Fun Size

Premiered on October 26, 2012.

"Everyone loves Halloween especially in Cleveland.  When you’re known as “the mistake by the lake,” the chance to pretend you’re somebody else for a night sounds pretty good."

-Wren Desantis

Wren Desantis (Victoria Justice) is getting ready to celebrate Halloween in Cleveland, OH.  She's invited to attend a party by Aaron Riley (Thomas McDonell), a boy she likes.  Wren's friend April (Jane Levy) thinks the party would be great for her popularity. 

But Wren's plans are changed when her mother Joy (Chelsea Handler) tells her she needs to take her younger brother Albert (Jackson Nicoll) out trick or treating.   Wren and Albert's father has recently died and this will be their first Halloween without him.  Albert hasn't spoken since their father died.  Joy is busy attending a Halloween party with her new (much younger) boyfriend Keevin (Josh Pence).

All is going well until Wren loses Albert in a "haunted house" attraction.

She drops everything to find Albert.  She gets help from her "nerdy" friends Roosevelt (Thomas Mann) and Peng (Osric Chau).  Both boys are nursing crushes on Wren and April, respectively. Roosevelt offers to borrow his moms' car to assist in the search for Albert.  That is, if his moms (Ana Gasteyer and Kerri Kenny) give permission.

Joy's Halloween isn't going very well either.  She accompanies Keevin to a party hosted by his friend Brueder (James Pumphrey).   It's very loud and full of drunk people who are much younger than Joy, she feels out of place.

Albert ends up in a local convenience store where he befriends a clerk named Fuzzy (Thomas Middleditch).  They embark upon adventures, attempting to play Halloween pranks on Fuzzy's ex and her new boyfriend Jorgen (Johnny Knoxville).

Albert and Fuzzy team up!

Will the Halloween misadventures work themselves out?  Will Wren find Albert in time to get to Aaron's party?

Four teenagers in a Volvo on Halloween night.  What could possibly go wrong? 

J.A. Morris says:
Fun Size is not very good, there's no sugarcoating it.  On a positive note, the "romantic leads" Victoria Justice and Thomas Mann are decent (if not great) actors and they seem like nice kids.  Jane Levy is pretty good at making the "stinkface" expression.

I haven't seen Chelsea Handler act before, she's okay too.  And I'm always happy to see Ana Gasteyer (one of my favorite 90s SNL vets),even if her role isn't great. 

Kerri Kenny and Ana Gasteyer as Roosevelt's moms.

Albert meets a woman who's dressed as Galaxy Scout (Riki Lindhome), his favorite comic book character and is smitten.  Their moments of interaction feel sweet and genuine.

However, Fun Size feels like several bits of movies stuck together that don't add up to a whole movie.  We get a speech from Joy about how tough it is to be a single mother.  I'm sure it is and I have lots of respect for single moms.  But Joy's speech feels like it was phoned in from a much more serious movie.

There's also an awkward combination of the sort of humor found in sitcoms aimed at "tweens" and R-rated gross-out comedies.  When Roosevelt backs his car into a chicken restaurant, the car gets..."violated" by a robotic chicken.

At one point, April tells Wren that she accidentally put Nair on her butt.  This "plot point" exists so the Nair can cause Roosevelt's cat to get sick.

Albert and Wren are both placed into great danger when Albert is held captive by Jorgen. I have a pretty good sense of humor and I know this is just a movie, but child-endangerment isn't funny.

Fun Size is available on DVD and Blu-ray and can also be streamed on Amazon.

Unless you're a hardcore fan of any of these actors, there's not a lot to recommend in Fun Size.

J.A. Morris' rating:

1 and a half jack o'lanterns.

Galaxy Scout to the rescue!

RigbyMel says:

I really want to like Fun Size more.  There are not all that many feature-length Halloween movies out there, and in some regards,  Fun Size gives an overview of various ways of celebrating the occasion.
We see a truly massive and impressive trick or treat scene ...

the teen house party ...

Cute boy Aaron serenades Wren

the college (ish) aged dance party ...

Albert and Galaxy Girl tearing up the dance floor

and the man-child house party.

Wren's mom Joy is not as comfortable partying with 20-somethings as she'd hoped.

We get all manner of Halloween pranks, inversion and mayhem and costumes galore.

