Halloween is one of my favorite holidays for various reasons. I love the spooky vibes and the changing color of leaves. I enjoy dressing up, going out with friends and family, carving pumpkins, and going through corn mazes. The smell of cinnamon and pumpkin spice that fills the air when you walk by a bakery or seeing all the Halloween decorations people have outside of their houses. I have many great memories of Halloween, but a tradition I still love so very much is sitting down and binge-watching shows and movies. Some of my classic favorites are “The Shining” by Stephen King and “Halloweentown” (1998) created by Paul Bernbaum.
Sitting down and watching a show such as a thriller or a family favorite makes me feel all giddy inside. The moment I see a pumpkin on screen, or a scary mask I just know it’s gonna be good. That’s how I feel when watching “Halloweentown.” I sit there in awe, though the graphics now may not be the best, it still gives me the same goosebumps as it gave me when I was seven years old.
I remember my first time ever watching “Halloweentown.” I was so captivated by the liveliness of the costumes and the characters’ personalities. I remember how I was intrigued by the fact a young 13-year-old girl was so ready to fight for her family.
The movie follows a young girl named Marnie and her siblings who find out that they are from a family of witches. After their grandma comes to the regular world for a visit, then heads back home, the group of siblings follows her to a town called Halloweentown where witches, vampires, warlocks and various other monsters co-exist peacefully. It wasn’t until an evil force threatened the family that Marnie and her siblings took action.
With a movie like this there’s many more to follow, in total there are four movies each consisting of the halloween element in different takes. “Halloweentown ll: Kalabar’s Revenge” (2001) deals with the aftermath of the events following the first movie.
“Halloweentown High” (2004) is unlike the other movies in the franchise because it takes place in the human world and follows the lives of regular students dealing with school life as well as many transfer students from Halloweentown.
“Return to Halloweentown” (2006) follows Marnie when she goes off to college however movie watchers mention the controversial structures of the film, such as Marnie, who was previously played by Kimberly Brown in the first three movies, who was then replaced by Sara Paxton in the final movie. When a movie series like that changes the actor of a main character, it leaves mixed reviews. However, I still enjoy the movie because it involves time travel which adds to the spooky spirit.
One of the biggest reasons why I love the franchise is the cheesiness of the movies. It always makes for a good laugh every October. It’s a great movie to sit down and watch with family and friends. Grab a bowl of popcorn, turn on Disney +, and watch the movies before the month is over!
