FILM FOCUS: THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD

For Christmas Nick and I got a Disney gift card and I knew right away what I wanted to use my portion for: a DVD copy of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.  I grew up with this criminally overlooked Disney classic, which we watched every October.  The nostalgia factor aside, re-watching it this year has confirmed that this is truly one of the best things Disney ever produced.  For the purposes of this blog post I’ll be looking solely at the “Ichabod” portion of the film, both because it’s the part related to Halloween but also because it’s always been my favorite half of this dual feature (sorry, Mr. Toad!  But your ride is awesome!).

I’m going to assume you’re familiar with the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, whether this Disneyfied version, the original Washington Irving tale, or one of the countless adaptations.  Instead of a synopsis I’m going to examine some of the many reasons why Ichabod has always captured my heart and imagination. 

First and foremost, this film looks beautiful.  If, like me, you pine for the old days of hand-drawn animation you will be in heaven watching Ichabod.  My favorite Disney artist is Mary Blair and her style and flair is easily identifiable here.  Blair was known for her somewhat abstract, brightly colored paintings and while she mostly did concept art for some notable Disney films and attractions, here her work is translated to the screen most directly.  Seriously, I would frame the many gorgeous shots of the New England countryside, all of which were clearly shaped by Blair’s slightly surreal touch.  My lifelong infatuation of covered bridges, New England villages and even autumn itself clearly springs from repeat viewings of this stylized Colonial wonderland.

While re-watching the film this year I was also struck by its many similarities to my all-time favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast.  Both movies open with a quaint village and feature lots of beautiful autumnal backgrounds.  Brom Bones and Gaston are almost the same character in both looks and demeanor. Things end better for Brom than they do for Gaston, but it’s easy to see Ichabod’s influence on Beauty and the Beast. 

That being said, Ichabod has a moral ambiguity that you’d be hard-pressed to find in current Disney films.  Ichabod Crane may be the protagonist of the piece but he’s hardly a cookie-cutter Disney hero.  Rather he’s a gluttonous, money-grubbing coward.  Even his attraction to Katrina seems based more on her wealth than anything else.  It’s also the rare Disney film where the villain, in the form of Brom Bones, essentially wins at the end, as Ichabod is driven out of town and Brom marries Katrina (and she seems very happy with the arrangement).

Ah, Katrina!  She easily makes my Top 10 Favorite Disney Characters list.  Katrina is far sexier than your average Disney heroine; she’s got ample cleavage and is a shameless flirt.  She manipulates both Ichabod and Brom throughout the story and in the end she prefers Brom’s brawn to Ichabod’s intelligence.  She’s even called a coquette in the song about her!  Katrina, like this entire film in general, is underutilized by modern-day Disney.  It’s next to impossible to find any merchandise featuring her-- or Ichabod and the Headless Horseman, for that matter.  What I wouldn’t give for an Ichabod dark ride in Disney World’s Liberty Square!  The film isn’t totally unrepresented in the parks—there is a Sleepy Hollow snack stand in the aforementioned Liberty Square and the Headless Horseman gallops down Main Street every year to kick off Disney World's Halloween parade.

For all my gushing, I've barely touched on the Halloween aspects (and they are plentiful) of the film. Aside from the gorgeous fall landscapes and the Headless Horseman himself, we're treated to my favorite on-screen Halloween party at the Van Tassel farmstead.  It's not even called a party but rather a "frolic."  Now forevermore I too will only host frolics. The Van Tassel Halloween frolic is a feast for the eyes: cornstalks and pumpkins and squashes abound.  And the food!  I forgot how much of Ichabod (both the character and the film) is focused on food.  Over the course of the short movie we watch him devour turkeys, salad, pies and a huge assortment of foods at the Halloween festivities.  Including what looks like red velvet cake, long before it was trendy.

Clearly I could go on and on about The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad so I'll end things for now and surely revisit the topic next Halloween.  Despite it's short running time and many repeat viewings there's always something new to discover about it and enjoy.

SPECIAL SPOTLIGHT: WHICH WITCH IS WHICH?

Which Witch Is Which? premiered in 1984, the same year as my illustrious birth.  Apparently it’s part of the Chucklewood Critters series, which began with a Christmas special and then went on to cover all the other major holidays.  It was even made into an ongoing series in the late 1990s, but Buttons and Rusty only ever scampered across our television screen every year around Halloween.

