Product Details

• Actors: Ray Bradbury, Leonard Nimoy, Annie Barker, Alex Greenwald, Edan Gross
• Directors: Mario Piluso
• Writers: Ray Bradbury
• Producers: Mario Piluso, Buzz Potamkin, David Kirschner, Kunio Shimamura, Mark Young
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Special Edition, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• VHS Release Date: September 5, 1995
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000060ST
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,809 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very entertaining, spooky treat, February 22, 2003

By 

microjoe - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Halloween Tree [VHS] (VHS Tape)

First let me warn you, this is a little too spooky for kids 7 and under. But it won both an Emmy Award, and an award from the Film Advisory Board. The film is based on a story by Ray Bradbury, and he narrates the movie. The movie is very different than the book, but than what movie isn't? The scary "Moundshroud" character keeps you guessing as to whether his intents are good or evil. He is wonderfully voiced by Leonard Nimoy, and if you have never heard him voice animated films, not only is he really good but you can't tell it is him!

In the story 4 kids,(3 boys and 1 girl) are preparing for Halloween night and find that their buddy Pippin is being taken away in an ambulance. No one seems to know whats wrong with him, and the kids seem lost without him as he is the one they all look up to. A mysterious character shows up by the name of Moundshroud, who tells them that his spirit has been taken by ghosts of Halloween past and they must come with him to capture Pippins spirit and return it to its body. But can they trust him, as it seems he has his own secret motive for capturing Pippin. Each of the kids is dressed as a classic Haloween character Moundshroud takes them across the world and through time itself to discover the origin of that classic Halloween costume character. For example the hunt for the mummys origin leads them to ancient Egypt and its dark secrets. The skeleton takes them to old Mexico for "Day of the Dead" celebrations. The Witch takes them back to the bards of England. They also learn what real friendship truly means, and must freely give a huge personal sacrifice if they want to save the soul of their friend.

This movie is bigger in story than it seems, and my wife has watched this tape about 6 times. The animation is good, very fluid, good character design. The movie will keep you guessing until the end. Suspenseful, imaginative, and educational without looking like it is trying to be.

UPDATE 2010: I wrote this review in 2003, and I cannot believe this movie is still not on DVD. It is for rare gems like this that so many of us have kept our VCR players. We still watch this at least once a year. Hang onto your VHS copy, who knows how long we will have to wait.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastical view of Halloweens past, October 9, 2001

By 

cr0wgrrl (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Halloween Tree [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This animated made-for-television Halloween special has captivated me since the first time I saw it back in 1994. Based on Ray Bradbury's novella of the same name, the plot weaves together the Halloween traditions of cultures gone by with four modern-day children's quest to save the life of their friend, whose soul is also being sought by the mysterious and sinister Moundshroud (voice-acted superbly by Leonard Nemoy).

The only confusing section in this cartoon comes from the updated Celtic Samhain tradition. In his original novella, Bradbury included the wildly incorrect belief that the Celtic Druids worshipped Sam Hain, the god of death (of which there was actually no such thing). For the special, that horribly inaccurate section was re-written to discuss pagan witch traditions. While the end result of this content switch is much more satisfying, the story line does feel a little bumpy in this part.

This is spooky fare, but only mildly so. Little kids can watch it without having nightmares, and should come away from it both entertained and enlightened. A wonderful addition for your Halloween traditions.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT HOLIDAY MOVIE FOR OLDER CHILDREN !, March 7, 2005

By 

william smith (knoxville, tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Halloween Tree [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I highly recommend this witty and award winning cartoon for any older children, alittle too scary for under 7 or 8 but great fun for the older ones! I just wish it would come out on DVD !