‘The Halloween Tree’ Makes For Grandiose Gateway Horror

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Sep 28, 2021

Gateway horror is so important. Horror interrogates and probes, illuminating the hidden evils in the world. In the vein of G.K. Chesterton’s most famous quote, horror reminds children that not only do monsters exist, but they can also be killed. Goosebumps, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and even Disney’s original Sleepy Hollow are gateway entries for young genre initiates to familiarize themselves with the tropes and themes of horror without the nightmare– as long as their parents don’t mind. Young children can identify and see themselves in roles the realities of their lives might often preclude them from. They can be horror heroes. One such film is The Halloween Tree.

The Halloween Tree is a 1993 animated horror fantasy produced by Hanna-Barbera, the inimitable American animation studio. It’s also based on the novel of the same name from gateway horror maestro Ray Bradbury himself. The story follows a group of trick-or-treaters who discover the origins of Halloween after one of their friends is taken away by mysterious forces. Bradbury himself narrates the seasonal spookshow, and the late Leonard Nimoy stars as Mr. Moundshroud, said to be a servant for both Chernabog (of Fantasia) and Count Dracula. He serves as the children’s guide through the history and influences of the holiday.

Mr. Moundshroud – full name Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud – is tall and gangly, with flaxen skin and a long, crooked nose. He’s often holding a jack-o-lantern, and for an entire generation of kids, he is Halloween incarnate. His image on the VHS cover, flying in the sky over the movie’s protagonists, is poetic, nostalgic, and incredibly exciting. Like the Halloween season itself, he’s floating on the periphery – everyone around him is eager for him to arrive.

The movie starts with the four kids dressing for Halloween. Jenny dresses as a witch, Ralph as a mummy, Tom as a skeleton (his last name is Skelton, so it’s a fitting choice), and Wally dresses as a monster. It’s candy corn seasonal porn – retro Halloween vibes lucidly animated and excitedly realized. When their friend Pip disappears in an ancient, gothic mansion, Mr. Moundshroud greets them. First, he accosts them for not knowing what their costumes mean, then offers to help them. If they follow him and learn the true meaning of their costumes, they might just be able to save Pip.


They first arrive in Egypt and learn of the Feast of the Ghosts, where ancient Egyptians would leave small boats in the river in honor of the god Osiris, and mummification rituals. Ralph is certifiably shaken. Pip is almost embalmed, though Ralph’s costume saves the day and they travel onward. They arrive in Stonehenge during the Dark Ages and Jenny is schooled on what witchcraft is and why it’s more than just a costume; for a great many people, it’s an identity.

They then travel to the Notre Dame Cathedral to learn of gargoyles and demons, and then Mexico to understand the significance of skeletons in Día de Los Muertos celebrations. The ending is especially poignant. The children fail their mission, having run out of time, and Mr. Moundshroud intends to keep Pip’s soul. Jenny, Ralph, Tom, and Wally, though, begin to bargain. They each offer one year from the end of their lives to save Pip’s. Mr. Moundshroud agrees, symbolizing the deal with sugar candy skulls with Pip’s name carved into it. The four kids are instructed to eat it, so they do and Pip’s soul is saved.

They arrive back home and Mr. Moundshroud’s Halloween Tree is blown away. All that remains is Pip’s pumpkin, rescued by his friends and their sacrifice. It’s an unconventional ending, one where the happy ending isn’t simply won, but fought for. With sacrifice, love, and the innate binds of friendship, Pip is saved. It’s a resonant message, one rendered all the more impactful on account of the horror elements. The scarier elements augment, rather than detract, from Bradbury’s core message. Ignorance can kill, but there is always an opportunity to do better and make things right.

The Halloween Tree is an incredible slice of gateway horror. Even 28 years after release, it stills airs regularly on network television during the Halloween season. Bradbury started writing horror novels at twelve, and The Halloween Tree is exactly the kind of movie that inspires and incites. With a dash of spooky and a smattering of scares, decades later, it’s poised to inspire an entirely new generation of horror fans. That’s a Halloween treat if I’ve ever seen one.

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