You probably read the title of this post and wondered, “Why isn’t Sally introducing a new ornament for her Oh Lil Christmas Tree project this year”? You may have also seen the Halloween publication date and thought, “Why is Sally publishing a Christmas post on Halloween”? Since 2020, I have annually debuted a new ornament or Christmas tree decoration that represents something related to 18 Cinema Lane, as part of my Christmas themed project. For 2026, I decided to do something different. Halloween is a holiday I’ve acknowledged several times on my blog. My very first milestone double feature was Halloween themed, when I reviewed The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire and Queen of the Damned. Two editorials were published on Halloween; my article about the toxic relationship of Top Dollar and Myca from The Crow and my editorial about Eddie Munson (from Stranger Things) and Harris Trinsky (from Freaks and Geeks) being two sides of the same coin. I even reviewed hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween and posted that review on Halloween. With all that said, I chose to introduce this adorable Halloween tree skirt! This piece of décor came at the right time, as a new tree skirt was much needed in my blog’s Christmas tree decoration collection.
Perhaps this is the start of more Halloween themed decorations to be introduced in my Oh Lil Christmas Tree project? Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
As you can see in this picture, 18 Cinema Lane’s Christmas tree isn’t decorated yet. That’s because, in my opinion, it’s a little too early to start decorating the tree. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Here’s a close-up shot of the Halloween tree skirt, to give readers a better view of what it looks like under the tree. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
When I published my review of 1920’s The Scarecrow, it became my 1,050th published post! To commemorate this milestone, I wanted to create a list article. But, with Halloween just around the corner, I decided to make my post more festive. Recently, a Youtuber named Cameron (from the Youtube channel, Cameron Chaney – Library Macabre) created a tier rank list of sixty-six classic Halloween commercials. Inspired by his video, I made my own tier rank list! For my list, however, I curated a collection of thirty-one commercials, since there are thirty-one days in the month of October. With the exception of one advertisement, I purposefully chose ads that weren’t on Cameron’s list. This was done to make my list look and feel distinct from Cameron’s video. Since Halloween is what you make it, my tier rank list showcases the different ways a Halloween commercial can be festive. Throughout this list article, I will provide links to the videos of the commercials, in case my readers are interested in watching any of the ads I discussed. If a commercial is from a compilation video, I will include the time stamps for that commercial. I even numbered the commercials on each tier to make it easier for my readers to follow along with the tier rank list. Before I reveal which commercials I chose and which tiers I placed them in, let me explain each of the five tiers and what they mean.
Nightmare Fuel – Sometimes, Halloween festivities can be scary, from watching horror movies and visiting a haunted house. These commercials on this tier highlight the “scarier” side of Halloween. If you choose to watch the ranked commercials as you follow along with the list article, please view the commercials from the “Nightmare Fuel” tier at your own discretion, as these commercials can be disturbing for a variety of reasons.
Binx Approved – This tier references Binx, the memorable black cat from the 1993 film, Hocus Pocus. For many people, this movie is a beloved and iconic part of their Halloween celebrations. Any commercial placed on the “Binx Approved” tier earned that spot either by being the perfect representative of Halloween, “iconic” (because of the commercial itself or because of what the commercial is advertising), or possessing the right amount of Halloween spirit.
Harris Trinsky and the “Geeks” go Trick-or-Treating – When I wrote my editorial about Harris Trinsky (from Freaks and Geeks) and Eddie Munson (from Stranger Things) being two sides of the same coin, I referenced Freaks and Geeks’ Halloween episode, ‘Tricks and Treats’. In that episode, Harris joined the “geeks” (Bill, Sam, and Neil) on their trick-or-treating excursion. For this tier, the Halloween commercials are festive in a light-hearted, hilarious, or sweet way (as Freaks and Geeks is classified as a comedy on IMDB). It’s also possible for the commercials in the “Harris Trinsky and the “Geeks” go Trick-or-Treating” tier to contain less Halloween spirit than the ads from the “Binx Approved” tier.
McDonald’s Boo Buckets – Since 1986, Boo Buckets have served as a special treat for children around Halloween. Providing a festive way to hold a Happy Meal, the Boo Buckets became McDonald’s signature way of celebrating the Halloween holiday. Commercials on this tier are child/family-friendly, either because of the nature of the commercial or because the advertised product has children’s wellbeing in mind. Out of all the tiers on this list, the most adorable commercials can be found on the “McDonald’s Boo Buckets” tier.
Brick Heck in a Corn Maze – In the season one episode of The Middle, ‘Thanksgiving’, all Brick Heck wanted was to walk through a corn maze. Inspired by this simple wish, as well as this Fall/Autumn tradition, the “Brick Heck in a Corn Maze” tier recognizes the commercials that are more complimentary of the Halloween season. However, these advertisements are either not Halloween themed or Halloween is not the central focal point. For various reasons, though, it would have made sense to see these commercials from the “Brick Heck in a Corn Maze” tier air around Halloween.
As I explained in the introduction of this article, I purposefully created my tier rank list to look and feel distinct from Cameron’s video. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
I’ve mentioned before on 18 Cinema Lane how the most effective “scary movies” are the ones that involve real-life situations. This trailer for When A Stranger Calls addresses that concept by showing a scene where the movie’s protagonist, Jill, discovers an intruder has entered the house she’s babysitting at, as well as making a call from inside that house. Including that scene in the trailer plays into the fear of someone violating a safe place like home and manipulating that safe place for their own advantage. What makes the trailer even more frightening is the addition of suspenseful music and the reactions from the audience, “filmed during actual performance” according to the trailer itself. Seeing the looks of concern and fear on the faces of the audience, while also hearing their screams, creates a sense of relatability for the featured audience and the viewer of the trailer, emphasizing a situation on screen that would be terrifying for anyone.
This commercial becomes more disturbing the longer you think about it. In an attempt to create a backstory for their Monster Eye Straws, Taco Bell presents an ad where a man owns a collection of sentient dismembered monster heads for the purpose of collecting their eyes in order to create the straws. These monster heads appear terrified when the man arrives to retrieve their eyes, with one of the heads saying, “I hate this part”, implying this situation has happened before. As the man reaches for the eyes, he has a gleefully sinister look on his face. Even the man’s dog appears to know something doesn’t seem right. The straws themselves are a creative and visually unique souvenir for Halloween. But I don’t think a backstory was necessary, especially a backstory as disturbing as the one featured in Taco Bell’s 1997 ad.
In this commercial from 2000, DiGiorno Pizza decided to parody the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho, to promote their “new” Half & Half pizza. Two characters from the film, Norman and his mother, are having a conversation about the pizza off-screen, emphasizing how two people can enjoy the half cheese and half pepperoni pizza being advertised. The only times Norman and his mother appear on screen are when Norman can be seen as a silhouette in a window and when his mother goes into the kitchen to cut the pizza in half. But what makes this commercial unsettling is the idea of the commercial’s events taking place within the context of Psycho. I won’t spoil this movie for any of my readers who haven’t seen the 1960 film. But if you have seen it, you would know why I placed DiGiorno’s advertisement in the “Nightmare Fuel” tier.
I know some PSAs (public service announcements) are intentionally created to scare viewers away from doing something (smoking in this case). However, that doesn’t take away from how disturbing the message’s delivery is in this anti-smoking PSA from 2002. The combination of the darkened alley, eerie music, and little dialogue create an atmosphere that looks like it came straight out of a horror movie. The sinister man with discolored teeth randomly giving a tongue piercing to a teenage boy adds to the disturbing nature of the PSA. Piercings, in the context of the PSA, are intended to visually represent cigarettes leaving their mark on the smoker. But when I saw it while researching commercials for this tier rank list, I immediately knew the “Nightmare Fuel” tier was a deserving place for the PSA to go.
5. Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights – “The Director”
Year Aired: 2003
(1:45:51 – 1:46:18, 1:47:03 – 1:47:33)
When the Youtube channel, Expedition Theme Park, claimed The Director was the “most extreme” and “controversial” icon at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, they were not overexaggerating. What sets The Director apart from other Halloween related characters is how he craves putting his “actors” in pain. His reasoning is that the creative decision “tells the story truthfully”. In the “To be continued” ad, The Director talks about his “work” with a mixture of pride and nonchalance, his attitude adding disturbance to his persona. While the “To be continued” ad shows glimpses of a jester being held against his will, the “You Oughtta Be in Pictures” ad clearly presents The Director inflicting pain on that same jester. The purpose of these ads (promoting the thirteenth edition of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights) isn’t revealed until the end of the commercial, forcing viewers of the advertisement to wonder, “What the heck am I watching?”. To put it simply, the ads featuring The Director certainly put the “horror” in Halloween Horror Nights.
Similar to Taco Bell’s “Monster Eyes” commercial, Snickers’ ad from 2007 becomes more disturbing the longer you think about it. The featured man in the ad is in danger due to a ladder falling while he’s removing Halloween decorations from his home, leaving him hanging onto the roof’s edge. This situation presents a relatable fear for the advertisement’s viewers. What makes the commercial more frightening is how the featured children unanimously agree not to help the man. As he’s yelling for someone to assist him to safety, the children just stare at him with blank looks on their faces, even watching him fall. While the man’s fate isn’t revealed, on-screen text tries to provide an explanation why the children didn’t help him, stating “Next Halloween Give Out the Good Stuff”. Victim-blaming and the children allowing the man to remain in danger for a petty reason make the commercial feel mean-spirited in a disturbing way. I, honestly, don’t want to know what Snickers was thinking when they were making this ad.
For sixty years, It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has been an iconic staple in Halloween entertainment programming. In fact, it has become one of the most popular and marketable pieces of Halloween media. So, you can imagine my shock when Cameron didn’t put any commercials featuring the Peanuts on his tier rank list. That gave me an opportunity to place an ad for It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on my list, especially the “Binx Approved” tier. Out of all the commercials available on Youtube, I decided on the original promo from 1966, pleasantly surprised by how it was archived at all. Though the footage is grainier than other versions of the advertisement, it perfectly captures both the Fall/Autumn season and Halloween season. From Lucy tricking Charlie Brown into kicking the football to Snoopy (as the Red Baron) crashing the Halloween party, the timeless and wholesome nature of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has helped the 1966 presentation earn the title of “classic”.
