An Impassioned Case For 2003's The Haunted Mansion

An Impassioned Case For 2003’s The Haunted Mansion

Jennifer Tilly as a disembodied head trapped inside a crystal ball? 5 stars.

By Meg Shields · Printed on April nineteenth, 2023

Welcome to The Queue — your day by day distraction of curated video content material sourced from throughout the online. In the present day, we’re watching a video essay that explores why 2003’s The Haunted Mansion guidelines.

Solid your thoughts again, when you can, to a time earlier than Disney put all its chips into remaking all their animated works. Sure, consider it or not, there was a time when Disney was a bit of sneakier in regards to the plundering of its personal again catalog. (Bear in mind: the complete purpose the Disney Vault exists was to keep up copyright by means of scheduled re-releases).

Whereas it’s tempting to look again despairingly at Disney’s early efforts to re-imagine their present IP, cynicism is the straightforward method out (not that I’m above that). And the truth is that, twenty years in the past, these efforts form of dominated, truly. Whereas the primary Pirates of the Caribbean film proved that pirates (and theme park trip variations) had been greater than sufficient to get bums in seats — its cinematic peer is often much less mentioned. Additionally launched in 2003, The Haunted Mansion relies on the theme park attraction of the identical identify. It tells the story of a realtor couple (Eddie Murphy and Marsha Thomason) who finds themselves trapped within the titular spooky edifice due to a thunderstorm. Upon studying that the mansion may be very a lot occupied by some less-than-living tenants, the Evers household should work collectively to uncover the reality in regards to the property’s mysterious previous.

Child-friendly horror is difficult to come back by. Which is to say nothing of kid-friendly horror prominently that includes a Black household. And fairly frankly, I get far more of a kick out of individuals arguing why one thing is nice than miserable screeds on why one thing stinks. So with out additional ado, let’s get spooky:

Watch “speaking in regards to the haunted mansion for 5 – 6 minutes”

Who made this?

This video essay on why 2003’s The Haunted Mansion guidelines, truly, is by Yhara Zayd. They supply insightful deep dives on younger grownup content material from Skins to My Greatest Buddy’s Wedding ceremony. You may try extra of their content material and subscribe to their channel on YouTube right here. In the event you like their stuff and also you wish to assist them, you may try their Patreon right here.

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Meg Shields is the common-or-garden farm boy of your goals and a senior contributor at Movie Faculty Rejects. She presently runs three columns at FSR: The Queue, How’d They Do That?, and Horrorscope. She can also be a curator for One Excellent Shot and a contract author for rent. Meg might be discovered screaming about John Boorman’s ‘Excalibur’ on Twitter right here: @TheWorstNun. (She/Her).