The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (1979)

"The Halloween That Almost Wasn't" is a 24-minute Halloween television special from over 25 years ago that actually won an Emmy in a category where it basically only went against competition that also came from this film here. But I must say the Emmy win is fine. It is among the best aspects of the film easily. The acting is okay all in all, but the script is not too great. I know it tries to be 100% comedy and never scary, so it's suitable for young audiences too, but it does rarely work as a comedy I must say. It just wasn't funny enough as a whole. This is particularly disappointing as basically all the people working on this one, be it Judd Hirsch shortly before his Oscar nomination, the other actors or the writer and director, they were all pretty experienced in the world or film when this was made. All in all, not as good of a watch as I had hoped. Thumbs down and I can't recommend it.

I saw this special back in 1979, but at age 17 I was at least 10 years too old for it. Not that Halloween specials are known for their sophisticated humor, but this one manages to be inept even by that standard.THAT thing won an Emmy? It must have been a very weak year. This is for you if you're so young that you think showing four actors running fast-forward is clever. Showing people repeatedly swinging on a rope unsuccessfully definitely has its limits, even for slapstick. The appearance of the little kids at the climax was especially shameless. (I know they're supposed to seem "cute" and all, but call me WC Fields.)I know that Judd Hirsch and Mariette Hartley were talented comedians, but here those talents are definitely wasted. I must have seen a different show from what these other reviewers saw.Urrgh.

I've been watching this little movie for thirteen years (I'm that old--scary, huh?) and I love it now as much as I did when I first saw it.The plot is very simple: Dracula calls together a meeting of the world's most famous monsters because a rumor has started that Halloween is in danger of disappearing forever. During that meeting, the Witch admits that she doesn't want to be a witch anymore and won't fly her broom over the moon at midnight on the night before Halloween. Halloween can't start if she doesn't. She will only do it if Dracula follows a list of conditions. He won't, so she won't fly over the moon. That night, Dracula and the other monsters go to her castle to try to convince her to fly over the moon. After a few hilarious "ideas" from Igor, two children show up at the castle. The girl is dressed up like the Witch and that just about breaks the Witch's heart. She will fly over the moon only if Dracula promises to throw a Disco party afterward.Even though this special is dated, it is still very good and very funny. The acting is superb. I hope this makes it onto DVD at some point in time. Until then, I'll be happy with the old VHS tape I have.

I love this short film--it is hilarious, fun, witty, and also seems to get me excited about Halloween. Judd Hirsch is so funny, and he's a perfect Dracula. The rest of the cast is also great and they do a superb job at poking fun at the typical Hollywood monster.This movie is a must-see, and I've loved it since I first saw it about 12 years ago.