Closing The Curtain on 2020

 

The Prom (2020) 

With Broadway shut down the last few months and Steven Spielberg's West Side Story (2021) still a year away from release (assuming that release date even sticks, who knows these days) the world needed one of Hollywood's most celebrated achievements, the musical. Directed by Ryan Murphy and based on the hit-Broadway play, The Prom has all the critical components for a successful musical film. Led by Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, among many talented others while also introducing fabulous new blood with the likes of Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose, the film adaptation of the Broadway show tells the story of a high school girl in Indiana that gains the unlikely help of a group of self-involved and good-PR-seeking celebrities to fulfill her dream of taking her girlfriend to prom despite the objections of the girl's conservative unsuspecting mother. Kerry Washington brings her best Candace Owens impression alongside her otherwise glorified secondary role, though she does display some killer singing pipes in one noteworthy scene. The controversy surrounding Corden's performance is warranted, especially in his character's unnecessary lisp. While he shows moment's of genuine vulnerability, particularly in his scene with Tracey Ullman, in a surprise cameo, his portrayal of Barry can't help but feel more like a schtick than an actual human being. While gay actors can play straight and vice-versa, the benefits sometimes of casting in accordance with sexuality is an inherent understanding in many gay actors of when to reign in the cliche' and embrace the authenticity of subtly instead. Kidman's character is a fun addition, especially considering her most recent television role in The Undoing, but the film truly sidelines her for a majority of the narrative. Meryl is sublime and is able to toe-the-line of campy-pleasure with much more aplomb than Corden. Her vocal execution surpasses even that of both Mamma Mia's, which is no easy feat, but her subplot romance with Keegan-Michael Kay lacks both chemistry and adequate development. Pellman and DeBose are the film's true "Unruly Hearts", and we almost wish at times that the narrative would give them the due justice they deserve, despite the reverence we have for the enjoyable performances of the older supporting cast members. There is something uncomfortably ironic about how a story of conceded cohorts helping out a disenfranchised youth actually disfranchises the youth further by not making her, nor her closeted black queer girlfriend, the center of the narrative. Still, the soundtrack is as high-energy as any setlist comprised by a DJ working a high school prom in the last ten years would be, and gives all cast members a chance to show us what they can do, vocally. The story, though preposterous on many levels, is appropriately optimistic and well-intentioned for the most part. Director Ryan Murphy creates a world of "Hyper-Reality" as seen in his television endeavors of Glee, American Horror Story and most recently The Politician (also on Netflix). Those looking for a grounded narrative or complex depiction of celebrity culture and civil rights need look elsewhere, Murphy and co are here for the simple things, love is love, bullying is bad and zazz is the cure to your life's unhappiness. While you can rightfully chastise the creative team for not diving deeper into the material, you can't deny that the way they approach the surface level of things is exhilaratingly romping and heartfelt. We didn't need complexity right now as much as we needed to have a good time and be reminded of the best parts of life that await us at the end of this hellish experience. In that sense, The Prom is an absolute hit. People's qualms about the plot inconsistencies and the questionable performance choices of some of the actors can be discussed and critiqued so long as you don't allow them to completely overshadow what is an essential dose of glamour and joy in these dour days. If this is the worst Murphy can do in a musical adaptation, and we certainly hope it is, then his next endeavor will surely be an even bigger spectacular spectacle. It's not Chicago (2000) or Grease (1978), but The Prom is a life vest for those who needed it and unequivocally declared that "It's Time to Dance" even if the song playing is problematic and overly familiar in certain parts.  

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020) 

While The Prom gives you Broadway nostalgia, Jingle Jangle instead looks forward by taking all the best elements of the Christmas movie genre and revitalizing them freshly and entertainingly. Right off the bat, the fact that it has nothing to do with Santa Claus is a huge success by itself. While old Saint Nick is always a pleasure to see, not all Christmas tales have to be centered around him and his damn reindeer. Jingle Jangle embraces the holiday season by crafting a wholly unique and original narrative that promotes all the important themes we love to see in this winter wonderland brand of cinematic storytelling. It is about love, family and the power of the imagination. The plot about a failing toymaker developing a bond with his estranged and curious granddaughter is unafraid to show emotional maturity while also giving us reasons to laugh with earnest sincerity. It is not completely devoid of tropes, but director/writer, David E. Talbert knows how to use them with careful calculation, making creative decisions that evoke spontaneity without risking narrative derailment. With a phenomenally composed score, the musical has all the high-energy and charm of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul lyrical work on La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017) (who's choreographer, Ashley Warren continues his incredible work here as well) without the problematic racial issues associated with each of those other musicals' plots. In fact, the film champions diversity as effortlessly as it eschews Christmas cliches, by normalizing it without drawing false-noted attention. This is a Christmas movie with a predominately black cast, but it is a holiday story for all to enjoy. Those who deserve it most certainly are the black boys and girls who never saw themselves as the center of a holiday tale, but the film is so much more than the race of its cast, it is a testament to ambitious, un-condescending filmmaking. The best Christmas films speak to children and adults alike with wonder and optimism, and this one achieves just that while making it seem appallingly easy. Given the amount of Holiday Stinkers that come out of the film industry each and every year, audiences know quite well that making a Christmas movie (a musical one, nonetheless) that grants us more than just a two-hour escape from online ordering and snow shuffling but an experience that is to be treasured long after the credits roll, is a rare find indeed. I personally look forward to adding Jingle Jangle to my holiday film-watch list next December and for many of the Decembers to come. It is a film that warrants inclusion into tradition by being in many ways untraditional.

