Dead of Night (1945) (Movie Review)

  When it comes to Horror anthology movies or series, there’s several popular titles to highlight, including “Tales from the Crypt”, “Night Gallery”, “Creepshow”, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”, and for us kids from the 90’s we had “Goosebumps” and “Are you Afraid of the Dark”. Perhaps my personal favorite is the original 1960’s series “The Twilight Zone”, which mainly had a lean toward Science Fiction, but is largely remembered for its spooky entries. However, for today’s topic, I wanted to spotlight one of the very first spooky anthologies ever made, the 1945 horror movie classic “Dead of Night”. While not as famous a title for modern viewers, it was one of the most influential original horror movies to come out of the 1940's decade, and provided a template to inspire many other projects in the decades to come, including some influence on “The Twilight Zone” series, which is how the movie first piqued my interest.

  The 1940’s in general was a dry spell age for original horror movies, as most of the mainstream scarry films of the time focused on various sequels and crossovers of Universals classic monsters, which helped “Dead of Night” stand out. This was also a special British production that came out at a time when Britten was banned from producing anything horror related, largely due to the conditions of World War 2, and as such, it was kind of a miracle this film came out at all. So, let’s look back at this early horror classic to see what was significant for its time, and what still works all these decades later. As a quick note, I’ll do my best to avoid spoiling anything specific, including the ending … that’s something you’ll just have to see for yourself.

  We open on a man named Walter Craig (played by Mervyn Johns), who’s just arrived at a farmhouse he’s never been to before, and filled with various people he’s never met … 

yet swears he’s seen them all before, perhaps in a dream, and even suspects he knows what the outcome of the day will be. This opens up a lengthy conversation among all the different occupants, as each recalls a personal experience with a supernatural anomaly. Thus, we have five individual ghostly stories playout in front of us … all leading to a surprise at the end. Each segment has a different director, and each based on different stories from established authors, including H. G. Wells of “War of the Worlds” fame, and T.E.B. Clarke who wrote “Sons and Lovers”. 

The wraparound segments at the farmhouse were directed by Basil Dearden, who after this would direct the 1946 War Drama “The Captive Heart”, and would direct a number of successful films in the decades to come, like 1960’s “The League of Gentlemen”. With the set-up established, let's look at the individual stories as presented.

 

The Hearse Driver

Our first story revolves around a rase-car driver, who just had a brush with death on the track. As he slowly recovers in a hospital room, he sees a mysterious hearse driver outside the window, beckoning him to join, as there’s “room for one more”. Now he fears that death is immanent, and it will be coming to him soon in the form of a familiar face. This segment was also directed by Basil Dearden, and was based on a story by E. F. Benson called “The Bus-Conductor”, which would inspire further similar stories down the road. 

One of the more memorable episodes of the original series “The Twilight Zone” had a similar episode titled “Twenty-Two”, which also had a set-up involving a person with premonitions of death coming in the form of a person stating there’s “room for one more”, leading to what could have been a fatal accident, had it not been for a familiar face. As for the short featured in the movie, it’s a good one to start things off, with some ominous build-up at the window, great use of shadows, and a decent payoff at the end.    

 

The Christmas Party

Next, we transition to the tight spaces of a Gothic Mansion, with a Christmas party in full swing, and a group of kids are playing hide-and-seek. We focus on a young teenage girl named Sally, who ventures off to find a good hiding spot, only to discover a secluded nursery, with a sad and lonely boy inside … who may or may not really be there at all. Having a supernatural encounter amidst a Christmas party is an effective concept, although, I feel the pay-off at the end could have been stronger, and it features some of the weaker acting in the film. With that said, the teenage girl Sally was played by a young Sally Ann Howes, who would later go on to portray Truly Scrumptious in the 1968 family musical “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang”, which is a childhood staple of mine. 

