Mark's Reviews

     The "Shortstober with Big City Greens" is a delightful and fun collection of vaguely Halloween-related shorts. Most are references to other Disney properties such as Amphibia or the Ghost and Molly McGee and if you are as unfamiliar with this material as much as I was you might not get the context of the references. But regardless I thought this collection of shorts were great. Fun, funny, creative, whimsical, and wholesome. Also makes me want to watch the Big City Greens and other shows featured.    Family-friendly but(Don't Read further if you don't want a spoiler) there is a scene where a ghost eats too much Halloween candy and vomits--its portrayed in a cute and humorous sort of way but might be too gross for some.    Its great and my favorite of the more modern shorts I've reviewed for Halloween/Spooky season. Still its scattered and some of the references might be lost on you if you aren't familiar with the different shows referenced. For th...

     Mickey's Wonderful World of Autumn is cute, charming, and funny and I love the cameos of some classic Disney characters. It's good and I prefer it over the Spooktacular special I reviewed earlier. That said, it doesn't rise to the greatness of classic shorts like "Lonesome Ghosts" or "The Old Mill". I do enjoy this colorful fall-themed special though.      It's very family-friendly and for people of all ages.     It's A tier, 9 out of 10. 

            Mickey's Halloween Spooktacular is a charming and funny Halloween special featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as well as Huey, Duey, and Louie, and some mouse kids who I presume are relatives of Mickey.     It's a familiar formula,  a larger framework story containing three short stories. They are amusing, and Mickey's shift from over-the-top glee at trying to spook the children to his extreme frustration at failing to tell a scary story is a highlight, and I found it very amusing. But overall I prefer the more classic Disney cartoons like Lonesome Ghosts or Trick or Treat.    It's mostly family-friendly and appropriate for its intended child audience.  But (Don't read the next part if you don't want spoilers) some thematic elements in the third short might seem quite disturbing for a children's show if you think too much about it as it involves a witch that makes pies out of naughty children.  ...

     The "Old Mill" is the most charming and beautiful short film I have ever seen. I love it!      Adorable Animals reacting to a terrifying storm accompanied by beautiful classical-style music. It's absolutely a stellar and flawless experience and a marvelous work of art.      It's extremely family-friendly, though the storm might be quite scary for very young children.     I love it! It's the best short I have seen. An S+ and a 10 out of 10! Flawless experience!

     The Uninvited NES game, which I actually played on PlayStation 5 as part of an anthology,  is interesting as it is a point-and-click adventure game with light horror elements. That's a rarity for the NES. The only game I know of besides that which fits that niche genre is Shadowgate.      This game is spooky, for sure, and has quite disturbing deaths often described in gruesome detail. And what the music lacks in variety, it makes up for it in sheer ominous and haunting vibes that enhance the creepy mood of this game. It looks great, too, especially for an NES game. And the story is tense, the environment foreboding.      Unfortunately,  the Uninvited falls apart a bit in its gameplay as many of its puzzles are non-intuitive and cryptic. It's very hard to beat without a guide. And that takes away a lot of the fun.      The Uninvited is probably one of the least family-friendly games on the system. It's not that s...

     Castlevania Bloodlines is an exciting and fun horror-themed action platformer for the Sega Genesis, and it's really cool.     You can play as two different characters to add replayability the stages are varied and interesting,  all set in various locations in Europe.      This game is hard, but probably easier than many other Castlevania games. The early stages aren't too bad but the later ones are a different story,  especially the bosses.     The game looks great, and the spooky, ominous music fits perfectly.      Overall this game might be fine for older children/preteens and up. However, it's decidedly more violent and macabre than a Sonic or Mario, of course. It's got blood, including an area where water in a fountain turns to blood. And there are harpies that have large breasts, no details though.       Its a great game,  very solid. I love it! S+ tier, 10 out of 10.     ...

    This is a very fun and funny show and despite its title its not terrifying. Instead its an incredibly charming and stylish framework story with three bite-sized smaller stories within it and I think it works quite brilliantly.     Many of the jokes and gags are hilarious or at least amusing. And these Lego characters are so expressive and convey such emotion on their faces.     Its family-friendly fun and I don't think it could terrify anyone other than extremely young children possibly,  but even than I doubt it. Its great for kids who love Star Wars especially.       I really liked this animated Lego Star Wars special and I will give it a 9 out of 10. Thats an A, a very good score,  and it deserves it frankly.

    "Trick or Treat" is another animated spooky-themed Disney short. Its from 1952 and its a blast, filled with color,  whimsy,  and awesome music that I love.      Donald Duck is hilarious and he is also a huge jerk sometimes and he is especially a jerk in this one. The antics which ensue are hilarious and fun, for sure.     Another obviously family-friendly film for the most part but some might take offense that the witch's broom is named Beelzebub, an ancient pagan deity associated by some Christians with Satan and other Christians as one of Satan's head demons and often associated with the sins of gluttony and envy. And I got this information from Microsoft Copilot. However,  if you aren't bothered by the reference its a great animated short for children as its only slightly spooky but mostly funny and whimsical.     Its a great cartoon but personally I like "Lonesome Ghosts" better. Its still S+ Tier though and great fun! ...

     "The Lonesome Ghosts" is a 1937 animated short by Disney and its extremely charming and quite funny with an ending that is both hilarious and clever.      Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy are the stars as they contend with four mischievous ghosts and its animated slapstick comedy at its best. I love it! Its a great Halloween cartoon for very young children as its not scary at all.        Its very family-friendly and I can't think of any potential problem in terms of content. Good for all ages!      The only very slightly complaint is sometimes its hard to understand Donald Duck but I think that is part of his humor and charm as a character. Its great! An absolute blast! S+ Tier, 10 out of 10.

    The Skeleton Dance is animated short by Disney released in 1929, making this both the oldest and shortest thing I reviewed.     Its charming, whimsical, and playfully spooky. I love it. I think its great for younger children as an entry into spooky Halloween animation as its not that scary but its fun and not too long for their short attention span.    Its very family-friendly despite being very slightly spooky.     Overall,  its a great simple short and its kind of awesome! S tier, 10 out of 10.