I'll start off saying that I wouldn't really want a re-write or a reboot or something like that, but the way it could have been spread out was a missed opportunity I'll always lament on. What do you mean Gal? I'm glad you asked ghost in my corner! I mean to say that HT really could have been the Cromwell series and not just about my gurl Marnie. But instead ALL of the Cromwell children and their relations with magic and the magic worlds.
(Is she about to go into a tangent? Yes, yes she it)
Let's talk about little Sophie. Movie one demonstrates just how much more powerful she was to Marnie with her being much younger and already using magic without her knowledge. Now the argument could be that its just how all the children were since at that age of course they wouldn't know how to control their magic. However, never once was it mentioned either offhandedly or directly that Marnie or Dylan also experienced such a thing. Perhaps they did, but for argument sake, I'm only using the facts shown in the movies and the fact is, Sophie wanted that cookie and gonna get that cookie 🍪. All that being said, I wish we got more of Sophie and that struggle of obviously being the Family's prodigy but being overlooked by Aggie's favoritism towards Marnie (*I'll be going over this much much later in a different post 👀).
Perhaps we could have seen the fear that she'll never be as good as Marnie despite being stronger and since she's not getting that same level of training, Sophie might fear that her abilities will diminish instead of flourish into the Witch we all know she could be. I think the third movie should have been more about Sophie and that internal struggle of knowing deep down she's naturally stronger, but could never measure up to Aggie's high expectations. I'm not saying I'd like to see Sophie suffer or turn "Evil" but I'd love to see the turmoil that would arise from that internal struggle and how she views her relationships with her grandma and Marnie. Maybe she sees Aggie the way that her mother sees Aggie, maybe Sophie gets Gwen a little deeper. Maybe she understands Dylan in a way that makes Sophie a bridge between him and Marnie.
Speaking of Dylan. My poor boy, Dylan. OK, where to start. Oh, I know! (Bit of a rant incoming) How about the blatant disrespect for his boundaries and preferences? How many times has he stated he doesn't want to identify as a Warlock or that he doesn't feel comfortable with Magic to begin with? Since movie one this man has stated that he didn't like magic and that's more of a science guy. Cool, that's cool right? Nope, not for Marnie and Aggie apparently.
Yes, we all know that Dylans isn't the strongest warlock and that's because he has successfully locked it away within himself, that's his prerogative, he's happier with the "Normies" he's comfortable. Yet time and time again he's pushed into uncomfortable situations for the sake of Marnie's comfort (end of rant). Dylan is a muti-layered character that's actually very complex, however the story seems to continue this one note narrative of him being the "buzzkill" the "party-pooper" the one always complaining about having an amazing gift. But what may be a gift to you can be a curse to someone else. To Marnie, discovering that she's (genetically and historically) special was one of the greatest days of her life while simultaneously, it was crushing to Dylan. That gap of weirdness to normalcy has just widened and now its not as simple as being an outcast (for early 2000s standards lol) but it's inherently linked within. To Dylan, he knows he could never really be normal. Like Sophie, we really needed to see that turmoil played out without it being a joke because after the first and second movies, it's not funny anymore. He's not Marnie, he doesn't see Magic as a deep fundamental part of his being.
Can you imagine the feeling of being told your family name is important enough that it links to the founding of an entire world and that very world expects so much from you, but you don't have the drive to deliver? And why should you, it's just a name, right? You didn't choose to Heir from greatness, why is there so much pressure to do what you don't want to? That's what I think rings through Dylan. Because even in a place of Monsters and ghouls and magic, he's still the outcast. A Cromwell who doesn't have the ambition to become as great as their line before them? It's unheard of, it's strange. So, something must be wrong with them right? I think the fourth movie (we will FOREVER ignore HT4, what HT4?!) Should haven been about Dylan and his full acceptance as he is without the influence of his family. I think it should have been him going to a college of his own choosing (bc why would you make one child attend the same college as the other child just to keep an eye on them – uh, huh!?) we watch him find his footing and meets another witch/warlock who also finds mortal normalcy comforting. I think if he finds people like him who validates his feelings Dylan would be able to come to terms with so many internal struggles that be has such as he quiet resentment towards Marnie and Aggie. I think at even at a young age, Dylan truly understood Gwen and that's why he was always on her side with everything (also bc he's a mama's boy. Let's be real ✨️).
