Witch's Night Out

Director - John Leach (The Gift of Winter)
Starring - Gilda Radner (Haunted Honeymoon), Bob Church (Videodrome), and John Leach
Release Date - 1978
Genre - Children's
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     With Halloween just a few days away I try to watch films that are oriented towards children for the holiday.  I watch the bloody and gory horror flicks all year so when Halloween rolls around I watch the films I watched when I was a kid.  While most go on a movie binge watching the same films over and over again I relive my childhood.  Last month I made contact with Mill Creek Entertainment and they told me about their October releases.  Among those releases was the 1978 animated movie Witch's Night Out.   I had never seen that film before but if it involved witches and took place on Halloween then I'm all over it.  I reached out to them about their release and they were kind enough to send me a copy!
     The film follows a witch (voiced by Gilda Radner) who is depressed that no one celebrates Halloween the correct way anymore.  However, she has her wish when she meets a pair of kids who want to be scary for Halloween.  She turned them into a werewolf and a ghost along with turning their babysitter into Frankenstein's monster. The kids have a little fun but they scare the towns people.  They mistake them for real monsters and form a mob to rid their town of the beasts.  They chase the kids and the witch has to step in to remind everyone about what Halloween is all about.  Then she transforms them into beasts and they enjoy the holiday.
     What I love about children's Halloween films is that they are so wound up with the holiday.  Every scene and every second has something to reference about the holiday and that should be the point of these films. That was one of the many reasons I really enjoyed this film.  It was honestly a Halloween film for those that want to see a film for Halloween.  The voice acting in this one is fun.  Gilda Radner was perfect in her role but the others just did not fit their characters.  The voice just doesn't match their personalities.  A little more thought in the casting would have helped this film out a lot.  The story for this one is simple and fun for the holidays.  It focuses on the light-hearted side of Halloween with kids trying to scare adults and dressing up for the holiday.  Fans of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and The Halloween Tree will enjoy this one.  Finally, the animation for this one is simple and somewhat fun.  The artists doesn't try to give the characters a great deal of detail.  They all are one color with no separation from clothes to skin.  Overall, Witch's Night Out is a Halloween classic and fun for the whole family.  If you have yet to see this one then head out to your local Wal-Mart and grab it for a great price!