Credit: ITMHalloween season is an essential time for most theme parks. Universal Studios has “Halloween Horror Nights,” Knott’s Berry Farm has “Knott’s Scary Farm,” and SeaWorld has “Howl-O-Scream.” While many of these parks have a commanding fanfare for their scare events, Disney’s “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary-Halloween” Party and “Oogie Boogie Bash” have been two of its biggest heavy hitters. Yesterday’s debut of a classic Disney villain has guests reacting with a combination of excitement and terror.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) is a beloved animated marvel that has developed a devoted fanbase over three decades. It was a noir-style comedy that was directed by the legendary Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Cast Away). The film would become the second highest-grossing picture of the year. It would also soon rank as one of the top 25 animated films of all time.
The film also received more Oscar nominations than any other animated feature at the time. Moreover, it continues to have a passionate following due to its revolutionary process of melding live-action with traditional 2D animation called ‘rotoscoping.’ It featured: an intricate plot, strong female characters, risqué humor, unheard-of self-awareness of its parody for the family-friendly genre and lastly, a partnership between two major animated icons — Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Warner Bros’ Bugs Bunny.
All of its technical achievements would mean nothing without its incomparable cast. While major characters like Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer) and Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner) are the rightful stars of the animated classic, it would feature the most unnerving Disney villain pre-Renaissance era. Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) was the main antagonist who was determined to chemically wipe out Toon Town.
He was a self-hating toon that masked himself as a real human to be taken seriously in his business ventures. His greed to profit from a new freeway construction pushed him to develop an acid bath (The Dip) that would erase all of Toon Town. This genocide would clear the path and give him the real estate to complete his endeavor. One of the most unsettling scenes in the film was when he slowly dissolved a frightened animated shoe in the Dip until its demise.
Disney’s popular Halloween event, “Oogie Boogie Bash,” reawakened this generational fear with the debut of Judge Doom as featured Disney villain. He was adorned in his infamous black attire with his wide-brimmed hat, reflective circular spectacles and fiendish big-toothed grin. Guests have reacted in utter shock as he has been reenacting his menacing acid bath on another poor, unfortunate sole.
@haunted_attractions FULL Judge Doom trail walkthrough at oogie Boogie Bash in Disney California Adventure #disneyland #disney #oogieboogiebash
Who Framed Roger Rabbit was an innovative piece of cinematic art that inspired and transcended what was capable with the medium. It is unlikely that it will be repeated, but its impact, merchandise, Disneyland attraction and now villain showcase can still be enjoyed by all generations.
Even though “Oogie Boogie Bash” is sold out, fans can still recoil in fear as Who Framed Roger Rabbit is streaming on Disney+.