Community Corner
Cinema Siren: Top 10 Halloween Cartoons of All Time
Curl up with some creepy cartoon classics.
Cinema Siren knows cartoons, since her alter ego runs a gallery specializing in animation art. Last year for the first time, we listed the top 10 Halloween cartoons ever.
Since it still reigns as our most popular column and was posted before so many of you lovely readers started following reviews, here again is the list that might allow for a little Halloween fun, in between running for shelter from hurricanes, preparing for trick or treating with power outages, considering who to vote for next week, and just generally trying to keep it together this fall.
It's high time for a little safe, cartoon-style scare. Maybe by next year, Frankenweenie will make the list, but these entries are so strong it's tough to add anyone new! See what you think, and let the email arguments of omission begin!
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No. 10 — The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949):
Packaged as part of the post-war Disney featurette The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Legend has a terrifying and great scene of Ichabod being chased by the headless horseman, not to mention narration by Bing Crosby and a great song. It is loyal to the original story by Washington Irving, which means it leaves some doubt as to the survival of Ichabod at the end. Enjoy the music and one of the best villains in Disney history, who "achieves his aim" with the least amount of airtime.
No. 9 — Lonesome Ghosts (1937):
Four green phantoms invite Mickey, Donald, and Goofy who are "Ghost Exterminators" over to their haunted house to drive them crazy—a gorgeous piece of vintage animation, with classic characters we all love. Note the detail in the backgrounds. Goofy's quote "I ain't afraid a' no ghosts!" was used in some movie later…
No. 8 — Broom-stick Bunny (1956):
The first cartoon to use June Foray's voice for Witch Hazel, it is widely considered the best of the WB cartoons featuring the character. The backgrounds are highly stylized in the tradition of the best of the Chuck Jones directed cartoons, and critics gave high praise to the witty dialogue written by Tedd Pierce.
No. 7 — Hyde and Go Tweet (1960):
This Friz Freleng directed cartoon is arguably the best featuring characters Sylvester and Tweety. It brings knuckle-dragging into your dreams at night! Tweety accidentally drinks a formula that makes him a huge yellow monster with bulging eyes and he terrorizes Sylvester—as he still terrorizes Tweety lovers whenever they watched the cartoon. Notice how "monster Tweety" breathes. Hilarious!
No. 6 — The Skeleton Dance (1929):
Black and white Silly Symphonies cartoon with skeletons rattling their bones joyously. It's like the perfect Halloween Busby Berkeley cartoon. Creepy! A very early Disney cartoon before many experiments lead to advancements in animation, and yet still plays as one of the most beautiful cartoons ever made.
No. 5 — Water Water Every Hare (1952):
Bugs as a beautician-fixing, tennis-shoe wearing monster Gossamer hair—who doesn't remember that classic cartoon moment? "Monsters are such interesting people!" And the big-headed evil scientist as he floats in an ether induced haze, while edited from more recent versions of the cartoon, is a classic example of "anything goes" in classic Looney Tunes!
No. 4 — Trick or Treat (1952):
Another result of legendary Donald Duck cartoon director Jack Hanna, but this one is many a Disney aficionado's favorite. It introduced Witch Hazel, who was voiced by famed voice artist June Foray (who we mentioned in No. 8, Broom-stick Bunny). With Huey Dewey and Louie's costumes and the stylized backgrounds, it showed just how vibrantly colorful a Disney short can be.
No. 3 — Night on Bald Mountain (1940):
Horror fans will point to Fantasia as their favorite movie not because of the Sorcerer's Apprentice, but because of the dark and emotionally intense segment with the demon Chernabog, and at one point, bare breasted redheaded harpies! …and in a Disney cartoon! Leave it to Disney animation genius Bill Tytla!
No. 2 — It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966):
Some will argue for this Peanuts classic, and the third special, to be No. 1. Linus as the eternally hopeful optimist does inspire fierce loyalty in fans, and rightly so. It also makes subtle reference to open-mindedness and tolerance towards less traditional beliefs. Linus waits with the sign "Welcome Great Pumpkin" for him to appear in the pumpkin patch on Halloween. We have all the usual delightful suspects to enjoy, and Linus's philosophizing to deepen our and our children's thinking. (Airs Wednesday on ABC.)
No. 1 — The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993):
Back when it was released, this was a sad little bomb, but it was MY sad little bomb and I have the original underwear, tie and watch to prove it. It has traveled in time and become a colossal cult classic, helping to keep teen goth store Hot Topic in business. The songs, the love story, the diverse cast of lovable secondary characters, the amazing world created in the mind of Tim Burton, and directed by Henry Selick, all come together into a Halloween masterpiece.
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About this column: Leslie Combemale, "Cinema Siren", is a movie lover and aficionado in Northern Virginia. Alongside Michael Barry, she owns ArtInsights, an animation and film art gallery in Reston Town Center. She has a background in film and art history. She often is invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic Con, where she has been a panelist for The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster and the Harry Potter Fandom discussion. See their "Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror" exhibit online at www.artinsights.com, and more of her reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.