Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge

Summary

Pod Meets World – “Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge” (October 21, 2025)

Hosts: Will Friedle & Sabrina Bryan
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Focus: The hosts take a nostalgic, detailed dive into the 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge,” blending recap, critique, and behind-the-scenes lore—with plenty of personal stories and tongue-in-cheek banter.

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Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of Pod Meets World is a Halloween-special magical rewind, as hosts Sabrina Bryan and Will Friedle revisit “Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge”—the celebrated sequel to a staple Disney Channel spooky season franchise. They reminisce about the film's impact and production, debate plot holes and nostalgia-fueled quirks, and reflect on how well this DCOM holds up for both grown-up fans and today’s new viewers (and their kids). The episode is filled with authentic reactions, playful bickering, industry trivia, and lighthearted critique of Disney Channel logic. The hosts also discuss their own Halloween traditions and drift freely into tangents about family costumes, Debbie Reynolds' legacy, and the peculiarities of DCOM dances.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Hosts’ Halloween Habits and Movie Traditions (03:53–08:13)

• Will confesses he’s never seen Hocus Pocus despite knowing people in it, sparking disbelief from Sabrina.
  • Will: “I have never seen Hocus Pocus.” (05:01)
  • Sabrina: “That's just crazy to me.” (04:52)
• Sabrina is enthusiastic about Halloween—multi-costume years, Disney-themed family events, and epic photo shoots.
• Will admits he’s not much for Halloween: hates being scared, not big on candy, prefers to lock his gate and "shut off the lights" (08:00).

DCOM Overview & Halloweentown 2’s Place in the Franchise (08:31–10:46)

• Halloweentown 2 is the “Godfather 2 of DCOMs”—often seen as darker and better than the original.
• Notable rankings: Paste magazine’s #3 Disney Halloween movie, Collider’s #9 DCOM.
• The movie moves away from the first film’s goofiness to a darker, yet still family-friendly tone.
• The plot is noted as somewhat reminiscent of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, though Sabrina doesn’t recall the specific inspiration.

Production & Continuity Trivia (10:46–12:27)

• Filmed in Vancouver, Canada.
• Notable continuity error: Calabar’s name switches from a “C” to a “K” on various credits and captions.
• Voice actor change controversy: Benny the Skeleton is voiced by a new actor.
• Disney’s typical feat: manages to bring back the original cast for the sequel except for Benny’s original voice.

Cast & Crew Highlights (13:14–17:06)

• Director: Mary Lambert—music video icon (Madonna, Go-Gos) and horror fan (Pet Semetary 2, Tales from the Crypt).
• Kimberly J. Brown (Marnie): Broadway prodigy, original cast member, now runs a Halloween-themed Etsy shop and is married to co-star Daniel Kountz ("Cal").
• Debbie Reynolds (Aggie): Hollywood legend, DCOM royalty, inspiring mentor, hands-on at her LA dance studio.
  • Sabrina, on Debbie Reynolds: “She just wanted you to feel so inspired.” (17:43)
• Judith Hogue (Gwen): April O’Neill (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), returns for all four films.
• Jessica Lucas: First movie role, goes on to bigger US projects.
• Fun Fact: The movie is a lean 80 minutes—perhaps the biggest DCOM flex.

In-Depth Plot Recap (24:32–68:32)

(Timestamps throughout)

• Marnie updates “Ghoul Chat,” hosts remark on early-2000s chatroom vibes (26:00).
• Friction between Aggie (Grandma), Gwen (Mom), and Marnie about magic’s place in the real world.
• Cal (the villain) is introduced—Marnie’s swooning, Sabrina jokes about the real-life sparks between actors.
  • “Now, I don't believe you. Because you go back and just watch her—she’s looking this dude up and down like he is for sale.” – Will (30:22)
• Will and Sabrina riff on party etiquette, costume commitment, and writing rules for magic travel between realms.
• Cal steals Aggie’s spellbook, shutting down the portal—plot thickens.
• DCOM Logic Watch: The “rules” for Halloween world travel shift mid-franchise, portal appears/disappears as needed.
  • Sabrina: “Now we’re just making up rules!” (42:39)
• Halloweentown’s “gray spell” renders its denizens colorless and boring—Sabrina and Will discuss DCOM-level costuming excellence and the subliminal horror of becoming “sensible.”
• Back in mortal world, increasingly frenetic magic/monster shenanigans at the Halloween dance.
• Aggie and Marnie stuck in Gort’s junk-strewn domain—rule of reversing spells by saying them backwards (trappa/apart/a part) is both clever and confusing.
• Dance sequence: Will and Sabrina lampoon the absurdity of grown adults crashing a high school dance.
• Magic ultimately saves the day—portal is re-opened by the three Cromwell siblings working in unison. The mortals return to normal, Cal is banished, Halloweentown is restored.

Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I got a question… What’s your favorite Halloween movie of all time?” – Will (04:05)
• “We can both have disappointments in our life of not seeing awesome movies.” – Will (05:27)
• [On showing Cal the secret room] “You just met this guy and already let him into your secret room. I mean, come on.” – Will (39:58)
• [On DCOM logic] “Why would you wait for the bus stop then?” – Sabrina (43:26)
• “I just didn’t like it… At the second somebody starts with the [chant], I know.” – Will, on simultaneous spell casting (66:38)
• “Why are you counting down from 60?” – Will (64:29)
• Sabrina’s “Sabrina Sees” segment—rapid-fire nitpicks and DCOM oddities, from weird lemon-chopping to Kevin Federline cameos (80:02–86:23).

Real Reviews: 1-Star and 5-Star Classics (73:34–74:48)

• Will reads an epic, tongue-in-cheek 1-star review comparing watching the film to getting a curse: “I do this for all the people who sadly lost their lives from watching the first film...” (73:43)
• Sabrina’s 5-star review, which compares the movie to oatmeal: “Kind of perfect, kind of brave...” (74:25)

Game Time: “Where’s the Real Halloweentown?” (75:25–79:55)

• Sabrina and Will compete in a city-trivia quiz about real-world U.S. towns with legendary Halloween celebrations.
• St. Helens, Oregon—confirmed as the film’s real shooting location.
  • “We should record a podcast from St. Helens next Halloween!” – Will (79:26)

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “I have never seen Hocus Pocus.” – Will (05:01)
• “Being scared is really scary.” – Will (05:41)
• “Halloween is so fun. I’m actually having a really hard time figuring out what my family’s (costume) is going to be...” – Sabrina (06:21)
• “It’s the Godfather 2 of DCOMs.” – Will, on Halloweentown 2 (09:07)
• “She just wanted you to feel so inspired.” – Sabrina, describing Debbie Reynolds at her studio (17:43)
• “Why would you wait for the bus stop then?” – Sabrina (43:26)
• “You just met this guy and already let him into your secret room.” – Will (39:58)
• “She drove me crazy this movie.” – Sabrina, on Gwen (52:39)
• “Why are you counting down from 60?” – Will (64:29)
• “The movie is just 80 minutes… 80 minutes, people. It takes longer to eat dinner.” – Will (18:03)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:53] – Start of main episode content / Halloween traditions
• [08:31] – Deep dive into Halloweentown 2’s DCOM legacy
• [10:46] – Behind-the-scenes/continuity oddities: Calabar’s spelling, recasting Benny
• [13:14] – Cast & crew appreciation (Mary Lambert, Kimberly Brown, Debbie Reynolds)
• [24:32] – Movie plot breakdown & minute-by-minute reactions
• [39:58] – “Secret Room”/trust issues with Marnie and Cal
• [42:39–44:16] – Sabrina lovingly lambasts shifting portal/bus “rules” in Halloweentown lore
• [55:18] – Gort’s domain, “trap a/apart” spell logic brainstorm
• [63:17] – Countdown-to-midnight comedy and monster mayhem at the school dance
• [73:34] – “Real Reviews” (1-star & 5-star)
• [75:25] – Halloween city trivia game
• [80:02] – “Sabrina Sees”: DCOM nitpicks rapid-fire (kitchen lemons, mysterious ice cream, etc.)
• [87:19] – Closing review/rating section: 7.5 Gorts out of 10
• [91:01] – Preview of next episode (“Phantom of the Megaplex”) and closing thoughts

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Hosting Style & Tone

• Playful banter; Will’s dry wit and Sabrina’s infectious enthusiasm set the tone.
• Genuine nostalgia and affection for Disney Channel movies—tempered by adult logic and parenthood perspective.
• Honest about plot holes and DCOM logic; “rules” are meant to be bent (or ignored).
• Regular check-ins on “what would you let your kids watch?” and family appropriateness.
• Pop culture deep cuts—from Buffy to The Craft to Kevin Federline.

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Final Thoughts & Takeaways

• Halloweentown 2 is fondly remembered and still accessible—even if its supernatural “rules” wobble.
• The chemistry among cast members (and, apparently, IRL couples) adds to the film’s legacy.
• Debbie Reynolds’ warmth, both on- and off-screen, leaves a lasting impression.
• The DCOM formula—fun, spooky, short, and family friendly—remains a winner, perfect for annual kid-safe Halloween viewing.

Ratings: Both hosts give Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge 7.5 out of 10 “Gorts,” praising its fun but knocking points for confusing rules and some story gaps.

Next Episode Preview: Stay tuned for Disney’s Phantom of the Megaplex, and a special interview with Daniel Kountz (Cal), with exclusive behind-the-scenes revelations.

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For more Pod Meets World, follow @magicalrewindpod on Instagram, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Transcript

[Sabrina Bryan]

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[Will]

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[Will]

Hi, Sabrina. Hey, Will, I got a question. Yes, If a train lives. New York going 62 miles now. I'm kidding. What's your favorite Halloween movie of all time?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, now that I've like. I don't even know why that took me a second. Hocus Pocus. Hands down. Yes, I love. And I just, I just now started thinking, is Monroe too young To. To watch it. She's five and I want her to love it like I do, so I don't want it to be too early. What do you think? I don't five.

[Will]

Do you want my honest opinion? Yes. I'm gonna freak you out.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay.

[Will]

Never seen it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That does.

[Will]

And my friend Jason Marsden is in it. Like, I literally. I've never seen it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, it's so.

[Will]

I can't tell if it's hang. Never seen it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That's wild. Will.

[Will]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't. I don't really even know what to say about it because that's just crazy to me.

[Will]

Never seen it. Isn't that nuts?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. It really.

[Will]

I am disappointed in giant letters. Yes. I have never seen Hocus Pocus.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's so good.

[Will]

Have you seen Break into Electric Boogaloo? No. Okay, so then we're both disappointments.

[Sabrina Bryan]

But I know that's not a scary one because you don't like scary.

[Will]

Of course not. It's not scary at all. It's just awesome.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm just saying this is awesome. But it's like a Halloween.

[Will]

We both got disappointments.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's a Halloween movie.