Woman Woman 1984 (2020) 

Unlike the two other films listed, Wonder Woman 1984 was meant to be released on the big-screen and technically has been in some parts of the United States and worldwide. For so many, however, the viewing experience for this film will be from their home television-sets. Considering some of the subject matter dealt with in this second installment in the super-heroine's cinematic adventure, that setting is arguably appropriate, even if it isn't as dazzling for the eye-sockets. The film has us checking in on the Amazonian Princess roughly 70 years after her first encounter with mankind during World War II, in which she met, fell in love with, and ultimately lost a courageous and genteel pilot, Steve Trevor. The 1980's in America was a time of rampant consumerism, of instant gratification in the form of products you probably didn't need, but felt like you couldn't live another day without. It was a time of conflicting ideologies, of outward optimism clashing with internal dread which resulted in cultural resets like the death of disco and the ascension of hardcore punk and metal music. These combative tones and moral conundrums are at the heart of this sequel. It is a movie about the consequences to our desires and the importance of trust in ensuring our survival in this ever-changing world around us. It does succeed in the "period film test" as I like to call it, which is the question of whether a film justifies its period setting or not. This one certainly does, with its themes, costumes, set design and overall aesthetic screaming 80's as loud as an invisible jet engine as it soars through the night sky...with fireworks. Yes, that is a scene spoiler, one of the better moments that the film's journey provides for us and Diana, our titular heroine. She is a different woman here, jaded and occasionally cold, less naive and care-free. Much of her light has been dimmed, though not completely extinguished. The sequel ultimately fails at being superior to its predecessor, but then again, so many do, especially in the superhero genre. Unlike the first film, this one lays on its themes too thickly, especially in the dialogue. During the climax, Diana delivers a monologue (which somehow gets broadcasted because apparently the lasso of truth also connects you to satellite television) that spells out everything that esteemed director, Patty Jenkins wants you to take away from the film. Wonder Woman 1984 too often falls into tropes like this that the first film so skillfully avoided. It feels like Jenkins has lost trust in the audience and believes that if they aren't spoon-fed certain messages, that they won't be properly received. While the theme is placed front and center throughout, the plot is sometimes undersold, like the wobbly details of villain Maxwell Lord's devious plans for...I guess world domination? Pedro Pascal does remarkably well with a villain who's backstory isn't even given proper exploration until the climax. Though the Trump comparisons are inevitable, Lord feels like he represents an outdated idea of success, more than a single person. Trump just happens to fall under this category, as well. Kristen Wiig, the performer I was personally most excited to see in this film, is unfortunately similarly underserved by the script despite showing admirable talent in balancing comedic and dramatic tonal shifts throughout her performance. She isn't in the film enough, and her friendship with Diana, a crucial component to both of their character arcs is rushed. Her character's arc also ends in a very muddled way, seeming redemption with no underlining motivation apparent. Still, she manages to infuse enough exuberance into the performance, especially in the latter half of the film, to make her inclusion feel worthwhile in the long run. Her final character design is also an impressive and visually entrancing blend of CGI and prosthetic if only it was on-screen longer for us to be able to admire. The action scenes are brilliantly conceived as before, and the climactic battle especially shows notable improvement from the overt video-game vibes that the final battle in the first film gave. Ultimately, Wonder Woman 1984 is too much like the 80's, it's at constant conflict with itself over what it wants to be and uses too many familiar cliches and tropes to circumvent narrative complexity for plot convenience. The first film was effortlessly charming, timeless and empowering, this one shows shades of those positive qualities but has to work harder to achieve them amongst a cluttered and frenetic story that doesn't feel like it has enough room to breath. This film certainly learned lessons from its first and we hope the same applies to the third installment which should focus more on maintaining originality outside of the formulaic constraints of the superhero genre.