Albert and Fuzzy attempt to TP someone's abode.

There's even a walk through haunted house attraction AND a visit to a costume store.

The young actors are all appealing in their roles too.

There's even an appearance by Aaron Burr -- so to speak -- that would probably play better in this post-Hamilton world.

Peng is not throwing away his ... shot!

Unfortunately,  Fun Size never quite decides what audience it wants to play to -- family fun of the Nickelodeon/Disney Family persuasion or teen gross-out comedy a la American Pie.  Since it can't decide, it tries to cram everything it can into a less than 90 minute feature (that feels like it was originally shot for a television audience -- look at all the shot reverse shot sequences throughout the film).  As a result, the whole thing never quite gels into anything coherent,  which is a shame, because with a little more thought, it could have become a Halloween "classic."

As it is, though, Fun Size feels more like a missed opportunity.  

RigbyMel's rating:

2 jack o'lanterns

Beavis and Butt-Head: "Bungholio: Lord of the Harvest (aka Butt-O-Ween)"

Premiered October 31, 1995.

Beavis: That sucks that we're like, too old to get candy.
Butt-Head: No way Beavis, they're aren't any laws about Halloween.

It's Halloween in Highland and kids are trick or treating.

Beavis and Butt-Head (both voiced by Mike Judge) hadn't realized this. After getting clocked for taking candy from kids, they become angry that they're now too old to get free candy.

Beavis and Butt-Head decide to create make-shift costumes and go trick or treating anyway.  The boys are rebuffed at every house, everyone says they're too old for Halloween.

When they arrive at the home of their neighbor Tom Anderson (Judge again), he's going to turn them away too, but his phone rings.

While Anderson is distracted, Beavis finds a bowl of Halloween candy and consumes every piece of it in seconds.  Beavis is suddenly transformed into his hyperactive alter-ego, the Great Cornholio!

As Cornholio, he continues to roam the streets of Highland, terrorizing children and eating their candy.  (As well as pissing off Butt-Head who still hasn't gotten any candy.)

Beavis & Butt-Head meet ... The Great Pumpkin? 

Beavis and Butt-Head later encounter local tough guy Todd (Rottilio Michieli).  Butt-Head wants to hang out with Todd and his crew, but he ends up being thrown in the trunk of Todd's car.

The night grows late and the trick or treaters are fewer and further between.
Cornholio and Butt-Head find themselves in a deserted field near a graveyard ...

RigbyMel says:

I remember watching this when it first aired.  I always enjoyed Beavis and Butt-Head in small doses (and my younger brothers were HUGE fans).  Having been on the receiving end of the "aren't you too old to be trick or treating?" wheeze from adults, I can understand the duo's frustration.  Their methods, however, are ... questionable.

The Halloween hijinks and mayhem are right in line with what you'd expect from two dim-bulb. miscreants such as Beavis & Butt-Head.  It's a nice touch that they initially didn't even know it was Halloween and mistake trick or treaters coming to their door for salespeople giving out free samples.

The Doofus Duo shows off their "costumes"

Their eventual "costumes" are painfully uninspired  -  Beavis puts his underwear on his head and says he's a "nad" and Butt-Head elects to pour hot melted cheese over his head in order to be nachos. (Ouch!)

Beavis terrorizes the Red Ranger (and his parents)!

We see 90s relic kids out and about dressed as Power Rangers (both Red and White Ranger costumes are seen during this cartoon), which may add a twinge of nostalgia for cartoon viewers of a certain age.

It's also evident that Mike Judge (who created the series and voices the titular morons) had a lot of fun doing the voice-over work for our "heroes" in this episode.   Some of Cornholio's rantings are particularly inspired.

Cornholio strikes fear in the hearts of the hapless Stewart Stevenson and friends

The only issue I have with this special is the ending -- which feels like it flew in out of a (mild SPOILER) slasher movie.   I think it could've ended a minute or two sooner to no ill effect.

If you're a fan of Beavis & Butt-Head and want to revisit the 1990s (or see a Halloween special very much situated in said decade) "Bungholio: Lord of the Harvest" is worth checking out but I cannot quite give it my highest rating.