Though Cameron included four Hallmark commercials on his tier rank list, this “Halloween Boo Bazaar” ad featuring a rapping skeleton was not one of them. What’s interesting about this commercial is how there are two different versions, each airing a year apart. While the changes make the advertisements look distinct from one other, they share the same purpose: showcasing the various products offered through Hallmark’s Halloween Boo Bazaar collection. The skeleton’s rap song, as well as the visuals, make viewers aware of the available costume apparel, like beanies, tails, and headbands. There are also wands, plush pumpkins, and decorations that appear to flow through the wind. Balloons are even present in the 1987 version of Hallmark’s commercial. The quicker procession of the products from Halloween Boo Bazaar makes Halloween seem unstoppable, with the holiday spirit constantly thrown at the viewer. Both versions of Hallmark’s commercial possess an authentic quirkiness that is rarely seen in marketing today.
Cameron selected a Halloween Carvel Ice Cream ad for his tier rank list. But the version he picked featured a talking pumpkin cake named Dumpy. Carvel’s commercial from 1991, the advertisement I chose for my tier rank list, is, in my opinion, leagues better. The first half of the TV spot looks and feels like scenes taken from a Universal Studios Monster movie. This is achieved through a combination of black-and-white photography, cinematography, suspenseful music, and inclusion of lightning. When Carvel’s Halloween ice cream cake is shown on-screen, it presents a more classic pumpkin design. Turning vanilla ice cream cones into “Ghosty Cones” was such a creative idea! Even Carvel’s logo changing colors from red, yellow, and purple to black and white when lightning struck added a touch of spookiness to the commercial. Compared to the “Dumpy the Pumpkin” ad, the 1991 television spot appears to be cinema.
With a tier named “Binx Approved”, of course I was going to include a trailer for Hocus Pocus on my tier rank list. Like It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the 1993 movie has not only become an iconic staple in Halloween entertainment programming, it has also become one of the most popular and marketable pieces of Halloween media. Anyone who has seen Hocus Pocus would know the film is packed with Halloween spirit, despite the trailer making little to no references to the holiday. Though the movie features suspenseful, frightening, and even sad moments, the TV spot places more emphasis on the movie’s light-hearted tone. The announcer refers to Hocus Pocus as “a bewitching new comedy” as well. With both Hocus Pocus and It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown earning the title of “classic”, I now wonder what a crossover between the two films would look like?
Anyone who has dressed up for Halloween has likely chosen a costume based on their favorite character at least once in their life. That character may have been so popular, their popularity influenced which Halloween costumes would be sought after. This Big K-Mart ad from 1999 beautifully emphasizes this concept more than other Halloween commercials featuring character-based costumes I’ve seen. With Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace being a new and popular movie at the time the advertisement aired, it makes sense for Big K-Mart to showcase the costumes they had to offer by having the featured children dress up as some of the characters from the film. But the star of the ad is a young girl whose favorite character is Queen Amidala, inspired by the knowledge that girls can be heroes too. This part of the commercial captures that childhood belief that when you have a really cool costume, anything is possible.
Staying on the subject of Halloween costumes, this commercial claims Party City is the “Halloween Costume Warehouse”. Through the straight-forward nature of the 1999 ad, a voice-over and the visuals inform the viewer how Party City is not only the costume destination, but also the decoration hotspot. Shots of dancing skeletons, happy ghosts, and even an outer space alien are sprinkled throughout the commercial to give viewers a sample of the types of decorations Party City had to offer at the time. When it comes to costumes, the announcer excitedly states that there are “over four hundred children and adult costumes to choose from”. Images of character-based costumes are brought up in the advertisement, providing a nice time capsule of what was popular during 1999’s Halloween season. A wall of costume accessories and a spooky looking room full of masks place emphasis on the various offered items to help customers complete their Halloween look. Dressing up in costumes and displaying decorations are two of the most beloved traditions of the Halloween holiday. Party City’s ad captures that belief in a simple yet effective way.
When Halloween and Disney theme parks are put in the same sentence, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party usually comes to mind. But, according to my research, this event only takes place in Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris, with the event itself being conceived because of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Disneyland’s “Halloween Time” commercial from 2009 showcases how the California park adapts to the holiday. Brief shots of The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror and The Haunted Mansion highlight established attractions typically associated with Halloween. Space Mountain adopts a “Ghost Galaxy” version of its ride and “all new fireworks” are incorporated into the park’s collection of festivities. Assisting the commercial in presenting Disneyland’s Halloween spirit is a group of eight of the most well-known villains from the world of Disney animation. What I like about Halloween themed theme park advertisements, including Disneyland’s ad, is seeing how a park approaches the holiday. With Disney possessing a collection of recognizable attractions and characters, Disneyland gave viewers a commercial that, within the realm of Halloween themed amusement park ads, is “iconic”.
Harris Trinsky and the “Geeks” go Trick-or-Treating
Vincent Price is no stranger to 18 Cinema Lane, as I have reviewed several of his films prior to this post. Therefore, I had to put one of Vincent’s commercials on my tier rank list. I selected Easter Seals’ “Halloween Safe Coupons” commercial from 1985 for a few reasons. The first is how, at the time the advertisement aired, the coupon booklets were available at AMC Theatres (now I wonder if AMC Theatres offered any coupons in those booklets?). The emphasis on a light-hearted tone, especially when Vincent says, “Halloween doesn’t have to be spooky” and “Halloween should be warm and friendly”, is the second reason. Even though these coupon booklets were intended for trick-or-treaters, Vincent’s dialogue is delivered directly to the viewer, assuming they will be handing out candy at their doorstep. While thinking about this commercial, it makes me wonder what reaction Harris and the “geeks” would have had if they received these coupons on Halloween?
When I think of Halloween, Roy Rogers and chicken dinners don’t come to mind. But because Roy Rogers commercials were far and few between in my research for this post, I figured including this 1987 commercial would be a unique addition to my tier rank list. The advertisement is bursting with Halloween festiveness; from a man dressed up as a chicken yelling “Trick or Treat” to a Halloween party taking place and even a party guest wearing a costume based on Universal Studios’ version of Frankenstein. But so much emphasis is placed on Roy Rogers’ “Big Chicken Deal”, Halloween feels more like a backdrop than a focal point. With all that said, including the commercial’s light-hearted tone, I thought the “Harris Trinsky and the “Geeks” go Trick-or-Treating” tier was the right place to put the advertisement.
The Universal Monsters and Halloween typically go hand in hand (or stamp, in this case). So, dedicating special edition stamps to these cinematic icons makes sense. Featuring the Universal Monsters stamps in a commercial where the featured people are watching a scary movie adds festiveness to the television spot. But I wish there was more Halloween spirit in this advertisement. Sure, one of the men in USPS’s (United States Postal Service) ad calls the stamps “spooky”. However, when other special edition stamps are showcased toward the end of the commercial, maybe Halloween themed or Fall/Autumn related stamps could have been offered as well.
I don’t recall ever seeing a holiday commercial specifically for hardware tools. That is why I wanted to place this Craftsman ad from 2007 onto my tier rank list, as it was another unique addition. Even though the commercial is short and straight to the point, it still possesses festiveness. Using tools to create a skeleton was such a creative and visually memorable idea. Even having a Craftsman toolbox opening to eerie music looks reminiscent of Dracula opening up his casket. Craftsman’s commercial now makes me wonder what other ways hardware tools could be presented in a holiday advertisement?
For the 2009 edition of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights event, a movie theme called “Ripped from the Silver Screen” was adopted. So, it was fitting for this commercial to take place at a movie theater. But because the advertisement is for a Halloween event, the theater’s concession stand is left is disarray. Even the muffled version of the “Let’s All Go to the Lobby” jingle gives eeriness to the space created in the commercial. As the ad continues, it’s alluded the Wolfman (from Universal Studios’ collection of their Monsters), Chucky (from the Child’s Play/Chucky franchise), and Billy (from the SAW franchise) were the reason for the state of the theater’s concession stand. While Universal Studios’ commercial perfectly captures the horror movie approach they chose for their Halloween Horror Nights event and even though there was good mise-en-scène (such as a close-up shot of Chucky hiding in a popcorn machine), the ad was light on Halloween spirit. Compared to other Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights commercials, however, the “Ripped from the Silver Screen” TV spot is not as tonally dark.
Remember when I discussed Easter Seals’ “Halloween Safe Coupons” commercial and I included Vincent’s quote about how “Halloween should be warm and friendly”? Well, in this 2017 ad, Party City took that idea and sprinted with it. Throughout the commercial, the featured people are either spending Halloween with the loved ones or feeling good about themselves because of “the way they look tonight” (yes, directly referencing the song in the advertisement was definitely intentional). The various scenes effectively showcase the types of costumes Party City offered at the time of the commercial’s airing. Selecting a sweet, wholesome tone also helps the ad put the “happy” in Happy Halloween. When I saw the young zombie boy wearing a knife headband, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Harris Trinsky’s costume in the Freaks and Geeks Halloween episode, ‘Tricks and Treats’, “a guy with a knife through his head.”
With how iconic General Mills’ Monster cereals have become within the Halloween season, I was surprised Cameron didn’t put any commercials featuring Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and even Boo Berry on his tier rank list. That made me want to place, at least, one of these commercials on my list, as I originally considered putting it in the “Binx Approved” tier. But when I discovered the very first Monster cereals commercial had been archived on Youtube, I decided to place that advertisement on the tier of “McDonald’s Boo Buckets”. The 1971 commercial appears to be created with parents in mind, as the words, “vitamin charged”, lay over footage of both the Count Chocula cereal and the Franken Berry cereal. However, the commercial also seems created with children in mind, with a young boy ending Franken Berry’s and Count Chocula’s argument over who’s cereal is better by happily walking away with both boxes. Throughout the fifty-five year history of General Mills’ Monster cereals, another iconic face, Boo Berry, was introduced in 1972, followed by lesser-known characters, Fruit Brute, Yummy Mummy, and Carmella Creeper making their debuts in 1974, 1988, and 2023 respectively.