Which Witch Is Which? is set in a national park (apparently named Chucklewood Park, but that’s never mentioned in this special) where Ranger Jones is keeping a watchful eye over the (talking) animals in his care.  Apparently none of the other humans but the Ranger (or Jonsey, as he is also known) notices that the wildlife can speak or occasionally wear pants, but such is life.  Buttons and Rusty, our young fox and bear cub, have a tendency to snoop around the human campers, much to Ranger Jones’ dismay.  When the two learn about the Ranger's upcoming Halloween party they are only too eager to celebrate this strange new human holiday, woodland creature-style.

Meanwhile in a dingy trailer two burglars are plotting to rob the rest of the residents blind while everyone is off at Ranger Jones' party.  Do people really live in trailer parks on the edges of national parks in October?  Probably.  But even as a kid this community always seemed a little weird to me.  The pair of burglars select their Halloween garb in which to perform their Halloween crime spree: a bear suit and a witch.  That’s Witch #1.  Pay attention-- there’s more coming up.

The Ranger's party gets underway and we are treated to a neat musical number, apropos of nothing remotely connected to the plot, but from which our title is taken.  It’s all bubbling cauldrons and jack-o-lanterns and a couple of witches (that’s Witches #2 & #3).  Also in attendance at the party are a local cantankerous shop owner (Witch #4) and a random blond lady in a peaked hat (Witch #5).  All of these witches play a very nominal role in the actual storyline  and no one seems confused as to their identity.  But some identity swapping is in the works, so bear with me.

While the Ranger parties (dressed as some sort of Elton John vampire that always made my sister laugh), the aforementioned burglars snoop around, stealing a fur coat and silver teapot (those trailer park people appreciate fine things).  Meanwhile Buttons and Rusty attempt to trick or treat amongst their oblivious forest friends.  They get skunked by a skunk and get a bunch of acorns dropped on them by a cantankerous squirrel.  Their hapless fathers are in search of the boys as well.  Abner the bear wears overalls; George the fox goes au naturale, and in classic cartoon fashion, no explanation is given for this sartorial discrepancy.

Everything comes to a confusing climax when Button and Rusty cross paths with the robbers, mistaking them for trick-or-treaters.  At one point Rusty dons a witch’s hat, which I guess makes him Witch #6, but no one really cares.  Buttons, Rusty, Abner, George, Ranger Jones, the robbers, and the locals all collide.  Justice is served, peace prevails and the animals return to the forest.

I’ve learned much from Which Witch Is Which? over the years, including:

* Halloween is for humans, not for bears and foxes.

* People in trailer parks wear fur coats and drink out of silver teapots.

* Some animals are nudists, others are more modest.  Especially overweight bears.

* Judging by his choice of Halloween costume, Ranger Jones may be gay.  And I’m okay with that.

And finally, which witch really is which?

Beats me.  But it sure is fun to say the question out loud!

Where To Watch It: I was thrilled to discover that Which Witch Is Witch? is now (finally!) available on DVD as part of a set of mostly holiday-themed Chucklewood Critters episodes.  It's priced insanely high on Amazon, so luckily it's also up for free on YouTube: 

TO TRICK OR TREAT OR NOT TO TRICK OR TREAT

Bewitched

Season 6 (1969)

Bewitched had a long run of eight seasons and the show was pretty shameless about recycling plots in its later years.  Hence this Season 6 episode, which is basically an amalgam of two of the show’s earlier Halloween episodes, Season 1’s “The Witches Are Out” (in which Sam and Darrin argue over the portrayal of witches in an ad campaign) and Season 2’s “Trick or Treat” (in which Endora turns Darrin into a werewolf).  Then again, pretty much ALL of Bewitched’s episodes involve either Darrin being transformed into something and/or some sort of ad campaign gone wrong.

Despite the rather unoriginal premise, “To Trick Or Treat Or Not To Trick Or Treat” holds some wacky surprises.  We begin with Samantha working on Halloween costumes for Tabatha and some of the neighbor kids, only for Endora to appear and be offended by a stereotypically ugly witch costume.  The argument escalates when Darrin shows up, and—surprise!—Endora casts a spell on him to teach him a lesson.

This brings us to the most enjoyable part of the episode, in which Darrin slowly transforms into a hag at the office (and in front of a new client, because new, rich clients are fucking EVERYwhere in the world of Bewitched).  While it’s funny to see Darrin try and hide his rapidly changing appearance, it’s made even more weirdly delightful by the fact that he’s basically undergoing gender reassignment surgery before our very eyes.   In addition to his warty nose and missing teeth, he sprouts long hair and bizarrely glamorous purple-pinkish fingernails.  