[Will]

Hocus Pocus. Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No. No. Yours?

[Will]

No. God. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Halloween. I'm just saying I'm disappointed that you haven't seen it. See, we can both have disappointments in our life of not seeing awesome movies.

[Sabrina Bryan]

What's your favorite Halloween movie?

[Will]

I don't really have one.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No?

[Will]

Isn't that crazy? Because I'm not a huge Halloween guy. I never have been. I don't like being scared. Being scared is really scary. And I not a huge candy guy. Dressing up's not my favorite thing. And being outside and walking with a bunch of strangers, also not my favorite thing. It just. It's kind of not my jam. Halloween. So I meant my answer would be Scrooged with Bill Murray. Yeah. Scrooged with Bill Murray. Great Christmas movie. Yeah. That's my answer. I've got.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Wow.

[Will]

I'll watch.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I love Halloween.

[Will]

Wow. You do?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I do.

[Will]

You've got a little I do witches brew going on there. Wow. Yes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Halloween is so fun. I'm actually having a really hard time figuring out what my family's. Well, I know what our main family for Halloween itself, but I'm going to a special Disney. It's on the Disney lot. Like, I'm going to a fun Disney event, and I've. I've cannot think of something that I want to do for the family for that event. And I put A lot of effort into it.

[Will]

You need to have a theme for every. For everything.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes, I do. Like last year we were a League of Their Own and Monroe and I wore the pink little dresses. Jordan was the.

[Will]

Well, there's four of you. Have you done the Incredibles yet?

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, we haven't done that yet. And Ledger.

[Will]

Everybody's perfect. That's what I'm saying. They're perfect.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, it's just. Yeah, that's like, to me, the event we're going to. Zombie. Oh, that's right. Zombie Descendants. Okay. Yeah, I've gotta. I put a lot of effort into our. Our costumes. I loved ours last year. Ledger was a baseball, so I wanted something really focused around him. The year before, Monroe was Marilyn Monroe and we were all her, like, backup dancers in the tuxes. Yeah. Monsters, Inc. She was. Boo. I mean, I love doing the family stuff is what it's about. I love it. And I usually have at least two to one year. One of the first years Jordan and I were together, I went to so many Halloween events that I probably had like five different costumes.

[Will]

Oh, my God.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It takes a lot of time. I'm actually kind of stayed up last night racking my brain going, what are we going to do for this second one? It's so important. The pictures are amazing.

[Will]

I can tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to do what I do every year. I'm going to lock the gate and shut off the lights.

[Sabrina Bryan]

You don't even pass out candy.

[Will]

Even if we kept the gates open, nobody on our street ever gets trick or treated. Okay. Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Our neighborhood does not have a lot of trick or treaters either.

[Will]

Like literally zero. There's nobody shows up.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. So I think I'm going to at least put some candy out and not care if someone comes and just takes the whole.

[Will]

Because then I know what I'm going to be doing on Halloween. I'm driving down to the OC to get a bowl of candy.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes. There you go. Or I could just Amazon use them.

[Will]

Yeah, that'd be great.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That's what you.

[Will]

Awesome. If you could do it overnight, I'd appreciate it. I'd like it here by tomorrow. Thank you, everybody, and welcome back to Magical Rewind, the show that makes you want to grab your friends, your PJs and your popcorn and go back to a time when all the houses are smart. The wave tsunamis, and don't come to my house on Halloween. Yes, Halloween steadily approaches, as does our constant need to review dcoms. And this Week, we're checking two different boxes, my friend. Scares and sequels, because we're tackling 2001's Return to a Classic. Halloweentown 2. This time, it's personal. That's not what it's called. Everybody knows it's Calabar's Revenge. It originally aired October 12, 2001, a few weeks away from Halloween, which, you know, makes sense thematically. It is the second installment in the Halloweentown series, and story wise, is set just two years after the end of our first film. Now, if y' all remember, we really like the original. A movie that has become a crucial part of the spooky season and all the lexicon of films. People make this a thing. You gotta watch Halloweentown every year. And some may even call this movie Godfather 2 of DCOMs because many fans find the second film to be better than its predecessor. Paste magazine? Never heard of that one. But Paste magazine actually ranks Halloweentown 2 as the third best Disney Halloween movie, outranking the OG and Collider lists Halloweentown 2 as the ninth best DCOM overall. Wow. And most of these positive reviews have to do with the movie's darker and scarier tone in comparison to the first movie's kind of goofy and campy vibes. Halloweentown 2 would be followed by two more Halloweentown movies, but let's just say neither of those made any lists and went back to being more comedic in tone. Apparently, we haven't seen those yet, but we shall see. Also, many of the reviews cite an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer called Halloween that aired four years earlier as the inspiration for this film because it has the exact same plot. Sabrina, did you watch Buffy?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I did.

[Will]

Do you remember the Halloween episode?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I feel like they were all kind of Halloween episodes.

[Will]

Well, they're all. They're all mystical, kind of. I know.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, I don't. I do not remember. And I really did like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I am sure if I started watching it, I would have remembered it. I will remember it for sure.

[Will]

This movie is filmed in. We've got a big shock here, people. Canada. Yes, Vancouver and British Columbia, to be exact. But one very weird thing about this movie is the title. Calabar is spelled with a K, yet in the first movie, the villain's name is spelled with a C. And most importantly, in the credits of this movie, it also starts with a C. It's also spelled with a C in the captions, so talk about confusing. And the captions help when you're old and also when you're old. So it Was great to have those on. And yes, they're so a little confusing now. Disney casting in Legal always seems to pull off the unthinkable by getting the exact same cast back for a sequel. And Hollo, Halloween Town 2 is no exception. Everyone returned except for one cult classic character in his voice. Benny the Skeleton. Taxi Driver did return, but now is voiced by Richard Side, replacing the film's first, who is Reno Romano, who is a very good guy, great voiceover actor and fellow Batman. And yet the film persisted. Good for them. And it's available now to watch on Disney. You can jump right into it right away or wait until after you listen to our thoughts, but either way, please remember that in many places when you buy a new mattress, the retailer is legally required to offer away your old one for free. In California, for example, mattress retailers must offer no charge, take back upon delivery. Just something you should all know, Sabrina. We knew about Halloweentown 2 as a film, but did you know about the other title, the Calabar's Revenge? And most importantly, had you ever seen it before?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I had not seen this one before and I had no idea there was a second part of the title. I just know of Halloween Town. One, two, three, four. That's it.

[Will]

Okay. Calabar's Revenge. I didn't know what it was called either. No idea.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I mean, I remembered Calabar from the first when I put it on. I remember it from the first one, of course, but other than that, I.

[Will]

Frankly thought the twist at the end of this movie was going to be that it was the same Calibar and he like came back and younged himself up. Not that it was his kid. Like, I thought it was actually going to be him.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Right.

[Will]

Which would have been an interesting way to go. But anyway, do you watch any certain movies at Halloween every year?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I do. I watch Hocus Pocus every year. And in my head, what I would love to do is watch is add this to our list of stuff for the kids because they are such great movies and I've always heard such great things about them and I remember the first one always being amazing.

[Will]

Yeah, this one could be a little scary. Anyway, so open the portal and stop the spell. It's time for the synopsis. When an angry warlock steals a powerful spellbook from her grandmother, Marnie Piper must race against time with the help of her friends and family to stop him from turning Halloween Town into a gray, lifeless realm. This movie was directed by Mary Lambert, who did not direct the original. That was Dwayne Dunham, but It's always great to see a female listed in the credits. Mary has had a long and very impressive career, first breaking out as the music director for Madonna. Her career began with the 1984 hit Borderline and would include the iconic visuals for Like a Virgin, Material Girl, and Like a Prayer. She made videos that helped define the medium. Absolutely. Arguably some of the best ever. She also worked with the Go Gos, Janet Jackson and Bobby Brown. Awesome. She transitioned into movies and was apparently a big horror fan, starting with another sequel, Pet Sematary 2. This time it's personal again. And then the TV show Tales from the Crypt. So, yep, she must like the spooky stuff. Since then, she's directed a bunch of modern TV like the Blacklist, the Goldbergs, Arrow, and the recent Netflix movie with Heather Graham and Jason Biggs. Best Christmas ever. So shout out to Mary Lambert. Pretty amazing career. And on the acting side, former Magical Rewind guest Kimberly J. Brown returns as the lead Marnie Piper. Kimberly was already in three Broadway shows at the age of nine and got an Emmy nomination at 11. So what have you done with your life? We also remember her as the star of Quints, Another dcom. And she does appear in the first two, three of the four Halloween Town movies until she was unceremoniously replaced by Sarah Paxton. And I just. How do you. Okay, I don't get how you do that. And I'm not just saying that because she's a friend of mine. I just don't get how you do that. Brown has embraced her position as a Halloween icon, writing the 2016 children's book Poppins Pumpkin Patch Parade. I'm going to say that one again. Poppins Pumpkin Patch Parade. Can you say that one time for.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Me, Sabrina Popkins Pumpkin Patch Parade.

[Will]

No, it's not Popkins. It's Poppins.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Poppins.

[Will]

See, it's not easy. Poppins Pumpkin Patch Parade. Thank you. And she runs an Etsy shop with some Halloween Town themed merchandise. And in 2024, she was in the news when she married her Halloween Town co star, Daniel Koontz. So, yeah, apparently Calabar not such a bad guy. They reconnected in 2016 when he reached out to make a fun YouTube video. And the rest is history. And now is a wonderful time to tell you that Daniel will be the guest on the Magical Rewind Park Hopper episode this week. So we're thrilled for you to get to know him a little, little bit better, but probably not as well as his wife does. And we call it the Dabney Reynolds Chair For a reason. And this week she returns to it. It's the legendary Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell. She is a dcom royalty for this movie with a Hollywood career that lasted 70 years. She starred in movies like Singing in the Rain, how the West Was Won, the Unsinkable Molly Brown, which she was Oscar nominated for, and Albert Brooks's mother. She was also one of the earliest tabloid queens. Her personal life always part of pop culture and listened to everything else she was part of. She was a cabaret performer, later opening her own dance studio here in Los Angeles, which Sabrina has talked about many times. She was Tony nominated, Emmy nominated for Will and Grace. She was also an entrepreneur, owning her own Las Vegas casino. Damn. Debbie Reynolds passed away in 2016 at the age of 84, just one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher, who is of course best known as Princess Leia in Star wars, which also means Reynolds is the grandmother of actress Billie Lourd. We have now been doing this podcast for a long time. We've reviewed many dcoms, and I think I could say without a doubt, we are yet to come across a bigger star. Would you agree?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Absolutely.

[Will]

She's absolutely a absolute legend. She was a legend when she's alive. Now she's going to be a legend forever.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It was one of my favorite things going to the Demi Reynolds dance studio is she was there so often, so she would be behind the desk.