This is another ‘70s commercial I was surprised to see absent from Cameron’s tier rank list. So, I chose to put McDonald’s ad on my list! Through my research for this post, one trend I took note of was how some commercials capitalized on trick-or-treaters’ safety. This was achieved either by delivering safety tips or creating products that would help keep children safe. In the case of the 1971 commercial, McDonald’s made safety cuffs that were given to customers wrapped around soft drink cups. According to Ronald McDonald himself, the cuffs are coated in “shiny aluminum foil with bright orange stripes so they reflect light”. But because of the quality of the advertisement, it’s difficult to see how effective the safety cup cuffs are. I’ve never seen McDonald’s safety cup cuffs in person either, so I don’t know how reflective the “shiny aluminum foil” truly is.
When I found this commercial from 1976, I knew I had to incorporate it on my tier rank list. That’s because the commercial, as well as the playset itself, overflows with cuteness! The “glow in the dark Weeble ghost” looks reminiscent of Casper the Friendly Ghost. There’s even an adorable, smiling ghost in a mirror on the playset’s wall. The other Weeble figures featured in the advertisement boast sillier faces, emphasizing the fun and whimsical side of Halloween. Playing over the commercial is a light-hearted jingle describing the Weebles Haunted House. The tone of the jingle, as well as the singer and announcer toward the end of the commercial, doubles down on how Halloween can be enjoyable even for the youngest of children. Two children who are shown in the commercial appear to have a good time playing with the Weebles playset. Close-up shots of the Haunted House show the children helping their Weeble figures explore the house, such as the ghost Weeble pushing a bookshelf to reveal a secret room. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched this commercial because of how it exudes joyfulness!
While conducting research for this tier rank list, I noticed very few commercials revolving around carving pumpkins, even though this is a popular activity around Halloween. That’s the reason why I chose to put this 1989 commercial on my list. Similar to the Weebles Haunted House advertisement, the two children featured in the Pumpkin Kutter tv spot appear to have a good time carving pumpkins. Also similar to the McDonald’s Halloween Safety Cup Cuffs commercial, the Pumpkin Kutter, Scoop, and Light were created with children’s safety in mind. As both a voice-over and on-screen text point out, the Pumpkin Kutter doesn’t have sharp edges, making it safer for children to carve their own pumpkins. Though the commercial does remind viewers through on-screen text that adult supervision is advised and how “improper use could result in injury”. The aforementioned voice-over acknowledges how the Pumpkin Light “replaces dangerous candles with glowing results”. These products, along with the Pumpkin Scoop, help children gain a little bit of independence while also strengthening their fine motor skills.
The McDonald’s Boo Buckets have been a beloved tradition for forty years, adopting different looks while still retaining their festive spirit. There was even a Boo Buckets commercial in Cameron’s tier rank list video, earning a place in his highest tier. I chose the 1993 version of McDonald’s Boo Buckets commercial for my tier rank list because of the ad’s emphasis on the products’ versatility. A small collection of scenes shows the different ways the Boo Buckets can be used, ranging from storing a Happy Meal to holding Halloween candy. A little girl uses her Boo Bucket’s lid as a cookie cutter in one scene, a feature confirmed by the commercial’s narrator. Like the faces of the Weebles figures from the Weebles Haunted House commercial, the sillier faces on the 1993 version of McDonald’s Boo Buckets highlight the light-hearted, fun, and whimsical side of Halloween.
Because I am a movie blogger, I had to put this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups commercial on my tier rank list, as it takes place in a movie theater. Even though the young man and woman appear to be watching a scary movie (based on their body language and the sound effects within the commercial) and even though trick-or-treaters can receive Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on Halloween, the commercial itself is not Halloween themed. The voice-over and the jingle toward the end of the commercial emphasize the candy being advertised. Plus, there are no direct references to the holiday. But it would make sense to air this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups commercial around Halloween because of the type of movie the young woman and man are supposedly watching and the random fog surrounding the theater’s concession stand.
Stephen King’s stories and adaptations have usually been associated with Halloween, especially IT. This commercial from 1992 even incorporates spooky elements to highlight that fact, such as the sound of heavy breathing, suspenseful music, and a woman in a darkened aisle appearing frightened (before realizing Stephen just wanted to enthusiastically tell her “hi”). But Halloween is not prioritized within this advertisement. In fact, the central focus is the services a library has to offer, with these services pointed out by Stephen himself. Since I’ve never seen a library commercial before, I figured the PLUS (Project Literary US) commercial would be a unique addition to my tier rank list. Putting it in the “Brick Heck in a Corn Maze” tier was also fitting, considering Brick loves to read.
With football season overlapping with Halloweentime, it would be fitting to find this commercial airing on television leading up to Halloween. But none of the people featured in the advertisement, including the announcer, ever bring Halloween up. Sure, there are two NFL (National Football League) football players dressed up in elaborate costumes. And the contest is called ‘Monsters of the Gridiron’. However, Coca-Cola’s commercial emphasizes football, with the majority of the contest’s prizes related to the NFL, such as tickets to the Super Bowl. Though the idea of seeing a player from your favorite football team dressed up for Halloween sounds like a cool, festive concept.
Unlike the commercials I’ve discussed in this tier so far, this 1994 Target commercial is Halloween themed, as the voice-over informs the viewer the Studor family’s (the family featured in the commercial) “shopping trip for Halloween supplies was unlike any other”. But that’s the only reference to the holiday made in this entire advertisement. The majority of the commercial is devoted not just to The Twilight Zone, but also the Walt Disney World ride, The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror (which was new at the time of the commercial’s airing). As soon as the Studor family receive their game card, the imagery changes from color to black-to-white. The music and sound effects playing in the background help present the illusion the commercial’s events are taking place within the world of The Twilight Zone. Even the announcer’s voice sounds similar to Rod Serling’s voice. Reflecting on the creative effort that was put into this commercial, it kind of makes me wish the 1997 TV movie, Tower of Terror, felt more reminiscent of The Twilight Zone television show.
Similar to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups’ “Movie Theater” commercial, Skittles’ “Gargoyles” commercial isn’t Halloween themed, yet advertises candy trick-or-treaters could receive on Halloween. Despite the lack of references to the holiday, Skittles’ ad looks and feels complimentary of the Halloween season. The combination of a darker color palette, eerie music, a bell chiming, and two gargoyles coming to life create a spooky ambience. The visually striking presentation of the commercial leaves me, as a viewer, wanting to know more about this little world Skittles created. What woke the gargoyles from their stoney slumber; the young boy’s imagination or the candy itself? I’d love to see a movie based on this commercial!
If you’ve followed 18 Cinema Lane long enough, you would know how much I love Phantom of the Megaplex. Since the film’s release in 2000, Disney Channel has incorporated Phantom of the Megaplex into their Halloween themed programming line-ups. I’ve even heard some say they like to watch this movie around Halloween. However, Phantom of the Megaplex is not Halloween themed. Not only did the film premiere on November 10th, I believe the story takes place in the summer. But I can understand why this DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) would be chosen as someone’s Halloween viewing, as Phantom of the Megaplex contains enough spooky and mysterious elements to compliment the holiday.
IHOP (International House of Pancakes) has hosted several themed promotions on their menu over the years. In 2018, one themed promotion was based on the Fall/Autumn season. As a talking pumpkin explains in the commercial, some of the menu choices included “eggs your way, hickory smoked bacon, and a side of Cinn-a-Stack Pancakes topped with cream cheese icing”. The menu also included “Pumpkin Spice Pancakes made with real pumpkin”. The talking pumpkin isn’t the only pumpkin featured in the commercial, as several orange and white pumpkins surround the entrance of someone’s house. This same entrance is decorated with other fall related décor as well, such as bales of hay, corn stalks, and even a set of lanterns. However, as I already mentioned in this discussion of IHOP’s commercial, the restaurant’s promotion was Fall/Autumn themed, with no mention of Halloween. But because the holiday falls (see what I did there?) in the middle of the Fall/Autumn season, it would have been appropriate to air IHOP’s advertisement throughout the month of October.
Back in June, a third movie in the Haul Out the Holly series was announced. According to an article from the blog, It’s a Wonderful Movie, the film is Halloween themed, as two “spooky new neighbors”, Luna and Marvin, move to the neighborhood of Evergreen Lane. At the time of the announcement, no release date had been revealed. However, the official IMDB page for the third chapter, titled Haul Out the Halloween, has the release date listed as October 15th, 2025. As of the publication of this Word on the Street story, Hallmark has not confirmed this date. If Haul Out the Halloween will indeed premiere on October 15th, this could indicate when Hallmark Channel’s ‘Countdown to Christmas’ line-up will begin. With October 15th falling on a Wednesday and with the first Christmas films of 2024 and 2023 premiering on October 18th and October 20th, I speculate 2025’s first ‘Countdown to Christmas’ film could premiere as early as October 17th.
On Hallmark Channel’s website, a new movie has received a September 27th release date. The film is titled Adventures in Love & Birding, with Andrew Walker and Rachel Boston co-leading. The movie is about the following:
“A single mom agrees to be the partner of a bird enthusiast for a birding competition but misunderstands the assignment and tells everyone she’s his new girlfriend instead of just his teammate.”
Because the phrase “misunderstands the assignment” is included in this synopsis, I wonder if Rachel Boston’s character is a teacher? Maybe she is teaching her students about birds, leading to her involvement in the competition?
Image of crow at sunset created by Rayudu NVS at freeimages.com. Photo by <a href=”/photographer/rayudu238-57835″>rayudu NVS</a> from <a href=”https://freeimages.com/”>FreeImages</a>. Image found at freeimages.com.