RigbyMel's rating:

3 jack o'lanterns

J.A. Morris says:

Beavis and Butt-Head was a polarizing series two decades ago.  It's funny to think about that now, since they seem so tame by today's standards.  It might sound simple, but if you enjoyed Beavis and Butt-Head, you'll like this episode, since it's a typical episode with some nice Halloween elements thrown in to the mixture.

The boys' hippie teacher Mr. Van Driessen sports a Nixon mask--the scariest thing he can think of!

I enjoyed "Bungholio: Lord of the Harvest" and laughed out loud more than I expected.  Beavis' talking into the mirror, rehearsing his "How's it goin'...I'm a nad" introduction is particularly funny.

I agree with RigbyMel about the joy on display when Mike Judge is voicing Cornholio.  I would guess that lots of Cornholio's rants were ad-libbed on the spot by Judge.

I also share my co-blogger's disappointment with the ending.  It seems like Judge and company just ran out of ideas.  But that's not enough to ruin what comes before.

This episode can be streamed on Amazon  and has been released on dvd.

"Bungholio: Lord of the Harvest" is a very funny Halloween episode.  If you were in high school or college (like I was) during Beavis and Butt-Head's heyday, this will be a nice way to get reacquainted with the boys, and newcomers will also likely enjoy it.  The lackluster ending means "Bungholio" gets slightly less than my highest rating.

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 and a half jack o'lanterns

My So-Called Life: "Halloween"

Premiered October 27, 1994

"When I was little I, like, worshipped Halloween. And truthfully, part of me still does. 'Cause it's your one chance all year to be someone else. I wanna be someone else, but to wear, like, an actual costume to school is too scary." -Angela Chase

Angela looking through a jack o'lantern - or is the jack o'lantern looking through her?

At the beginning of this episode of My So-Called Life, Angela is thinking about how much she loved Halloween as a kid. She also is feeling a bit self-conscious about doing the whole dress up thing at school this year, though. Little sister, Danielle had planned to be Catwoman, but now says she can't because another girl in her class is already dressing up in the same costume. Their mother, Patty suggests her old flapper dress as a possible costume option for both girls. Neither is the least bit interested in their Mom's suggestion.

Patty is having issues with a problem employee and talks to her husband Graham about it. She then remembers that they've been invited to a friend's costume party and laments the fact that she forgot to get costumes for them. Graham suggests Patty wear the flapper dress. Patty rejects this notion too.

Later that day at Liberty High School, we see lots of people getting into the Halloween spirit. We see Angela's classmate, Sharon dressed in a catsuit. Her classmates mock her for wearing a "ratsuit". In English class, the teacher Ms. Lerner (dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi!), asks where Jordan Catalano (the "bad boy" Angela has a crush on) is and if anyone knows him. Ms. Lerner asks Angela to deliver a message to Jordan: If he doesn't show up to the next English class, he will be expelled.

English teacher in Obi Wan Kenobi gear for Halloween - "You want to read new books. You want to study."

Between classes, Angela's friend Rayanne (dressed as a vampire) is shaving her legs in the girl's restroom. She spots Brian (a socially awkward "bookish" boy who lives next to Angela, whom he secretly crushes on) scoping her legs as the restroom door swings shut. Rickie (a boy who normally wears makeup) shows up dressed as "Brian" for Halloween. He's followed by Angela, who is carrying a library book for the English class reading assignment. Rayanne has decided that Angela needs to dress up for Halloween too and has some 1960s era clothes for her. They talk about Nicky Driscoll, a Liberty High student who died at the school on Halloween night in the early 1960s. Rayanne, Rickie and Sharon all tell different urban legend-ish tales the about cause of Nicky's untimely demise. Rayanne shares that her aunt once rode on the back of Nicky's bike when she was in high school, and tells Angela her "costume" consists of clothes that once belonged to the aunt. It also turns out Angela's book had once been checked out by Nicky Driscoll!

Angela in her 1960s costume doing a bit of research on Nicky Driscoll

While walking up the stairs, Angela sees Nicky...or thinks she does(?). Jordan appears in the same spot where Nicky was standing. She tells Jordan he needs to show up at class or he's expelled. He tells he he doesn't care and walks away.

Meanwhile, Angela's parents visit a costume shop, it's Halloween, so there aren't many left to rent. The shop owner suggests Rapunzel for Patty and a Pirate for Graham. They're reluctant, but they don't really have a choice, because they waited until the last minute.