Fleeing the office, Darrin gets stopped by a cop who first compares him to 60s singer Tiny Tim and then makes various disparaging remarks about how basically Darrin will never have sex because he’s ugly.  It’s as weird and awkward as it sounds.

If you’re wondering when Halloween comes back into the picture, I’m getting there.  A now fully transformed Darrin is forced to take Tabatha and her friends trick-or-treating, since his new client’s wife is a big supporter of the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” campaign.  Of course all the neighbors think Darrin’s just in costume and he ends up raising a lot of money, which he delivers to the client and his wife at a Halloween party later that night.  Samantha ends up resolving the ad campaign dilemma by modeling a glamorous witch outfit and suggesting Glinda the Good Witch as the new mascot.

Bewitched is always campy fun, and this episode ups the camp factor by about a 100.  I’m a fan of Darrin #1 and the early black and white seasons, but Elizabeth Montgomery is as charming as ever in these later seasons, and Endora is forever the Head Bitch in Charge.  I’ve read at least one biography of Elizabeth Montgomery that highlighted her charitable efforts and said that she was the one responsible for some of the show’s more socially conscious elements (such as the UNICEF subplot in this episode).  It all adds up to a lot of harmless fun with a trippy 60s, gender-bending twist for good measure.

Recurring Themes: Darrin and the kids Trick or Treat for UNICEF, just like Harvey Kinkle on a Halloween episode of yet another witch-themed show, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

Halloween Quotient: 4

See It, Skip It, Own It?

What better time of year to watch Bewitched?  See it, along with the show's earlier (even better) Halloween offerings.

HALLOWEEN ON NETFLIX

Every year I do a lot of research leading up the holidays, updating and adding to my lists of holiday-themed TV episodes.  I keep a list of episodes I own on DVD, a list of what’s on YouTube (for free) and what’s currently on Netflix streaming.  This year my sister asked me to send her my list of Halloween episodes on Netflix Instant (and then once I did she made a few additional suggestions of her own).

I figured I’d share the Netflix episode list with you all as well.  This isn’t a comprehensive list of every single Halloween episode you can stream, but rather my personal picks of the best and most Halloweeny episodes that Netflix Instant has to offer this year.  The list is arranged in alphabetical order by show title, then season number and episode number for handy dandy reference.

It’s a long list so get to watching! 

CHARMED

“All Halliwell’s Eve” = Season 3, Episode 4
The sister-witches time travel back to colonial Virginia on Halloween.  Plus Julian McMahon in a terrible, no good, very bad Pilgrim wig!

CHEERS

“House of Horrors With Formal Dining and Used Brick” = Season 5, Episode 5
When Carla buys a haunted house she and Cliff spend a spooky night together.

“Bar Wars V: The Final Judgment” = Season 10, Episode 7
A prank war goes awry when the Cheers gang scares their competition-- to death!

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

“Halloween Candy” = Season 3, Episode 6

Frank accidentally hands out brightly-colored condoms instead of candy to trick-or-treaters in this semi-classic episode.

FREAKS & GEEKS

“Tricks & Treats” = Season 1, Episode 3

One of the best Halloween episodes of all time!  Equal parts laughs and heartstring-tugging 80s nostalgia.

GOOSEBUMPS

“Attack of the Jack O’Lanterns” = Season 2, Episode 15
Pumpkin-headed ghouls force a group of kids to trick-or-treat-- to death!  

“The Haunted Mask, Pts. 1 & 2” = Season 5, Episodes 1 & 2
More classic R.L. Stine Halloween goodness.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

“The Slutty Pumpkin” = Season 1, Episode 6

One of my sister’s recommendations (so don’t blame me if it’s bad!).  All I know is that it involves Katie Holmes in a pumpkin costume.

JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS

“Trick or Techrat” = Season 2, Episode 16
You get not one but THREE Halloween-themed music videos in this bizarrely wonderful 80s gem.

MY NAME IS EARL

“Little Bad Voodoo Brother” = Season 4, Episode 8
A possessed little boy threatens Earl's attempts to throw a Halloween party for his kids.  Does anyone remember this show?!

NEW GIRL

“Halloween” = Season 2, Episode 6

Another “sister recommends” episode.  I have no idea what it's about, but I'm guessing Zooey Deschanel is adorable at some point.

PARENTHOOD

“Orange Alert” = Season 2, Episode 6

And yet another sister suggestion.  I hope Lauren Graham's character dresses as Lorelai Gilmore for Halloween!

