In a movie that’s quintessentially weird and kooky, the 45-minute Disney special Mr. Boogedy, which first played as part of The Disney Sunday Movie, is a must-watch this Halloween. After all, while some movies will always top the charts in October, like Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice and even The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mr. Boogedy is the perfect off-the-beaten-path choice, and it’s full of spooky moments, comedy, and, of course, some 1980s weirdness.
What Is ‘Mr. Boogedy’ About?
Mr. Boogedy, directed by Oz Scott, tells the story of a tight-knit family as they move into a new town, aptly named Lucifer Falls, and move into a haunted house. But, considering that the dad of the family (Richard Masur) owns a gag novelty shop, the family is no stranger to spooky sights and pranks left and right. In fact, the family takes a bit to realize some of their weird sightings are supernatural rather than them just playing with one another.
Once they do, the kids of the family go into town for some answers and learn that the house is being haunted by the evil spirit of Mr. Boogedy, as well as other ghosts who used to live in the house 300 years prior. Once they’re back, however, the dad doesn’t exactly want to leave. After all, as someone who’s made their money from pranks and gags, seeing a real-life monster would be quite a thrill. So, instead, the family stay together and try to protect each other. And that’s exactly when the scary Mr. Boogedy pays them a visit. In addition to Masur, the movie also stars Mimi Kennedy, a young Kristy Swanson and David Faustino, with a guest role from the original Gomez Addams himself, John Astin.
‘Mr. Boogedy’ Is the Perfect Dose of Weird
While the movie certainly does a great job building the tension before the Davis’ family’s meeting with Mr. Boogedy (who’s actually and unexplainably called the Boogedy Man instead), there’s strangeness packed into every nook and cranny of this movie. John Astin’s character Neil Witherspoon, for example, is one of the highlights of the special. In each of his lines, Astin is both funny and bizarre. He’s the town historian who knows everything, tries to warn and protect the kids, but ends up spooking them instead. In one of the most iconic moments, he repeats “Boogedy” three times to the kids before turning around, deadpanning, and leaving. It’s weird, head-scratching and a comedic performance for the books. Another notable character is, of course, Mr. Boogedy (Howard Witt) himself. While his appearance is certainly as frightening as legend has it, he, much like Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, can only say his name, Boogedy, over and over again. Plus, his limited dialogue coupled with his very questionable effects make for a monster that’s both funny and spooky.
Over the years, as more and more viewers discover the joys of Mr. Boogedy, the movie developed something of a cult following. So, if you’re looking for a new movie to watch this Halloween and keep you at the edge of your seat, look no further than this underrated crowd-pleaser. Plus, Mr. Boogedy was packaged into the even stranger sequel, Bride of Boogedy, in 1987, and it’s a double feature waiting to happen.