Soul (2020) 

In the year of 2020, we're all getting philosophical as we interpret the continuously bizarro events around us. In a world so constantly-shifting around with racial tensions, global health crises and enough political turmoil to fill a six-season show produced by Shonda Rhimes and Aaron Sorkin put together; it is only natural that film, which is often a reflection of our reality in one way or another, would begin to get philosophical as well. Normally, this would make many people groan in annoyance. Give me simplicity, give me normalcy, give me talking cars for goodness sakes! Though in production since 2016, Soul was the movie that people needed right now, whether they were aware of it or not. While The Prom indulges our need for gluttonous glamor and carefree celebration, Soul indulges deeper emotions and feelings, ones rooted inside ourselves but still ever-present on the surface, particularly over the last few months. A hapless jazz pianist, Joe dies the day he finally gets his big break and stuck in a limbo of sorts, enlists the help of a body-less soul named 22, that wants nothing more than to never go to Earth, the exact place which Joe wishes to return to. What ensues from this conflict-filled dynamic is an adventure that transcends the boundaries of metaphysical and ethereal realms of existence. Before plot can even be touched upon, one cannot stress enough what a magnificent achievement the film's animation and sound design is. From the facial details on each and every character, major or minor, to the chillingly accurate sound of a subway screeching out of one station onto the next, Soul's next level production value elevates its weighty thematic material even higher with its impressive realism and devotion to detail. It is simply gorgeous to watch and prompts us to consider why animation is still not as respected in the industry as it should be. The film does a great job of defying formula with a plot that can hardly be considered predictable to any uncynical viewer. We truly do not know how Joe's journey will end, any more than we know the answer to our own. Soul is the first Disney/Pixar movie that really feels as though it is made more for adults than children. In fact, children play no significant role in its plot whatsoever and a large majority of its dialogue-based humor makes pop culture references that young children would likely have to ask their parents about to grasp fully. This year, adults needed a life lesson, and if they weren't going to listen to reason, the news or science, then film really was the last resort. Soul makes us reexamine where we are all going in life and why in the same year that life has been put on pause for so many of us and has resulted in many of these own personal reflections within ourselves occurring over the last several months. It explores depression and creative blockage in thoughtfully vibrant ways that are neither overtly bleak nor panderingly watered-down, considering it is an animated "children's" film. While so many of us are fueled, sometimes obsessively by our passions, it is not they that inherently define us, but our recognition and enjoyment for them. You can't help but think of all those that have died and continue to die from the virus. What their passions were and how the trip to the ever-after (assuming there is one) might've been like for them. What rumination and musings they had along the way. None of us wants to be Joe or even 22, but the fact of the matter is, most of us are and the film is a clever kick-in-the-butt to get us to face life before it's had its fill of us. To stop letting our passions define us into depression, insecurity and insanity and instead use them to unearth our best selves. By the end of the film, Joe hasn't found that person yet, but that's okay, neither has the audience. It starts conversations that need to be had with ourselves, with children and the ones we love.  Soul tells us to treasure our time in a year that felt mind-numbingly slow and unquestionably arduous because we are always, Pandemic or not, one step away from the Great Beyond.

In Closing

This year has been a century and never before in my life more than now have I been thankful for the escape that film and television provides. In the years coming, we will undoubtedly see this year's events adapted on the stage as well as the big and small screens, many of these stories are already in development. We have been living history while art has and continues to allow us to make sense of the history itself, it's long-term effects on our hearts and minds, as well as our relationships and even bank accounts. I wish every single person reading this peace and prosperity in this New Year more than ever before. 2021 will not be a complete reset but what it can hopefully become is a revival of our spirits and with that hopefully much new, informative, thoughtful and all-around entertaining content across an assortment of entertainment platforms. Keeping escaping to film and television and other forms of entertainment but when you come back to reality, continue to do everything in your power to make today a great day and tomorrow an even better one, not just for you, but for others as well. Happy New Year.  

 

Election Day Special: 5 Election-Based Films

IF YOU'RE READING THIS AND HAVEN'T VOTED YET....THIS POST WILL STILL BE HERE BY THE TIME YOU GET BACK! GO VOTE!!!

Election (1999):