Often times I just that there were several missed opportunities for flesh out these characters and their importance in the world of Halloweentown and how they each interacted with their magical roots and culture.
I want to talk about Gwen as well, but I think that deserves its own post so I'll be doing another long one on her (and Aggie). But I will say you do look at things from her perspective as an adult in comparison as a child. I actually feel sort of sad for her, but I'll get into it soon. I have so many things to say about Halloween town and alot of the old 2000s disney spooky movies we grew up with and how they connect. I did an entire video on TT on how I believe HT and nightmare before Christmas is connected which I'll be placing here but in a more written cohesive format.
That's all I have for now, there's still so much i want to talk about, I'll be back soon 🖤
Happy spooky season Ghouls and Ghosties! I have another long theory for you involving two of my favorite brain rots; The Nightmare before Christmas (1993) and HalloweenTown (1998). In this theory, which is very much Crack, I'll explain why to me both these Halloween themed towns are the same place with a 5 year window between them changing the course of how the town and the townsfolk are represented.
Let's begin with our differing Mayors.
The Mayor
There is a five year difference between the movies, and if they use the same American standard Executive branch with a four year Mayoral run, that could potentially mean that the Two-faced Mayor of TNBC may have been in office as an “elective official” from 1993 to 1997. This would appear as if the Mayor was only recently elected as of the events of the movie, and I believe if that's the very case, that's why he continues to look to Jack for decisions. Could this indecisive, anxiety riddled political figure just be new into his role or has he been in office much longer? At the Very least we can assume Mayor Two-Face has been in office for at least one term, from at best 1993 to 1997. However we also have to look at the possibility that this could be his second term. If so that would mean he's been in the Mayor seat for about 8 years and we can estimate from 1989-1993 before getting reelected. In my theory Mayor Two-Face decided to not run for a third time (assuming he's even allowed) and instead endorsed another up and coming politician and HalloweenTown friendly face, Kalabar.
Whether Kalabar was endorsed or won the vote fair and square (but let's be honest, he probably didn't) is up for debate. Regardless, we can assume that Kalabar became the Mayor in 1997 at the age of possibly 29-30 before being defeated by the Cromwells a year later. Now, why would I mention his age? Let's put a pin in this and come back later. As of now let's look at how these Mayors affected the overall layout of the towns.
The Town
When the town is run by Two-Face, or better yet, influenced by Jack's authority, we see how more gothic, monochrome things look, more… grim and scary with sharp edges. It fits who Jack is and what he represented as the face of Halloween. And the residents reflect this, they're downright scary, popping out of staircases and beneath beds — This is Halloween — or importantly, this is *Jack's* Halloween. I think out of respect for who is in charge and keeping them safe from the mortal world the residents will reflect the aesthetic of the one in charge to maintain a happy environment.
This changes when Kalabar comes into office.
With Kalabar in office the town is more Spooky, not as scary with a more welcoming, small town in Autumn vibes with a more …human touch. For a town made of Monsters and Magic, there's an unmistakable humanness with the designs of the buildings, the stores, even the townsquare feels different. But why? Why change the town so much? I think it has to do with two of Kalabar’s ultimate obsessions; Power and Gwen Cromwell.
Gwen Cromwell
So we don't know who the Mayor was before Two-Face Which means we don't know who made the laws before he was elected. You may ask “Why is this relevant?” Well, let's shift over to HalloweenTown (‘98) and let's look at the Cromwell family, specifically Gwen Cromwell. Gwen, a young powerful Witch with a pool of magic at her fingertips, decided to rebel against her mother and went to a Halloween party in the mortal realm. It's here she met her soon to be husband — things we know— but we can assume that with Gwen being 30 years old in the ‘98 film and Marnie about to turn 13… that puts Gwen at 17 (in 1985) when she gave birth to Marnie, possibly 16 when she met her husband, William Piper (who we are going to assume was around the same age)…
Flash forward to 1998, five years after the events of TNBC, Gwen is 30, Marnie is 13.
