Connect with us

News

‘Garfield’s Halloween Adventure’ is Better than ‘The Great Pumpkin’

Published

on

Garfield's Halloween Adventure

It’s that time of year again when Halloween specials from our childhood are being re-broadcast to the masses and a whole new generation will be introduced to the seminal classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Few things are more synonymous with the Halloween season than Charlie Brown in his misshapen ghost costume announcing “I got a rock” while out trick or treating with his friends.

While I would never begrudge Peanuts fans their trip down memory lane–I myself take that trip at least once or twice every Halloween season–there is another, and dare I say, superior Halloween special that unfortunately does not receive the same airtime as its counterpart.

I’m talking about Garfield’s Halloween Adventure, and while it may not be the top of everyone’s list for holiday viewing, it was a brilliant Halloween special that deserves the same attention as Linus in the pumpkin patch.

I know, I know, I can actually see some of you getting ready to throw handfuls of pumpkin guts at me, but hear me out.

Garfield’s Halloween Adventure, initially titled Garfield in Disguise, was first released back in 1985, and it was the first television special featuring everyone’s favorite lasagna-loving cat based on original material rather than drawing from previous comic strips.

Garfield creator Jim Davis wrote the special and in 2014 he told the The A.V. Club that he wanted to start the special off with something familiar. Garfield being Garfield getting ready to go trick or treating obsessed with getting “candy, candy, candy.” But after that, he wanted to take it to a place that would “at least scare 4-year-olds.”

In order to do that, he had to get Garfield and Odie away from the familiarity and safety of home.

The idea worked like a charm.

Spying a creepy old house in the distance, Garfield and Odie climb onto a boat and make their way up to the old manor where they are confronted by a creepy old man who tells them a story of pirate treasure and angry spirits out to reclaim what was theirs.

Sounds a lot like The Fog to me, and soon enough, Garfield and Odie find themselves abandoned in the old house with strange and terrifying pirate ghosts surrounding them. This is where Garfield’s Halloween Adventure really begins to prove itself in the realm of Halloween specials.

While The Great Pumpkin was really quite beautifully made with a gorgeous color palette, they stuck to a much safer script. There’s trick or treating, bobbing for apples, and a healthy dose of the expected picking on Charlie Brown from his constant failure as a trick or treater to using the back of his bald head to sketch out a design for a jack o’lantern.

Aside from some rustling in the pumpkin patch, however, they never tried to conjure up the genuinely spooky spirit of the holiday they were celebrating.

Even when Garfield and Odie first set out to trick or treat, however, Davis and company were mining the creepy. The duo meets a series of fellow trick or treaters under the same ghost costume, all of which are actually monsters underneath. There’s also that incredible spooky performance by C. Lindsay Workman as the Old Man to look forward to in each viewing.

Davis also sticks to his narrative unlike The Great Pumpkin, which chose to give viewers an inexplicable interlude with Snoopy’s air-fight with the Red Baron in the center of their special.

Don’t get me wrong, that scene is iconic and for good reason, but it just never seemed to really fit and ultimately felt a bit like filler.

I’m not here to change your mind. I’m not here to tell you that It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is bad. The special has a devout following for a reason. I just think it’s undeniable that Jim Davis gave us something better with Garfield’s Halloween Adventure.

Still, while the former receives annual broadcasts, the latter hasn’t seen much airtime since 2015. Garfield fans can, however, rent/purchase the special on Amazon.

Which one will you be watching this Halloween season?

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

Published

on

Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

Movies

‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

Published

on

Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading

News

Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

Published

on

Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?

Continue Reading