(Original 1982 Movie Poster)
Those of you who are Disney fans like me have probably seen the whole catalog of movies that have been made over the years, but HAVE you seen the lost 1982 horror film that was BANNED because it was way too scary for it’s audience?
This is the movie Disney doesn’t want you to see! And I am here to punch it out into the open for more people to discover it, because it’s too good of a masterpiece to be hidden in the shadows for all this time.
When talking about live action Disney films, obviously that predate the cash grab ones we have in the current day, Disney actually took pride in making decent films that stepped away from its traditional animated format. Most people who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s remember live action Disney films like, Tron, Race to Witch Mountain, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Flight of the Navigator. Which were all well made and still hold up to this day, but I am more talking about on the horror spectrum of things, movies that gave kids nightmares like, The Watcher in the Woods, and Return to OZ.
Disney had a habit of really pushing the envelope into the genre of horror, which was a big leap for them since they were branded as a family friendly company with cute fluffy animals that sing, but in the 1980’s, it was a dark time for the company. As their animated films were not really gaining any success, until the hit 1989 classic, The Little Mermaid, which lead into the Disney animated renaissance in the 1990’s.
Something Wicked This Way Comes, is a very eerie movie in the Disney catalog, as it has been widely forgotten and cast aside after all this time. The movie features, a kid’s head getting sliced by a guillotine, a father having guilt of not being worthy in the eyes of his son, a lightning rod salesman who gets fried in a electric chair, a creepy carousel that can change people’s ages, a scary undead fortune teller witch, and possibly one of the most horrifying villains ever put to screen, the infamous Mr. Dark..
Mr. Dark is possibly one, or if not the most horrifying villain I've ever seen in a kids movie. He’s like the kid catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang, Bang, the slave dealing coachman from Pinocchio, and Satan, all wrapped into one character.. He is a Disney villain everyone is sleeping on. He SHOULD be known more because he scared the absolute heck outta me.. Mr. Dark can scare anyone of any age, because he represents the lust of temptation and the essence of pure evil.
So, how did the movie become so forgotten? Why did Disney choose to abandon it?, Why did it get poor reception? Let’s find out! But first, we need some history!
(Original Cover of the 1962 Novel)
Something Wicked This Way Comes, is a 1962 horror/ fantasy novel written by si-fi and fantasy genius Ray Bradbury, who also wrote classics such as, Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Dinosaur Tales, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and a series of Halloween short stories, The October Country, and The Autumn People.
Bradbury ORIGINALLY wrote this as a screenplay to be adapted into a horror/ fantasy movie in the 1950’s where actor Gene Kelly was absolutely fascinated by the story, and instantly wanted to adapt it into a musical. Unfortunately to Kelly’s surprise, no studio at the time wanted to pursue the project, so it was put on hold, and was revitalized in the late 60’s again but still did not get off the ground.
Actor Kirk Douglas bought the rights and wanted to play the role of Mr. Halloway, but nothing came into production with this attempt of adaptation. Director Sam Peckinpah, for a short time tried to do an adaptation as well, but that never got off the ground either.
It wasn’t until Disney took the license in the late 70’s and agreed to adapt the story into a full length movie, with Bradbury at the helm.
Oddly enough, the screenplay was submitted to Steven Spielberg, who turned down the opportunity, which is absolutely ridiculous because this seems like a movie he would totally knock out of the park since he worked on Casper, Poltergeist, E.T, and Monster House.
Then, horror novelist Stephen King wrote a screenplay for the movie, which was ultimately rejected by Bradbury.
There’s a ton of interesting faces who wanted or were suggested to jump into the train to make this movie, but either things didn’t go as planned or Bradbury wanted to keep it as true to his novel as possible. Although, I am still curious as too see what a Stephen King or Spielberg adaptation would’ve been like. I am still flabbergasted that no studio during the 60’s wanted to pick up this movie! As there were whacky fantasy kids movies like Marry Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, so it would’ve fit perfectly! I imagined it as a creepy kids musical with psychedelic elements, which would’ve been so cool!
Especially since Dick Van Dyke was offered the role as the father Mr. Halloway, which he would’ve knocked out of the park!
( Mr. Dark being a CREEPY dude with the kid’s faces tattooed on his palms)
Following the 1982 movie, it was directed by Jack Clayton, who also directed the 1970’s adaptation of, The Great Gatsby. The music scored by a very young James Horner, who went on to compose the music for, Titanic, Braveheart, Jumanji, Legends of the Fall, and Casper. And of course Ray Bradbury at the helm, making sure his creation is just as true as the book.
The movie stars Jason Robards as Mr. Halloway, and Johnathan Price as the eccentric Mr. Dark, whom you may remember from Terry Gilliam’s si-fi flick, Brazil. Which absolutely blows my mind, because, he plays a guy filled with anxiety in the other movie, and in this movie, he plays a demonic circus master. Really shows his range of acting!