I found this 90s classic to be worth the hype that preceded it, but maybe not for the same reasons as others. Election is a film that will likely always sustain relevancy because as generations of politics and politicians evolve and change so does the way you apply the modern-day political landscape to the world of the film. Having already watched the first two seasons of Ryan Murphy's debut Netflix Series The Politician, it was quite evident that the hyper-realized world of that series has some source of inspiration that leads back to Alexander Payne's film. Though only about a high school election, the stakes of the film feel so high because the director is able to immerse you into the world of the characters in such an intimate way, right down to exposing us to one of the most intimate moments of many human's existence, nightly prayers. Although, the way these characters pray makes many of them feel as though they are parodying the faux-Christians that currently crowd the Alt-Right movement of this country with their false sincerity and self-aggrandizing undertones. Over the years, obvious comparisons have been made to Reese Witherspoon's classic character, Tracy Flick and Hilary Clinton, but I found myself even more interested in the comparisons that can be drawn between Tammy Meltzer and the Orange President of the United States, at least at the time this is being typed. Tammy and Orange-Loaf both aren't interested in politics or leaving some substantial mark in the history books for the betterment of others. Their desires are much more internalized. They are angry. And they both recognize that this anger can be utilized, magnetized to polarize the social climate to their advantages ultimately. Both run for office under the guise of "renegades", Tammy is just the more honest of the two. She doesn't care if you recognize her true intentions or even if she wins, so long as she's shaken the system and caused some disorder along the way. Then again, Tammy doesn't owe money to any foreign powers, at least the film's narrative never suggests as much. Who then does Jim McAllister represent as our protagonist. For me, his representation shifts as the plot evolves. He is both at times, the swing voter (much like Lisa) and also the corrupt system that elects illegitimate or otherwise undeserving candidates to elected office. He's the former, because of his bias in the electoral process itself by cheating. Jim's reasons for not wanting Tracy to win are completely shallow. She might very well be annoying, but she's also obviously qualified for the position, however imperfect she may be. While her tearing down the posters is wrong, she's only brought to do that because of McAllister's selfish actions hid underneath an attempt to even out the playing field and allow more students to run. He is the voter that enters the booth deciding that "So and So doesn't smile enough" or "So and So is just too mean" without actually having an informed opinion about policy motivating their reason for filling in one box over another. When he distorts the results, he is Russia, he is lobbyists, and he is gerrymandering and voter suppression all wrapped into one depraved and pathetic individual. Whatever you may think of Jim and the Mark of Cain he gets in the form of a bee sting to the eyelid for his many misdeeds, or any of the characters by the end of the film, it is the final line that rings the most truth out of anything said into a microphone, written on a torn poster or even transcribed onto a cupcake throughout the entire film: "What's great about American is we can always start over." Here's hoping Jim. 

Recount (2008):

In this current election cycle, this film practically qualifies as a horror film. Recount details the political fallout of the 2000 Presidential Race which involved a recount occurring in several Florida counties that proved critical in deciding whether George W. Bush or Al Gore would be the next President of the United States. The film has been criticized in the past for positioning the Democrats as its obvious protagonist and thereby, victims to the conflict at the center of the piece. However, this is a rather narrow-minded viewpoint as the film divides its time quite liberally (no pun intended) between showing the internal operations of both the Democrats and Republicans. It isn't as if Democrats were fighting only to have Democratic votes counted. They were trying to ensure that every Floridian's voice was heard at the polls. In fact, Republicans who worked on the recount have said in the past that the film depicts a fairly accurate portrayal of the tactics, ruthless as they were, that was utilized to ensure that a second Bush would be entering the Oval Office in January 2001. The film was the first to teach me at such a young age what voter suppression is and in an exceptionally gut-wrenching scene, the negative effect it predominately has on African Americans and the formerly incarcerated. Because the film centers so much on the procedural issues concerning the recount we don't get to see much in terms of the public's dealing with such a historical hiccup of Democracy. Right now, with the impending dread of a potential Supreme Court Case deciding this election as they did in 2000, social media has allowed us to have more direct access to the concerns of the masses that partisan bullhorns will snuff out their voices and votes from being heard and cast respectably. It features a fantastic, award-winning supporting performance by Laura Dern as Katherine Harris, the Secretary of State for Florida at the time. Though we should be avoiding Kevin Spacey films as much as we can, especially when they concern ironic themes of morality and justice being squandered by corruption and wealthy privilege, he too gives an effective performance as the film's protagonist, Ron Klain, Gore's Chief of Staff during this fiasco. The lessons we learned from this experience will no doubt be tested in the coming days and weeks and here is hoping that if Jay Roach does have to make a film about the 2020 Election, that it's ending is able to have a much more optimistic look at the electoral and legislative systems in this country than Recount. 

Swing Vote (2008)

Arguably the only film on this list that positions its protagonist outside of the political/electoral sphere. In fact, Kevin Costner's Bud Johnson doesn't even cast the uncounted vote which causes the humorously chaotic plot from unfolding. This is a film about voters more than about the people we vote for. A recently unemployed alcoholic in New Mexico, Bud's intelligent and passionate daughter Molly decides to cast his Presidential vote for him when the voting machine falters, and the entire election comes down to Bud's single, uninterested, vote. The two ambitious candidates played by Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper and their even more ambitious campaign managers played by Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane respectively go through exorbitant lengths to win over a voter who didn't even know who was running in the first place. Apparently, Molly is the .0000000008% chance of voter fraud that happens every 40 years or so that we've been overlooking while worrying about the veracity of mail-in ballots. Every actor and actress in the film manages to evoke enough humanity to prevent the material from becoming too farcical, with Grammer and Hopper suffering the most by trying not to seem like horny contestants on a politically-oriented spin-off of "The Bachelorette." For a modern viewing, it doesn't help that Hopper's character, who is the Democratic nominee, is named, of all things, "Donald." The film contains a subplot with a journalist hungry for career-advancement and the truth, and not necessarily in that order. "This isn't journalism. This is television" declares George Lopez as a television station manager and her boss in a line of dialogue that has aged about as well as fruit left in the hot sun. The film explores through its improbable premise the issue of politicians catering to the voters rather than relating to them on a substantive level. We see this exemplified beautifully through several ad campaigns filmed throughout to appeal to what they perceive to be Bud's evolving political stances on various important topics. This includes an abortion ad involving children disappearing in a poof on a playground that is so funny, even staunch Pro-Lifers could get a kick out of it (probably not), and a more dated and rather offensive immigration ad that looks like something Trump would've shot if we actually believed he felt comfortable around a lot of Hispanics at once. While Molly is often portrayed as the young voice of reason, that doesn't mean she is always right. In one critical scene, while arguing with her father for feeding into the fire that the two candidates are trying to set under his butt in order to sway his vote their way, Molly claims that Bud is ruining America with his selfish actions. It isn't Bud that's ruined America; however, he's just exploiting an already polluted political and electoral process. His transformation into a concerned and informed voter may feel a bit contrived but so is the American Dream that includes the notion that the only motive a voter walks into the voting booth with is what they believe is best for the country as a whole, not just themselves. Swing Vote acknowledges the flawed system, the corruption on both sides of the aisle to be convincingly performative rather than effectively committed in their actions on the campaign trail doesn't give us all the answers on how to make things better for both ourselves and the country, but it does make it fairly clear that a good place to start is the voting booth itself. 

