31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"The Halloween Tree" (1993)
Oh nostalgia, we meet again over cider and candy corn. "The
Halloween Tree" is the animated adaptation of Ray
Bradbury's tale of a band of friends trying to save a lost soul. Mr. Bradbury,
himself, narrates this TV special and lends quite the grandfatherly-tone to the
proceedings, which perfectly fits the atmospheric storytelling.
This is a piece of my childhood. During the 90's,
practically every TV show had Halloween episodes to mark the season. Not so
much nowadays. It's a shame, because specials like "The Halloween
Tree" really revel in the season, celebrating it both for current
festivities and past roots. There's an innocence to these specials that can
make even dark subjects light enough for kids.
Tonight's film is a perfect example of that, with plenty of
mature context bubbling under the animated surface. After all, "The
Halloween Tree" is essentially a story about four children trying to
reclaim the soul of their recently-deceased friend on Halloween night. It's
also a story about the power of friendship.
The Plot:
In some (any, really) Midwestern small town, we meet our
band of adventurers as they prep for trick-or-treating. Each is putting
painstaking detail into their costumes, for tonight is special in their eyes.
Something about the ominous, yet joyous tone of the holiday blends anxiety and excitement into a feverish mix, and few kids revel in that feeling more
than Pip.
Pip is the leader, the essential alpha in this young group.
Everyone looks up to him and wants to impress him. Pip's athletic, spirited, a
jokester, and full of energy. Essentially, he's the thing all kids aspire to
be. And Halloween is his favorite holiday.
Imagine his friend's surprise to find Pipkin's house
devoid of decoration. Not a pumpkin in sight on the front porch. What's worse,
the kids arrive moments before an ambulance pulls away. Something is wrong. Or
is it some trick? After all, Pip's pranks are legendary. Surely this is some Halloween game.
A glimpse of a Pip-shaped shadow leads our heroes through
the woods and onto the doorstop of a grim mansion. The place looks like something
out of a haunted-house movie. As does its owner. Voiced by Leonard Nemoy, Mr.
Mownshroud is a gaunt, hunched figure whose face looks more skull than skin. Creepy
as he may be, it seems he knows something about Pip. He even seem irritated,
like Pip wronged him in some way. But how?
Confused, our heroes follow Mownshroud to the the Halloween
Tree. Immense, the tree looms into the darkness and carries a jack-o-lantern in
place of each leaf. These are no mere pumpkins, however. They are souls. It
seems Pip stole one of these jack-o-lanterns. One that looked just like him.
To save Pip, the children must journey through time and
learn the true meaning of Halloween. Along the way, they'll have to face their
fears and doubt. Fail, and Pip will die.
The Flavor:
"The Halloween Tree" swims in autumnal color,
practically giving off a cinnamon/spice scent through the TV as you watch. The
story revels not only in the joy of Halloween, but most especially that joy as
seen through the eyes of a child. There's an innocence to the story that undercuts
the darker themes. While Pip's friends are literally fighting for his soul,
their naive outlook and good natures serve them well. In fact, their journey
cannot end until each faces a dark truth about themselves. A truth that can
only be faced by being open and honest.
That Pip is the kid everyone wants to be means there's resentment among the heroes. Each was sorta jealous of Pip, wishing they
could be the leader. Now that Pip's life is on the line, there's a serious
feeling of guilt and responsibility each child must take up to save him.
These themes aren't shoved down your throat. In fact, it's only upon later reflection
that you'll realize the children are really in a game versus the Grim Reaper. Dark
stuff, but the special manages to lighten the tone through the well-meaning
innocence of its heroes.
Throughout their journey, these friends learn the
history of Halloween as it pertains to various cultures and times. In doing so,
not only do they (and the viewer!) learn about the holiday's history, but the
characters also grow and realize why they chose the costumes that they did.
Best Paired with:
This is a spectacular family film for the October season. As
mentioned, there are plenty of heavy themes in "The Halloween Tree".
Pip literally is dying while the film progresses, and if his friends can't save
his soul, Mownshroud (aka the Grim Reaper) will own it forever. With stakes
that high, there are even themes of personal sacrifice afoot.
Dark as that
sounds, the film's reliance on Mownshroud teaching the children about
Halloween, allowing them to appreciate its history and cultural impact, serves
to both smooth out the edges and provide a ton of information. In the end, it's the journey that teaches our cast to face
their fears. And fight for their friend. Those two lessons rise above the
darkness and are what stick with you.
Accompanying Brew:
Tonight's film features a classic seasonal feel. Let's pair up "The Halloween Tree" with a good-ole pumpkinhead, but one that's got the quality to match this nostalgic feature.
Name: Pumpkin Ale
Brewery: Longtrail Brewing Co.
Where Brewed: Vermont
ABV: 5.5%
Style: Pumpkin Ale
Color: A darker, more ruddy shade than most other pumpkin
ales. I'm used to an orangish-tone, but Longtrail's offering looks a bit closer
in color to something like an Irish Red. The orange tone is
still there, but with red mixed in.
Amora: Spices are upfront, though I'd say clove is more
pronounced than cinnamon or nutmeg, which are usually the more
pronounced spices. There's also a bit of toasty/roasted scent going on, kinda
like the smell you get when caramelizing sugars.
Taste: Longtrail's pumpkin ale balances the pumpkin/spice
flavor with that of the malts moreso than most other pumpkin ales I've tried.
The toasty malt flavor is on par with the pumpkin/spices, not exceeded by them.
There's also a roasted note to the flavor. Delicious, but makes me wonder
whether I'm tasting the roasted malt or roasted pumpkin. Or both. In any case, it delivers a slight caramel flavor which goes nicely with the restrained spices. As with the scent, the
clove spice is more noticeable than cinnamon and nutmeg.
Aftertaste: A palate-cleanse of hop flavor arrives at the
end, but it's quite mild. It lingers on the tongue for only a short while, just
enough to wipe away the sweeter notes of the taste. Once the sweetness is gone,
you're left with a combo of slight bitter, toasty, and mild spices. Pretty damn
tasty.
Body: Fairly light. Light-to-medium body. Doesn't go down
like air, but certainly refreshing.
Pair: An array of Fall cheeses, stews, roasted meats. Mild
use of cinnamon is a nice intro to using the spice to flavor meat. Cinnamon +
pork is amazing. Trust me, the combo of cinnamon and savory flavors works well.
Overall, I'm quite impressed with this one. A far less
potent spice/pumpkin flavor allows the taste to slowly build on the tongue
over the course of each sip rather than hit you all at once. You don't get sick
of the flavor because of this buildup. Also, not overly sweet or cloying.
If you're a fan of Irish Reds or Octoberfest ales, this carries the toasty note
of amber malt those are loved for.
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