Halloweentown (1998): Witchy movies to get you in the spirit

I still can’t believe I first learned of “Halloweentown” in the year 2019, more than 20 years since it debuted on the Disney Channel.

Apparently it’s a classic with anyone who watched the Disney Channel starting in the fall of 1998 … which I didn’t, as I was about to graduate college.

But I’m still dumbfounded the “Halloweentown” series never showed up on my radar, as (1) I’ve always been fascinated by witches in pop culture and (2) Debbie Reynolds, who plays witch matriarch Grandma Aggie in the movie, actually lived in Roanoke, Virginia, for a spell. She lived on top of a small mountain, not far from my childhood home in Roanoke County during the 1980s while married to Roanoke real estate developer Richard Hamlett. I can see that little mountain from my front yard in Salem.

Sometimes I wonder what the Roanoke Valley could do to celebrate our little slice of “Halloweentown” history. (Your ideas are welcome in the comments!) Maybe I’m just enamored with the idea of a real town where Halloween is celebated year-round (complete with a giant jack-o-lantern in the town square), or at least celebrated throughout the month of October, like the Oregon town where the movie was filmed. My house — with its fairytale decor and year-round Halloween dish towels — is already feeling like it’s straight out of Halloweentown.

Now, the movie is corny … (candy-corny?) … from the carnival-ish theme music, to the bizarre goblin costumes, to the jokes. I’d call them “dad jokes,” but there is no dad … it’s like the opposite of the cliche Disney animated film, where the mom is nowhere to be found. Three generations of Cromwell women lead this franchise.

“Halloweentown” is a very family-friendly, PG-rated film, and it instantly fascinated my 6-year-old daughter, who re-watched it at least a dozen times. We also quickly ordered a DVD with all three of the sequels: “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge” (2001), “Halloweentown High” (2004), and “Return to Halloweentown” (2006). But the original movie is still our favorite.

Also: Much to our disappointment, the final sequel, “Return to Halloweentown,” replaced the original Marnie, who was played by Kimberly J. Brown.

I identified very much with 13-year-old Marnie, and not only because she is destined to be a witch. Marnie is also the eldest of three siblings (I have two younger sisters) … and she has definite oldest sibling-boss vibes, especially with her bold fashion choices. Watching as a mom, I really like her confidence. I wish I could have watched this when I was a kid.

Twenty years later, I continue to relate to the real Marnie. Kimberly Brown sells (and models) “Halloweentown”- inspired merch in her Etsy shop called Craftily Creative. I haven’t made any orders … yet. And some cute news for Halloweentown fans: She’s currently dating the actor who played Kal, the villain in the second movie.

Want more movies to help get you in the spirit? My witchy Halloween countdown continues with:

• “She-Devil” (1989)
• “High Spirits” (1988)