Day 4: Baked in a Pie…

October 4, 2022

Dear Disney,

When both of our children were younger, they loved Mickey Mouse, specifically Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  So, when Darling and I watched the 2017 “The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular”, we were unprepared.

“The Scariest Story Ever” is a Halloween special of the most recent Mickey Mouse series.  The most recent rendition of Mickey Mouse is both nostalgic and modern.  The art style is modern, akin to more mature-themed cartoons like Ren and Stimpy, and that is not a bad thing. The opening title card was reminiscent of the older Disney shorts.  We loved each of those small touches.

The story is that after trick-or-treating, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy bring Donald’s Nephews, Huey, Duey, and Luey, and Mickey’s nephew’s, Mordy and Ferdy, back to Mickey’s house so that Mickey can tell the “scariest story ever”. Mickey attempts to tell two stories and fails to tell the scariest story.  Finally, after seeing how candy-filled and spoiled the kids are, Mickey, fueled with anger, tells a story in which 5 children get trapped by a witch and get baked into pies. This story scares, not only the kids, but Goofy and Donald as well. Everyone, but Mickey, hid under blankets.  Then, Mickey hears his doorbell, opens the door, only to be greeted by a witch with a pie.  This scares Mickey and he hides with everyone else. The show cuts back to the witch on the doorstep who happens to be Minnie and Daisy. 

As I stated earlier, we had never seen this special before.  We had never seen any of the new Mickey Mouse shorts before.  I was both astonished and amazed at how risqué the cartoon was.  There were moments of body horror that made Darling and I shudder with disgust and horror. This short did exactly what it needed to do for a Halloween special.

Some of the things I noticed were also charming and allowed the part of my brain that likes to say “I know where that is from” to come right out in the open.  Since we watched “Trick or Treat” yesterday, it was great to see Huey, Duey, and Luey’s costumes being the same in this Halloween special as they were in 1952.  In one of the scenes where we were able to see Mickey’s living room there was a bust that can also be found in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride.

We really liked this special.  It is enjoyable to watch Disney shorts and features that we have not watched in a long time or have never watched.  This experience, these 31 days of Halloween, makes me feel good and excited for the future.

Sincerely,

Jim Dear and Darling

Day 3: Toe tappin’

October 3, 2022

Dear Disney,

In 1952, the Walt Disney company produced and released a theatrical short that, I believe, inspired generations of Americans, and others around the world that enjoy Americana, what it means to Trick and Treat. Disney’s “Trick or Treat” is a theatrical short that brings joy to my heart whenever I watch it.

Trick or Treat. Copyright Disney 1952

Growing up, I never watched this short.  I believe I had heard the song, “Trick or Treat for Halloween”, but was unaware of its origins.

When Disney+ came out, Darling and I, set our kids down to watch Disney Halloween movies and shorts, to get into the spirit of Halloween.  Darling and I enjoyed the short, but our children were not really amused.

This year, Darling and I rewatched “Trick or Treat” with an eye to see if the short was everything we thought it should be.

I had only watched the short once before, but I was amused with myself because I did not recognize how violent the short was.  The short starts with Witch Hazel, voiced by June Foray, riding her broom Beelzebub and scaring bats out of a bell tower.  Then she flies off and gets scared by a traveling jack-o-lantern that turns out to be balancing on the head of one of Donald’s nephews.  Then Huey, Luey, and Duey, Donald’s nephew, ring their uncle’s doorbell for treats on Halloween.  He laughs and opens the door, placing explosives in his nephews treat bags, and, finally, dousing them with water.  Witch Hazel watches all of this, and after confronting Donald herself, decides to place a spell on Donald.  She flies around enchanting a number of inanimate objects while the song, “Trick or Treat for Halloween” is being sung. Donald continues to be difficult.  Witch Hazel bespells his feet and causes Donald an immense amount of pain that leaves him unconscious.  Huey, Duey, and Luey thank Witch Hazel for her assistance, and she flies away over the small village.

It is obvious to me that the Walt Disney company used the slapstick comedy to reach as many people as possible, but in the lens of a modern audience, the humor is a little unfunny.  It’s cute, and the feeling of nostalgia is strong, but I do not think this short is really the best Disney has done.

That being said, the song “Trick or Treat for Halloween”, written by Mack, David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston and performed by the Mellowmen is perfect.  It is cute, and funny, and lyrical, and has me clapping along with the rhythm. The animation and colorwork, animated by Volus Jones, Bill Justice, George Kreisl, and Don Lusk, is perfect mid-century Disney.

I will watch this short again, if only for the music and beautiful color works.

Sincerely,

Jim Dear and Darling