[Will]

Did you talk to her ever?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I mean, she was so friendly and so just always bringing such a positive attitude. And I feel like she really. And from the interviews we've had from the guests of the movie, like, talks about how she really took on such a huge importance of inspiring the next generation. And I will tell you, I was so little and just thought, I mean, I feel like my whole face would just be flushed. I was so excited to get to see her. And she would just always say the night, love your outfit. Even if it's just something like that, or go kill him, kid, you know, or whatever, like go in there and just anything going in because whether it was an audition or a class, she just wanted you to feel so inspired. And I feel like everyone that went to has gone to that studio. Definitely feels that.

[Will]

That's awesome. I love that. It's also worth noting that Reynolds appeared in all four Halloween Town movies, as does Judith Hogue, who returns as Gwen Cromwell. Piper Hogue had been seen in TV shows like Quantum Leap, Roseanne and Melrose Place. Awesome list. As well as in a big blockbuster movie, Armageddon. But Our listeners will freak out knowing she was April O' Neill in the 1990s cinematic attempt at a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And you guys gotta listen to that. Yeah, listen to her interview, because that was one of the best inspirational stories she told us about Debbie Reynolds.

[Will]

It was really cool. Also in her first movie role ever, despite being a small one as vampire girl, it's local Canadian hire Jessica Lucas. Jessica has gone on to appear in a ton of stuff, making the crossover to American mainstream. At times, you may know her from movies like she's the Man, Cloverfield, which if you want to vomit while watching movie because all they do is shake a camera, go help yourself. And the 2013 version of Evil Dead. Or TV shows like Gotham, where she played Tigress, aka Tabitha Galavan. Also, Joey Zimmerman, another kid actor to appear in all four movies is Dylan Piper, while Philip Van Dyke also returns as Luke. And this movie's length. Oh, oh, people. Oh, people. How about 80 minutes? 80 minutes, people. It takes longer to eat dinner. What a day. This has turned out to be. 10 below the target, which is worth the celebration. That's my fake trumpet horn sound. Whatever. Thank you. Halloweentown 2. May you always be held at a higher regard than Halloweentown one, which is 84 minutes. Still an impressive number, but at the end of the day, longer.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes.

[Will]

Oh, my. And as far as the script, the writer For Halloween Town 1, Paul Birnbaum is credited for characters created by. But now the full credit goes to the other two writers in the first film, Ally Marie Matheson and John Cooksey. They first worked together on Rugrats, then shows like so Weird and the Collector. Both Matheson and Cooksey had been quiet for the past almost 20 years, but Birnbaum popped back up in 2023 as the writer of Maggie Moore, a movie starring Tina Fey and Jon Hamm, which was directed by John Slattery.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

Hi, I'm Rosalind Sanchez, and this Sounds of my Cultura Spotlight is sponsored by Nissan with the Nissan Rogue, who is partnering with my Cultura podcast network to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Here's how singer songwriter Sebastian Yatra incorporates his culture into his music.

[Sebastian Yatra]

My culture has inspired my music and songwriting, I think from generations on over. I have it in my blood, my family, my grandparents. I feel like all this lineage with me everywhere I go. The mountains in Colombia, it's all there somehow, and it's inexplicable in certain ways. But then you hear the music and you feel it. I think language and family and culture and ways of seeing life and the passion that Colombia has and everything it does and the things we've been through together as a country, they really inspire you to create and give your best.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

Always listen to more Sebastian Yatra and celebrate Cultura every day on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your music. The sounds of my Kultura Spotlight is brought to you by Nissan, proud sponsors of my Kultura Podcast network. Quesiga la Fiesta.

[Sabrina Bryan]

You know what's everything in life? Staying connected to your people, whether at Key in the US or a Mexico. There's no FOMO with T Mobile's best plans, and that's because you're not just a customer, you're a member. What's that all about? Cheekies? Well, let me tell you. It's about unlimited calls, texts and data between the US And Mexico so you don't miss out on all those meaningful momentos. Check out T Mobile today. You won't believe what you get. Shop online, in store or on the app. Visit t mobile.com conectate for more information. Data included in select countries on qualifying experience plans not for extended international use. You must reside in the US and primary usage must occur on our network. Device must register on our network before international use. Coverage not available in some areas. See t mobile.com for details.

[Dramos]

Hey, it's Dramos from the Life Is a Gringo podcast, and on this important episode I'm unpacking how machismo culture and the need for validation can lead to a toxic, toxic relationship with sex and why real masculinity means protecting your partners and prioritizing your sexual health. We talk about the word validation, but really a lot of it is also like my lack of self worth during that time, right? You know, I needed somebody else to tell me I was worthy, essentially, right? And whether it was my guy friends, whether it was a woman, you know, and you want attention and again, you're trying to get attention from the quote unquote right people. And the unfortunate part about this, like succumbing to sort of that peer pressure of society in general is you end up hurting a lot of people along the way. And then you also put yourself in a position to negatively affect your own health, both emotionally and physically. You can listen to this special episode of Life Is a Gringo brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Will]

So let's ride the line between monsters and mortals because someone is ready to avenge his Daddy. It's Halloween Town 2 Calabar's Revenge, every.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Time you say daddy, I cannot not giggle, Is Daddy, hey, Daddy, that's right.

[Will]

Daddy, like Stu Krieger, who's the gcom Daddy, Daddy is coming to revenge his daddy, that's just the way it is, we open with a small recap from Marty reminding us of everything that happened in Halloweentown 1, we also see sights from the very happy creature infested actual Halloween town and are reintroduced to the Cromwells, Marnie's family, her mom Gwen, her grandma Aggie, her sister Sophie and her brother Dylan, we're shown moments from their past battle with the evil warlock Calabar, by the way, spelled with a C in the caption, so again, adding to the confusion, Also, I gotta say, the costumes again in this franchise, so great, both in the first one and this one, so many different costumes where the actors probably had to sit in makeup chairs for hours, But I gotta say, with the monsters that they do, it's kind of riding the line between caricature y and spooky, not necessarily scary, but pretty awesome, what do you think?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes, absolutely, but to the point where they're so good that when they're next to other people that might not have, like, not the great ones, it's kind of like, ah, you know that. That background actor's like, damn, yeah, like.

[Will]

I couldn't do that, you got there.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Late, Billy, you got there late, Billy.

[Will]

Bob, exactly, if you got there on time, you would have been cool one eye guy, but no, you're not, that's always the way that it is, Next we learn that grandma Aggie left Halloween town after defeating Calabar and moved in with the Cromwells in the mortal world, and now it's Halloween night again, the only time of the year where you can travel between the two worlds freely, Marnie's at her computer updating her life via her writing on something called Ghoul Chat, that was a very 90s prodigy, AOL vibes, by the way, still on AOL, AOL, Ride or Die, I guess it's a. You think I'm kidding? I am, I guess it's a chat room where whatever the other person writes is then read to you in a scary voice, I wasn't entirely sure, but I get what they're doing with the spookiness, her mom and grandma are fighting again, and there's a party she's avoiding, currently downstairs at her house, but then she feels the presence of a scary face in her room, but before she can really let that sink in, Sophie calls her downstairs to the party, Marnie uses her powers to quickly change into a witch costume for the festivities, which honestly feels kind of a little on the nose for the costume. I figured she could have maybe gone with something else, but they wanted her to be a witch for the rest of the movie, so I get that. Yeah. Maybe something. I don't know.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Will]

Now we are downstairs. Marnie has joined her grandma, who is playing party host. But Marnie's mom, Gwen, is not exactly excited about the party. She sees it as just exposing the ways of Halloweentown to everyone in the neighborhood. But Aggie thinks her behavior is just rejecting her own heritage, especially since Marnie is the future of the bloodline. The tension is undeniable as grandma rushes off to her room to look into her crystal ball and see what's happening in Halloweentown. And okay, I was a little confused here. I thought she ran in and was looking at the crystal ball and was using it as, like, a television.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Tv, yes.

[Will]

And she was watching a show from Halloween town. Am I wrong? Okay, good.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Even when as she's talking, I thought she was talking to the cake. It seemed like her favorite soap opera.

[Will]

Yes. From Halloween. Oh, I'm so glad you thought the.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Same thing I did. I was like.

[Will]

Then I.

[Sabrina Bryan]

When I realized they. She was at some point during her dialogue when the. You know, the next part where the. The little. That they come in to her room is like, oh, that wasn't a tv. Okay, so we're actually looking. Got it. I didn't get that. That went whoop right over me.

[Will]

I thought the same thing. I was like, is she watching? And. But then I. That my first thought was like, oh, this is really clever. Like, she's watching a soap opera from Halloween town. Great idea.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know.

[Will]

And then I was like, oh, that's.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Not what they did. That's not it.

[Will]

But I thought that was kind of. Kind of cool. Yeah. But on this crystal ball, she sees a young girl asking for a school donation from a grumpy creature named Gort, who steals everyday items that humans lose, like socks or puzzle pieces. Sophie enters her grandma's room just in time to see Benny, the skeleton cab driver from the first movie. Sophie knows her grandmother misses all of her friends in Halloween Town and suggests guests visiting tonight while the portal is still open. But Aggie says going back for a few hours is even harder than not going at all. She'll go next year when Marnie can become the Cromwell, head of the witches and choose which realm she will call home. She's going to live there for a year. But Sophie's attention is elsewhere. She feels the presence of someone coming and it's not good. Downstairs, Marnie has caught up with her mom to clear the air. She loves her mom and is not choosing sides. But she is a witch. At the end of the day, Gwen explains that if you can achieve something with magic, you won't appreciate it. And if Marnie chooses to join Halloweentown as a witch, then it will become her life and she'll become a stranger on earth. And that's when a cute boy named Cal arrives. Oh, it's Cal. We know. Marnie's happy about it for two reasons. First, she scrunches up her nose and says the bomb. And second, she I the out of this guy. Go back and watch it again. She looks this dude up and down like he is a piece of sausage.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know. And all I can keep thinking of is I had to pause. Cause I went, wait, is this her husband now?

[Will]

Yes, it is. It is.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Because I knew he was in the movie and I wasn't sure because I watched the movie before I looked through any of our stuff so that I'm like getting a clean, you know, clear look at it. And I just remember going. Cause I wasn't sure if he was in the first movie. Was it the little brother? I couldn't really remember it. Was it the guy, the warlock from Halloweentown? I couldn't really, you know, and then I'm going, wait, is this it? And I had to, now I have to look on Instagram.

[Will]

I'm like, oh, that's it? Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I remember her saying, no sparks flew when they filmed. And I'm going, now I don't believe you.

[Will]

Because you go back and just watch her. She's looking this dude up and down like he is for sale.

[Sabrina Bryan]

He's a good looking guy.

[Will]

He's a good looking dude.

[Sabrina Bryan]

At an age where she has now, I mean, she is looking for a boyfriend.

[Will]

So I know. Damn. I mean, damn. Had this been reversed and it was a guy looking.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh yes.