Man of The Year (2006) 

With comedians in the last several years becoming a surprisingly reliable and thought-provoking source of news and provocative commentary on current events, is it that much of a stretch to imagine what it would be like to have one elected as the next President of The United States? The problem with Man of The Year, unlike the other films on this list, is that it fails to focus enough time and attention upon its titular figure and instead becomes pre-occupied with the conspiracy that got him elected because after all, American's are way too jaded to ever majority vote outside of the political norm. Laura Linney gives an effective performance as a guilt-ridden tech worker who learns that her company's faulty voting machines have resulted in an entertainment figure winning the electoral college. The movie, however, becomes more about her and her mission to get the truth to the man soon to inherit the keys to the imperfect kingdom, in this case, Robin Williams, as funny as ever despite the film's numerous faults, rather than about how such a nomination could rightfully shake-up a system that has after over 200 years become stagnant to the true duties it owes to its citizens. Then again, maybe we should be careful with this logic as it sounds uncomfortably similar to the mentality of many voters who went red in 2016 to give the Presidency to a businessman to "shake things up" a bit. Then again, while Tom Dobbs was a successful television personality and political commentator before running, the current President was a bankrupt supposed billionaire. Yes, that logic might itself be a stretch, but what logic isn't these days? Man of the Year spends too much time trying to figure out if it's a political comedy, a thriller or a romance, but while it is sorting all that out across the screen it also presents us with an interesting look at how blurred the worlds of celebrity and politics would eventually become and how the most frightening conspiracy theories aren't about sex-trafficking inside pizzerias, but the notion that our vote can be corrupted, discarded or otherwise compromised at a set-price with little to no regard for the democratic or moral implications. 

Game Change (2012) 

Jay Roach returned to HBO four years after the critical success of Recount to tell what is essentially a political reimagining of A Star is Born with narrative undertones akin to what you'd find in a psychological drama directed by Hitchcock at his creative peak. Though the film tells the story behind how Sarah Palin became the vice-presidential nominee of John McCain, much like Swing Vote the film's central core is a critique of the style-over-substance attitude that has become pervasive in our political system in the United States for far too long. It is an issue that affects both liberals and conservatives. Julianne Moore's performance as Palin is a tour-de-force not simply because of her physical resemblance but her commitment to examining the woman behind the punchline that Palin ultimately became, and still is, in pop culture. Sarah Paulson and Woody Harrelson shine nearly as bright in supporting roles as members of the McCain team attempting to wrangle a loose pit bull with lipstick, which are words Palin has self-described herself with before, as Moore does in the movie itself. Ed Harris gives a decent enough supporting role as John McCain but never captures the character with the same sense of mesmerizing aplomb that Moore is able to achieve so quickly. Palin's delusions of granduer are eerily reminiscent of the current President who she'd eventually enthusiastically endorse while contradicting everything she supposedly admired about her former running mate, John McCain. While the movie teeters on becoming the love child of a Behind The Music Special cross-bred with a Lifetime Movie, it is an entertaining watch nonetheless for those of us who miss the days when politics could be laughed at without the tinge of somber-severity that has become standard practice now when reflecting on the current political climate. 