Also, I’m always drawn to ghostly stories told in the confines of a mansion, as it immediately brings to mind classics like “The Haunting” or “The Innocents”, and while this short is actually kind of pleasant on the surface, it still has a rather grim backstory. This segment was directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, and the story was written by Angus MacPhail, who based it around a real murder case from 1860, revolving around Francis Saville Kent, and his half-sister Constance Kent, which for me makes this segment feel a little creepier.    

 

The Haunted Mirror

Now we come to my personal favorite segment of the film, which revolves around a newly married couple, and a mysterious mirror. While it seems rather ordinary on the surface, the mirror secretly has a history, and when the husband is alone, and peering at his reflection, he sees in the background a little glimpse of that history, which gradually unravels before him, and drives him insane. 

This segment features some of the better performances, as well as a really sharp direction from Robert Hammer, who’d go on to write and direct the 1949 dark comedy “Kind Hearts and Coronets”. Something about cursed mirrors is very simple, yet so intriguing, and this short executes its premise quite well. While I have no factual proof, I’d like to think this segment helped inspire the 2013 horror movie “Oculus”, which also revolved around a cursed mirror.  

 

The Golfer’s Story

Next, things take a turn for the goofy and comedic, and to get right to the point, this is my least favorite segment of the film. Two rivel golfers are eager to best the other in a round of Golf, and the winner takes the hand of a girl they’re both fond of. One man cheats his way to victory, while the looser drowns out his sorrows … by drowning himself. Sounds like a grim set-up, but things get very stilly very fast when the ghost of the golfer lingers around as a personal poltergeist to the gamer who was cheating. The interplay between the man and ghost feels like it would be right at home in a sitcom … “Just because a chap becomes a ghost, surely that doesn’t mean he ceases to be a gentleman”. 

This segment was directed by Charles Crichton, who’d go on to direct a number of successful comedies, including 1951’s “The Lavender Hill Mob”, and more famously in 1988 “A Fish Called Wanda”. His distinct personality is on display, but the segment as a whole just feels out of place when compared to the other shorts. I should also note, this story was based on the H. G. Wells tale “The Story of the Inexperienced Ghost” … but if you ask me, the better H. G. Wells adapted film to be laced with comedy was the 1933 picture “The Invisible Man”.  

 

The Ventriloquist’s Dummy

At last, we come to the most famous of the film’s segments, and arguably the one that made the biggest impact on our pop culture. We open on an entertainer named Maxwell Frere, and his wooden Dummy named Hugo, who’s quite good at amusing his audience … but someone is rather eager to split the act, and go separate ways … perhaps even a certain wooden dummy who’s taking on a life all his own. Whether it be “The Twilight Zone” or “Goosebumps”, a living ventriloquist dummy will always be a reliably scary mascot … and Hugo is arguably the one to put them on the map. 

This was the second short to be directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, following after “The Christmas Party”, and this time he really gets to shine with the build-up, and use of heavy shadows. The performances in this short are also some of the best, with Michael Redgrave stealing the show as the beaten and unhinged performer Maxwell Frere. Hugo naturally has his place in the hall of creepy dummy characters, and for me is quite eerie, even when compared to our contemporary horror mascots.  

 

  Once we finish with the shorts, the scares still keep coming, as we get our big twist ending. 

Again, I won’t go into specific details, but I will say that it’s a rare case of all the previous shorts (minus the golf segment) coming together at the end, which is very different for the horror anthology film format. The only other example I can think of was another British horror anthology that came later in 2017 called “Ghost Stories”, which also featured several shorts coming together in one creepy twist ending. In the case of “Dead of Night”, this ending is what made the whole film worthwhile and memorable, and features the film’s most striking imagery, and creative camera work. For a fun bit a trivia … one of the films main cinematographers was a young Douglas Slocombe, who’d go on to famously lens the original three “Indiana Jones” movies.