All that to mean that while Gwen was a teenager the Mayor in charge was definitely not Two-Face. Why is this important? It makes us wonder who was the one making the strict laws about what is Halloween and what is not. It makes us wonder who has a strong disapproval or distaste for the mortal world that very few people are allowed to cross over. Now, we are definitely going into super crack-crack theory, but please stay with me. I believe the person who was Mayor before Two-Face, before Kalabar was… Oogie Boogie himself.
I'll even take it a step further and say that Oogie Boogie is Kalabar’s Father.
Kalabar and Oogie
I'm grasping at air with this one, but you've made it this far with me! We don't know much about Kalabar's family besides his son (which I have another theory on…) so who's to say that Oogie isn't his father? I think back to when Kalabar was trying to hide his identity and his scarecrow-cloth mask reminded me of the Oogie's burlap sack suit. Could this possibly be homage to his father? I believe so. But why? Well, let's go back to my thought that Oogie may have been the Mayor before Two-Face, slowly corrupted by Greed and power to overthrow the Royal family for their status and influence, things that Oogie may have felt belonged to him, he is the shadow on the moon at night, filling your dreams to the brim with fright — he's the Oogie Boogie man! The ultimate scare, The bump in the night, why isn't he in charge? For all we know Oogie could have been like the other Townsfolk, happy and having a good time but over time soured with the pressure of running a town that still looked to the Royal family for everything. What if his distaste, maybe even fear, of the mortal world is what made him ban all residents from entering the mortal world — for their protection, naturally. However, this ban wouldn't affect the strongest family in HalloweenTown meaning that the Cromwells and by extension the Skellingtons (we'll come back to this) are allowed to pass through the barriers into the mortal realm. I don't think Oogie knew about the other Holiday world and no one until Jack had walked further enough into the woods to stumble upon the doors.
Oogie was probably kicked out of Office and with the end of his political career, focused on being the gambling spook we know him as while he Plots revenge. So, where does Kalabar come in? Well, there's a possibility that Oogie was romantically involved with a Witch or Warlock in town and they had Kalabar that way, or, and what I believe is more plausible, Kalabar is a clone of Oogie. We have to ask ourselves is Oogie just millions of bugs under a cloth suit or was he turned into that through years of festering hatred and greed, stitched together in shadows and deceit? We don't know, but what we do know is that this Father-son duo have a few things in common such as their charming personalities, the ability to use magic and their lust for power. Could Kalabar have strived to become the Mayor to avenge his father and seek his own control over Halloween? Well, yes. But I want to take it a bit further. While Oogie's story is one of greed and hate, I think Kalabar’s story is one of love and hate. He loved Gwen as a teenager but when she fell in love with a human and left for the Mortal realm his already taught distaste for humans only intensified. I also think this is why under Kalabar the town was more “human” so he could prepare them for his takeover, so Gwen, who had chosen humans, could feel more willing to stay if her home reflected the world she chose.
So far I've linked the town's appearance through Mayoral influence and established the possible connection between the two baddies being father and son. Now let's venture on to what makes this theory of mind even more Crack.
The Cromwells and Skellingtons are related by blood.
The Royal family
I'll be the first to admit that HalloweenTown 4 is my least favorite of the movies and feels the least like a HT movie but there are a few elements from that movie that I'll use for this theory to work (in my opinion it's not even Canon without Kimberly Brown so….). We know that Angie's father was Marvin Cromwell, brother to Merlin, but we don't know about her Mother's side of the family and what their name was… perhaps it was Skellington? Perhaps a fleshier, younger Jack Skellington with no magical abilities grew up in the human world admiring his cousin and how strong she was, helped get the other monsters into their new world. I think after some years of ruling over HalloweenTown, establishing their safety, Aggie became weary of the responsibilities and pressures of being a princess, Aggie could have given her title to Jack making him the Pumpkin King.
The Nightmare Before Christmas and HalloweenTown have always been my favorite comfort movies ever since I was a child and the thought that they could be the same place was something that I've thought about for a while. Of course there's plenty of plot holes and more questions than answers but that's the fun — I want to keep working on this and piecing these worlds together because it's fun! I hope you enjoy my long crackhead ramble and hopefully it makes somewhat sense, I'm far from done with this — I haven't even mentioned all the prequel stuff or the tie-in books that could either expand ideas or crumble this whole thing altogether!
Hope you beautiful Bats have the Spookiest Halloween!!