[Will]

Looking a girl up and down, it would have been.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know, it's a double.

[Will]

Somebody would have been cut.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Completely inappropriate.

[Will]

Okay, why don't we just focus on her eyes, maybe smile a little bit.

[Sabrina Bryan]

But I mean, I love seeing that in these Disney Channel movies because there's just something that, like, especially girls when they get the like tingles of a cute boy around, they cannot hold themselves back. Our good friend Christy Carlson Romano is.

[Will]

A perfect example of that. Shout out, Christy.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Love you, Christy.

[Sebastian Yatra]

I love it.

[Will]

But yeah, she. Wow, she's very into this guy. Right away, he's followed in by his single dad, Alex. Another cutie. They just moved in down the street and heard about the party. Now, I get this is supposed to be a not only small town, but also this is part of the, like, the plan. You know, they want to get there, they want to break. But at first I was like, who just hears about a party and then just shows up?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Shows up.

[Will]

Like, I know we've never met, but I'm just going. So. So it's good that it was part of a plan, because at first I was like, that's not an ideal.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I will say, if you are invited or not invited and you go to a Halloween party with not a stitch of a costume, that is just complete party etiquette that you have failed because you go to cost. You gotta have something on, even if it's, this is my Halloween T shirt. Like, you gotta come on.

[Will]

He was dressed as her future husband. That's the. That's the role he was playing, was future husband. I like it. Exactly. I mean, I thought the same thing, though.

[Sabrina Bryan]

He looked great, though. He really did, like, spoiler, like, on. It was cute.

[Will]

Do we have one that could have been on your wall as a kid? Is this one that might have done it? No, I can't freaking find anybody.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know, I know.

[Will]

Brothers, we got. It's.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know. The channel failed me.

[Will]

Anyway, everyone seems very interested in one another, and the flirting starts very quickly with both mom and daughter. It got a little creepy. Marnie ends up giving Cal a house tour and finds out they just moved in tonight nearby. Dylan asked cool girl Cindy to the Halloween dance tonight because apparently, the same night they're throwing a party. There's also a dance at school, which I found that you couldn't. Couldn't have made it tomorrow. But anyway.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Well, it seems like this party's very.

[Will]

Early and I get. It's supposed to be Halloween, so everything's supposed to be taking place on Halloween because that's when the portals are the closest. So it all has to take place in the same time. But it's weird that there's a party and then a dance. Like, either make it the party or the dance. Yeah, it just seemed like a strange kind of. Yeah, it seemed like they're throwing a lot in there.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Well, somebody who's invited to multiple Halloween parties sometimes.

[Will]

That's true.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Jump around.

[Will]

Yeah, you are. Yeah, that's true. You are. You're the. You're the belle of the Halloween parties, I'm telling you.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

Hi, I'm Rosalind Sanchez and this Sounds of My Cultura Spotlight is sponsored by Nissan with the Nissan Rogue, who is partnering with Michael Tura Podcast Network to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Here's how singer songwriter Sebastian Yatra incorporates his culture into his music.

[Sebastian Yatra]

My culture has inspired my music and songwriting, I think from generations on over. I have it in my blood, my family, my grandparents. I feel like all this lineage with me everywhere I go the mountain in Colombia, it's all there somehow, and it's inexplicable in certain ways. But then you hear the music and you feel it. I think language and family and culture and ways of seeing life and the passion that Colombia has and everything it does and the things we've been through together as a country, they really inspire you to create and give your best.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

Always listen to more Sebastian Jatra and celebrate Cultura every day on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your music. The Sounds of My Cultura Spotlight is brought to you by Nissan, Proud sponsors of my Cultura Podcast network. Que ciga la fiesta.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Growing up, family traditions meant everything. Favorite Mexican meals, holiday parties, even choreographed dances in the living room. Those little moments shape who you are. Hi, I'm Sabrina Bryan, co host of the Magical Rewind podcast, where reliving favorite moments is what it's all about. Today, my family may be in different different cities, sometimes different countries, but staying connected to the people I love is still my top priority. And with T Mobile, that connection is easy. Being a T Mobile member and being on T Mobile's experience plans gives you unlimited calls, texts and data between the US And Mexico. So distance doesn't have to mean disconnected. And the best part? T Mobile guarantees your rate for five years. That means no sudden price hikes. Just one less thing to worry about. Join T Mobile and stay close to what matters most. Visit t mobile.com benefits call 1-800-T-MOBILE or stop by a store to learn more. Exclusions like taxes and fees apply. Guarantee applies to monthly price of an on network text and 5G data for accounts activating on an experience plan. Not for extended international use. You must reside in the US and primary usage must occur on our network. And check out new episodes of your favorite Michael Duras show wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Dramos]

Hey, it's Dramos from the Life as a Gringo podcast. And on this special episode I'm talking about how growing up in Latino household shaped the way we learned, or didn't learn about sex, vulnerability and protecting our health. Our parents were oftentimes incredibly tough on us in, you know, the Latin community, and not any shade to them. It's obviously they wanted nothing but the best for us and to protect us and keep us safe. But as a result, I think there wasn't much opportunity for real dialogue around important things or deep things or feelings or vulnerability. And I would include sex under that sort of umbrella. It was sort of more of you're getting talked to rather than somebody having a conversation with you. And that doesn't create an environment where you feel like you can be open and honest and vulnerable and ask questions. You can listen to this special episode of Life as a Gringo, brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilead sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Will]

So, yes, Dylan asked cool girl Cindy to the Halloween dance tonight, but she's not impressed by his lack of enthusiasm about the holiday. He's not dressed up, and since most disgusting costume gets a prize at the unmasking at midnight, he is not ideal. So she rejects him and calls him gross. Which seems like an overreaction, but. But okay, sure. Now, upstairs, Marnie has brought Cal to her bedroom.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Inappropriate. Not okay.

[Will]

Pretty forward. He says her room is more conventional and ordinary looking than she is. She mentions her grandmother's room is less boring and leads him to the secret space, already holding hands. This, to me, was very. I found her extraordinarily forward.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm already irritated with her. Letting these feelings go so far to you are legitimately not following the rules because her mom has already stated they did not. She did not want people walking around her house, which is very normal for a mom at a party. No, we're keeping everyone downstairs. Number one, I don't want to get stuff destroyed. And number two, I don't want people just, like, roaming my house. So that's normal. Yes, you're right. And then she's instantly breaking that rule, then exposing a huge part of her grandmother's, like, magical, very mystical looking. There's things in there that no one should be seeing touching. I was already irritated.

[Will]

I get you. Not to make it a euphemism, but you just met this guy and already let him into your secret room. I mean, come on. Like, really? But this.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's funny, but, like, it's not wrong thinking. You need to chill out, girl. Back up. Take a moment. Breathe. Release the hand.

[Will]

Thank you. Learn the guy's last name before letting him into the secret chamber.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That's just saying it's a Good, good rule of thumb, good rule of thumb.

[Will]

Thank you. Now we are inside Aggie's room, which looks like the den of a psychic. Potions, ingredients, drapes everywhere, old books, candelabras. Cal is very interested in everything he sees, and Marnie plays it off like it's just her grandmother's hobbies or Halloween decorations. But he pushes more about her connection to all this because Marnie knows a lot about witches too. Does she know any magic spells? She says she knows common spells and it's totally showing her hand here. He knows about warlocks too, and notices a book of spells nearby. Marty becomes very defensive about it, of course, cause you shouldn't be in the room anyway. He changes the subject to ice cream. But as she leaves the room first, for some reason, he reaches back, uses magic to shrink the book and puts it in his pocket. Man, oh man, the only thing going through my head is if you have the kind of spell where you can make things smaller. Can you? Can you? Now, back at the party, Cal's dad, Alex, and Gwen scoop the ice cream for partygoers. I'm glad you got that. And Cal is going home. And even though he's not enrolled yet, he's already heard there's a big Halloween costume party at school. Which again, seems like a weird thing to know about your first day in town. He wants to go with Marnie, she accepts the invite and he says he'll pick her up in an hour. He hands her a rose and man, these two are moving fast. And Augie and Sophie are still looking for this terrible spirit that enters the house, but just miss Cal, who's now outside aggressively casting a spell at the Halloween town bus stop. Eventually, a portal appears and he walks right through it. Back inside, they're already feeling the shady after effects of their new visitors when Aggie tries to pull some witches hats out of her bag of tricks. Nothing's there. Magic isn't magicking, and this is the first time that's happened in centuries. So to figure out what's going on, Aggie decides she'll travel back to Halloween town and check her house. And even though Gwen has obviously put her foot down about magic, Aggie still takes charge and invites the kids to come with her. And when she asks for permission, Gwen is too caught up with hottie Alex to cause a scene. But she still forces young Sophie to stay at home while Marnie is allowed to leave with Grandma. To keep in contact with the family, though, she gives Dylan headphones. Very cute. Which are little human skull walkie talkies that can work between Halloween town and the mortal world. But little does she know, that date is with a psychopath warlock. Uh oh. But once Aggie and Marnie get to where the bus stop is supposed to be, they realize it's gone. Aggie thinks it's just a mistake, so Marnie tries to summon the bus with a spell, but it doesn't work, forcing them to open the portal themselves.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Did you remember this from the first movie?

[Will]

I remembered that Halloween was the closest.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I started going, oh, we're gonna go to the second movie and just start making up rules now.

[Will]

Rules. I love that you're with the rules now, Sabrina. I am so with the rules.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I hate you a little bit, little bit for it because it really starts to irritate me because I don't remember a portal at all. I literally remember the bus being such a huge situation that that is the only way in and out the mortal world and Halloween town.

[Will]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And now it's.

[Will]

And I didn't even Harry Potter it. Like in Harry Potter, there's a bunch of ways in, but they explain every single way in. You can Apparate, you can go through the Department of Ministry, the Ministry of Magic. You can go through the. The bus, the night bus. Like, they explain the different ways to get in there. Where this one, they were just like, well, let's open the portal. And you're like, wait, there's a, there's a portal.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Why would you wait for the bus stop then?

[Will]

Right? Yeah. No, I agree.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It kind of shook me going, oh no, what's going on? But going, why would they do that? Why, why, why, why was it a production thing? Because I don't remember the bus being like some crazy expensive looking production thing.

[Will]

Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm like, so confused now. I'm trying to think of like, what happened at the channel that we can't have this bus.

[Will]

But that's. But you're right. You're 100% right. Because it's like, if all you have to do is open a portal and walk through and you're automatically in Halloween town, why take the big long bus ride? Which made such a big. Was such a big deal in the first one.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It was a huge deal and it was fun. It was part of the fun, honestly.

[Will]

Right? So, yeah, you know, you're 100% right. It doesn't. Doesn't make any sense.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Anyway, I had to get past it. No, nothing was gonna ruin my vibe with this movie. I was really excited to watch it.

