Their swift narrative certainty for “Great Pumpkin” freed Melendez (who also voiced Snoopy) and his crew — including gifted animator Bill Littlejohn — to create stunning watercolor skies and rich autumn hues that provide every scene with its own mood, apart from the characters. Melendez brilliantly painted both motion and emotion.
“It is by far the most colorful of the shows,” Mendelson says, “as Bill and his team captured the vibrancy of the fall season.”
And the camera, often so static in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” zooms in for facial close-ups in the follow-up that provide the viewer with a poignant intimacy.
In honor of Halloween, the Indiewire critics discuss the non-horror movies that scared them most. There are some great choices on the list, including Julianne Moore in “Safe,” about a woman who is being poisoned — or thinks she is — by the toxic, synthetic chemicals in everyday products. And there are scary documentaries about terrifying real-life events like “Deliver Us from Evil,” about child abuse and cover-up by the Catholic church, and
“Fed Up,” about what is in our food that is not good for us. Someone even mentioned the wonderful “Up” series that documents the lives of a group of children from London as they grow up, now in late middle age. And of course nothing is as scary to an adult as a movie like “Bambi” or “Pinocchio” is to a child.
For those who would enjoy something a little spooky but not too scary, the wonderful Legion of Leia as The Top 15 Halloween Movies for Those of Us Who Don’t Like Scary Movies.” Legion of Leia’s Jenna Busch includes some of the films on my list, like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” and “Hocus Pocus,” along with some of Tim Burton’s best, “Frankenweenie,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “The Corpse Bride.” Enjoy!
Halloween gives kids a thrilling opportunity to act out their dreams and pretend to be characters with great power. But it can also be scary and even overwhelming for the littlest trick-or-treaters. An introduction to the holiday with videos from trusted friends can help make them feel comfortable and excited about even the spookier aspects of the holiday.
Kids ages 3-5 will enjoy Barney’s Halloween Party, with a visit to the pumpkin farm, some ideas for Halloween party games and for making Halloween decorations at home, and some safety tips for trick-or-treating at night. They will also get a kick out of Richard Scarry’s The First Halloween Ever, which is Scarry, but not at all scary! Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest has the beloved little monkey investigating the Legend of “No Noggin.” Disney characters celebrate Halloween in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Mickey’s Treat.
Witches in Stitches is about witches who find it very funny when they turn their sister into a jack o’lantern. And speaking of jack o’lanterns, Spookley the Square Pumpkin is sort of the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer of pumpkins. The round pumpkins make fun of him for being different until a big storm comes and his unusual shape turns out to have some benefits.
Kids from 7-11 will enjoy the classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and the silly fun of What’s New Scooby-Doo: Halloween Boos and Clues. Try The Worst Witch movie and series, about a young witch in training who keeps getting everything wrong. School-age kids will also enjoy The Halloween Tree, an animated version of a story by science fiction author Ray Bradbury about four kids who are trying to save the life of their friend. Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock on the original “Star Trek”) provides the voice of the mysterious resident of a haunted house, who explains the origins of Halloween and challenges them to think about how they can help their sick friend. The loyalty and courage of the kids is very touching. Debbie Reynolds plays a witch who takes her grandchildren on a Halloween adventure in the Disney Channel classic in Halloweentown.
The Nightmare Before Christmas has gorgeous music from Danny Elfman and stunningly imaginative visuals from Tim Burton in a story about a Halloween character who wonders what it would be like to be part of a happy holiday like Christmas. And don’t forget some old classics like The Cat and the Canary (a classic of horror/comedy) and the omnibus ghost story films “Dead of Night” and “The House that Dripped Blood.”