Hocus Pocus

In person: writer/director Fred Dekker

In a small, boring town, best friends Jim and Will eagerly await the excitement of the yearly carnival. But after a different festival, helmed by the sinister Mr. Dark, unexpectedly sets up overnight, the town adults begin to fall under his spell, and the funfair reveals itself as a carnival of terror. Disney funded the project, based on Ray Bradbury’s short story “Black Ferris,” in hopes of breaking free from its stereotype of animated family films; ultimately, there were extensive edits and reshoots to create a more family-friendly film without losing too many of the thrills.

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Friendless, plagued by nightmares, Tony Thompson, 8, struggles to adapt to his new home in Scotland and reconcile his obsession with vampires. His nightmares seem to come true when he meets child vampire Rudolph, though the two boys quickly become friends when they realize Tony’s nightmares contain essential information for Rudolph to break a centuries-old curse. Based on Angela Sommer-Bodenburg's children’s book series of the same name, this charming and whimsical tale of finding friendship in unlikely places is populated with eerie cemeteries, beautifully designed aristocratic costumes, and, of course, vampire cows.

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Based on the iconic Disneyland ride, The Haunted Mansion stars Eddie Murphy as real estate agent Jim Evers, a workaholic who wants to close a mansion deal before going on a much-needed vacation with his wife, Sara, and his kids. Upon their arrival, the family is lured apart by ghosts who believe Sara can set them free by joining them in the afterlife. The Evers family battles ghosts, zombies, and spiders to save Sara from eternal damnation, also encountering – of course -- references to the amusement park ride, including Hidden Mickeys and the theme song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.”

Based on Tim Burton’s 1984 short film, Frankenweenie follows young Victor Frankenstein as he goes about his childhood making short films with his four-legged canine friend, Sparky. When Sparky is killed by a car, a distraught Victor resurrects him. Soon other children start resurrecting their own pets, and a horde of undead creatures wreaks havoc, spurring the adults to plot Sparky’s permanent demise. This black-and-white stop motion Frankenstein adaptation features a score by frequent Burton collaborator Danny Elfman and is filled with homages to the classic horror films Burton grew up loving, resulting in a scary and sweet fairytale that will dazzle children and charm adults.

The director of Coraline (2009) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) brings his eerie whimsy to a macabre tale of an orphaned punk, Kat. Haunted by her parents' death and disappointed with other adults, she is shuttled off to a failing boarding school, where she discovers her ability to summon demons. Two of them, voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, manipulate Kat into bringing them to the land of the living with a promise of resurrecting her parents, but bringing people back from the dead never turns out quite as planned. With spectacular stop-motion animation, an inspired Afro-punk soundtrack, and kooky antics aplenty, this is a charming take on the importance of community, standing up for what's right, and befriending your demons.

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