The main plot follows our two protagonists, Will Halloway and his troublemaking friend, Jim Nightshade. They are two kids who wander around town and do normal crazy boy things. Jim’s father is the local librarian and he is kinda depressed because he’s becoming older in his years, and he thinks he isn’t worthy in the eyes of his son. There’s a creepy circus that rolls into the small town over night during a raging thunderstorm, as it magically appears in the field by the forest.
The boys are obviously curious and go to investigate, finding that many of the townsfolk have come to visit, but soon end up becoming totally different people! As the kids figure out that there’s a foreboding magic upon the circus, and everyone who enters. A person’s deepest wish, any desire they have, can be granted, with a price naturally.. the price of their soul.
The two boys find the magical carousel, under a tarp, as it’s off limits, but they trespass anyways. They soon meet the proprietor of the circus, Mr. Dark, who immediately entrances the boys with his magic tricks and strangely moving tattoos.
He tells the boys to come back, but doesn’t expect them to see what he’s been doing in secret! As the boys witness Mr. Dark turn his one employee into a child on the backwards carousel.
Dark soon realizes the boys have seen too much, and goes on a vicious chase, to hunt the boys down and claim them as his new victims. He’s a wolf without the sheep’s clothing, and he’s a madman on a mission to capture these boys for himself.
One of the most terrifying scenes is the final confrontation between Mr. Halloway and Mr. Dark in the town’s library. As Mr. Dark bribes him that if he tells where the boys are, he can make him younger again, so he wouldn’t seem a disappointment to his son for being old. He then rips pages out of a book saying the various age numbers he could send him back, as he gets frustrated that Mr. Halloway doesn’t budge.
Dark gets furious and goes to find the boys in the library like a complete creep! As he calls for the boys names and says to them that he’d be a better father to them than they could imagine.
The scene is absolutely terrifying, and chills me to the bone, but so masterly acted!
There’s lots more I could ramble about, but I don’t want to spoil the whole movie so I will not discuss the plot any further.
( Mr. Halloway, his son Will, and that troublesome kid, Jim)
The movie, surprisingly enough has an original rejected cut, that has been recently found as of fall 2023, by the Ray Bradbury archives. There’s not too much known on this scrapped version, as it was completely finished until it had to be reshot. But there’s rumor of a dance number or song at the end of the movie with Will and Mr. Halloway. As of the time of me writing this in spring 2024, it is unclear if this version will be leaked and viewable to the public, due to Disney’s harsh restraints on the property.
There is a slight possibility this story connects with the other Bradbury stories like October Country, The Halloween Tree, and The Autumn People, as one of the lines Mr. Halloway says in the library scene, “ I know who you are, you are the Autumn People”, as Mr. Dark lumbers closer to him. I know there is a short story featured in the 1980’s horror anthology TV series, Ray Bradbury Theatre, called The Black Ferris, which is also about a haunted carnival. So, it’s possible, based on similar themes and references, that there is a precursor to how the evil carnival came to be, and its legacy on the small town.
With all of this praise and information on the film, there’s still the eternal question, why hasn’t this film been talked about more?
I think one of the reasons for its unknown nature, is that quite frankly, Disney just doesn’t want you to see it. Plain and simple.
Fans of the movie, who grew up watching it in the theatre, or buying it on VHS, or seeing it briefly on cable in the 90’s, are still enamored by this dark fantasy film years later. The movie has become a cult classic, and has been asked repeatedly to be released on 4K or the Disney + streaming service, but still no response despite the fans being adamant.
Disney wants you to forget about this movie, and they want the general public to never see it. That will never be the case as it will always be leaked somewhere and talked about on various horror/ movie platforms.
With the ever so popularity of Disney Villains, it deeply saddens me that NOBODY remembers Mr. Dark, as although he may not be an animated villain, he’s still one of the absolute worst baddies in the whole Disney universe. I demand merch for this movie, let alone a Loungefly purse on the market, or even a shirt or two. Disney has got to release something, because they can’t hide from it forever, as a similar situation happened with their banned animated film, The Black Cauldron, Which has become a cult classic with tons of merchandise being released in recent years.
There has been rumors of a remake in the works, either coming in 2025 or 2026. Yet there is no definitive confirmation or release date, there has been interest on remaking the cult classic. With that being said, it would be very tough to recapture the excellent performance of Price as Mr. Dark. He was perfect for the role, and I doubt it could be done better by anyone.
( Mr. Dark interrogating the lighting rod salesman in a electric chair)
With all of this information provided, I personally think everyone should see this movie, not because it has become one of my favorites, but for it’s unique storyline, it’s creepy imagery and it’s morals about not rushing your life, and enjoying what you have in front of you.
The cast is great, the effects are relatively good for the time period, and the musical score by James Horner is fantastic as always.
Pick up a copy on VHS, or DVD, to see this lost Disney masterpiece of horror. The movie, they want you to forget about, but with the process of circulation and exposure, this film can be revitalized into the public eye as a creepy classic.
The movie heartily deserves the recognition and respect it so richly needs, Hocus Pocus came back into the public eye after being forgotten for years on end, and now it’s a cultural phenomenon! Same can be done for this movie, within good time obviously.
Give it a chance, it will not disappoint!
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