Top Ten Disney Channel Original Halloween Movies

10. Twitches Too (2007) 

The second and final film (as of October 2020) of the Twitches Television Universe is meager offerings in both chills and chuckles. It's not as funny as the predecessor nor as magical, which is ironic since more magic is likely performed in this film than the first. Alas, quantity is not equative to quality. The movie finds reunited sisters, Cameron and Alex battling once again against The Darkness to save their kingdom from its all-consuming ho-hum CGI terror. The stakes are raised slightly by the added factor that their father may, in fact, be alive. While the Mowery twins still display incredible chemistry with Tamera showing particular prowess in physical comedy, the recasting of the character of Ileana for whatever reason it was done negatively impacts what was one of the first film's most workable comedic elements and pair of side characters. When it comes down to it, Coventry is a rather boring fictitious land that hardly feels worth saving. The more we see of it, the blander it feels, and so our entire investment lies solely in the survival and triumph of our leads, but the goals they are after aren't as investable to us. The film also follows the tired pattern of introducing unnecessary love interests for each of the sisters. While not the worst or the best, Twitches Too just feels like an altogether missed opportunity to expand on what was a promising idea in the first film. It spends more time hashing out cliches than giving us something truly magical to twitch onto. The magic of the Mowery sisters may not be enough to save it, but we certainly appreciate their efforts in trying. 

9. Halloweentown High (2004) 

An indication that the series was headed into a different kind of territory one that became more aligned with the values and content expectations from the popular children's television channel today, Halloweentown High is neither a hit nor miss, but a respectable toss at the dartboard of children's entertainment. Marnie in the film is a high-schooler, older, wiser and yet still as free-spirited as ever. Vying for better opportunities for civility between the two different realms, Marnie comes up with the idea to host a group of Halloweentown students to come and spend some time in the Mortal World. The rest of the film involves a clash of cultures between the humans and Halloweentown adolescents who are forced to come together and stop a group of ancient knights from wreaking havoc on both worlds. The film admittedly provides the least spooks of the three films in the franchise, and no I am not acknowledging the rude abomination that is Return to Halloweentown (2006). Its primary focus is on deriving humor from the zany antics of the Halloweentown tweens as they try to get acclimated to the Mortal World. Debbie Reynolds performance is just as strong as her previous ones, and she gets to exercise some serious comedic chops as a substitute teacher at the high school. The plot fails at giving Sophie anything remotely interesting to do, reducing her to a background character status which is shameful given how integral she is to the plot of the predecessors. The same can be said for the incredibly talented, Judith Hoag, whose portrayal of Gwen begins to become inconsistent starting with this film, though that is a complete fault of the writers and not the actress herself. Halloweentown is still an enjoyable entry into the franchise, even at its worse, it is better than many of the films that Disney Channel has released since.  

8. Under Wraps (1997) 

Though often cited as the first Disney Channel Original Movie, this film is admittedly the one I am least familiar with on the list. I watched it maybe once or twice growing up and was, fortunately, able to access it on VOD as a refresher since it is curiously not available on Disney+. The film tells the tale of three pre-teens accidentally awakening and ultimately befriending an ancient mummy from a sarcophagus found in a recently deceased neighbor's basement. Under Wraps isn't as creepy or clever as its successors. Much of its charm derives from the comical camaraderie between its three young leads as they wrangle the muttering mummy and try to keep him in line. The movie suffers because it lacks the sense of distinctive atmosphere beautifully executed in other DCOM films. The Mummy is the source of humor and friendship in this, which is touching at times, but it seriously reduces the creep factor, especially when the villains turn out to be a boorish group of thugs that want to sell the mummy for money. The juxtaposition of a mummy bumbling around suburbia is very one-note, and the arc of the main protagonist is nowhere near as compelling as those of other DCOM films like Marnie, Francis or even Pete, all of whom are much more emotionally investable protagonists from other films that are featured in this list. Still, the film is delightful for what it is and did help pave the way for the more polished entries in the Disney Channel cannon to follow.

7. Twitches (2005)

This is one of the notable DCOM Halloween films that is more centered on the magic of Halloween rather than the more frightening or otherwise unsettling aspects of it. That being said, the mass of Darkness that acts as the film's main antagonist was spooky as all hell as a child. Based on a popular book series, the film stars Tia and Tamera Mowery as twin witches who were separated at birth to protect them from an evil force that wished to destroy them and their magical homeland. The twins meet as adults and after learning of their magical origins, come together to save their kingdom from destruction. The film mimics the character dynamic the sisters shared on their long-running sitcom "Sister Sister", and in fact, their characters hardly detract from their personalities established on that show. This is a shame as it deprives them of being able to explore much new acting ground, but I doubt we were complaining about character development during elementary school. Alright, maybe just me. The film is more light-hearted than it's predecessors and was a sign that Disney wanted to shift to more "family-friendly" programming. With darkness being the primary evil being fought against, the film itself is quite brightly lit and features a broad color scheme; especially it's costumes. The twins are guided by a fairly cute and funny duo, Karsh and Ileana who help advise the twins on their quest. The charm lies almost completely in the sure-fire chemistry between the two leads, who always know how to play to each other's comedic and dramatic strengths. It's a fun film, but it would have been interesting to see how Disney Channel would have handled the adaptation if they had attempted to do it during their more ambitious Golden Age a few years prior. 