[Will]

I was too. We are Back at the party now, Alex is still awkwardly rizzing up Gwen, but she's eating it up. And he also asks her to this Halloween dance, even though he's old and just moved into town tonight. He says they probably need more chaperones anyway. Okay. And she agrees. And maybe these women have never seen an episode of Dateline before. Yeah, think this never ends well. Hello?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Weird.

[Will]

Doesn't end well. What's going on? But anyway, then on his way out, Alex bumps into Dylan, and instead of saying goodbye, he croaks like a frog. And once the new neighbor is gone, Dylan looks down to see just one lone frog, one lonely beastie he be all by himself without nobody, right there in the middle of the house. I'm sorry, I need to do a Beastie Boys reference. Right there. Meanwhile, Aggie and Marnie are entering Halloweentown. But once inside, things are not what they were expecting. It's lost all its color, the large city center, Jack o lantern is gone, and the whole realm is basically just ash and rubble. Halloween Town has been destroyed, and the villagers are walking around like zombies. And not good zombies, but bad zombies, you know, the bad ones. Everyone has just become like normal, boring human beings talking about sensible shoes. Marnie even sees Luke, who's now just a total basic human in a parka, which reminds her of the part in Halloween Town, one where Calabar puts a spell on him. Also, everyone keeps saying whatever. Aggie recognizes that this is a spell on Halloweentown, turning the creatures not only gray, but into caricatures of humans. She doesn't know who's doing this, but they know they have to reverse it. Auggie uses the headphone to call Dylan to read her spellbook, but he quickly realizes it's gone. Grandma thinks someone must have been in a room. Then it hits Marnie. This is her fault, but it couldn't have been Cal, the boy she just met 10 minutes prior. But Sophie says this Cal could also be the evil force she felt. And so Aggie is coming back to the mortal world to have a word with this dip. And yet Marnie still sticks up for Cal. She says he wouldn't steal anything. He's really sweet again. She's known him for 10 minutes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm just like, no.

[Will]

Yep. And he just appeared in the middle of the night, ready for a high school dance. And. And she's like, it can't be him. He's cute.

[Sabrina Bryan]

He's cute. He gave me a rose.

[Will]

Right, which should have been your first. Well, we'll get into that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Will]

And now it's time to return to the mortal world, but the portal just won't open, they didn't try the bus again, even being in Halloween town, they didn't try the bus again, they tried the portal, this evildoer also set this trap, and that's when they hear a voice, It's Cal, in what is an unintentionally hilarious moment, his face appears on a nearby stone wall where the Jack O Lantern used to be, Cal admits he's a warlock and cast the spell from Aggie's book, Marnie quickly puts two and two together because Cal gave her a rose at the party, Cal is Calabar's secret son, hell bent on crushing the Cromwells in the name of revenge, and I still thought it was going.

[Sabrina Bryan]

To be Calabar, I just did not think that it was obviously his son, I thought maybe this was like his dad or. I don't know why, for some reason, it being his son just didn't sit.

[Will]

Well with me, I wasn't gonna make it his son either, I would have made it him, like he, like almost like a Harry Potter thing where he kept part of his soul alive and now he comes back, As a kid.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, his son was weird, but didn't his. We have to go back quickly, just to his face on the wall that you said, Totally, I was cracking up at it too, you had to, you.

[Will]

Had to, he kept popping up in.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Weird places, Wasn't there something with Calabar's face that would be on different places in the first movie, though? I couldn't remember, but it. For. For some reason it made sense to me because he.

[Will]

He.

[Sabrina Bryan]

His face, I don't know if it was towards the end or I just. I remember the black swivel thing all the time, yeah, I felt like there was. That was sort of a reference of what he would do when he wasn't wanting to be caught, he was just wanting to talk to whoever was there, Right?

[Will]

Yeah, yeah, I think that's. I think that's absolutely possible, yeah, there's also.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That's another Harry Potter, so giant, it.

[Will]

Was this big, it's like big brick face coming out of nowhere, like, wait, what? What? Yeah, by the way, on his way out, Cal offers Marnie a chance to join him for the big finale at midnight, but she obviously doesn't take the bait from Senor Beg, now alone, Marnie apologizes to her grandmother, but Aggie seems optimistic that she has some tricks still, Try saying this, that she has some tricks still up her, that she still has some tricks up her, she has.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Some tricks still up her sleeve.

[Will]

There you go, I'm going to keep it there. She whistles for the cab and now Benny the skeleton just looks like a normal black and white taxi driver but he's able to bring them back to Marnie's house now alongside Luke, who's there again. And once inside, she sees that all of her belongings have been turned black and white Marnie can't believe this, but Aggie drops a bombshell. There are two copies of her spellbook, the second copy is somewhere in her house so we get a weird sped up montage of the Cromwells feverishly looking and failing to find it I just, it almost sounded like. Like I was waiting for the Benny Hill theme to come on, like the.

[Lego Star Wars Advertiser]

Dan.

[Will]

That sped up stuff was kind of strange. Strange. Just when they're about ready to give up, Luke suddenly changes. He's no longer just black and white, he's become a goblin again, very orange and looks kind of like prop comedian Carrot Top Something has broken the spell, but it's just temporary, they think, and also, Aggie is optimistic about finding this backup spell book since it's lost, she knows exactly where to go. They jump back into Benny's cab and it's off to Gortz, the evilest, smelliest, foulest collector of Halloweentown Back at Gwen's house, Sophie and Dylan have brought the spellbook dilemma to their magic phobic mother. She is not impressed or worried, especially when they mention Cal and his hot dad. Alex appears just as he's mentioned, wearing a cute frog costume. He's also brought a spooky green alien mask for Gwen. Dylan volunteers to skip the dance, which I thought was very sweet, and babysit Sophie while his mom goes on a date with a total stranger, Especially because he got straight up rejected by every girl in school now, yes, that's all true. Oh, Dylan, Dylan's gonna Tough times in high school, it gets better, Dylan, trust me. But at the same time, I thought for the character, the way he played it, like he looked at his mom, he knows he has, she hasn't been on a date in two years, he mentions it, he looks at the guy and he's like, I'll stay home and babysit and I thought it was just a really sweet moment of this kid, kind of like, no, mom, you need to go have a little bit of fun and I thought that was really nice.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I also though thought that that green alien mask was actually like some kind gonna be some kind of.

[Will]

Yes, me too.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Fly. Like it was a fly. And so now I'm thinking this frog is going to eat the mom at some time. Like, I was thinking it was supposed to be kind of more of a fly or a insect of some sort.

[Will]

Yeah. You just got that? There you go. I didn't say anything. I said I had a lot of jokes going through my head. That's all. That's all I said. And I'm just leaving it there.

[Sabrina Bryan]

How do you do this on a movie like Halloween Town Will.

[Will]

How do you not.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm telling you, my brain couldn't be farther from that at all. Like, I. I mean, we're talking about. Okay, anyway, I didn't say anything. Louise.

[Will]

Oh, my gosh. Now, wait. Did you. I have a question for you.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes.

[Will]

Did you have any problem with the mom constantly poo pooing all of the magical stuff that's going on or could be happening when she's a full witch herself?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. Yes.

[Will]

And it was like, that is one of huge thing.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I. In my notes, it's like, again, this mom who knows that it's possible knows that there is a world filled with warlocks and demons, and all this stuff is constantly being like, you guys are crazy. Especially maybe prior to Halloween 1, when that was not something that was exposed at all. But now that the kids all know about this and that. That, that. But, well, we also. And now that there are other ways to get back and forth, not just a freaking bus.

[Will]

Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's possible that stuff is going on. Mom, how do you not like, you.

[Will]

Know, and you got your. Your mother who kind of runs the town, and you've got your daughter both telling you something's going on, and you're like, they're idiots.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's like, really, the younger one can feel things.

[Will]

Yes.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Right. Like, we know that our kids are having magical powers. So what? What? How are you not investigating at all?

[Will]

I agree with you 100%. I thought that was strange to me.

[Sabrina Bryan]

She. She drove me crazy this. This movie.

[Will]

I agree.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Except for I do really love her, and I had the best time talking to her in our interview.

[Will]

Oh, she's the coolest person ever. And then I. I got to meet her, like, three weeks later in person at a convention. She was the greatest.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, that's so cool. I love that.

[Will]

The greatest. But it. But the character.

[Sabrina Bryan]

This character was driving nuts.

[Will]

I got it in the first movie because it made sense. It's like, I want to keep my daughter as far away from this as possible. I'm basically gonna pretend nothing's going on. I totally understand that, but now that you've seen what's going on, maybe some green. I thought what they were gonna do is at some point you were gonna realize that Cal and the golem. Dad. That there is some kind of spell essentially cast on both of them.

[Sabrina Bryan]

We didn't hit it, so I'm saving it for my Sabrina season. I'm gonna tell you what I thought it was that. Did I.

[Will]

The rose.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Nope.

[Will]

Okay, well, we'll get there. Okay. We'll get there because. Yeah. Okay. Meanwhile, Marnie, Aggie, and Luke make it to Gort, who's one of my favorite words ever. Just Gort. And all of the junk in the front of his house has disappeared. And when he opens the door, he's cleaned up and is totally gray. He lets them into his now spotless, sterile home. But most of his books are gone. He sold them in a recent yard sale and has no idea who he sold them to. Then. Then Luke notices the spell is coming, and Aggie's hands have also started to turn gray. She thinks Marnie is next. They rush to leave. Gort. Just love that. Gort. But the door. I'm gonna keep saying it, but the doors are now locked. There's no way out, and the gray spell has disabled Aggie's powers. Then Cal. Cal's face appears again in the fireplace amongst the flames. He gloats about capturing them and somehow knew about the backup copy, even though it was lost before he was born. Born. Cal wants to know if Marnie has made up her mind about joining him at the dance, which he reveals will also be attended by her mom, who's all horned up for his dad. When she says she's not going, Cal becomes visibly angry and Aggie figures out a plan. He's going to use a ban spell to seek revenge on mortals who have mocked the citizens of Halloweentown every year by dressing up on Halloween. This will turn them into the very creatures they are mocking. He turned the creatures into humans and now will turn all the humans humans into creatures. Back home, Sophie is reading about golems and has deduced that the frog Dylan saw at the party and the fact that Cal's dad showed up in a frog costume is some sort of a sign. Sophie wants to go to the party, and though Dylan doubts her theory, he agrees to go and reluctantly needs a costume. So Dylan listens to his little sister and goes, all right, you're right. We should go. The mom don't listen to. But Dylan listens and is like, I Support. You love it. Yes. Yeah, thank you. That's how it should be. Family, people.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Family.