Back in May, I wrote a Word on the Street story about two new films in the Mystery Island series; Mystery Island: Play for Keeps and Mystery Island: House Rules. At the time, the fourth movie, Mystery Island: House Rules, had not received a premiere date. But Hallmark Channel’s website has now chosen September 14th as the film’s date of release. The movie’s official synopsis is the same on both its IMDB page and its Hallmark Channel page. Plus, Hallmark Channel revealed a collection of promotional photos for Mystery Island: House Rules as well. This fourth installment comes a month after Mystery Island: Play for Keeps, which premieres August 17th.
What are your thoughts on these pieces of movie news? Are you looking forward to either Haul Out the Halloween, Adventures in Love & Birding, or Mystery Island: House Rules? Let me know in the comment section below!
For the recent We Are Family Blogathon, I had planned to review the Diagnosis Murder episode, “Guardian Angel”, and the 1964 movie, The Chalk Garden. While I wrote about the aforementioned television episode, I wasn’t able to discuss the movie due to those plans falling through at the last minute. I still want to review The Chalk Garden. It just didn’t happen as soon as I hoped or expected. So, to make it up to my readers who were anticipating a review of the 1964 film, I decided to write about a Halloween themed picture. I read an article on Business Insider about the thirty things you can’t find in malls anymore. One of the mentioned points was movies set in malls. As soon as I read this, I immediately thought of the 2012 Hallmark film, hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween! I brought this movie up in my review of The Legend of Billie Jean, when a scene in the 1985 film was reminiscent of Hallmark’s production. In that review, I said I only saw pieces of the movie. That, paired with the fact the only other animated movie I’ve written about this year, so far, was Cricket on the Hearth, is the reason why I chose hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween for this review! Is this film a trick or treat? Keep reading to find out!
The use of color: In my review of Cricket on the Hearth, I talked about how well color was used throughout that movie. I even mentioned how some of the best animated movies boast bright, colorful hues. hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween followed Cricket on the Hearth’s footsteps by displaying a strong understanding for how to effectively incorporate color into their production. During their mall adventure, Hoops, Yoyo, and Piddles take advantage of the different shops and attractions at North Escapades Mall. One of these stores is called “bling you phone!”. The store’s sign and window frames are coated in a deep purple hue. This simple creative choice drew the audience’s attention to this particular location, especially since the colors surrounding the “bling you phone!” store are warm beige, faded brown, and cream. Later, at a sporting goods store, Hoops and Yoyo are camping in a big, orange tent. Surrounding the tent are products displaying shades of green, red, and yellow. Even in the smallest of details, the hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween’s creative team took advantage of every opportunity to include color in their project!
Expressive characters: A strength of any animated movie is how expressive the characters are. Facial expressions, body language, and even the vocal inflections of the voice actors can show the audience how a character is feeling. Despite the simpler designs, the characters in hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween were very expressive! This was achieved through the movement of eyes, mouths, and eyebrows. When Hoops, Yoyo, and Piddles discover their local store has sold out of Halloween costumes, they are shocked by the emptiness of the surrounding shelves. Hoops’ and Yoyo’s eyes are wide, with Hoops even looking at the top shelves. Piddles’, Yoyo’s, and Hoops’ mouth is in an open frown, emphasizing how shocked they are. Hoops’ and Yoyo’s eyebrows are shown in an upward curve, which adds to their feeling of shock. These simple movements allowed the characters to effectively display their emotions!
Self-awareness: Skilled screenwriters will weave self-awareness into a script to subtly and cleverly make jokes or present an interesting point. hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween featured some moments of self-awareness through dialogue and “Easter eggs”. While Hoops, Yoyo, and Piddles are looking at a mall directory, a large Christmas advertisement is shown next to these characters. On this advertisement, a picture of Santa is next to a statement claiming “Santa Claus is coming”. Later, Piddles rides near an animatronic of Santa. Next to Santa is a sign saying “It’s Halloween! That means you’re already late for Christmas!” The placement of these “Easter eggs” addresses how early Christmas has been advertised. I found this piece of self-awareness ironic, as Hallmark now starts their Christmas movie line-ups weeks before Halloween.
An unclear demographic: Animation is typically associated with an audience of children or families. However, some animated programs were created with an older audience in mind. With that said, I’m still trying to figure out who was hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween’s intended audience. Toward the beginning of the film, the reference to cinnamon buns sounds like a comparison to a smoking addiction. Hoops even reminds Yoyo how he’s wearing his “cinnamon bun patch”. After Hoops, Yoyo, and Piddles become trapped inside the mall, they are chased by ghosts. During the chase, Yoyo randomly screams “We need to find a bathroom”, leading to a scene where Hoops and Piddles wait for Yoyo outside of the mall’s bathrooms. This scene was one of two moments of “bathroom humor” throughout the film. Was hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween created for a younger audience, with certain jokes going over their heads, or was this movie always intended for an older audience?
Parts of the story that don’t make sense: Earlier in this review, I mentioned the “bling you phone!” store at North Escapades Mall. The reason this store was featured in the movie was Piddles’ desire to decorate her phone case. Piddles’ phone can be seen a total of three times. This fact raises the question of why she didn’t call for help after she, Hoops, and Yoyo became trapped inside the mall? What also doesn’t make sense is how Piddles would easily agree to take advantage of the mall after hours, especially since, before the mall closed, she reminded Hoops and Yoyo of a Halloween party they needed to attend that night. I know fictional stories, including those from animated movies, require their audience to suspend a certain amount of disbelief. However, in the case of hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween, that suspension of disbelief caused some parts of the story to not make sense.
Scenes that were too long: At the beginning of hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween, Hoops is driving Yoyo and Piddles to the store. This scene establishes the reason for the trip and the date of the story. But Hoops’, Yoyo’s, and Piddles’ trip to the store takes up almost three minutes in a twenty-one-minute movie. Though I understand the scene’s purpose of setting up the story and providing exposition, I think it should have been trimmed shorter to under two minutes and thirty seconds. This is just one example of how some scenes were too long in hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween.
When explaining why I chose to review hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween, I brought up the Business Insider article about the thirty things you can’t find in malls anymore. If there was an article of the things you can no longer find from Hallmark, Hoops & Yoyo would be included. This movie serves as a time capsule of how different Hallmark Channel was twelve years ago. As I mentioned in my review, the Christmas “Easter eggs” were ironic because, as of 2024, Hallmark starts their Christmas movie line-ups weeks before Halloween. The 2012 movie also provides a more unique story when it comes to Halloween cinema. The mall is a location not typically associated with the holiday. While I won’t spoil the reveal of what’s haunting North Escapades Mall, I will say this revelation paired with the chosen location is creative and well-written. Though Hallmark is not known for their efforts in animation, the simple creative decisions like knowing when and where to use color worked in the network’s favor. The expressiveness of the characters also helps. If you’re looking for a Hallmark movie that’s found off the beaten path, I’d suggest getting to know Hoops & Yoyo!
Overall score: 7.1 out of 10
Have you seen hoops&yoyo’s Haunted Halloween? Would you like to see me review hoops&yoyo Ruin Christmas during the Christmas season? Let me know in the comment section!
Before I start this review, I would like to say thank you to each and every follower of 18 Cinema Lane! This blog would not be the success it is today without you, so I appreciate your support! For this Blog Follower Dedication Review, I wanted to choose a film that was Halloween themed, as the holiday is just around the corner. I also recognize how animated films are rarely covered on my blog. Combining the two concepts, I selected the 2012 Disney movie, Frankenweenie! While I have read Mary Shelley’s classic novel, I haven’t seen many adaptations of Frankenstein. Yes, I did review Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter. But there were very few traces of Mary’s source material woven into that film. When it comes to Halloween fare, vampires, including Dracula himself, have made their home on 18 Cinema Lane. So, Frankenweenie serves as a nice change! Put on your costumes and grab your Trick-or-Treat buckets, it’s time for this Blog Follower Dedication Review!
Frankenweenie(2012) poster created by Walt Disney Pictures, Tim Burton Productions, and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Things I liked about the film:
The animation: When it comes to animation, Tim Burton has a very distinct style. While this style shines in Frankenweenie, I want to talk about how the characters express emotion. Throughout the story, emotions are expressed through the mouth and eyelids. This prevented the characters from appearing static. One example is when Victor is working on his science experiment for the first time. After performing the experiment, Victor is curious about its effectiveness. When he thinks the experiment didn’t work, Victor’s mouth is turned in a frown and his eyelids are lowered. That combination created a facial expression that showcased Victor’s sadness and disappointment.
Creative ideas are typically found in Tim Burton’s animated films. In Frankenweenie, this creativity is found in the creatures who appear in the story! When Victor’s peers try to recreate his experiment, they receive unexpected results. A turtle comes back to life as a hybrid between a turtle and a dinosaur. Due to a mix-up, one girl’s cat turns into a combination of cat, werewolf, and bat. These creatures were so unique, as I have never heard or seen them in media before. Frankenweenie serves as an example of how imaginative the animation genre can be!
The “Easter Eggs”: “Easter Eggs” are references that are subtly woven into a piece of entertainment media. Disney and Tim Burton related “Easter Eggs” can be found in Frankenweenie! During Victor’s science experiment, he flies two kites in an attempt to capture lightening. One of these kites is shaped like a bat, a nod to when Tim directed Batman from 1989. In Victor’s room, there is a poster of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This is a reference to when Disney adapted that story in 1954. I love when a film scatters “Easter Eggs” throughout the story, as it keeps the audience engaged in what they’re watching!
The messages and themes: Frankenweenie included several good messages and themes into the story! One of them appeared when Victor is interacting with his science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski. During this conversation, Victor explains how his science experiment worked the first time, but not the second time. Mr. Rzykruski helps Victor understand his dilemma by stressing how he should do science experiments for the right reasons. This message becomes an overarching theme in Frankenweenie, as characters’ intentions determine an outcome.
