Hi! Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast. I’m not going to lie, I’m on thin ice with management. I thought I was doing our customers a favor by swapping out all our copies of Jurassic Park with Velocipastor, and dubbing my own commentary track on all our copies of Titanic. In an attempt to get back in good graces with the manager, I humbly offer up these family friendly animated Halloween specials for your viewing pleasure.
(I also happen to really like all of these specials.)
First up is the timeless classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966). This was the third animated Peanuts television special and the second holiday-themed one. As a kid, whenever we saw commercials for this special on television (or listings in the TV Guide), we knew Halloween was right around the corner.
Next is Garfield’s Halloween Adventure from 1985. In the mid-80s, Garfield was everywhere — in bookstores, toy stores, and on television. In this special, Garfield and Odie dress up as pirates (“Orange Beard the Pirate” and “Odie the Stupid”) to go trick-or-treating, but halfway through the special things take a hard left turn. The first half of this special contains songs and jokes and in the second half, Garfield and Odie are literally running for their lives from the ghosts of pirates. You’ll have to watch the entire special to see if Garfield gets any caaandy candy candy candy…
Third this week is the Fat Albert Halloween Special from 1977. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how well this one has aged and it wasn’t a favorite of mine as a kid, but I love the urban feel and 70s vibe captured in this special. In this special Fat Albert and his gang of friends dress up in costume and instead of looking for candy, head out to “scare some old dudes.” But when things get scary, we discover just who is brave enough to rescue their friends from a spooky house. This one is a real time capsule.
Last up is A Disney Halloween which aired in 1983. This special was a mash up of a couple of previous specials, and it’s my absolute favorite. It contains clips from dozens of Disney animated films and shorts. Watching this special is like seeing that first Jack-o’-Lantern of the season. It just feels right.
I put this list of films together to remind you, and me, that Halloween is for everybody to enjoy. As a guy who occasionally watches hardcore Korean horror films and movies that might make a surgeon barf, I wanted to go back to my roots as a kid and pull out a few animated classics that you can enjoy with the whole family.
(Staplegun Zombie Massacre IV can wait a week…)
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