place.  I am going to talk about ABC's broadcast here for a  little second.  They in fact, used to air a version of this special where they took out some of the Flying Ace scenes and viewers didn't like that  so ABC added them back , still jams in more commercials so they air the full special but it runs past the 30 minute slot and coupled with "You're not Elected,Charlie Brown"  where they do cut out stuff from that instead. (You can read what they do cut from that here).  It's also fun to see how Snoopy's world connects to the other things happening like where he rises from the apple barrel at the party and Lucy does her "dog germs" thing. That scene where he enjoys the music of Schroeder and reacts to the different tones accordingly to their moods. 
 
   The Halloween party is also another thing people do at Halloween so, again doing a good job at showing Halloween in this special. Though, poor Charlie Brown did get invited which was nice he was also used as the party as a pumpkin model. Sadly, TGP doesn't show up and Sally is angry  she has been scorned  is un happy that she missed Tricks or Treats, in which Linus' learns never mess with someone and their right to free candy. So, she leaves and he still sticks on hoping that maybe he can see TGP.  Lucy maybe mean  and crabby she does have a moment of care when she wakes up and retrieves her brother from the cold.  It ends with Linus yelling about how he'll try again next time, never giving up that faith.

    There's a good reason that this special still airs and has aired since 1966 and again if it doesn't , TV is over and done with, it's a classic timeless feeling special that exhibits the simple fun and even heartbreak of Halloween. It's relate able, except maybe the rock thing, and it's a wonderful special that is memorable. 

 Some other fun things  It has the same voice actors from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Charlie Brown's All Stars"  In standing it's more polished than "A Charlie Brown Christmas" but again that special was rushed because that's what happens.   (not knocking that special)  I don't think there's a new opinion I could give on the special , I love it enough myself that's all I can really say. I think it's one  of the top Peanuts specials. 

 That's our talk , tune in next time after I somehow go into the Peanuts special and start yelling at every single person who gave Charlie Brown a rock.