No pops of color: Frankenweenie is presented in black-and-white imagery. This creative choice allowed the movie to boast a distinctive aesthetic. But what would have made the visuals even more interesting is if pops of color were included. Whenever lightening appears, a bright yellow flash could have graced the screen. If a character were holding a Sea Monkey packet, that packet could have delivered vibrant hues of blue and purple. Adding color to certain elements or objects would have emphasized important parts of the story. Those pops of color would have also stood out nicely against the black-and-white background.
An underutilized antagonist: In stories created for children/families, there will sometimes be a grown-up character as the main antagonist. A perfect example is Miss Trunchbull from Matilda. There is a grown-up antagonistic character in Frankenweenie, Mr. Burgermeister, the mayor of New Holland. But unlike Miss Trunchbull, Mr. Burgermeister was underutilized in the story. Victor faced more conflicts with his peers than with Mr. Burgermeister. Plus, the mayor’s appearances in the movie were far and few between. This makes me wish Victor’s peers had been the only antagonists in the film.
Parts of the story that are unexplained: For this part of my review, I will include a spoiler for Frankenweenie. If you have not seen this film and are interested in watching it, please skip this part and continue where it says “My overall impression”.
As I mentioned earlier, Victor’s peers receive unexpected results after they try to recreate his experiment. When these creatures cause chaos throughout the town, Victor helps his peers reverse the effects of their experiments. With the use of electricity, Victor is able to reverse the effects of the turtle/dinosaur hybrid, with the turtle becoming dead again. Yet, when Victor uses electricity on his dog, Sparky, the dog stays alive. Because the science wasn’t explained, this part of the story felt inconsistent.
Disney has a history of re-telling pre-established stories. When re-telling these stories, whether it’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Oliver Twist, the delivery of these projects has adopted distinct identities and aesthetics, making the movie feel unique and creative. With Frankenweenie, it is a cute, unique take on Frankenstein! The combination of stop-motion animation and black-and-white imagery allow the movie to stand out among other versions of Mary Shelley’s story. “Easter Eggs” related to Tim Burton and Disney keep viewers engaged in the film they are watching. Yes, there are flaws within Frankenweenie, like unexplained parts of the story and an underutilized antagonist. However, this is a good choice for Halloween entertainment!
Overall score: 7.8 out of 10
Have you seen Frankenweenie? Are there any animated films you like watching during the Halloween season? Let me know in the comment section below!
As I was posting my Sunset Over Hope Valley re-cap on Twitter, I found a movie news story from Variety that caught my eye. According to K. J. Yossman, Spirit Halloween “has teamed with Strike Back Studios, Hideout Pictures and Particular Crowd” to create a film revolving around the national costume store. But unlike the Beanie Babies movie I discussed back in January, where the project focused on the history of the iconic toys, the Spirit Halloween film features a fictional story taking place in a Spirit Halloween store. The article includes a synopsis for the upcoming production, which states:
“When a new Spirit Halloween store appears in a deserted strip mall, three middle-school friends whothink they’ve outgrown trick-or-treating make a dare to spend the night locked inside the store Halloween night,” reads the logline. “But they soon find out that the store is haunted by an angry evil spirit who has possessed the creepy animatronic characters. The kids embark on a thrilling and spooky adventure in order to survive the night and avoid becoming possessed themselves.”
K. J. Yossman writes how the film is “billed as a family/kids adventure movie”, feeling reminiscent of classic titles like The Goonies, Gremlins, and Monster Squad, according to Strike Back Studios’ president, Noor Ahmed.
While I read this film’s synopsis, it sounded a lot like the video game, Five Nights At Freddy’s. I know stories are bound to get repeated over time. But I also know a Five Nights At Freddy’s movie has been in the pre-production phase since 2015. Ever since that project was announced, there have been setbacks in the creative process. Two directors have stepped down and the script has gone through several re-writes. Meanwhile, the movie featuring Spirit Halloween has completed filming. It is also “aiming for an October 2022 release”. Even though the Five Nights At Freddy’s film is still in the works, it makes me wonder if the script for the Spirit Halloween movie was originally written for the aforementioned project?
What are your thoughts on this piece of movie news? Are you interested in the Spirit Halloween movie or in a Five Nights At Freddy’s film? Please let me know in the comment section below!
Have fun at the movies!
Sally Silverscreen
To learn more about the projects discussed in this article, you can visit this link:
Happy Halloween to all my followers and readers! Like last year, I am participating in the Spooky Classic Movie Blogathon! For the first event, I reviewed 1953’s House of Wax, a movie I enjoyed. This time around, I’m reviewing the 1962 film, Cape Fear! When it comes to choosing which movie to watch around Halloween-time, the usual selections with fictious monsters, ghost stories, and haunted tales are preferred. But in my opinion, the most effective “scary movies” are the ones that involve real-life situations. In Cape Fear, a former prisoner seeks revenge against the lawyer who testified against him. This synopsis alone sounds more realistic and terrifying than even those scary movies that are considered “classic”. But is this movie as terrifying as it sounds? The only way to find out is if you keep reading!
Cape Fear (1962) poster created by Melville Productions, Talbot Productions, and Universal Pictures
Things I liked about the film:
The acting: Before watching Cape Fear, I had seen and reviewed Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison. One of the best aspects of that film was Robert Mitchum’s performance. In the 1962 movie, Robert’s portrayal of Max Cady stole the show! As a character, Max was a creepy and gross fellow. This was made possible through Robert’s facial expressions, body language, and dialogue. In Max’s first scene with Sam, there is a twinge of anger in Max’s voice. But his demeanor was controlled by a sense of calm. The combination ofanger and calm within Max Cady added to the character’s unsettling nature. Another actor that effectively balanced two emotions was Lori Martin! In a scene that takes place after a family emergency, Lori’s character, Nancy, appears calm. Yet, she can be seen crying as she talks to her mother in an angry tone. Without spoiling anything, Nancy did have a legitimate reason to be both sad and angry. But I found this performance impressive, especially for an actress so young!
I’ve seen and reviewed To Kill a Mockingbird and Amazing Grace and Chuck. Based on these two movies, it seems like GregoryPeck gets type-casted as either a lawyer or a politician. While he portrays a lawyer in Cape Fear, the script emphasized how his character is a family man. Like the aforementioned movies, Gregory carried his character, Sam, with professionalism and classiness. At the same time, he was given plenty of opportunity to express emotion. A great example is when Sam meets Max at a nearby restaurant. As Max is telling his story, Sam grows increasingly angry. This scene highlights the fierce protectiveness of a husband and a father. It also gave a sense of realism to Gregory’s character!
The music: Legendary composer Bernard Herrmann provided the music for Cape Fear. Throughout the film, his signature musical style could be consistently heard. Bernard’s strength is using music to elevate the suspense within a given scene. At the very beginning of the movie, Max is walking through the town as an ominous tune can be heard in the background. This effectively clued the audience in of what would come later in the story. It also let the audience know to pay attention to Max. With all that said, the music definitely added something special to the overall project!
The cinematography: I was not expecting the cinematography in Cape Fear to be as memorable as it was! It, honestly, reminded me of pictures directed by Alfred Hitchcock! One of my favorite scenes is when Peggy, Sam’s wife, has a dream about her and Sam. While Peggy is sleeping, ghostly images of her and Sam are presented over the main image. These images reveal their concerns over the movie’s events, as well as emphasize their desire for action. This way of presenting dialogue and character interactions was very interesting. It added a sense of spookiness to an already suspenseful story!
An exposition heavy beginning: Within the first twelve minutes of Cape Fear, the audience learns about Sam Bowden, his family, Max Cady, his arrest, and why he was arrested. Personally, I felt this was too much information to present in the film’s beginning. In fact, I was disappointed Max’s secrets were revealed so soon. What the screenwriter should have done was sprinkle this information throughout the story. That way, the audience would have a greater reason to stay invested in the mystery.
Dumb decisions from the characters: After a family emergency involving a dog, Sam warns his wife and daughter of Max’s dangerous nature. He instructs his daughter, Nancy, to only leave school and home with either him or his wife, Peggy. But more often than not, Nancy is left by herself, with Sam and Peggy putting her in a vulnerable position. One example is when Nancy gets out of school to find her mother’s car empty. While waiting in the car, Nancy sees Max and attempts to get away from him. Even though she succeeds in this plan, she ends up getting hit by an oncoming car in the process. I know her parents are human and humans make mistakes. However, these mistakes felt unbelievable after some time.
An unrelated court case: Featured in a few scenes, a court case involving an arthritic patient receiving surgery was addressed in Cape Fear. But the only connection this case had with the rest of the story was Sam as one of the associated lawyers. I wish the case had a more significant reason to be in the film. Maybe it could have something to do with Max’s past crime, with two separate mysteries becoming one. I, honestly, wanted to learn more about that case, but was sadly not given the chance.
As I said in my introduction, the most effective “scary movies” are the ones that involve real-life situations. Even though this is a fictional story, it is effective at being a scarier film! Max Cady is one of the most unsettling characters in film, with Robert Mitchum’s acting abilities highlighting the reason why. Come to think of it, this performance showed a different side to Robert’s talents. Bernard Herrmann’s music added to the scary nature of the story, emphasizing the suspense within the script. But the multiple dumb decisions of the characters took away some from the film’s believability. The beginning of the film was also exposition heavy. However, the overall production felt like an Alfred Hitchcock picture without actually being affiliated with Alfred Hitchcock. With this said, I’d recommend Cape Fear as your next pick for Halloween!
Overall score: 7.5 out of 10
Have you seen Cape Fear? Which movie would you watch on Halloween? Tell me in the comment section!
Two years ago, I wrote an editorial on why I felt Lestat and Akasha’s relationship from Queen of the Damned was very problematic. When I published that editorial, I had no idea how popular it would become. As of late October 2021, my editorial has garnered 1,301 views and counting! So, that success is a reason for this new editorial. I’ve read many articles and seen many videos about The Crow. But no one has talked about how toxic Top Dollar and Myca’s relationship is. In fact, I’d go so far as to say their relationship is worse than Lestat and Akasha’s. Like my previous editorial, I will present five key reasons why Top Dollar and Myca’s relationship is unhealthy. But before I start my explanations, let me bring up some disclaimers:
In this editorial, I will be addressing the subjects of inappropriate sibling relationships, violence, drug use, and crime. That is because the movie itself addresses these subjects. If you are sensitive to any of the aforementioned subjects, take this disclaimer as a fair warning.