  In the end, “Dead of Night” isn’t one of my all-time favorite classic horror films, but it is well worth checking out if you’re a fan of spooky anthologies, or old creepy black and white films. As a fan of “The Twilight Zone” series, I find the film immensely satisfying, and love seeing what might have inspired several classic episodes. In many ways, I view “Dead of Night” as a blueprint of sorts for what came to be “The Twilight Zone” TV show … honestly, it makes for a superior Twilight Zone movie then the actual film that came out in the 1980’s. Like I said, if you're a fan of old creepy movies, or the package movie format, then "Dead of Night" will deliver what you expect ... and perhaps even a little more. 

Thanks for reading my review of the 1945 Horror movie classic “Dead of Night” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!   

My Top 10 Favorite Vampire Performances

  When it comes to frequently recuring movie monsters, vampires are some of the most exciting and fascinating to watch. They can be cool and seductive one moment, and they can be savage and terrifying the next. For me, what makes vampires so much fun are the different ways they can be portrayed, and what a performer brings to a distinct character. So, for this October season, I thought it would be fun to stop and rank my own personal favorite vampire performances from the movies. I’m not trying to make any objective best of list, as there's plenty I still haven't even seen ... these are just the performances that have stuck we me the most as a fan, and how my feelings on them are stacked up.

 

#10 Chris Sarandon as Jerry Dandrige (from “Fright Night” [1985])

While the villainous Jerry Dandridge isn’t as famous a vampire as Dracula, he still makes for a worthy villain. The 1985 Horror Comedy “Fright Night” is personally one of my favorite’s, so I had to shine some light on the films titular main villain. The cast in general really lend to the appeal of the film, and the sinister Jerry Dandridge was brought to life effectively by Chris Sarandon. 

The actor would reunite with the film’s director Tom Holland in the role of a detective in “Childs’ Play”, and would later be the voice of Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” … but I think most viewers will recognize him best as Prince Humperdinck, from “The Princess Bride”. Still, for me, I look back on his role in “Fright Night” with most fondness. It’s a performance that’s suitably hammy for a film of this nature, but it’s not too over the top to diminish some genuinely imposing moments.

 

#9 Salma Hayek as Santanico Pandemonium (from “From Dusk Till Dawn” [1996])

  In 1996, filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joined forces to bring us “From Duck Till Dawn”, and unique amalgamation of a crime thriller, a dark comedy, and an over the top, campy monster movie, with vampires being the main threat. This is personally my favorite vampire movie ever made, as it has such a distinct personality all its own, and an awesome ensemble of character performances. The beautiful and talented Salma Hayek plays the underworld Queen in the Vampires hideout, and in true form for these creatures, she manages to be both imposing and erotic in equal measure. While her screen time is admittedly short, she still absolutely steals ever moment she has on screen, and contributes to some of the most memorable parts of the film.

 

#8 Gary Oldman as Count Dracula (from “Bram Stokers Dracula” [1992])

 Count Dracula needs no introduction, as he’s arguably the most famous of all vampires … but with that said, there’s multiple portrayals of the character, all with their own distinct hallmarks and personalities ... so you can expect more than one Dracula on this list. The first to highlight comes from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 “Dracula” picture, which I must admit, I’ve never been a fan of, as the narrative of the picture never hooked me. 

With that said, there are obviously two important take aways from this film, one of which being the films epic direction and imagery, and the other is Gary Oldman in the lead role of Dracula. In my view, Gary Oldman is one of the generations great actors, who can naturally slip into a wide variety of different roles, and for Dracula, he runs the whole gambit, and he can be sighted as one of the great portrayals of the character. While his frequently changing appearances and over the top make-up designs threaten to distract, the actor always manages to steal the spot-light, and leave a memorable impression.

 

#7 Klaus Kinski as Count Orlok [Dracula] (from “Nosferatu the Vampyre” [1979])

  The original 1922 silent horror movie classic “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror” featured an iconic portrayal from silent character actor Max Schreck, as the sinister Count Orlok, or Dracula depending on which print you watch. Yet, the portrayal that left the bigger impression on me was Klaus Kinski in the 1979 remake. Everything from his mannerisms, and body movement is theatrical and captivating, but it’s his dual nature of feeling both grounded and mystifying that makes him so fascinating. He’s one of the rare vampire portrayals that honestly scared me, and felt like the stuff of nightmares. Aside from being suitably creepy, there’s an underlining current of sadness to his portrayal, which makes him feel more layered than just another run-of-the-mile, sinister vampire performance.  

