Something Wicked This Way Comes in 35mm

In person: writer/director Fred Dekker

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On All Hallows’ Eve, skeptical teen Max and little sister Dani are trick-or-treating in their new town of Salem, Massachusetts, when they accidentally resurrect the Sanderson Sisters, three 17th-century witches who were executed after terrorizing the town. The kids must team with Max’s crush, Allison, and Binx, a boy cursed by the sisters to live out eternity as a cat, to put an end to the witches’ reign of terror before the sisters can steal their souls. A box office and critical failure upon release, Hocus Pocus gained cult status through annual Halloween reruns on Disney Channel and the iconic performances from Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the witches.

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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