This editorial was not written to be mean-spirited or negative. Its intent is to showcase my honest opinion about this topic.
This editorial was not written to disrespect any persons who worked on The Crow. This includes Michael Wincott and Bai Ling, who portrayed Top Dollar and Myca.
Like most of my editorials, this article is going to be long in length. If you are interested in reading this post, please allow yourself enough time to consume the content.
Unless I say otherwise, the screenshots in this editorial are screenshots I took with my cellphone.
A typical sibling relationship is meant to teach empathy, show how to get along with others, and help maintain a family unit. But with Top Dollar and Myca’s relationship, nothing about it is typical. In fact, it is downright inappropriate. In The Crow, it is revealed these characters are half-siblings. But instead of treating each other like siblings, they interact with each other like a romantic couple. In the very first scene Top Dollar and Myca appear in, it is heavily implied they engage in intercourse. Their physical interactions also appear more sensual in nature. The existence of Top Dollar and Myca’s relationship is illegal, especially in Michigan, the state The Crow takes place in. According to Michigan Legislature, they would be guilty of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree. This is because Top Dollar and Myca meet these two circumstances: “The actor is a member of the same household as the victim” and “The actor is related to the victim by blood or affinity to the fourth degree”. When the true nature of their relationship is revealed, Top Dollar says Myca is “my father’s daughter, that’s right”. This means both Top Dollar and Myca were fully aware of their involvement in an inappropriate sibling relationship.
While Top Dollar and Myca are aware of their relationship’s nature, they go out of their way to keep their relationship private. Any time Top Dollar and Myca engage in displays of affection, it is done when few people or no one is around. In the first scene these characters appear in, there is another woman in the room. However, this woman is dead. In their next scene, Top Dollar and Myca partake in consuming drugs or creating mystical concoctions. When T-Bird and Grange arrive at Club Trash’s lair, Top Dollar and Myca are careful when displaying their affection for one another. Myca sits beside Top Dollar, with his arm draped across her lap. But when T-Bird and Grange leave, Top Dollar places his hand on Myca’s thigh, a gesture that is typically known for being sensual. It should also be noted how this gesture was performed under the table. Out of all the characters in The Crow, only two of them know about Top Dollar and Myca’s relationship. These characters are Grange and Gideon. It’s safe to assume Grange was already aware of Top Dollar and Myca’s relationship prior to the film’s events. But Gideon finds out about this relationship when he visits Top Dollar at Club Trash’s lair.
Because it can be difficult to see, I put a yellow line next to Top Dollar’s arm. This shows how his arm is draped across Myca’s lap when T-Bird and Grange are around.
This time, I put a circle around Top Dollar’s hand, showing how it is now on Myca’s thigh. You can also see how Myca is holding back Top Dollar’s hair, a gesture I will talk about later in this editorial.
In this picture, it is clear to see how Top Dollar and Myca appear “professional” to keep up appearances.
One of my criticisms of The Crow is how some parts of the story don’t receive context. Top Dollar and Myca’s story is one of them. But based on what was said and not said by these characters, it is assumed their relationship is the result of an absent/dysfunctional family unit. In Top Dollar and Myca’s first scene, Top Dollar reveals the origin of a snow globe. This snow globe, displaying a miniature grave yard, was a birthday gift from their father when Top Dollar turned five. He tells Myca “Dad gave me this. Fifth birthday. He said ‘Childhood is over the moment you know you’re gonna die’.” Top Dollar brings up their father on two other occasions: when he tells Gideon Myca is his father’s daughter and when he tells Eric “Ya know, my daddy always used to say ‘Every man has a devil, and you can’t rest till you find him’.” Meanwile, Myca never brings their father up. In fact, when Top Dollar is talking about the snow globe, she doesn’t express any emotion toward her parent. According to David J. Schow, one of The Crow’s screenwriters, Top Dollar and Myca’s “father was in Vietnam”. In the book, The Crow: The story behind the film, “Top Dollar’s motivation would be to punish the world for Myca’s tragic life”. Taking all of this into account, it seems like Top Dollar and Myca’s father had no qualms about exposing his children to dark and harmful things, especially at a young age.
For this picture, an arrow points out the tear near Top Dollar’s eye, emphasizing how emotional the snow globe is making him.
Meanwhile, as Top Dollar is sharing the snow globe’s origin, Myca expresses no emotion.
They Enable Each Other
If you knew someone who was causing harm to themselves or other people, would you intervene and help them turn toward better choices? Most people would say “yes” if asked this question. But, in The Crow, Top Dollar and Myca do the complete opposite. During their introduction in the movie, Myca asks if the woman in the room is dead. Top Dollar responds by saying, “I think we broke her”, heavily implying they had something to do with the woman’s death. Myca then proceeds to remove the woman’s eyes, with Top Dollar silently watching her perform this act. Top Dollar was fully aware of how much damage he and Myca made in one evening. Despite this, he never tried to stop Myca from obtaining the eyes or question her reason for committing the act. In fact, Top Dollar never intervened during the process. While Myca’s desire to snatch someone’s eyes is explained, Top Dollar continues to enable Myca.
As you can see in this picture, Top Dollar expresses no concern for Myca’s harmful behavior.
In the next scene Top Dollar and Myca appear in, they engage in activities only they would leisurely choose to do. While Myca uses the aforementioned eyes to create a concoction involving smoke, Top Dollar is consuming drugs. During Myca’s “activity of leisure”, Top Dollar silently watches the entire time. He only gets involved when Myca creates smoke, as he ends up breathing it in. While this scene is taking place, Top Dollar’s plate of drugs are located right next to Myca’s goblet. Myca is fully aware of their presence, yet chooses to do nothing about it. What she does do is ignore Top Dollar’s drug use. When Grange and T-Bird arrive at Club Trash’s lair, Myca can be seen turning her body away from Top Dollar, facing her guests. Before Top Dollar consumes the drugs for the second time in this scene, Myca gets up from the table she is laying on and walks away from the situation. Even though she does return to sit beside Top Dollar, she ends up holding his hair back as he consumes the drugs for the third and final time in this scene.
An arrow pointing to Myca’s goblet and a circle around Top Dollar’s plate of drugs highlight how close they are to each other.
Before T-Bird and Grange show up, Myca is facing Top Dollar.
After T-Bird and Grange arrive, Myca turns away from Top Dollar and faces her guests.
The arrow is pointing to Myca’s shoulder, as she is rolling off the table and moving away from Top Dollar.
The previous scene I talked about isn’t the only time Myca turns a blind eye to Top Dollar’s harmful choices. When Gideon pays a visit to Club Trash’s lair, the intent of his visit is to call Top Dollar out for his lack of involvement. This is in relation to Gideon’s Pawn Shop being burned down in an earlier scene. It is in this current scene where Top Dollar reveals he and Myca are half-siblings. After this secret is revealed, Myca places her foot on Gideon’s chest as Top Dollar points his sword at Gideon, both actions attempting to intimidate their guest. Shortly after Gideon tells Top Dollar and Myca “I ain’t twisted like you two fucks”, Top Dollar proceeds to stab Gideon with his sword. Before Top Dollar receives a gun from Grange, Myca can be seen turning her head away from the situation. She turns her head back after Top Dollar kills Gideon.
This picture illustrates how Myca is enabling Top Dollar’s behavior by helping him intimidate Gideon.
This is the same picture/scene as above, but from a different angle.
This is a photo of Myca as she is turning her head away from Top Dollar’s crime, before he shoots Gideon.
This photo shows Top Dollar and Myca after he shoots Gideon, with Myca turning her head back.
When I first watched The Crow, I was really confused by Top Dollar and Myca’s decision to enable each other. Judging by their body language, their love for one another seems obvious. So, seeing them enable the other to hurt themselves or other people told a conflicting story. After talking with some fans of this film, I came up with three likely reasons why Top Dollar and Myca choose to enable one another. The first reason relates to the possible upbringing I talked about in my first point. Because Top Dollar and Myca were likely exposed to dark and harmful things for so long and often, these things have become their “normal”. The second reason is the precedent Top Dollar places on his environment. Since he is the leader of his villainous group, he is the one who sets that precedent, which is a “I don’t care because it’s none of my business” attitude/mindset. With that said, why should Myca be expected to care about Top Dollar’s drug use or violence when he doesn’t seem to care how or where she acquires eyeballs? The third and final reason is how the final product benefits them. As I already mentioned, Top Dollar only gets involved in Myca’s “activity of leisure” after she makes the smoke. This allows him to enjoy the fruits of her labor without worrying about how the smoke is created. In a meeting at Club Trash’s lair, Myca says “I like the pretty lights”, referencing the fires taking place throughout Detroit. This statement alone shows that Myca doesn’t seem to care how those fires came to fruition, but instead how these “pretty lights” make her feel.
This picture from The Crow: The Movie clearly shows Top Dollar and Myca looking disinterested in each other’s concerns and needs.
No Meaningful Conversations
As I said in my editorial, ‘Toxic Valentine: Why Lestat and Akasha’s relationship is very problematic in Queen of the Damned (2002)’, words are needed to build/strengthen a bond. In The Crow, the audience can hear Top Dollar and Myca talking to each other instead of at each other. But when one truly listens to what these characters are saying, it is evident how Top Dollar and Myca are not having meaningful conversations with one another. There are two scenes showing them carrying on a conversation. In the first scene, Myca sees Top Dollar becoming emotional over a snow globe. She acknowledges this by telling him “You are thinking about the past”. However, after Top Dollar tells her the story behind the snow globe, she changes the subject to the dead woman in the room. While Myca does give Top Dollar physical affection by hugging him and kissing him on the head, she doesn’t use words to get to the root of the unidentified problem. No questions about why this snow globe causes Top Dollar to get so emotional are asked. Similar personal moments or comforting sentiments are not shared either. Because of Myca’s decision to not verbally help Top Dollar through his emotions, those feelings and personal turmoil are bottled up and unaddressed instead of being resolved.
