With the theatrical premiere of the very firstEvil Deadin 1983 being enormously successfulat the box officeandReturn of the Jedieasily overshadowing anything that came before it, you could say that Disney sorrily never had a chance with the cinematic adaptation of a beloved Ray Bradbury dark fantasy novel that released that same year. Bruce Campbell’s supernatural horror satisfied moviegoers who were looking for scares, and George Lucas’ science fiction epic mesmerized those who were into the fanatical. Unfortunately, Disney’s contender also went through directing mishaps, massive rewrites, and financial burdens that destroyed any chance it had at the movie theater. Garnering only half of its budget back,Something Wicked This Way Comessurprisingly redeems itself forty years later by holding strong with reception and reviews that show it’s a worthy watch.
While it did bomb at the box office when it premiered in April 1983, legendary critic Roger Ebert actually gave this creepy feature three and a half stars out of four. Fast-forward to the current day, and positive sentiment for the movie only grows. The critic consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says that the movie tries balancing pure terror and ol’ fashioned wholesomeness. . . We all know that yesteryear’s House of Mouse was a bit bolder when it came to nightmare-inducing ideas.
While the movie does incorporate the usual themes of good versus evil and has children as protagonists, the bizarre imagery at times and the morbid character arcs makeSomething Wicked This Way Comesa very underrated entry into the line-blurring mystique of children’s horror. Let’s dive deeper into the fictional setting of Green Town, Illinois, and the paranormal dangers that await, shall we?
An Evil Carnival That Lures Children And Adults
Even though the movie’s intended for the younger audience (as we follow along with two young boys named Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade),the original authortook it upon himself to highlight adults' needs, too. In the small rural city thatSomething Wicked This Way Comestakes place, many grown-ups are depicted with strong desires for youth once again. Mrs. Foley (Will’s and Jim’s teacher) wants to be young and beautiful. Bartender Ed, who lost an arm and a leg, longs for the day when he is fully mobile. Crosetti, the barber, lusts after cotton candy and the touch of a woman. Two of these characters meet horrible fates. That alone should tell you that this Disney movie should be taken seriously.
Disney’s Dark Era: Exploring the Darker Phase of the ‘70s and ‘80s
Disney’s Dark Era saw more inventive, mature, and dark movies. Let’s explore this phase of the company.
The main antagonistof this movie comes in the form of Mr. Dark, who is excellently portrayed by Jonathan Pryce. As he is the one who leads the Pandemonium Carnival, as well as all the other villains, into town, an emphasis is placed on a hidden carousel that can make you older or younger again. Upon seeing it, our young best friends suddenly run into conflict.
Jim envies Will being older and wants to ride the machine to change his weakness into a strength. As this situation becomes tense between the boys at times, it’s very interesting to see the same temptation that plagued numerous adults wash over the younger characters, but just in the opposite way. While the horror is not blunt and in your face, the possibility of a nefarious deal brought upon a child in the same way that it cursed the other citizens of Green Town is very alarming.
Death Is Not Uncommon In This Disney Movie
Two very important sequences inSomething Wicked This Way Comestruly set this film apart from others inthis horror subgenre. Towards the end of the film, Mr. Dark eerily stalks the two boys around a library and ends up capturing them. Trying to distract, Will’s father (played by Jason Robards) is caught in Mr. Dark’s crosshairs and left suffocating by a dust witch, one of Mr. Dark’s minions. Right before, Mr. Dark came forward from the shadows and delivered a monologue revealing what his traveling circus was all about. He says, “As they are always hungry, people’s torments call them like dogs in the night. They butter their bread with people’s delicious pain, finding it all sweet”. Mr. Dark is truly anunderrated Disney villainthat should come alive again for modern audiences.
15 Children Who Go Through a Lot in Horror Movies
We’ve compiled a list of 10 kids who deserve a bit of a vacation after what they’ve gone through in horror films.
While that showed audiences the ghastly origins of Mr. Dark, the carnival troupe also held a parade through the town ina very eerie sequence. While the people living there thought everything about this was good-natured, this was actually a funeral march intended to find the boys who had seen too much. In the midst of Dark’s conspirators walking the streets, there was also a blind Mrs. Foley and a child-sized version of Ed with foreboding eyesbut unable to speak. This symbolizes that all of those carnival workers who arrived with Dark were once adults who wanted their wishes to come true too, but instead realized too late that they made a deal with the devil.
WithSomething Wicked This Way Comesoffering an endless amount of explicit and symbolic themes that border on the more terrifying side of human morality, this older Disney movie should not be missed.