6. The Scream Team (2002) 

Often forgotten, The Scream Team is almost completely devoid of any and all of the cutesy kitsch-ness that plagues even Disney Channel's most successful cinematic ventures. While it is laced with dark humor throughout, particularly about the concept of death itself as well as the merits of an afterlife, the movie is less squeamish than it's fellow contenders at making its young audience think about death and how it plays into our every day lives. It features Kat Dennings in an early role prior to her eventual fame on the big and small screen alike, as well as veteran comedic legends, Eric Idle, Tommy Davidson, and the always lovely even when shrill, Kathy Najimy as the titular team of ghosts that with the help of two grieving children hunt down a malevolent spirit that is inhibiting innocent souls from passing on, including the children's recently deceased grandfather. It wasn't until recently that I discovered the film was meant to be a backdoor pilot of sorts for a spin-off television series. It is difficult to picture performers like Najimy or Idle committing to such a project, which never came to fruition anyway. The film is still a treat to watch with its appropriately dreary set design that aligns well with the general dark comedy tone of the script, a verifiably scary villain and a lack of patronage that marks even the very best outings in the DCOM cinematic arena.  

5. Phantom of the Megaplex (2000) 

This film does hold a special almost bias place in my heart simply because it is itself an ode to movies as it is to Halloween itself. The script does not just focus on referencing horror films, but traditional tropes found across Hollywood Movies since the Golden Age of Cinema. In the film, Pete Riley, the assistant manager at his local movie theater is preparing for a huge film premiere event when a series of pranks lead him and others to suspect that someone wants this night to be anything but entertaining. Complications further arise when his younger brother and sister get involved and want to help figure out who the mysterious "phantom" causing all of this trouble is. The film fits comfortably into the whodunnit sub-genre of mystery. It features a touching supporting performance by the late great, Mickey Rooney, who gives an endearing monologue halfway through the film about the magic of the movies. This scene certainly carries extra weight and significance since his passing in 2014. Though it has its silly moments, particularly one involving an excessively show-offy game of gum-ball hockey as well as a blow-up display gone wild, its entertainment value is sustained throughout by the competent performances of its cast, young and old, and its ability to utilize the claustrophobia of both the movie-viewing experience as well as of the work environment at a movie theater itself to illicit effectively executed spooks and scares. During these pandemic days, it is a film that certainly makes me yearn to return to the theater, whether or not they be a Phantom there waiting for me. 

4. Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)

I am not telling you what this film is about because the title is gracious enough to do it for me. One of the classic staples of the Disney Channel Halloween film was to acknowledge and thereby make fun of some of the nonsensical tropes associated with classic monsters from film and literature. This film manages to both spoof vampires while still making them a formidable antagonist for its young leads to be tasked with vanquishing. If vampires detest garlic, then they obviously must avoid Italian food while out on a date. Though the younger cast members have mostly faded into obscurity, the adult cast is led by three impeccably casted recognizable faces to anyone who enjoys beloved 90s and early 2000s sitcoms, Caroline Rhea, Charles Shaughnessy and Robert Carradine of Lizzie McGuire fame. The young characters in this film admittedly bring little to the piece and as an adult now I realize that while I tuned in to invest in these adolescents relentless pursuit to save their mother, I stayed because it was the adults who were more interesting to watch. One wonders if Disney was attempting to appeal more to their parental base in this film. Shaughnessy brings the perfect level of snark and maliciousness to Dmitri, which allows us to be scared of him while also finding him quite absurd. Rhea contrasts perfectly with him in her bubbly, adorably-awkward performance as a divorced woman reclaiming her identity. As an adult, the film may have an added creep-factor level, as Dmitri's determination to possess Rhea's character is carnal and by association, lustful. His behavior towards her is almost Weinstein-esque in its manipulation and false-sincerity, a clear echoing of the horrors that online catfishes would bring to society a little over a decade later. Nonetheless, the film has some memorable sequences, most notably an enthralling climactic showdown at a lakeside mansion, which this suburban town conveniently has located nearby. 

3. Don't Look Under the Bed (1999) 

This film is just as unsettling now as it was when I first remembered watching it. Disney even stopped airing it for years due to complaints from parents. Its eerie mood is matched by its cinematography which even manages to make daytime sequences appear somewhat disconcerting. The film is about an overly mature 14-year-old who begins to get framed for pranks going on around her small town. She soon discovers, thanks to the help of an eccentric imaginary friend, Larry that she is being framed by the mythic "Boogeyman". The movie's thematic messages resonate even more now than they did when I was a child as its narrative focuses on the struggles and anxieties that are tied with becoming an adult and leaving childish things behind. This is especially true since it features a young character who has survived a serious illness, as I did as a small child. I've often thought about the stress and concern I must have invariably placed on the shoulders of my two older siblings by getting Tuberculosis and Meningitis before the age of two and watching the protagonist struggle with guilt over whether she did all she could to help her ailing brother gives me a unique kind of melancholy, blended with heartfelt gratitude for their love and comfort, even if I can't remember a single moment of it. Leaving childhood too early can have adverse consequences on a person's psychological maturity, maybe not to the degree that you'll start growing obscenely long fingernails and your sclera will turn purple, but still pretty serious repercussions, as the film exemplifies with impressive depth and complexity. It stands the test of time because it is one of the treasured DCOM Film's that refuses to condescend to its youthful audience and instead challenges them to consider what childhood means to them and how much of it they intend to carry over with them into adulthood. They'll always be a boogeyman to fight one way or another, but the film's thrilling and surprisingly emotional finale reminds us that we don't always need to make up allies (imaginary friends) to protect us against these frightening creatures. We can often find real, tactile support amongst us in our friends and families. The film's director, Kenneth Johnson, who also directed Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999) apparently had to defend the film during pre-production against concerns over an innocent kiss that occurs at the end between two characters of different races because it could potentially offend Southern audiences. This is a good reminder that the things we should be frightened of most in our lives don't live under our beds, but amongst us as everyday people.