A picture of Top Dollar and Myca hugging before she learns the origins of the snow globe.
Instead of verbally comforting Top Dollar, Myca kisses his head.
In the second scene, Top Dollar wishes he were hungrier. He reveals this to Myca after she tells him “You are very restless”. But instead of trying to help Top Dollar find a solution to his problem, Myca says “Be careful what you ask for”. Hunger is a basic need, with eating being an important part of human life. The fact Myca is ignoring this basic need, especially after Top Dollar addressed it to her is concerning. In this same scene, Myca tells Top Dollar “There are energies aligning against you”. His response to her concern is “Seeing is believing, isn’t it?”. Like Myca’s response to Top Dollar’s hunger, Top Dollar’s reaction is also concerning. He doesn’t question what these “energies” are or try to verbally put Myca’s worries at ease. These examples in this point highlight what I talked about earlier: the precedent in Top Dollar and Myca’s environment carrying a “I don’t care because it’s none of my business” attitude/mindset.
In this picture, Top Dollar clearly looks like he doesn’t care about Myca’s concerns.
They Treat Others Horribly
Similar to Akasha from Queen of the Damned, Top Dollar and Myca treat other people horribly. This horrible treatment is experienced by most of the members of their community as well. Like I mentioned earlier, Top Dollar intimidates and kills Gideon, with Myca helping Top Dollar intimidate their guest. I also mentioned the dead woman whose eyes were removed by Myca. However, these are just two examples of their hurtful ways toward others. Whenever something bad happens to someone with a lower social ranking, Top Dollar does not show any amount of sympathy for them. Instead, he treats their misfortune as a joke. When T-Bird visits Club Trash’s lair, he informs Top Dollar of Tin Tin’s death. Top Dollar says he’ll provide a moment of silence for Tin Tin, but uses that time to consume more drugs. Later in the movie, at a meeting in Club Trash’s lair, Top Dollar tells the attendees how T-Bird will not come to their gathering. He says T-Bird has “a kind of a slight case of death” as if passing away is simply an inconvenience. This causes some of the meeting attendees to chuckle, like Top Dollar told a funny joke.
This photo highlights how annoyed Top Dollar looks by T-Bird’s death.
It should also be noted how complete strangers are not safe from Top Dollar and Myca’s harmful choices. As the story progresses, Eric Draven learns his and Shelly’s murders were caused by Top Dollar, as he ordered some of his members to remove Eric and Shelly from their apartment. When Eric crashes the meeting at Club Trash’s lair, Top Dollar orders the meeting’s attendees to kill Eric. While these attendees shoot Eric, Myca stands beside Top Dollar and watches the violence upfold. After the meeting ends earlier than expected, Top Dollar and Myca kidnap Sarah. They do this in an attempt to lure Eric and The Crow toward them, planning to kill both of them in the process. Based on the examples I provided, it is obvious that Top Dollar is the one who causes most of this harm, with Myca as his bystander.
As Top Dollar orders the meeting’s attendees to shoot Eric, Myca simply watches the violence unfold.
This is the same picture/scene as above, but from a closer angle.
No Sense of Shame
The most blatant aspect of Top Dollar and Myca’s part of the story is how they have no sense of shame for what they say and do. This is because they are never given a reason to feel a sense of shame. In Top Dollar and Myca’s environment, there are no “voices of reason” to hold them accountable for their actions and choices. Even when someone, like Gideon, tries to become a “voice of reason”, they end up facing consequences instead of Top Dollar and Myca. Two reasons are likely why “voices of reason” don’t exist in Top Dollar and Myca’s world. Like I’ve been saying in this editorial, the precedent in this environment carries a “I don’t care because it’s none of my business” attitude/mindset. Since Top Dollar and Myca don’t express any concern for others, the people in their environment have no incentive to care what Top Dollar and Myca do. Fear can also be a contributing factor. Top Dollar and Myca have the two highest social ranks in their environment. So, this fact can be a motivator to keep others in line. Out of all the people who work for Top Dollar and Myca, Skank is the only one who openly expresses this fear. After being forced to attend the meeting at Club Trash’s lair, Skank cowers in his seat when Top Dollar calls him out. Skank’s demeanor clearly displays unease, like he is afraid of upsetting Top Dollar. In a community where people are too afraid to speak up, it is no wonder Top Dollar and Myca’s behavior is allowed to run rampant.
This picture illustrates how Skank is cowering in his seat.
This other picture shows the fear in Skank’s face, emphasizing how uncomfortable he is near Top Dollar.
The one person who should have been a “voice of reason” is Grange. As Top Dollar and Myca’s bodyguard and the closest person to them, his job is to look out for their best interests. What he does instead is enable Top Dollar and Myca, as well as encourage them, to carry on their harmful ways. When T-Bird goes to Club Trash, he tells Grange he’d like to meet with Top Dollar. Grange says that won’t be possible because Top Dollar is in a meeting. The next scene reveals Grange’s lie, as Top Dollar is in a bedroom with Myca and a dead woman. This scene shows how Grange is enabling Top Dollar and Myca’s inappropriate sibling relationship while also turning a blind eye to it. When Top Dollar stabs Gideon during his visit to Club Trash’s lair, Grange gives Top Dollar the gun that would ultimately kill Gideon. He also tells Top Dollar and Myca he’ll get someone to remove the dead body. Later in the movie, when Myca discovers a connection between Eric and The Crow, Grange says “So kill the crow, then destroy the man”. He tells Top Dollar and Myca this as a way to enable them to hurt Eric and The Crow. Grange’s reaction to Top Dollar and Myca’s other harmful decisions, like kidnapping Sarah and enabling one another, is either silently playing along or ignoring the problem altogether. With all things considered, Grange shows how he isn’t doing his job well.
When Grange visits Top Dollar and Myca in Club Trash’s lair, he never points out their “activities of leisure” or calls them out for hurting themselves or others.
After I published my editorial about Lestat and Akasha’s relationship, I naively thought I would never come across or even talk about a relationship worse than theirs. But when I watched The Crow for the first time, Top Dollar and Myca proved that idea wrong. I can say with all honesty their relationship is one of the worst I’ve ever seen in cinema. It is so toxic, red flags pop up every time they appear on screen. At first glance, it seems like Top Dollar and Myca love each other. But when one looks beyond the surface, it is plain to see how weak their relationship is. They don’t have a strong sense of care for one another. When something important is addressed, whether it’s a concern, need, or feelings, Top Dollar and Myca ignore them. They also allow each other to hurt themselves or other people with no attempts at intervention. With the way they care so little about the other, it makes me wonder why Top Dollar and Myca are even together at all? But because their backstory would probably be as dark and harmful as the choices they make, maybe it’s better to leave that question unanswered.
Have fun at the movies!
Sally Silverscreen
References:
The Crow 1994
The Crow: The story behind the film by Bridget Baiss
Because I received positive responses for the way I wrote my review of The Crow, I decided to write another open letter. This time, I’ve addressed it to The Crow: City of Angels. As I mentioned before, this isn’t the typical writing style I adopt for my reviews. But it’d only be fair to present this article in a similar fashion. Now, let me start this letter to The Crow: City of Angels.
The Crow: City of Angels poster created by Dimension Films and Miramax Films. Image found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Crow_2.jpg.
An Open Letter to The Crow: City of Angels,
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of my editorial that I wrote back in May. You know the one; about how the Tim Pope cut should be released. A question you’re probably asking is “How can you advocate for a cut of a movie you’ve never seen”? Well, I’m glad you asked! I first learned about your experience with “studio intervention” from the Youtube video, “Exploring The Crow City of Angels”. I was not happy to hear what you had to go through, thinking it a circumstance that should have never happened. While scrolling through the video’s comment section, I read responses from people who expressed interest in seeing the Tim Pope cut. But despite this interest, it seemed like nothing was being done about the situation. From how I saw it, wishful thinking overshadowed any plans or ideas. After Justice League’s Snyder Cut was announced for a 2021 release, I knew it was the perfect time to bring up the Tim Pope cut and explain why it’s important. When other films were brought up in the discussion of special cuts, you weren’t really added to the conversation. So, I’m actually doing you a favor by advocating on your behalf. By the way, my original plan was to watch you and your predecessor, The Crow, around Halloween. But I’m guessing they told you about my change of plans.
Image of crow at sunset created by Rayudu NVS at freeimages.com. Photo by <a href=”/photographer/rayudu238-57835″>rayudu NVS</a> from <a href=”https://freeimages.com/”>FreeImages</a>. Image found at freeimages.com.
Because of a grammatical error I stumbled across on the internet, where your title was written as The Crow, City of Angels, I honestly thought Vincent Perez had starred in your predecessor. However, when I discovered The Crow Wiki, I learned he was the lead actor in the second chapter. Like I’ve said about movies like Swept from the Sea and Cyrano de Bergerac, Vincent’s involvement is what made me want to check you out. In the previous films of Vincent’s I’ve seen, he always steals the show for the right reasons. He certainly did that this time around! Similar to Brandon’s portrayal of Eric, Vincent brought an emotional intensity that made his performance captivating to watch! However, he went out of his way to set his character, Ashe, apart by adding a sense of showmanship to his role. In a scene where some of the villains are shooting at Ashe in a club, Ashe acts performative about the situation, using the violence against him in his one-man show. He even bows after the villains have finished shooting. This acting decision ended up working in Vincent’s favor! I’m not sure how much acting experience Iggy Pop had prior to his casting. However, I feel he did a fairly good job with the material he was given! While portraying Curve, one of the villains, Iggy effectively showcased the anger and frustration a person in that situation or environment might feel. This can be seen when Curve goes to Noah’s tattoo parlor and fights with Sarah. As Curve’s hostility grew, I quickly became concerned for Sarah and Noah’s safety. This scene showed me that Iggy’s performance was convincing. Speaking of Sarah, I liked seeing Mia Kirshner portray this character! Through her performance, she brought a calmness that the world surrounding Sarah was missing. Sarah’s gentle demeanor was a physical representation that hope wasn’t completely lost. This definitely worked in Mia’s favor, as it helped her performance stand out!