 

#6 Kristen Dunst as Claudia (from “Interview with the Vampire” [1994])

 While the lead actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are commendable in their leading roles of this mid-90’s vampire picture … it was the young Kristen Dunst in one of her earliest roles as a child turned vampire who always left the biggest impression on me. Walking a tightrope portrayal of both a sympathetic victim and an imposing, dominate figure, this was the role that put Kristen Dunst in the spotlight, and helped launch her carrier. Beyond that, it’s a show case for a young talent who can steal the show, even among a-list actors like Antonio Banderas … who on a side note looks awesome as a vampire overlord. I’ve honestly never looked back on “Interview with the Vampire” as any kind of favorite of mine, but the performances are worth highlighting, and Kristen Dunst was absolutely my favorite take-away from the experience.

 

#5 Bela Lugosi as Dracula (from “Dracula” [1931])

 I don’t think any best of Vampire list would be complete without the original, and arguably most iconic vampire portrayal of all time. While 1931’s “Dracula” is significant as the very first sound horror film, it’s Bela Lugosi’s unforgettable performance in the role of Count Dracula that made it a classic. He has such a foreboding presence, every time he’s on screen he’ll be staring at you with those big scary eyes of his, and his wicked smile is just spot on. 

I especially love the way he moves his body, as it’s very elegant, but also very sinister, and no one else wears that cape like he does. He actually has a good deal of charm and sophistication, which only highlights the performance more. Lugosi would forever more be immortalized as the most iconic actor to ever play the Count, in fact the rhythm in which he spoke would become a common cliché for most vampires in the pop culture. Objectively speaking, he’s probably the most important vampire performance of all time, but there’s still four others that I personally like a little more.  

 

#4 Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck (from “Shadow of the Vampire” [2000])

 Willem Dafoe is another one of those great character actors who always shines in the villain role, and is probably most famous to younger generations for his Green Goblin portrayal in “Spider-Man”. For me, I think his best villain performance comes from the 2000 horror picture “Shadow of the Vampire”, which is a fictional take on the making of the 1922 horror classic “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror”, and suggests the previously mentioned monster actor Max Schreck was in fact a real vampire the whole time. While I highlighted Klaus Kinski's portrayal of Count Orlok [Dracula] from the 1979 remake, Willem Dafoe’s depiction of the actor as the character is in a whole other ball bark. 

The talent is barely recognizable under the makeup, but even harder to recognize in his performance, as he balances the savagery of the creature with a juicy sense of hummer. He’s less sympathetic and more openly malicious, but with a dominating screen presence and feral energy. Willem Dafoe’s performance was so captivating that he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, which is no small feat for a vampire portrayal.  

 

#3 Alisha Weir as Abigail (from “Abigail” [2024])

  A small group of criminals kidnap a twelve-year-old girl, who’s also a Balle dancer, and hope to ransom her for a huge sum of money. Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong girl to kidnap, because this little Ballerina is also a vampire, and plays a long game of cat and mouse with her abductors. The premise of a vampire ballerina is one of those creative choices that could have either worked great or failed miserably, and thanks to a smart script, and solid direction, the film works great. However, at the center of it all is the young Alisha Weir in her dominating portrayal of Abigail. 

As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the new great child-acting performances in a horror film, as the actress skillfully runs the gambit of acting sad and vulnerable as a kidnaped child, to suitably creepy as a creature of the night, to darkly funny and sophisticated as an adult with a child’s appearance, and performing all her own stunts as an acrobatic vampire, combining animalistic savagery with her graceful and elegant dance forms. For me, “Abigail” is one of my favorite horror movies of the 2020’s, and Alisha Weir’s portrayal of the title character is one of the decades great monster performances.   