[Will]

We are now back at Gort's. They're still trapped while Cal and Aggie's powers are draining quickly. Marnie knows there must be a way to fix this, like how hackers work with computers. She wants to get creative and weasel out of the spell without actually breaking it. And this I found to be a bit of a convoluted plot point. Did this make sense to you, Sabrina? She's looking like. I kind of liked it where it's like you're looking for the back door of a spell, but it got a little wonky. Like, how would you figure that out?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah. Well, she says it multiple times that the spells are broken if you say them.

[Will]

Say them backwards. Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So she does mention that, but she.

[Will]

Can'T remember the spell. Specific spell that he. That was used to reverse it.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Right. So, you know, the thing that I kind of got more so, like, I don't know if it was just reaching a little bit too much for me, is just there. Like, Cal's more. Because he says it when he sees him in the. Like, when he sees him her again. Is the. The talk back to how she had that app or the computer thing. Yeah, like, they keep referencing it with just like these one liners, but don't really explain why.

[Will]

What it does or why it's there. Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Why we keep bringing it up and what. You know. So that was more of a thing that. That I felt was like, convoluted as far as the plot went.

[Will]

Yeah, this. Yeah, it was a little. This got a little hanky to me. But Aggie's powers continue to dwindle. She's unable to help them with a time travel spell, so the kids do it themselves and quickly end up back in time, watching themselves in Gort's house from only five minutes earlier. Whoops. Marnie tries again, and this time she way overshoots it to the caveman days, then tries again and is back at Gortz. But Grandma and Luke are nowhere to be found. But you know who is there? Cal. He's impressed with her work, but is ready to do away with Halloweentown and the Code of Merlin. And he tells Marnie that her mom is next. And with that, he disappears. What a. In response, Marnie recites another spell and is sent back in time now to when Gort's house was still filled with other people's lost items. There's junk everywhere, and Luke apparently has made the trip too. They're immediately spotted by Gort, who wants to know what they're doing in his house. Marnie tries to butter him up by showering him with disgusting compliments. He's touched, but doesn't budge in his grumpiness. But Marnie does get his attention by revealing that in the future, Calabar's son will clean his house. This infuriates Gort and gets him to finally listen. Next thing we know, we're haphazardly flying on a broom with Sophie and Dylan. She doesn't really know how to fly yet, so it's a real trial and error kind of thing. And a little scary. They circle the moon like a drunk, etc. And then we are back at Gortz. They are intensely searching his junk for the book of spells and stumble on a massive child sized cockroach who's like his dog. And I thought he was really cute. I did. I'm sorry, but I thought he was really cute. The thing's like nodding at him, he's like, we gotta do it. And he's like, okay, I want one. Luke is starting to think that maybe they traveled too far into the past to before she even lost the book. But then out of nowhere, Gort remembers the book. Calabar bought it from him 50 years ago. So basically Calabar had it the whole time and he stole Aggie's book just to make sure that Marnie couldn't undo anything. So this guy's got everyone else's playing checkers, this dude's playing chess. And now Sophie and Dylan finally made it to the school dance in one piece. In everyone's defense, the party looks rockin', which is good for them. Dylan sees cool mean girl Cindy and shows off his costume, only for her to call him El Geeko. But then he does find his mom, who's dancing with the mystery man. So. So they're not chaperoning, they're just crashing a high school dance.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Dance, Yes.

[Will]

I found that really strange.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So weird.

[Will]

Make it a town dance, right?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh yeah, like a, like a town center dance. A community center. Yeah.

[Will]

Yes, because they literally stress the fact that it's a school dance and it didn't need to be going right. And they're going to chaperones.

[Sabrina Bryan]

The person that ends up getting on the stage at the end looks like he's like hosting. Wasn't necessarily like a principal, it was just an adult. It could. And it wasn't like kids were. Yeah, it didn't need to be a high school dance at all.

[Will]

And specifically making it a high school dance and having these two adults going at each other at the high school dance was. I found out. I.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And I. I feel like we come across the weirdness of these dances that happen in these D comms, like kind of often.

[Will]

The.

[Sabrina Bryan]

The dances that happen at dcoms where there's like, like strange adults there and nobody thinks it's weird. Like there's always. It's. It's almost like a dance at a high school or a school is kind of tricky to maneuver around without some point of it looking or feeling weird that the people that are there are there.

[Will]

Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So maybe they should stop doing it.

[Will]

Or just do them better. Just.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, or like, like, like you said, like have it at a community center. Like there, you know, there's things like that that happen.

[Will]

Like make it a town dance. Super easy to do. Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

But anyway, maybe we just stopped doing the proms.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

Yes.

[Will]

Unless it was that prom. That prom movie was great, though. We love that movie. Anyway, what you do find is she's dancing with this mystery man and he's still dressed as a frog, in case anybody forgot. They get her alone to warn her about Alex. They inform her that the golem is made of frogs and that Cal is in fact Calabar. And Gwen seems furious at what they've done and still doesn't bother believe them. Back at Gortz, Marnie and Luke have almost given up. They feel defeated. But Luke encourages her to think back to when the spell went away for a little bit. How did that happen? They realize she said something like this right before the spell lessened. Quote, something to get us out of this trap. A spell or a charm, unquote. Luke writes it down and realizes that trap A is a part backwards. And again, I thought this was. This was pushing a little bit. He wants her to say apart. And when she does, Gort does go gray. So he goes gray when she says the word apart. They figure out how to reverse the gray spell. Because then when she says trappa, Gort returns to being dirty and messy. Now they need to get back and warn their mom before anything bad happens. Yet they can't find the time travel spell. It's officially lost in Gort's house. Which is bad cause he finds other lost things. But if stuff is lost in his house, it goes pooh poof forever. Marnie thinks hard, trying to remember the spell, but she can't remember what it is. Back at the dance, Alex returns from getting a drink and cookies, and Sophie has an idea. She tells Him, a seventh grader, is dressed like a big black fly with feelers and fuzzy legs, and then uses magic to make one appear. This infuriates Gwen, but Alex is entranced and can't hold it in. He exposes his big frog tongue and eats the fly, showing everybody that he's not, in fact, human. Gwen quickly uses a spell of her own to make the golem turn back into a punch pile of frogs. Now, with that taken care of, they have to find Marnie. Oh, wow. Hey, you're starting to listen to your kids. Dylan pulls out the headphone, but it doesn't work. She's out of the dimension and won't get the message for 400 years. And back at Gort's, she's trying spells over and over, but nothing's working. Gort suggests they use his timeline, which is a glowing light behind a door that a wizard has lost. It lets you travel through time in the immortal world, meaning it's essentially a black hole. Why didn't he suggest this earlier? Thank you, Gort. And to travel through the fastest timeline, Marnie unveils a new sporty broom that grandma gave her, which is cool. Luke nervously hops on, and off they go right into some cheap dcom math graphics. And these were not great. Anytime you got a fake fly in a dcom, it doesn't really look good. And this was kind of holding on to that. It just didn't look good. Yeah, no. But we cut to the party where Gwen, Dylan, and Sophie are looking for Cal to stop whatever plan he has. Gwen puts on her mask to hide her identity and blend into the crowd on the dance floor. Then we see Cal hiding in the rafters, reading the spellbook, about to recite the creature spell, turning mortals into monsters forever at midnight. And then the countdown begins like it's New Year's Eve. For some reason, the party counts down from 60.

[Sabrina Bryan]

60. That is the longest countdown of life. Even at a New Year's Eve party, when someone says, like, okay, you know, five minutes out, you're going, okay, seriously, five minutes. And then one minute, and then you're sitting there and everyone's just kind of like, do to do that isn't until like, 10. 10, right? Maybe 20. Maybe 20. You don't do a countdown as a group from 60. That was ridiculous.

[Will]

Also, the countdown to midnight is just for them to get the prizes for who won most disgusting costume.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Right.

[Will]

So it seems like an awfully big build up to just find out who won the costume contest. Right?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah.

[Will]

So, yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And we Never know what they're. They're gonna win either, right? No, just because I think Dylan asked like, oh, do they win something in the beginning? And she, the rude, very rude girl who we have not really called out just yet. Very good rude Cindy girl. Basically gave him some like stupid answer to that. But we never, we never really know what they're even getting. Why are they so excited? What's the price?

[Will]

And why are you counting down from 60? So yeah. Anyway, Marnie and Luke are still back in the bad computer graphics. They are only up to the 1600s. They're gonna miss midnight. But Marnie spots a possible shortcut and goes for it. As the party is still counting down, we're now in the mid-40s. Gwen spots Cal starting the spell. So in retaliation, Cal strikes her with lightning, forcing her mask to be stuck on her face. Diverting her attention elsewhere. Cal continues with the spell as Marnie pushes on hoping her shortcut works. And eventually it lands them back at Gortz. On the clean timeline, she yells trappa. At her grandmother, releasing her from the spell and bringing back her color. It is working. And just like that, Marnie and Aggie connect to return to the mortal world and fix this one before midnight. But with just 14 seconds left. Yes, they're still at 14. The portal actually starts to close, blocking her entrance. 3, 2, 1. And the door closes shut. It is too late in the party. It's time for the great unmasking. But Cal reveals himself on stage and finishes the spell. The partygoers start transforming into full on monsters as more than just staying in costume, they're horrifying. Pretty great work here I think on whoever made these again, there's some really good ones there. And again, scary, but not so scary that a younger kid isn't going to sleep. It's more creepy than scary, if that makes sense. Sense. It's becoming a real horror show and this probably actually scared some kids. Cindy turns into a real vampire and looks to drink Dylan's blood. Cal is thrilled with his work at Gort's. Marnie can't believe she blew it. Aggie suggests waiting until next year and once the portal reopens, they'll be ready to fight Cal. But Marnie knows how long a year will feel. She is not giving up. She grabs the headphone from her grandmother and calls Sophie who is battling her way through the monsters. Marnie says magic can open the portal if the three Cromwell kids band together and make their own spell. This could work. Even Luke and Aggie get involved and Just like that. They improv the same spell where. I hate when people improv the same stuff at the same time. Like, how did you all know the words? I'm not a big. It should have started with one of them who says, here's the spell. And then they all start chanting it. Not. They all start going, I just didn't like it. I just.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I knew you were gonna have that.

[Will]

I don't like it. It's like you. At the second somebody starts with the.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It is. I know. It just. It's cringey.

[Will]

It's like crazy to me. He's shaking his keys. They're gonna start a song.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Sabrina's gonna go, chicka chicka chicky cow.

