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| Halloweentown - 1998 |
Coming up on this edition of TV Tuesday is 1998's "Halloweentown", a story about a 13-year-old girl who finds out she's a witch and has to save her grandmother's town from a powerful warlock.
The film's cast includes Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag, Joey Zimmerman, Phillip Van Dyke, Emily Roeske, and Robin Thomas.
It's Halloween, and 13-year-old Marnie Piper is not happy. She wants to celebrate the spooky holiday, but her mom has forbidden any sort of festivities, including decorations. "Nobody around here really appreciates my taste in weird stuff," Marnie moans.
Marnie's grandmother, Aggie, arrives and surprises the family. Everyone is thrilled to see her, except Marnie's mother, Gwen. Gwen and Aggie don't see eye to eye on Halloween.
Aggie indulges her grandchildren's interest in Halloween, which doesn't make Gwen happy.
Aggie tells her grandchildren a story about a place called Halloweentown. It's a place where witches, warlocks, werewolves, ghosts, vampires, and other assorted creatures live in peace. What is interesting is that Marnie seems to feature in the book, and she can't quite understand it.
After the kids are asleep, Aggie tells Gwen the real reason for her visit. She needs her help. It turns out that Aggie and Gwen are witches, and Halloweentown isn't just a storybook locale. Halloweentown is in danger from some unseen force that's causing the residents to behave strangely and then disappear altogether. Gwen doesn't want to help. She moved to the mortal realm to have a normal life and raise her kids as normal humans.
Marnie overhears the conversation, including the bit about the family being witches. Marnie always felt a special connection to Halloween. And apparently a witch's 13th Halloween is supposed to be a special time in her life. If she doesn't at least begin to use her powers, they are at risk of being lost forever.
When it's time for Aggie to leave, Marnie and her brother Dylan sneak out and follow her. They are amazed when a bus appears out of nowhere. They sneak onto it and before they know it, they are whooshed away.
They, of course, arrive in Halloweentown. The kids are very surprised to see that it's not just a story. It's real and they are there.
Marnie and Dylan are a bit shocked when their little sister Sophie turns up. She stowed away on the bus, too.
The town is full of colorful characters, like the Mayor, Kalabar, and a taxi driver named Benny.
The kids make their way to Aggie's house. Aggie is very glad to see her grandchildren.
She needs help with lighting a talisman from the time of Merlin and the court of King Arthur. She hopes that the magic contained within it will be enough to drive out the darkness in Halloweentown.
To make it light up, there is a certain recipe they must follow. They are missing a few key ingredients, including: a hair from a werewolf, a fang from a vampire, and the sweat of a ghost.
So, on an excursion to get the ingredients, Aggie shows her grandchildren around the town and tells them a little of its history. She also buys Marnie her first broom.
But Aggie's fears about the darkness in town are very real. Her dear friend Harriet has turned hateful and sinister, and her appearance has drastically changed.
It's at this time that Gwen shows up. She's angry and anxious to get everyone back to the mortal world. Marnie doesn't want to go. She wants to stay and help Aggie, as well as start her witch training.
Meanwhile, Aggie discovers the source of the darkness: a very powerful shadow creature residing within an abandoned theater.
When the person behind the shadow creature is revealed, it shocks everyone. The Mayor of Halloweentown, Kalabar, wants to move all the creatures to the mortal world and launch a takeover.
He tries to get the town to turn on Aggie and her family, saying that they threaten their way into the future.
However, Kalabar is no match for Aggie and the combined powers of her family. They vanquish him and restore order to Halloweentown.
After all is said and done, Gwen invites Aggie to live with them. She also promises to help Marnie begin her training as a witch. The family boards the bus bound for the mortal world and bids the citizens of Halloweentown a fond farewell.
Cast rundown:
Debbie Reynolds....................................Aggie Cromwell
Kimberly J. Brown..................................Marnie Piper
Judith Hoag...........................................Gwen Piper
Joey Zimmerman...................................Dylan Piper
Phillip Van Dyke.....................................Luke
Emily Roeske.........................................Sophie Piper
Robin Thomas........................................Kalabar
And that's it for Halloweentown. This Disney Channel original movie was immensely popular when it was released, and it spawned three sequels. Filmed in St. Helens, Oregon, the movie still has a big following in the town. The town welcomes tourists, and hosts a month-long Spirit of Halloween event each year, recreating parts of the set (including the giant Jack-O-Lantern), and encourage fans of the film to explore.
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