 

#2 Wesley Snipes as Blade (from the “Blade” franchise [1998-2004])

  Perhaps the most unique vampire on my list, as he’s technically a half-vampire, and a superhero to boot, but just as memorable and significant as any of the great vampire portrayals on film. When it comes to iconic comic-book character portrayals, I feel Weasley Snipes as Blades deserves his spot among the absolute best. He has the stance and intimidation, as well as reserved sense of hummer and personality that always shines through. I’ll admit, I’ve only ever been a casual fan of the “Blade” movies, but Wesley Snipes sharp performance as the titular vampire hunter has always stuck with me, and is absolutely one of my favorites … even if he isn’t a traditional vampire in the same sense of the others I’ve listed.

 

Before I reveal my number one favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …  

Max Schreck as Count Orlok from “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror” (1922)

Kiefer Sutherland as David from “The Lost Boys” (1987)

Lina Leandersson as Eli "Let the Right One In" (2008)

Nicolus Cage as Peter Loew from “Vampire’s Kiss” (1989)

Gloria Holden as Countess Marya Zaleska from “Dracula’s Daughter” (1936)

 

#1 Christopher Lee as Count Dracula (from 1958’s “Horror of Dracula” and his long running Dracula Franchise [1958-1973])

 Surprise, surprise … a Dracula performance comes in at number one. As we’ve seen on my countdown, and even beyond this list, there have been some stellar interpretations of Count Dracula, ranging from Bela Lugosi’s iconic performance in the 1931 “Dracula” classic, to Gary Oldman’s portrayal in the 1992 motion picture “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”. Either one of them is worth putting at number one on any best of vampire performances list, but if I had to choose my personal favorite Dracula performance, it would have to be Christopher Lee’s portrayal of the count from “Hammer’s Dracula” series from 1958 through 1973.  

Christopher Lee is a titan when it comes to villain portrayals in general, and he’s played Dracula in more movies than any other actor, which for me makes him feel the most special. He’s so commanding in the role that he just couldn’t be left alone. No-one else looks as awesome in that red Dracula cape, nor does anyone else have that same deep and imposing voice. Even though he’s not as iconic as Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee is faster, deadlier, sinister and just plain awesome in the role, making him one of the definitive Dracula’s, and my personal favorite Vampire performance in the movies.

Thanks for reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the spooky films you love to watch … especially around October.

Haunted Mansion (2023) (Movie Review)

  I’ve loved the Disney-Land Haunted Mansion ride my whole life, it’s probably my favorite of their original attractions, and by extent, I’ve always enjoyed the expanded universe of the rides setting. On its own, the ride is a sensational, atmospheric, and fun spooky attraction that perfectly gets me in that special Halloween mood. However, many of the individual characters from the ride have their own back stories, and the setting has a mythos that’s been expanded in books, video games and even fan sights. Outside of the United States, other versions of the Haunted Mansion ride have put even more focus on characters with either spooky or tragic backstories, and it really gives the ride a life all its own. In short, there’s great potential to expand the Haunted Mansion universe in TV series, specials, and most especially movies. 

 Unfortunately, unlike “Pirates of the Caribbean”, spin-off material revolving around the Haunted Mansion ride is more sparingly seen, and the rare times we do get something, it’s not always successful. While I have my fondness for the 2003 movie “The Haunted Mansion”, it was largely written off as a disappointment, and even I’ll admit the ride deserved better. Over the years, there was talk of another potential film based on the ride, Guillermo Del Toro’s name was even attached to a project for a while, but it kept slipping through the cracks. Finally in 2023, we got a second movie simply titled “Haunted Mansion”, which was very exciting for me, and even if it didn’t surpass any expectations, I was just ready for a new movie based around the attraction.