PARKS & RECREATION

“Greg Pikitis” = Season 2, Episode 7

An excellent Halloween episode with pranks, a memorable Halloween party, and the omnipresent rag doll costume.

“Halloween Surprise” = Season 5, Episode5

Click the episode title to read my review!  A decent episode that nevertheless once forced me to type the phrase "fart attack."

THE OFFICE

“Halloween” = Season 2, Episode 5

This one makes my Top 25 Halloween Episodes of All Time list!  A must see!

“Costume Contest” = Season 7, Episode 6

Click the episode link to read my review.  There are additional Halloween (or at least Halloween-flavored) episodes of The Office on Netflix streaming but the above two are the ones worth watching.

RAISING HOPE

“Happy Halloween” = Season 1, Episode 5
A so-so show with a couple of good holiday episodes, this one included.

SABRINA: THE ANIMATED SERIES

“Nothin’ Says Lovin’ Like Somethin’ From A Coven” = Season 1, Episode 8
You did know there was an animated spin-off of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, right?!  The bitchy girl character's name is Gem Stone.  Perfection.

SAVED BY THE BELL

“Mystery Weekend” = Season 5, Episode 13

Not technically a Halloween episode, but the closest that Saved By the Bell has to offer.

Enjoy!

THE WITCHES OF PENNBROOK

Boy Meets World

Season 5 (1997)

This Halloween episode of Boy Meets World is a TGIF crossover bonanza—it’s Boy Meets World meets Full House meets Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.  Despite being a child of the 90s, I am only a fan of one of the three shows represented.  While my love of Sabrina is well documented, I always found Full House a bit too saccharine and stupid, even judging by sitcom standards.  As for Boy Meets World, I also found it saccharine and stupid (and rather boring) but my main reason for disliking it is that during my tweens and teens (and even sometimes now) people told me I looked like the show’s lead actor, Ben Savage.  I never took this as a compliment (nor do I think it was ever particularly intended as one) so I’ve always had a somewhat antagonistic relationship with the titular “Boy.”

That being said, I did occasionally tune in over the years and I actually enjoy some of the show’s holiday episodes.  I vaguely remember watching “The Witches of Pennbrook," which actually aired on Halloween night in 1997.  It’s interesting for a couple of reasons.  For starters, it adds a witchcraft/fantasy element to a show that otherwise reveled in its ordinariness. But more importantly it features Full House actress Candace Cameron playing a witch, and, even better, Melissa Joan Hart in character as Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

The plot is your basic “guy gets new girlfriend who comes between guy and his bromantic roommate and then girl turns out to be witch looking to sacrifice them both on Halloween night to unleash a portal to Hell.”  The two guys in question are Eric and Jack, who in the show’s later season shared an apartment together.  Main characters Cory and Topanaga are given a super lame B-story about flying together in a small plane with an idiot pilot. 

The witchy new girlfriend is played by the aforementioned Candace Cameron and man, is she terrible in this.  Her acting is DREADful.  I don’t know if she was this consistently bad on Full House as well but in this episode she delivers her line in a bizarrely stilted, declaratory manner that is extremely off-putting.  I know she’s now (or always was?) a crazy Christian, along with her homophobe brother Kirk Cameron, so I wonder if she regrets playing a Satan-worshipping witch on primetime TV.  However she should be more embarrassed by her terrible acting.

Even though the episode’s finale takes place during a Halloween night party put on by Cameron and her coven, it's overall rather lacking in Halloween cheer.  We get just one true Halloween scene when Eric visits Mr. Feeny for advice (because Feeny holds ALL the answers and is by far my favorite character on this show, mostly because he spends his time being annoyed by all of the other characters.).  In the scene Feeny is handing out thesauruses to some trick-or-treaters.  It’s a cute moment but sadly short-lived. 

Once the witchy antics are over and the roomies have returned to their normal homosocial dynamic, we finally get our scene with Sabrina.  Eric, relieved to be rid of witchcraft, reveals that his new girlfriend is Sabrina Spellman.  And oh yeah, it’s also revealed that post-coven encounter Shawn is apparently now a talking frog?!  This episode really is a glorious mess.

If I have the strength I’ll do a post about the recent Halloween episode of Boy Meets World spin-off Girl Meets World that Nick made me watch.  It makes this episode seems like high art in comparison…

Halloween Quotient: Despite lots of witchcraft and witches, actual Halloween fun is scarce, earning this a 2.

See It, Skip It, Own It?

Fun to watch for the 90s sitcom nostalgia factor, but ultimately skippable due to the low Halloween quotient.