2. Halloweentown 2: Kalabar's Revenge (2001)

Though you'll see me regale about this film's predecessor in just a bit, the second entry in this franchise is admittedly my favorite one. Unlike other Disney Channel Original Movie sequels which tended to take on a lighter tone than the first as the network began to recalibrate its content, Halloweentown 2 is actually a much darker film. The stakes in the plot are much higher as the villain's plan appears far more likely to succeed than in the first, and the risk to the citizens of both worlds is as dire as can be. Portions of the film are literally shot using bleaker colors, which align with a dastardly spell that has been cast on Halloweentown by a mysterious adversary of Marnie's, our protagonist from the first outing who is now a teenager and formal witch-in-training. If Halloweentown is the movie, you watch before going trick-or-treating, than Halloweentown 2 is the film you watch when you've returned to the house after dark and want to sort through your sugary loot. The only thing really "wrong" with this sequel is that because of the conflict at play in the center of its plot (the gray spell over Halloweentown) which causes all the joy, color and magic of the dimension to be dulled down to mundane normalcy, we don't actually get to spend much time in the town we had come to know and love during the first film. The third film ends up making the same mistake, showing us even less of Halloweentown than the first two films. It's forgivable to some extent, especially considering it is working off a television movie runtime, and it is still a more than worthy entry in the Halloweentown mythos, giving all the characters opportunity to grow in interesting ways and still allowing for plenty of delightful magic to make its way across our television screens. Admittedly, there are feature film sequels that don't deserve to be on the same level as this early 2000s gem, especially Halloween films for that matter. 

 

1. Halloweentown (1998)  

Honestly, the hype machine works overtime come October 1st, and this film is one of its primary batteries. Halloweentown is not #1 on this list because of its namesake or even because it has the largest cult following of anything else on this list. Like all the greats, it is #1 because it deserves to be. The film is the story of a precocious adolescent girl, Marnie Piper, who along with her two younger siblings Dylan and Sophie, discovers her maternal side of the family is from an alternate dimension where it is always Halloween and every mythical and magical creature imaginable lives there. When her grandmother, the ethereal Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell comes to their house for a visit, the three kids sneak onto a magical bus and are transported to their family's native land, though they soon discover that dark forces are at work trying to take it over. It is a film that takes itself and its themes more seriously than it needed to, and for that, it has ingrained itself into the childhoods of millions with no signs of stopping over 20 years later. Halloweentown reminds us that being different isn't just okay, it's to be celebrated and championed. Being normal is indeed vastly overrated, and we come to comprehend this more and more as we grow up, which is why the film continues to resonate with Millenials long after they've grown out of trick-or-treating. It's about family, flaws and all, not the cookie-cutter Leave it to Beaver life we often see depicted on this specific channel particularly. Marnie's tense relationship with her mother is relatable because they don't fix everything by the film's end, but they fix enough to move forward in better shape than they were before. Its set design is hardly on par with anything the Russo Brothers could devise. Still, nobody could care less because images from the big Jack O'Lantern in the town square to the abandoned movie theater and even just the magically appearing bus stop all ineradicably insert themselves into your psyche and remain there for years and years. They are there, much like the film itself, to remind you that just because you grow up doesn't mean you have to lose that special spark that kept you going as a child. That gave you hope on rainy days and chilly nights. This entire year is a rainstorm of epic proportions. It certainly isn't a year that many feel like getting dressed up and festive for. If there was ever a time to need Halloweentown, it is for these times. The ones where our loved ones are there to save us, and we are there to save them. For the night when going out may be more dangerous than it'd normally be on All Hallows Eve and not because of ghouls and goblins, but something far more sinister and real, unfortunately. 

It's okay to be scared, to be sad or even angry. I'd highly recommend taking a trip to Halloweentown or into the world of any of the above-mentioned films to help guide you through the strangest Halloween some of us will ever encounter. Let these films cast a spell on you, and if you are anything like me, for however short of time, you'll believe in magic once again. At the very least you'll smile, and that is a result none of us should be taking for granted in 2020 no matter what month it is.  

Happy Halloween!