  This film follows a haunted tour guide named Ben Matthias, who doesn’t believe in hauntings, and is only keeping his job out of respect for his late wife. One day, he’s asked to debunk a supposedly real haunted manner home, which is currently owned by a mother and son, who are relentlessly being pursued by the spirits of the estate, no matter where they go. Sure enough, after Ben’s first visit, he too is followed by ghostly apparitions demanding he go back to the mansion to lift their curse. More and more people get roped into the hauntings, and soon a supernatural investigation is underway to discover the secrets of the mansion, and hopefully bring peace to these unhappy spirits. While the first movie was a self-contained, single night adventure, this movie focuses on people coping with spirits in a haunted location over several months, which is a nice change-up. Eventually, it’s revealed that the ghosts themselves are being haunted by a villainous outside force, who’s slowly growing in power, and may potentially be a threat to both the spirit world and the mortal world.

  Right off the bat, I love this set-up, as the concept of ghosts being haunted by another more terrifying ghost is a great idea for a Haunted Mansion adaption. Also, I love that the famous hitchhiking ghosts from the ride are literally living-up to their title by following our human characters no matter where they go, and constantly bringing them back to the mansion. The rides famous line "Hurry Back, Hurry Back", is now re-worded as "You'll Be Back, You'll Be Back" ... which I find more ominous. Naturally, I loved all the details that tributed the ride itself, as we see characters actually ridding on chairs, there’s a replicated overhead shot of the ballroom with the sprits partying, a phantasm play’s the organ with ghostly notes flying out the pipes, and the hallways endlessly stretch on, but only from the characters perspectives. I love this one detail of a candle with a face that gets spooked by an approaching spirit, and it tries to blow-out its own flame … little touches like that go a long way in giving this adaption some personality.

 There are also levels to the hauntings and how their presented. At first, the mansion is tightly spaced, dingy and colorless, with only hints of supernatural activity going on. Then when the characters dream, or Astro-project themselves into the spirit world, we see the setting in a different likeness. 

Everything is black lit, the ghosts are transparently visible, the environment gets active, it’s colorful, and the setting can rearrange itself in the blink of an eye, almost like “Inception” meets “Insidious” … admittedly not as big as those two, but still in the same realm of imaginative ideas and creative imagery. There’s a great effect of someone landing on the floor, which suddenly becomes a door opening into a hallway, with the character now running in the same frame. There’s even a moment when they replicate the cartoony gag of running through multiple doors, just like in the animated “Scooby-Doo” hallway chasses. The famous stretch room from the ride is also utilized in a wonderful set-piece, with our hero’s trying to scale the walls with the aid of the gargoyles and paintings, while also being pursued by aggressive alligators … although I do wish the gators were more zombie like in their design.

  Admittedly, for all the great things at the film’s disposal, there are some setback’s that keep the film from reaching its full potential. The pacing in the first two acts can get a little rocky, and there’s long stretches without any excitement. I feel at least ten or fifteen minutes from these first two acts could have been either removed or trimmed down. There's not much comedy either … certainly a charm factor from the cast, but I’m not really laughing that hard. Also, while the film acknowledges it’s 999 ghosts, we only see them in small glimpses, and I wish there could have been more focus on them and their individual personalities. Once again, this film put’s too much focus on human characters, and when there’s lengthy scenes of people talking with other people, it makes the setting feel less special, and more like a backdrop.

  In the plus column, the cast is good, and there’s a comforting chemistry from all these players, which helps carry me through the moments when the narrative loses its momentum. LaKeith Stanfield delivers an admiral performance in the lead role of Ben, and I like the themes revolving around the character, focusing on grief, and how to move on. Rosario Dawson is always a welcome presence, and is good as the mother of a single son. On top of that, the connections between these three leads are fine, and help to give this movie an anchor. Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson and Danny DeVito are all pleasant in their roles, but I do wish they were playing different ghost characters as opposed to more humans roped into the mansion. Even Wiona Ryder in her small cameo is just an ordinary tour guide, when she could have been utilized as a fun supernatural entity.     

