What Really Counts as a Disney Halloween Movie? (Ep. 40)

Is Coco really a Halloween movie? Does Return to Oz belong on your spooky-season watchlist? Eric and Lauren Hersey debate what makes a Disney Halloween classic, revisit the wonderfully weird Ernest Scared Stupid, and explore why movies like Hocus Pocus arrived in theaters months before October. Plus, they uncover the fascinating story of how Jim Hill and his writing partner nearly brought their own Haunted Mansion movie to life at Disney, not once, but twice.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Coco sparks a Halloween debate, raising questions about the differences between Día de los Muertos and traditional Halloween celebrations.• Return to Oz, Casper, and Hocus Pocus challenge the idea that Halloween movies need October release dates.• From Halloweentown to Maleficent, Eric and Lauren question which Disney movies really deserve a spot on the Halloween watchlist.• Ernest Scared Stupid gets a family rewatch, complete with surprising details about its elaborate animatronic troll costumes and Nashville filming locations.• Jim Hill's unproduced Haunted Mansion screenplay resurfaces, revealing how Disney considered bringing his story to the screen twice during the 1990s.

HOSTS

• Lauren Hersey - Instagram: @lauren_hersey_ | X/Twitter: @laurenhersey2• Eric Hersey - Instagram/X: @erichersey | https://strongmindedagency.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews• YouTube: @jimhillmedia• TikTok: @jimhillmedia• Website: https://www.jimhillmedia.com

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

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