SCOTT MATHEWS GIVES US A LOOK AT AN 80’S HORROR GEM FROM…DISNEY?!
Article by Scott Mathews
In honor of the witching season, we’ll profile a new Halloween-centric title every day throughout the month of October.
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (PG)-1983
Disney horror? That’s right! The early 80’s saw the House of Mouse scrambling for a mature makeover, which resulted in some unusual fare, including TRON and THE BLACK CAULDRON. 1983 saw the release and box-office failure of SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, based on a Ray Bradbury novel which takes its name from the line in Shakespeare’s MACBETH, “By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes.”
Both Roger Ebert and Janet Maslin praised the film, finding it to be an unexpected surprise, but audiences weren’t interested. Budgeted at $19 million; the film managed to gross less than five million dollars at the box office and was unfortunately lost between the couch cushions of the Reagan era.
An autumn tale through and through, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES begins its dark flight in a small mid-western town, a few days prior to Halloween. The story follows two boys in their early teens, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, as they explore the mysteries of a strange travelling carnival that arrives at 3 a.m. (’soul’s midnight’), on a late October morning.
Mr. Dark’s Pandemonium Carnival, appropriately led by the mysterious and twisted Mr. Dark, has the whole town abuzz within hours. Soon after, Will and Jim manage to innocently witness one of the carnival’s terrifying truths, when they happen upon a man riding a carousel in reverse. By the time the carousel stops, the full grown man is a twelve year old boy.
This bizarre happening is only the beginning. The boys uncover Mr. Dark’s wicked game, which involves granting impossible wishes to townsfolk, in return for their servitude. Soon, both boys and Will Halloway’s father, played wonderfully by Jason Robards, come face to face with their deepest desires and fears. But will they succumb to the sickness of Mr. Dark and his creepy carnival?
Aside from a wonderful tale provided by Bradbury, the central performance by Pryce (then, a relative unknown) as the sinister illustrated man, Mr. Dark, is certainly on par with his finest work. Jason Robards turns in typically strong work, as an aging father who sadly laments his lost youth, and Pam Grier serves up goth-tacular eye candy as the Dust Witch. Overall, the atmosphere, tone, and themes of the film will put you right where you want to be as we creep closer to Halloween. So, pop some corn, prick your thumb and enjoy SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.
COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN:
October 6th- “We Are Still Here”–Click Here
October 5th-“Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn”–Click Here
October 4th- “Phantom of the Paradise“-Click Here
October 3rd-“Poltergeist“-Click Here
October 2nd-“The Babadook“-Click Here
October 1st-“John Carpenter’s The Thing“-Click Here
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