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The Halloween Tree

 A retrospective by Brooks Rich

I don't always need to watch a horror movie for the month of October. Sometimes I just want a story set during autumn – with gold and red scenery, leaves on the ground, jack o’ lanterns on porches. I want to be immersed in the season. This brings us to The Halloween Tree, a 1993 animated film based off the book of the same name by the immortal Ray Bradbury. 

On Halloween four friends are disappointed when Pip, the coolest kid in the whole wide world, looks like he's going to miss Halloween due to a bout with appendicitis. When they see their friend running off into the woods, they follow him to a creepy old house. where they meet the mysterious Moundshroud, voiced by the legendary Leonard Nimoy, who takes the kids on a journey through time to teach them about their costumes. 

This film is so wonderful. First, we have the writing of a true master in Ray Bradbury. The book is amazing and Bradbury is truly one of the greats of all time. He wrote this film himself … so it's a worthy adaptation. He also serves as the narrator and it's so fine to hear the words of the master’s voice himself. 

Finally,  we are treated to Nimoy as Moundshroud. He puts everything he has into this voice performance and makes Moundshroud come across as both whimsical and sinister. It's clear he's having fun and giving it his all. Also the animation has just perfect. This film was made in 1993, but the overall look has a timeless feel to it – more like something from the seventies or early eighties. And it is brimming with the look and feel of the Halloween season. 

If you have kids and want something different this year, this is a terrific film to track down. It has a good level of spookiness, but the kids might also learn something. Bonus education for the win. 





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