Something Wicked This Way Comes is an underrated film from a different shade of Disney we’ve touched on several times before, but now it’s time to give this forgotten freakshow a second look. From its suspenseful script penned by the legendary Ray Bradbury to its chilling visuals and effects, this is definitely one film to put you in a spooky mood.
Today, we’re taking a walk through Cooger and Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show, into the fabulous Mirror Maze, and giving this creepy carnival ride the respect it deserves. Prepare to dive into Disney’s dark side, here are 10 hidden details in Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Bradbury wrote the Screenplay Based On His Novel
There are few book-to-movie adaptations that try to stay so remarkably close to the source material, so why not have the author write the script? Despite removing a few of the more graphic scenes from the novel, it’s still a Disney flick after all, Bradbury pulled his screenplay directly from his original work.
Bradbury’s gift for the strange and unusual shines brightest in the novel, but his screenplay carries over the same October eerieness that gives the story its strange magic. Fans of the novel might need a little time adjusting to some of the alterations, but the same core story and scares are still there.
It Was A Financial Flop But Decently Reviewed
One of the reasons this film has been lingering in the shadows is mainly due to its financial failure. Having only made 8.4 million dollars out of its estimated 19 million dollar budget, it made barely less than half of its cost back. That being said, it still earned a good reputation.
Not only did Ray Bradbury call it one of the best adaptations of his work, but critics also gave it decent praise. Even Roger Ebert gave it a positive review in 1983. Since then, the film has definitely floated on the reputation of it being the best representation of the author and has since gained a cult-film status.
The Time Period Changes
In the book, the time period feels more like the ’50s or possibly early ’60s. The book did debut in 1962, so it makes sense that Bradbury would have wanted it set in a then-contemporary time. So why does it look like the film is set in the ’30s or ’40s?
Maybe the filmmakers were trying to draw from the author’s own childhood for the look of the film? The novel was reportedly inspired by an event at a carnival Bradbury attended in his youth, after all. Or maybe it was to create that creepy antique feeling to create a more ancient atmosphere. Either way, it works.
Each of the Wishes Granted Represents a Deadly Sin
This is one of those storytelling elements that most of the watchful viewers already saw a mile away, but we thought we’d include it. Every “wish” granted by Mr. Dark or his carnival attraction reflects a deadly sin committed by one of the townsfolk. Bradbury, in his genius way, never fails to sprinkle in a little irony either.
Think about it, Mr. Cossetti, the barber, lusts after foreign beauties and gets turned into a bearded lady. Mr. Tetley’s greed turns him into a cigar store Indian, and Miss Foley’s vanity transforms her into a blind beauty queen. As the saying goes, all magic comes with a price.
The Carnival Freaks are All Victims of Dark’s Devices
Jumping off the previous entry, we see that once each townsperson’s wish is granted, they are transformed by Mr. Dark’s carnival and end up as part of the freak show. Aside from Mr. Dark, Mr. Cooger, and the Dust Witch, all of the other freaks are later seen frozen on display in Dark’s lair waiting to be used.
So only three individuals truly pull the strings of the carnival while the others lie in wait. This means that all the other carnival freaks are past victims of Mr. Dark’s magic. Judging by the size of the parade in the search scene, Dark has been in business for quite a while.
Mr. Dark May or May Not Be The Devil
Mr. Dark, played brilliantly by Jonathan Price, is arguably Bradbury’s greatest villain. Part of what makes him so charming and sinister is that air of mystery that he wears like one of his black suits. Much of his dialogue mimics Milton’s Paradise Lost, and his Temple of Temptations exhibit definitely hammers in a devilish quality, but is he really a demonic presence?
Dark and his carnival are referred to as the Autumn People, a strange traveling group of beings that feed off of the desires of others. Although Bradbury does try to stay away from cliche’s, we can’t deny Dark’s devil-like features. Perhaps it’s something better left for the audience to decide.
Mr. Dark Appears in Another Bradbury Work
Mr. Dark is not only the ringmaster of the carnival but a member of the freakshow as well. His oddity? He is the Illustrated Man, The tattoos over his body shift, change, and alter. This is an impressive visual effect, but it’s also familiar to anyone exposed to Bradbury’s books.
Ray Bradbury’s short story collection, The Illustrated Man, is connected through an encounter with the titular Illustrated Man, whose ever-changing tattoos tell the stories in the book. The character is an aimless wanderer who tells the protagonist he was once a member of a carnival freakshow. Sounding familiar? Perhaps this was the true fate of Mr. Dark after the carnivals destruction? Who knows…
The Dust Witch Plays Multiple Roles
In the book, Mr. Dark has a whole troupe of carnival freaks to do his bidding. In the movie, most of them are actually the townspeople who have been transformed. Most of Dark’s dirty work is carried out by a handful of miscellaneous carnies or Mr. Cooger and the Dust Witch.
The Dust Witch wears many different hats throughout the film, mostly bewitching victims or luring the men in the town to the carnival. She is a mix of the novel’s witch, fortune teller, snake charmer, and the World’s Most Beautiful Woman, but instead of being just a substitute for the characters, she makes the witch into a much more interesting role.
It’s a Deathless, Goreless Horror Movie Made by Disney
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a horror movie based on a brilliant horror novel, there’s no getting around that. There are just enough fantasy elements to blend the gruesome imagery together. Yes, we see a mesmerizing carnival with a hall of mirrors and a Ferris wheel, but we also see a decapitated child’s head, a room full of tarantulas, and an electrocuted corpse.
But get this, there’s no gratuitous gore, no explicit content, and even the only death in the film is debatable if you’ve read Bradbury’s works. But it still gives us some really creepy and creative scenes, and definitely some not expected from Disney.
It’s One of Disney’s Darkest Works
When people who know this film think of it, they normally chalk it up beside other surprisingly dark Disney flicks, usually putting it next to titles like The Black Cauldron, Return to Oz, and The Watcher in the Woods. Surprisingly though, that may be why this film doesn’t get much attention.
We can understand why Disney would want to keep things so bright and sparkly, it is their signature brand after all. But if they can boast about flicks like Hocus Pocus, they can surely take this one out of mothballs too. Yes, it’s a slow burn, but it’s still a splendid film steeped in shadows.