[Will]

Freeda's gonna hate it. Yes. So hoping that as a team of saying the spell over and over again, they can break the rules. And then they do. Cal is shocked to see the portal reopening. What is this? Is it friendship? What's making him do it? The group continues their DIY spell, completely opening the doors and stopping the party in its tracks. Marnie walks onto the dance floor and hugs her sister. But it's time to face the villain. Cal yells at them. They can never beat him. But Marnie says now that everyone is together, his powers are useless. She asks for the spellbooks back, but he swears she's the enemy. Marnie argues his dad's hate should not guide him. He answers by protecting the spellbooks with forces of evil. If she's supposed to have the books, then she has to take them back on her own. He says his forces of evil will outdo her forces of good. Though daunting, Marnie announces she's not afraid of him and starts to glow and slowly reaches out. She tries, but it's quickly pushed back with electricity. But she focuses and slowly moves towards the book again and grabs them. She has successfully taken the books and a very angry cowl shoots into the ceiling and disappears. They know he'll be back, but they'll be waiting for him together. Aggie opens the book and reads the spell backwards, returning all the mortals to their regular form. And they all think it was just a dream. The party returns to its rockin status just as Marnie reunites with her mom. She sees it as the perfect opportunity to get her mom and grandma on the same page. And they do seem to be understanding each other a little bit better. Marnie and Aggie have to rush back to Halloweentown to release the grace bell, but Gwen decides she's gonna stay in her world. But will allow the kids to visit whenever they want. And so they return to dull Halloween Town and start the spell. Everything returns with color, even the cab driver's a skelton. Once again, the concrete walls become the Jack o' lantern. And once again, Halloween Town is finally back. The town celebrates. And that is our movie.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Short and sweet.

[Will]

Short and sweet. 80 minutes in. Bada bing, Bada boom. Thank you everybody for doing that. Take a note. Peter DeLuise 80 minutes long.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

Hi, I'm Rosaling Sanchez and this Sounds of My Cultura Spotlight is sponsored by by Nissan with the Nissan Rogue, who is partnering with Michael Tura Podcast network to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Here's how singer songwriter Sebastian Yatra incorporates his culture into his music.

[Sebastian Yatra]

My culture has inspired my music and songwriting, I think from generations on over. I have it in my blood, my family, my grandparents. I feel like all this lineage with me everywhere I go. The mountains in Colombia, it's all there somehow, and it's inexplicable in certain ways. But then you hear the music and you feel it. I think language and family and culture and ways of seeing life and the passion that Colombia has and everything it does and the things we've been through together as a country, they really inspire you to create and give your best.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

On Always listen to more Sebastian Jatra and celebrate Cultura every day on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your music. The Sounds of My Cultura Spotlight is brought to you by Nissan, proud sponsors of my Kultura podcast network. Que si gala fiesta.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Staying connected, that's everything. Whether you're a ki in the US or a ya visiting Familia in Latino America, connection makes you feel at home. Eso, eso estodo punto.

[Will]

Hola.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's honey German and with T Mobile's best experience plans, I'm not just a customer, I am a member. Think VIP vibes pero made for your everyday life like unlimited texting and data when you're traveling abroad to 21 Latin American countries. So when I'm visiting me familia posting stories or video chatting comis amigas back home, I stay connected. Check it out. You won't believe what you get with T Mobile. Perks for you and your crew. Like a five year price guarantee so your data plan cost won't go up. Club no lo piences mas Shop online, in store or on the app. Visit t mobile.com conectate for more information. Price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply, data included in select countries on qualifying experience plans not for extended international use. You must reside in the US and primary usage must occur on our network. Device must register on our network before international use. Coverage not available in some areas.

[Rosalind Sanchez]

Ctmobile.com for details.

[Will]

Maybe.

[Dramos]

Hey, it's Dros from the Life as a Gringo podcast, and on this important episode, I'm unpacking how machismo culture and the need for validation can lead to a toxic relationship with sex and why real masculinity means protecting your partners and prioritizing your sexual health. We talk about the word validation, but really a lot of it is also like my lack of self worth during that time. Right. You know, I needed somebody else to tell me I was worthy, essentially.

[Will]

Right.

[Dramos]

And whether it was my guy friends, whether it was a woman, you know, and you want attention and again, you're trying to get attention from the quote unquote right people. And the unfortunate part about this, like succumbing to sort of that peer pressure of society in general is you end up hurting a lot of people along the way. And then you also put yourself in a position to negatively affect your own health, both emotionally and physically. You can listen to this special episode of Life is a Gringo brought to you by Healthy Sexual from Gilea sciences on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Will]

Why don't we do our real reviews? And I think I've got the one star this week. And this is.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And it is a review. It's probably one of our longer ones.

[Will]

It's longer and it is a doozy. This is from Matthew S. Who writes, I do this for all the people who sadly lost their lives from watching the first film. Thankfully, I've never been subjected to the torment, but the horror stories of people shaking toes, terminal herpes and other debilitating illnesses have left scars in my mind only Vietnam veterans would understand. Don't ever watch this film. I imagine it's very similar to Ring, where you play the film, one of the characters crawls out of the TV and curses you and you die horrifically in a shoe cupboard, lest ye be warned. One star. Okay. Wow. The review was longer than the movie. You got the five star this week, Sabrina, what do you got?

[Sabrina Bryan]

And this five star is. I don't even know what to say about it. Kind of perfect, kind of brave. Our five star comes from Jessica Mike. I would compare this movie to Oatmeal. She must really love oatmeal if it's a five star Oats.

[Will]

Who doesn't love oatmeal. Who doesn't love oatmeal?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Quaker oats. Get that girl a contract.

[Will]

And you know, people, this is the time in our cast of Pod where we find Sabrina's favorite ever, ever thing to do. And that's to play games. Created by producer Jensen. Our feature this week. So Halloweentown has become synonymous with the holiday. And while it sadly doesn't exist in real life, we all wish it did. But plenty of real world cities go all in on spooky season. So in this game, we're gonna hear descriptions of how different places celebrate Halloween. And our job is to match each tradition to the right city. It's multiple choice. Get three out of five right and we win. I don't think producer Jensen's with us today. Is producer Jensen with us today?

[Sabrina Bryan]

He's not yet.

[Will]

So who do we have with us today?

[Sabrina Bryan]

You got Mikayla.

[Will]

Oh, it's producer Mikayla with us today. Okay, good.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Pretty good. Luck.

[Will]

So by the way, for the record, we do way better at these when producer Jensen is not.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I know.

[Will]

We really know.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I swear he, like, sees how terrible I do. And then we'll go into the next one, like right away. Like, oh, I can't wait to stupor again.

[Will]

I think so too. This one, I think I feel good about this one though. I think we're gonna do well. So here we go. Okay. Number one, the ultimate Halloween town, famous for its its quote Halloween happenings festival made up of parades, ghost tours and costume contests. Just don't come dressed as a witch. It might not end well. Is it A, Salem, New Jersey, B, Salem, Massachusetts, C, Salem, Oregon or D, Salem, California?

[Sabrina Bryan]

What do you think? Are there this many Salems in the world?

[Will]

I'm sure there's also Salem the cat. There's plenty of Salems. Okay, where are you going with Sabrina?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm gonna go B, Salem, Massachusetts.

[Will]

I am going B. Salem, Massachusetts too, because that is the correct answer.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That was too easy.

[Will]

That's correct. Way too easy. Number two. Okay. In this east coast city, they go big with lantern tours, haunted hayrides and cemetery events. Don't lose your head over it. Is it A, Danvers, Massachusetts, B, Tarn, New York, C, Sleepy Hollow, New York or D, Noggin, North Carolina. Sabrina, what do you got?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm gonna go with C, Sleepy Hollow, New York.

[Will]

Of course it's C, Sleepy Hollow, New York.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yep, you're correct.

[Will]

These are so easy. Number three. Dubbed the Halloween capital of the world, this city has been hosting large scale Halloween celebrations since the 1920s when it decided to encourage kids to stop pulling pranks like tipping out houses and letting cows loose downtown and focus on a community party instead. Is it A, Charleston, North Carolina, B, Alexandria, Virginia, C, Anoka, Minnesota, or D, Cowtown, Montana. What do you got, Sabrina? The first stump. This one?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I have no idea. Okay, I'm going back and forth between A and D, I guess.

[Will]

Ah, what's your pick?

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'll go to Cowtown, Montana.

[Will]

I'm gonna say it's A, Charleston, North Carolina.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Wow, you got it wrong. It's C, Anoka, Minnesota.

[Will]

Really? Wow. I didn't anoka about Minnesota. Got it. Okay, number four, we got one wrong. Number four. Combining the spooky with the supernatural and the spectacle, this city is known for elaborate costumes, parades, and a haunted voodoo tour through its infamous streets. Maybe wear an easy to remove top. Is it A, Palm Springs, California, B, New Orleans, Louisiana, C, West Hollywood, California or D, New Hollywood, Arizona. What do you got?

[Sabrina Bryan]

The Palm Springs in the West Hollywood. That's so funny. I'm gonna go with New Orleans, Louisiana.

[Will]

It's gotta be B, New Orleans.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It is so spooky all year, I swear. Yes, you guys are correct.

[Will]

See, so we won already. Here we go. And now number five. It is the filming location for the movie Halloweentown. As a result, the city transforms into the spirit of Halloween, showcasing props from the movie pumpkins and fan events. Is it A, St. Helens, Oregon, B, Astoria, Oregon, C Gresham, Oregon or D, the Nike headquarters in Oregon? Sabrina, I think we talked about this.

[Sabrina Bryan]

We did. If you guys don't get this, I'll be disappointed. Come on. You're gonna be. You're gonna be. I think I'm gonna do B Aoria.

[Will]

I think it's A, St. Helen.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I'm going back and forth between the two of them, but Astoria sounds like kind of cooler.

[Will]

I think it's St. Helens.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Is it? Will is correct. Damn it, Oregon.

[Will]

By the way, are you looking at the same thing I am? What? Are you looking at the same sheet that Jensen sent?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes.

[Will]

Look at what it says right underneath that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh.

[Will]

In giant black letters it says related. Can we record a podcast from St. Helens next Halloween? It's like he literally gave you the answer.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't look forward. I'm sorry. Oh, that's cheating, Will.

[Will]

I love how reading the next line is cheating.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh my gosh, that's funny.

[Will]

Wow. And by the way, it's a great idea. We should record a podcast from.

[Sabrina Bryan]

We should that Helen's next Halloween. So fun.

[Will]

I think we should get A member or two of the cast to go with us. And we should do a Halloween town thing from Halloweentown. Yeah.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Cause you can tour that, like, where they filmed, right?

[Will]

Producer Mikayla, if you could make that happen, that would be awesome.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That would be rad.

[Will]

And now can we please do a Sabrina Seas?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay. We've got quite a few of them. The first is Dylan. So this is why I thought there had been a way bigger gap between the first and the second one. Our character, Dylan, the actor is so much older looking. Yeah, no, he's not. He does it. But I mean, his height, his whole, like. I mean, he went from a cute little boy to this like. Like preteen slash teen. And I mean, it was such a drought where Kimberly doesn't. She definitely looks more mature, her face.

[Will]

Right?

