Your Halloween movie marathons are about to get groovy with the upcoming Monster Mash animated movie from Miramax. The film promises to be the adaptation fans of the classic tune wanted for decades, blending spooky fun with family-friendly storytelling for modern audiences.
Time will tell if the movie will be a feast for both the eyes and the soul, but it’s not the only adaptation of the song. Please keep reading to learn more about those other films and the song covers that arose from them.
Miramax is Making the Monster Mash Animated Movie
Released in 1962, Monster Mash quickly rose to become Billboard’s “Biggest Halloween Song of All Time”. The iconic Halloween hit presents itself as a podcast from a mad scientist who just created a monster that dances the 1960s dance craze, the Mashed Potato. As a result, the song naturally lends itself to film adaptation.
So, it’s no surprise that Miramax plans to make a Monster Mash animated movie. The song already feels like an audio drama, with its cast of characters and story arcs that feature vampires, mummies, werewolves, and other supernatural beings. My only concerns are “why now?” and how they will revise the song for modern audiences.
Luckily, Monster Mash isn’t Miramax’s first venture into animated Halloween specials. The studio and its CEO, Jonathan Glickman, previously collaborated on the production of Netflix’s Wednesday and MGM’s The Addams Family movies. So, they likely know what they are doing.
Announcing the movie around Halloween was a decisive move, and I respect that. However, Miramax didn’t release a release date with the announcement. However, industry watchdogs speculate that the movie will launch around Halloween next year. Therefore, we can expect exclusive trailers and sneak previews over the next few months.
The Monster Mash Animated Movie Adapts the 1962 Halloween Classic Song
A cultural icon for the past 60 years, Monster Mash has a fascinating history. Singer-songwriter Bobby “Boris” Pickett and Composer Lenny Capizzi recorded the song in under two hours in one take. They also wrote it in the storytelling style that was popular at the time.
Since its release, the song has consistently ranked high on music charts, showing no signs of slowing down. It still generates millions in royalties for the Pickett and Capizzi families, with over 500 million known worldwide streams today. You can even buy copies of it through its label, Reservoir Records.
Besides the original 1962 album, Reservoir re-released it several times over the years, including full-album re-releases in 1970 and 1973. Numerous cover artists have also tried their hands at the song.
Miramax Wasn’t the First to Adapt Monster Mash
Miramax’s upcoming Monster Mash animated movie is not the first time the song has been adapted to film. Several studios have attempted it over the years with mixed results and poor critical reviews.
However, only two of them are noteworthy:
- Monster Mash: The Movie and Frankenstein Sings (1995)
- Monster Mash (2000)
Monster Mash: The Movie and Frankenstein Sings
Often shortened to Monster Mash, “Monster Mash: The Movie and Frankenstein Sings” is a 1995 musical comedy horror film released by Prism Pictures. The film followed the story of the song, but added content from Pickett’s 1967 stage musical, “I’m Sorry the Bridge is Out, You’ll Have to Spend the Night.” Pickett also starred in the film as Dr. Victor Frankenstein.
Monster Mash (2000)
In 2000, DIC Entertainment presented its attempt at a Monster Mash movie.
Released under the Italian title Chi ha paura, the movie was an Italian American direct-to-video animated musical comedy horror film with an original story based on several horror myths and legends.
It was released in North America as a part of Universal Pictures’ Haunted House of Fun collection in 2004, with a standalone DVD released three years later.
A Fresh Take on Classic Monsters
Miramax’s new Monster Mash movie could become a new Halloween tradition, or it could flop like the other attempts before it. Time will tell either way. Good, animated adventures are always appreciated. So, good luck to them. I look forward to adding the soundtrack to my library.
Leave a Reply