Over the twenty-four years you have existed, I’m guessing you’re tired of being compared to your predecessor. You so desperately wanted to be your own individual, but “studio intervention” prevented you from doing so. However, I made sure to notice how you were different from the first chapter. Eric and Ashe’s face disguise are just one example. In The Crow, Eric painted his face to resemble a mask he and Shelly owned when they were still alive. Ashe, in The Crow: City of Angels, uses some paints his son, Danny, owned before he died. This contrast shows the personal, sentimental touches each character’s appearance was given. Throughout the second chapter, Ashe moves around Los Angeles by primarily riding on a motorcycle. Because he was a mechanic before he became the Crow, this distinction makes sense. While we’re on the subject of Los Angeles, I really liked your set design! It’s griminess and unruliness showed a different way a city can express chaos. The sets were also colorful, which is the opposite of your predecessor’s black-and-white color palette. Day of the Dead festivities certainly made a contribution, as various masks, flowers and other items related to the holiday helped scenes visually pop. I’m glad you decided to use more light when presenting the story! This decision allowed me to clearly see what was happening on screen. It certainly sets you apart from the first chapter, as they only used a certain amount of light throughout the story.
Now it’s time for me to point out your flaws and mishaps. I’m not doing this to be mean, but only to be honest, as I do recognize your horrible experience with “studio intervention”. All of the villains were weak imitations of those who came before them. One perfect example is Sybil, who was the mystical figure Myca was in your predecessor. In a scene where she is explaining the connection between the crow and Ashe to Judah, Sybil sounded like she was quoting Myca word for word. Because of everything I just said, these villains were not allowed to have their own stories and be their own characters. It also made it easier for me to root for Ashe, as the villains didn’t have anything interesting or unique to offer. While I don’t have anything against Grace herself, I found her to be insignificant in the grand scheme of things. She didn’t add anything to the story or have a strong reason for being in that world. I’m guessing this was a “studio intervention” related decision, where the studio wanted Los Angeles to have their own “Sarah”. The difference between Sarah in The Crow and Grace in The Crow: City of Angels is Sarah receiving a vital role in the first chapter, serving as a reminder for Eric to keep his moral compass. In the second chapter, Grace could have been written out of the story and not much would change.
Now that I mention Sarah, I was not a fan of her and Ashe’s attraction for one another. This has nothing to do with the characters themselves or the actors portraying them. I just found this part of the story to be unnecessary. This is because nothing became of this attraction, which prevented it from going anywhere. Even Ashe warns Sarah against this attraction, as he tells her that nothing will likely happen. If Ashe knew this all along, then why would he even entertain this idea in the first place? I could see what you were trying to do; give Ashe a conflicting choice between life on Earth and the afterlife. This would have been an interesting concept had more time been devoted to it. Because Ashe and Sarah’s attraction for each other came about so quickly and with everything else happening in the film, it ended up as a spark that had trouble igniting.
The image I created with the hashtag, #ReleasetheTimPopeCut. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
As a movie, you’re a fine, run-of-the-mill action film. But, as a continuation to The Crow story, you were weaker than your predecessor. I did cut you a little bit of slack because of the one thing I’ve been mentioning throughout this letter: “studio intervention”. Now that I have seen you, I still believe the Tim Pope cut should see the light of day. You do deserve to be the movie you were meant to be and we the audience and fans deserve to see that happen. On 18 Cinema Lane, I feature a crow image with the hashtag, #ReleasetheTimPopeCut, on the homepage. This is so people who come to my blog can easily find my editorial and read it for themselves. I also posted the aforementioned hashtag on all of 18 Cinema Lane’s social media accounts. If you know anyone who wants to see the Tim Pope cut, please tell them to speak up. Paramount, the studio you now call “home”, will never hear the fans unless they say something. All I’m asking is for you to be kind and respectful if you share this letter with others. I recently watched Lee’s video review from his Youtube channel, Drumdums. When addressing the horrible circumstance you went through, he contemplated the likelihood of the Tim Pope cut’s release. While he felt anything was possible, he also didn’t believe this cut would ever be seen. As I close this letter, I’d like to remind Lee and those who may have doubts of what Eric said in The Crow: “It can’t rain all the time”.
Sincerely,
Sally Silverscreen
P.S. I’m giving you a score of 7 out of 10.
If you want to watch Lee’s review of The Crow: City of Angels, you can find it on Youtube by typing “The Crow: City of Angels Movie Review” into the search bar or visiting his channel, Drumdums.
For KN Winiarski’s 1st Annual Spooky Classic Movie Blogathon, I chose to write about a film that was recommended to me by one of my fellow bloggers. As the title states, I will be reviewing the 1953 film, House of Wax, which was suggested by Patricia from Caftan Woman. This is a movie I’ve heard of, but had never seen. Since the film was released between 1920 and 1960 (one of the blogathon’s requirements), it gave me a good excuse to check it out! Even though I have seen and reviewed three of Vincent Price’s movies, only one of them was released during the Breen Code era. Because House of Wax premiered in the early ‘50s, it allowed me to view more of his films from that time period. Based on the synopsis, House of Waxis considered a “revenge film”. It made me curious to see how this type of story would work within the Breen Code era. I was also interested in comparing House of Wax to a project like The Crow, which I reviewed back in May.
The acting: House of Wax is the fourth film of Vincent Price’s I’ve seen. While I enjoyed his acting performances in The Whales of August, House of the Long Shadows, and Shock, I really liked his performance in the 1953 film! When his character, Henry, is talking about his wax figures, the passion he has for his craft can be seen on his face and in his eyes. Vincent makes the audience feel bad for Henry when these figures and the museum burn to the ground. As time moves forward, Henry evolves into a man of sophistication. Through the power of his acting talents, Vincent makes this transition feel believable. Prior to watching House of Wax, I was not familiar with Phyllis Kirk as an actress. However, I really liked her portrayal of Sue Allen! The emotional intensity Phyllis brought to her role is what made her performance stand out! When she is chased through the city by a murderous criminal, the audience can see and feel the fear Sue is experiencing. This helped raise the intensity of that scene. After she reaches the safety of a neighbor’s house, she immediately bursts into tears. Sue’s emotions show just how emotionally exhausted she is from constantly looking over her shoulder.
The wax figures: Because this film is called House of Wax, a showcase of various wax figures is to be expected. What was unexpected for me was the overall quality of these wax figures! All of them were so well-crafted, they looked like real-life individuals. In fact, there were times when I was waiting for at least one of them to start moving on their own. Throughout the film, facts about the people these figures were representing and the artistic process were shared within the dialogue. One example is when Henry is explaining how he created his Marie Antoinette figure. He tells a potential investor that Marie’s eyes are glass and were inserted through a hallow part of the head before it was attached to the neck. I found this part of the story fascinating! I also wish there was a documentary about this particular art form.
The historical accuracy: House of Wax takes place during the early 1900s, with the time period influencing every aspect of the film. What works in this movie’s favor is how the visuals looked and felt like the time period the film’s creative team was striving for! As Henry’s wax museum is burning, a fire truck appears to put the fire out. A noteworthy point is the model of the truck resembled one from the early 1900s. Another way the time period was reflected was through the set design! The exterior of the House of Wax museum looked like a movie palace from decades past, commanding the attention of passers-by. The beige and red marble alcove leading to the museum reminded me of an outdoor market, with the museum itself selling a form of entertainment to potential customers. These design choices made the overall film feel immersive!
The 3D effects: One of House of Wax’s claims to fame is featuring one of the earliest forms of 3D in cinematic history. Any poster of the film and the movie’s opening credits boast this detail enthusiastically. However, the 3D in this movie stayed in 1953. In the scene where Henry opens his House of Wax museum, a spokesperson uses paddle-balls to get patrons’ attention. During his routine, the spokesperson breaks the fourth wall and tells a man in the audience that he is trying to hit his popcorn bag with one of the paddle-balls. When the paddle-ball moved toward the audience, the moment itself looked like it was filmed in 2D. The 3D in House of Wax comes across as an outdated gimmick that felt awkward and out of place.
A protagonist I can’t root for: More often than not, “revenge films” feature a protagonist who represents the opposite of the horrors committed against them. Eric Draven from The Crow is a perfect example. While he kills the villains who have wronged him and his fiancé, Shelly, Eric is fighting fire with fire when his city’s justice system is ineffective. He also chooses to keep his moral compass intact by helping those who are innocent. I won’t spoil House of Wax for those who haven’t seen it yet. But all I’ll say is that as time goes on, Henry throws away his moral compass and takes his mission too far. Because of this, I couldn’t bring myself to root for this character.
Scares that aren’t consistent: There are several moments in House of Wax that are truly unsettling to watch. Seeing Henry’s wax figures burning is just one of them. However, I expected the film to be much scarier than it was. The most terrifying moments happened toward the beginning and end of the movie. Everything in-between felt like a juggling act of darker and lighter moments. Right after Henry’s wax museum burns down, a happy dance party is shown. This feels like a major tonal shift from the ominous tone that was set up in the film’s opening scene.
As a movie, House of Waxis good! It is a horror title that relies more on tone and atmosphere. But as a “revenge story”, I feel a film like The Crow does a better job at expressing that type of narrative. One major difference is how the character of Henry is not worth rooting for, as he abandons his moral compass within the course of the film. I found this to be a surprising choice for a Breen Code era film. While it doesn’t overpower the movie, the 3D aspect of the project did not work. It was obvious that 2D filmed moments were waiting for the 3D effect to kick in. Sadly, the 3D failed to show up. I would say House of Wax is an interesting choice for Halloween viewing, as it utilizes wax figures to provide elements of horror. It eliminates the use of blood/gore and has the ability to put the audience on edge.
Overall score: 7.5 out of 10
Have you seen House of Wax? Which film of Vincent Price’s is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