As school is letting out for the day, Rayanne tells Angela that she talked to her friend Tino about Angela's book. Tino has agreed to meet them at school that night to help them stage a seance and contact the soul of Nicky Driscoll! Rayanne thinks this is a perfect Halloween pastime, but Rickie thinks it is a bad idea. Brian overhears them talking about the seance and wonders if he's invited.

Back at the house, Danielle has put on one of Angela's flannel shirts and is imitating her voice and mannerisms. She's found her costume! Later that night, Sharon stops by to pick up a dish, she ends up going Trick Or Treating with Danielle.

Later that evening, Rayanne is drinking alone outside the school while waiting for Tino. Brian shows up and startles her. He is soon followed by Rickie and Angela. Tino never shows, Rayanne determines that they should break into school and write "Nicky Driscoll Was Here" on the gym floor as a Halloween prank. Rickie takes off, he's had enough. Rayanne discovers that Brian knows a "clever chess club" way to get into the school without setting off the alarm.

An assortment of scenes from the episode - Vampire Rayanne, Danielle as Angela, 1960s Angela, Cat/Rat Sharon

Once the three teens get inside the school, they become separated and spookiness ensues ... you'll have to watch the episode to find out what else happens!

RigbyMel says:

I must admit that I was a bit "late to the party" where My So-Called Life is concerned. I never had a chance to see the series until a couple of years ago. Having watched it though, I agree with a lot of what fans of the show raved about - this is a richly textured show with a lot going on and is also one of the more sensitive portrayals of what it is actually like to be a teenager. There is so much going on in the show, that I've found it a bit hard to review as a "stand alone" episode.

That being said, I love the way that Halloween and growing up are dealt with in this episode. Angela wants to participate in Halloween like she did when she was younger, but feels constrained by her teenaged self-consciousness. Sharon goes trick or treating with Angela's kid sister because she (Sharon) wants to feel like a kid one more time. Rickie tries on the role of "good kid" (i.e., Brian), while Brian tries out a "bad boy" persona. Little Danielle both resents and wants to be her big sister/to grow up. There are parallels between Nicky, the bad boy who died young and Jordan, the bad boy in danger of expulsion. It even shows how Halloween can allow older folks (like Angela's parents) an opportunity to let their hair down. There is even a bit of a magical realism "ghost story" element to the plot. The show really captures a lot of different aspect of what makes Halloween fun.

My only reservation about declaring this a "classic" Halloween show is my doubt as to whether it stands alone without people having to watch the entire series. However, it really is a fun episode and a great series that deserves to be watched in its entirety, so maybe my doubts don't matter much.

My rating:
3.5 jack o'lanterns


J.A. Morris says:
I'll admit that I'm a huge fan of this series. I watched the premiere of the Pilot episode back in the Fall of 1994 and I was hooked. I had just graduated from college, I wasn't the same age as the main characters, but Angela, Rickie, Rayanne & Brian reminded me of people I knew. Their dialogue still sounds believable, right down to the frequent use of the word "like" as a conversational space-filler. I counted 25 uses of "like" in this context during 'Halloween' (Brian:"My hobby is photography, so I'm, like, trained to notice stuff."). It stills feels like the most true to life depiction of teenagers in the history of television.

But this episode is a bit of a departure. Angela may or may not see and talk to the "ghost" of Nicky Driscoll. Do the writers want us to believe "Nicky" is real or just a dream? This is odd for a show that's all about "realistic" portrayals of suburban teens. It used to bug me, but now I think of this as a case of "Anything can happen in a Halloween episode".

RigbyMel mentioned the role-reversals of Brian & Ricky, I'll add Rayanne to the mix. She spends most of the series picking on Brian and acting like a devil-may-care party animal. But when Rayanne and Brian are forced to spend time together (some of my favorite scenes of the whole series), she treats him with respect (okay, a modicum of respect) and shares things with him about her life that she normally wouldn't share with anyone. The scene where she coaches Brian through a lie to his mother on the phone is priceless! The acting talents of AJ Langer (Rayanne) and Devon Gummersall (Brian) really shine through in 'Halloween'.

My rating:
4 jack o'lanterns