[Sabrina Bryan]

But it's not. I mean, this was that drastic, drastic change. It was like, whoa, a funny little thing. While she was. While the mom was chopping onions, I had to like, really. I got my phone out actually and like, pushed in because I couldn't zoom, really. On my. My, My. My tv. And the thing she was chopping, which was like pretty long, right? It looked like it could have been like the length of like a cucumber, but it was yellow. It was a lemon. And I don't know how I'm like, what kind of it was. She was chopping it so much when she was pissed off about it, I couldn't believe. I'm like, what kind of lemon is that? It's the weirdest thing, because it wasn't a potato. It was lemons that she was using for. It was so weird.

[Will]

It was. It's so funny that you mentioned that because the. It's such. The only thing I was thinking as she was cutting it up is it's such actor business.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, yeah.

[Will]

Like, you just needed. What can I do with my hands? What can I. Okay, well, we're gonna cut off some lemons.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Like, maybe it was like the. The second or third take or whatever, and she was out of the lemon, so they just like, threw on another one and like, made. I mean, I'm like, that doesn't look like a lemon anymore. It looks so weird.

[Will]

It's not a lemon.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It wasn't a lemon. What was it? That. Which also then made me think of that conversation and the conversation with. When Cal and his dad come in, they're. Well, no, first that conversation with just her and Marnie, right? They're talking a lot. They do this twice that are. That's. I felt very Strange. They talk a lot about magic stuff and how it should be a secret. As everyone is going in and out of that kitchen, they're not able to hear. They're not whispering, like, easily able to hear everything they're saying. And I'm going, what is happening? There was just so much commotion in that teeny kitchen of theirs that I thought was weird. I talked about how I was getting very upset with Marnie and her inappropriateness upstairs with the hand holding and just giving away grandma's secrets. Okay, So I tapped on it a little bit. So. So I thought this green ice cream, this huge tubs of green ice cream that they brought was gonna be some kind. Cause it was obvious cow was bad. Not what we wanted. It was bad news. So I thought this tub of green ice cream was something. And that's why I thought when she later was going on with this. No, it's nothing. You guys are crazy. Even though we come from a world of witches and warlocks, you guys are nuts. Nuts. Children. I thought it was. Had to do with, like we were gonna find out that that ice cream again was the reason.

[Will]

That was why that.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay, so I thought that was like something like she had. She was the only one that had ice cream and that she was the one that was now under these, like, spell of not thinking, not paying attention to stuff. That's what I thought it was. Then it goes on to later on the bedtime for this poor little sister. She's like, it's your bedtime. And it's like, there's like a million other kids in this house that are my age. Mom, why do I have to go to bed?

[Will]

That was us growing up, by the way. We were in bed when it was still light out and we would hear the kids playing in the street.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Okay, but that's different than hosting a party. And the kids are in your house playing go to bed, messing up your toys, taking all your stuff, eating the food, eating the desserts and candy, and you have to go to bed. That was harsh. Okay, so then we go on. We touched on everything else except for going to you. I thought you were gonna definitely say something about this at. We're now at the dance, the high school dance, and Sophie starts talking to Alex and trying to expose that she. They think he's a frog, right? Exposes him, he eats the fly. He ends up turning into a bunch of frogs.

[Will]

Yep.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And now one person on the dance floor looks left, right down. Nothing. Nothing. I'm like, it's the weirdest thing. Even in the house when it was just the one frog.

[Will]

Right.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That was so strange. And no one notices it. Maybe it's because I'm like, just not.

[Will]

Into something I get not noticing one frog, but not noticing a pile of them.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Pile of them was so weird. And it was just kind of of. That's when I started really. It, like, hit me. And then there was just a bunch of little small things that you're going, why doesn't anyone notice this? Why isn't anyone noticing that? I hated that she put the mask on this guy who just turned into a bunch of frogs who's obviously a. We're talking. No, no. Era. You're gonna put the mask that he gave you on. He gave you this mask. You're gonna go ahead and put. Mom, Mom, We've got to talk about things that need to start happening. You need to be a little bit more.

[Will]

Yes. She's not a very present decom witch. Mom.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes. Okay, so then. Then the last thing she did that really frustrated me was like, okay, you guys go to the refreshments table and I'm gonna start walking around. Why do people always like to break up in times? In times of like, we need to be juntos. We need to be together. No, you may not go to the bathroom by yourself. Stay with the group. Mom was killing me.

[Will]

This whole such a horror trope, you know, let's split up in the woods. Like, why?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Oh, no, there's six of us.

[Will]

Let's stay together.

[Sabrina Bryan]

No, we are staying together. And then the last little thing was. Well, the last little noticeable thing that it just had me give me little giggle. One of the, like, costumes was, like a Kevin Federline looking costume.

[Will]

I saw that. That was great.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's just so of the era of where when this movie was filmed, it was so funny. But I'm like, are you literally supposed to be Kevin Federer with the fedora? Just like, the fedora whole. Whatever.

[Will]

Oh, it was great.

[Sabrina Bryan]

And then I had a question for you.

[Will]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Did you understand what Cal's reasons of making the creatures more human like and boring. Why was he doing that? Because they revolted against his dad.

[Will]

They just wanted to be.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That never seemed to be explained that I caught him on.

[Will]

I get turning humans into creatures.

[Sabrina Bryan]

That part I thought was awesome.

[Will]

But also Halloween. Destroying Halloween town didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I didn't get it.

[Will]

I didn't either. I didn't.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I didn't see it. And then the last one was as we were in it, it popped in my head, my other favorite movie that I watch is not necessarily at really at all Halloween movie, but I watched the Craft somewhere during good movie time.

[Will]

I like the Craft every year. I like the Craft.

[Sabrina Bryan]

It's literally one of my favorite. It is my favorite witch movie.

[Will]

Good movie.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I love that movie.

[Will]

Good movie.

[Sabrina Bryan]

So good. So that popped in my head too, so I wrote it down real quick.

[Will]

Well, there you go. Thank you so much. And now, of course, it's our time where we have to rate our film and I want to do something different this week because it's Halloween. I would like to make 1 the least and 10 the most if we can fair.

[Sabrina Bryan]

All right, so seems spookier for sure.

[Will]

Yes. So here we go here. Do we want to do 1 out of 10 ghoul chats. 1 out of 10 the bombs. 1 out of 10 hands to hold immediately. Tiny books. Massive child sized cockroaches. 1 out of 10 sensible shoes. 1 out of 10 backup spell books. 1 out of 10 Gorts. El Geekos. Or I'm gonna add 1 out of 10. I bang the out of yous. What would you like to pick? Sabrina, which one would you like to do?

[Sabrina Bryan]

Is it my turn to choose?

[Will]

I think it's your turn to choose is.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I think I'm gonna go with Gorts. Just because you love saying it so much.

[Will]

I do. And I think I'm going first this time.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yes.

[Will]

I liked this movie. I again, these movies are exactly what they're supposed to be. They're Disney channel movies. They're fun. Kimberly's great. I thought the Daniel was great. They worked well together. The all the acting was good. Some of the characters infuriate you. Some of the stuff is stupid. But it's Disney Channel so of course it's supposed to be. And God, coming off of the last movie, everything looks magical to me. So I'm gonn this a solid 7.5 Gorts.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Wow.

[Will]

It could could have been an 8, but I had a couple little story problems. But I'm going to give this a solid 7.5 quarts. I like the Halloween town movies. I really do. I think I'm one of the few though. I think I might have liked the first one better.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Yeah, I do. You know what? Okay, here I'm going. I did like the first one better. Yeah, I, I don't. I honestly can't 100% put my finger exactly on what I like. Yes, I can. Again, I think I like it because they were able to do some of the things because they were in A made up Halloween town versus like, you know, like the fact that like people are, are not phased by certain things that are going on. That makes sense in Halloween Town because everything is magical and mystical and you know, things are. Birds are turning into this or whatever, you know, like that makes sense. So I, I honestly think it, it served a plot line a lot easier. Even though we did spend a good amount of time in it. It wasn't what the, the comm. Like, I don't know. The whole preface of going anywhere wasn't necessarily that.

[Will]

I guess.

[Sabrina Bryan]

I don't know. Anyway, I felt the same. I really did like the first one a lot better. But I did love this one and I think this is a movie like I said, I'm really want. Because I do love Halloween. I am excited for my kids to start being able to watch things when the time comes. And I love that these two movies that we've seen I think has a little bit of that scary point. But it's really not enough to like have them stay up late at night because. Or wake them up in the, in the middle of the night. So I'm excited and love these two movies a lot for that reason for my kids. So I'm excited about that. But I did love the first one a lot more.

[Will]

I think so too.

[Sabrina Bryan]

But I'm still thinking this one was great. And again, there were a couple of things that were funny and didn't make a lot of sense. I didn't feel like I really understood a hundred percent why everything was the way it was. The rules were a little murky. So that's gonna knock a point or a couple points down for me. And I'm actually gonna match your 7.5 gorts.

[Will]

Okay.

[Sabrina Bryan]

On this movie I loved. I. I mean, I think that's a good one because I definitely think it leaves room for the first one to have a higher score.

[Will]

I agree 100%. So thank you everybody so much for joining us. Our next movie is again, it's a little spooky. It's 2000s mystery thriller, a movie whose title we've been teasing for a while, Phantom of the Megaplex. We're excited for this one. It is on Disney. So go ahead and watch it if you want to watch it before we talk because you really should because it's super helpful if you do that. But at the same time, we're not leaving Halloween town just yet yet because like I mentioned, we are talking to Daniel kz, AKA Cal, with either a K or a C. We'll find out. He had tons of memories from the set and what it was like to be part of the Halloween Town franchise, then find love in its legacy. Here's a little piece of it. You know, everybody has these amazing stories about what it was like to work with Debbie Reynolds and just the legend that is Debbie Reynolds. What, what was it like just being on set with her? It was, it was phenomenal because as you know, she was a huge movie star, like from the golden age of cinema. And she didn't act like it at all. She just like cracked jokes and walked around and sang and was just such a lovely human being. And she was so kind to me, which I took to heart because I came in, in the second movie where they had all worked together before. They were like family and everything. Everybody knew each other. And then I show up and they were just all so welcoming, especially Debbie. We had a lot of fun talking with Daniel and you can have fun too. So listen the entire interview on the dedicated Magical Rewind pod Feedback. All you have to do is search for us wherever you get your podcasts and then subscribe. Every new episode will end up on your feed. And for more info, you can follow us at magicalrewindpod on the Instagram machine. Bye, everybody. Bye.

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[Will]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway this fall, take care of the little ones in the family with Baby Club Savings now through November 4, spend $25 on select Baby Club products and save $5. Shop for items like Pediasure bottles, Pedialyte powder packs, Huggies baby wipes, Huggies diapers, Gerber puffs and Gerber pouches. And save $5 when you buy $25 or more. More on participating products. Offer ends November 4th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details. Ah, come on.

[Sabrina Bryan]

Why is this taking so long? This thing is ancient.

[Will]

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[Sabrina Bryan]

This is an iHeart podcast.