  While the casting of Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota is a curious choice, it’s at least a celebrity playing a supernatural inhabitant of the mansion, which is what I wanted from most of the cast. I also apricate that Madame Leota gets more back story, and a reason for being trapped in her crystal ball. The ghost of Mr. Gracey is present, but noticeably downplayed, especially after the 2003 movie put so much focus on him. The biggest surprise was the absence of the four Singing Busts … it doesn’t feel complete without them. The vengeful ghost-bride Constance Hatchaway gets to shine in some suitably creepy moments. In recent years, she’s become the main villain of the American Haunted Mansion Ride, and I was surprised she didn’t get a bigger role in the movie. Still, her presence was at least welcome, and she contributed to the films best spooky moments.

 The real lead villain of the movie is the classic Hatbox Ghost, played by Jared Leto. He was one of the original ghosts from the rides early debut back in the 1950’s, but was quickly removed, as his vanishing head effect never worked to satisfaction. Only recently in 2015, the Hatbox Ghost returned to the ride as one of the main attractions. As such, it’s really cool that the movie singled him out as the lead antagonist, especially after his character had been dormant for so many decades. The movie also gives him a cool backstory, presented in an awesome visual esthetic. The villain himself has a suitably dominating presence, and manages to stand apart from all the other ghostly apparitions.

  Once we segue into the films third act, things are consistently exciting, and the film delivers with a terrific looking final battle in a cemetery. Our villainous Hatbox Ghost takes control of some spirits, while others aid our hero’s, there’s green mist, spirits flying all about the place, characters running about the grounds, and thankfully there’s no cliched wedding set-up like in the first movie. 

Once the curse is lifted, the spirits are given the choice to either move on, or stay on the grounds, which many of them do … now they can live up to their title of “Happy Haunts”, no longer in fear of a sinister spirit. In a nice twist, the human characters have grown accustom to the ghosts, and choose to live with them in their mansion … which for me would have been a childhood fantasy come true. I also love that the epilogue is set on Halloween, with traditional seasonal decorations on display in the mansion. I think this might be the first time that Halloween and the Haunted Mansion officially came together.

  One issue I have to mention is the miss-use of the rides theme song “Grim Grinning Ghosts”. That song has always been an October staple for me, and for years I’ve always wanted to see this song presented as a full-on musical number in either a movie or special. This is the third time I’ve been denied that, and what’s worse … this movie teases me with a dance number set to the famous song. 

As our characters celebrate their victory, the ghosts start to throw a Halloween party, the song builds-up, it seems like we’re about to have a fun dance or party number, I'm feeling giddy all over … only to quickly cut to black, and the credit’s role … unbelievable! I at least like that the theme song was utilized in different instrumental segments, including on the streets of New Orleans, which sounded great. Actually, I liked that the setting of New Orleans got some attention and had a personality present in the film. Speaking of hold-over songs, this is the second Haunted Mansion movie to feature the song “Superstition” … not the Raven Symone cover from the first movie, but the original Stevie Wonder version.   

  While I couldn't imagine this movie scaring any older viewers, it can be effectively spooky for younger viewers, without being a damaging experience. Similar to "Ghostbusters" or "Gremlins", this can be a suitable transition film for older kids entering their double digits to go from fun spooky entertainment to more genuine horror films like "Poltergeist". 

When all is said and done, I quiet enjoyed this movie for what it was, and found it an overall improvement over the first movie … but we’re still a far cry from what I feel is a definitive film version. It’s still not on the same level of either quality or appeal as the first “Pirates of the Caribbean”, but I at least felt this latest “Haunted Mansion” put in some effort to be a good movie, balancing it’s fun, goofy and spooky nature with mature themes of facing loss, grief, and a lead performance that was honestly better than this film deserved. Needless to say, all the creatively fun haunts were there, the cast all-around was great, and it may not be on the same high bar of the theme-park attraction … but this was still a fun ride in its own right, and worth riding again when Halloween comes around.   

Thanks for reading my review of the 2023 movie “Haunted Mansion” … and let’s make every day in October feel like Halloween!