Witches in Stiches
“Witches in Stiches” (1997) is pretty much about three dim witted and annoying witches and their misadventures in the neighborhood. The older sister wants to go to the annual witches’ ball and is obsessed with the embarrassment she will receive from her out of control younger sisters. If you ask me there seems to be an ongoing tradition in these lame Halloween specials where the witch seems to be consumed with her image among the coven folk. But wouldn’t you know, her sisters accidently turn her into a pumpkin where she is found in the possession of some nerd. The rest of the plot deals with the two sisters getting their older sister back. “Witches in Stiches” is not an awful special and I have seen far worse pictures than this. It contains decent if not bland animation and some nicely illustrated backgrounds. The show is just one of those lame cartoons you shrug off and not really care out. The cartoon is simply forgettable, pointless, and not important to think about. Instead I found myself laughing at scenes or moments that were not intended or not to be funny as my head went into different places…although my hunch says maybe it was not intended. First off the cartoon awkwardly begins with what appears to be a parody or homage to the Peanuts special. Faux Lucy is creepily staring at us like a scary doll as she waits in the pumpkin patch. One thinks that she is waiting for faux Linus to show up and give him a knuckle sandwich for still believing in the whole Great Pumpkin myth. There is even a sign above her that alludes to the psych stand the real Lucy had in the Peanuts specials. The shots of the pumpkins randomly flying through brought to mind the ending of “The Halloween Tree”, a film I still cherish from my childhood. The voice of the older witch is irritating and gets on your nerve after listening to it for nearly half an hour. However, it is funny to listen to her as she is weirdly crying out, angry at something stupid, or is yelling while falling down the street as a pumpkin. Other than those moments that’s pretty much it.
