Nostalgia Nook: Halloweentown III

I know, I know. I kinda let the Nostalgia Nooks die. Mostly because I didn’t really have the time to write them and I ran out of interest, honestly. But I wanted to stick to posting about the Halloweentown franchise to celebrate Halloween, so here I am!

Hop on your broomstick and avoid the SPOILERS!

Marnie Cromwell (Kimberly J. Brown) has a plan to bridge Halloweentown and the mortal world: an exchange program! She talks to the Halloweentown council about letting some students from Halloweentown come learn at her high school in the mortal realm. The council, though, is a bit apprehensive due to legends of the Knights of the Iron Dagger—a group dedicated to destroying everything magical. Marnie assures them that the plan will work and in the process, bets all the Cromwell magic. So if it fails, her entire family loses their magic.

Uh oh.

Marnie starts to have doubts but her grandmother, Aggie (Debbie Reynolds), assures her that everything will be okay.

Nostalgia Nook: Halloweentown II

It’s October! You know what that means:

Pumpkin everything!
That chill in the air.
Ghosts, goblins and witches.
The skeleton war.
Ignoring the Christmas decorations already popping up in stores.

And of course…

HALLOWEEN!

Last year, I discussed the beloved Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) Halloweentown. This year, we’re going to discuss the sequel! Because of course there was a sequel. It was a popular movie. Disney couldn’t resist!

So grab your broomsticks and get ready for SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: S Club 7

Everyone probably knows ABC Family. But remember when it was FOX Family? Because I do. There were a lot of good shows on it. Including one centered around a British band import called S Club 7.

Most of us recall S Club 7 fondly from what I can tell. So why’s that? Let’s take a look, shall we?

Reach for the SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: Pocahontas

Twenty years ago this week, Pocahontas opened in theaters. It had large shoes to feel, being the Disney movie that followed The Lion King.  Expectations were high. And while Pocahontas had a decent showing, it wasn’t the same megahit as the movies before it. It also pissed off a lot of historians.

And now we’re going to take a look at it.

Can you paint with all the colors of the SPOILER!

Nostalgia Nook: The Pebble and the Penguin

In the 90s, Disney Animation was on fire. It kept releasing award-winning and box office topping movies. Other studies tried to capture the Disney magic…several times. Most weren’t as successful as Disney, though they reached their own success. So we have The Pebble and the Penguin.

March of the SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: Murder, She Wrote

We love procedurals. And we love mysteries. I guess it’s trying to solve the mystery along with our sleuth. Or sitting on the edge of our seats, praying they figure it out before it’s too late.

I also believe we love to see sleuths who aren’t our usual ideas of detectives. Sure, we love our cops and our Sherlocks. But we also love our amateur sleuths, the ones who fall into it for other reasons. For my most reason example, I cite the new CW show iZombie. Liv Moore (Rose McIver) just wants to be a renowned heart surgeon and marry her fiancé Major. But when she gets turned into a zombie at a party, her plans change. She takes a job in the medical examiner’s office, which gives her a constant supply of brains to eat. It comes with the side effect of her absorbing the dead person’s memories and traits until she’s done digesting the brain. She teams up with a detective and claims to be psychic to explain how she knows the things she does. Together, they solve crimes.

One of my favorite sleuths though is Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote. So beware murders and SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: The Magic School Bus

A few months ago, 90s kids everywhere got a real thrill: Netflix announced it was reviving The Magic School Bus. A new generation would get to realize why Ms. Frizzle is the best teacher ever.

And maybe a Time Lord.

So why do we love her? Hop on the Magic School Bus and avoid the SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: Shakespeare in Love

Confession time! I only just watched Shakespeare in Love. It seems odd that it took me this long, too. After all, the movie has many things I like: history, romance, Shakespeare…But it wasn’t until I got Netflix that I finally was able to watch it. So what did I think of the surprise 1998 Oscar winner? Let’s find out! 

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: Happily Ever After

It’s easy to believe Disney has a monopoly on fairy tales. And in some ways, they do. Yet there are a few who give Disney a run for their money. For example, a few years ago, I covered Shelley Duval’s “Fairie Tale Theater.” And now, I’m covering HBO’s animated take on fairy tales.

We have clear visions of what a fairy tale princess and prince look like: Blond hair, blue eyes, white as Wonder Bread. Of course, most of them are based off the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales, which were German in origin. (Hitler, Nazism and the Aryan belief didn’t just come out of nowhere, after all). But HBO took that and went: “Nah, man. We’re going to make sure every child can see themselves in the fairy tale. So there!”
Thus, we have “Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child.”

Once upon a SPOILER!

Nostalgia Nook: The Santa Clause 2

It’s December! Hopefully you aren’t sick of Christmas yet. We have twenty days to go. Enjoy the season!
A few year’s ago, I wrote about “The Santa Clause,” the movie staring Tim Allen as a man who lost sight of what was really important until he became Santa Claus. It has since become a Christmas classic. But it took some time for the movie to get a sequel. (I think Tim Allen’s legal troubles probably played a large role in the hiatus). So, how’s the sequel? Let’s take a look.

You better not pout, you better not cry, you better not shout, I’m telling you why—SPOILERS are coming to town!

Nostalgia Nook: Chicken Run

There needs to be more Thanksgiving movies. So I’m doing a movie staring chickens because they’re close to turkeys. Right?

So, watch out for feathers and SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: Timmy the Tooth

Growing up, my family would make regular trips to BJ’s warehouse store. I loved these trips for a few reasons: Free food samples, a stop at the computer store across the way and a new Timmy the Tooth video. My sister and I loved these silly little specials.

And now I’m going to tell you why.

Eww, that was a horrible transition. Sorry.

Do I have to put a SPOILER warning up? Really?

Nostalgia Nook: Clueless

In 1815, Jane Austen published her fourth book, Emma. In it, Emma Woodhouse believes she is an expert matchmaker and meddles with her friends’ love lives while content to never marry herself. It ends up blowing up in her face and she ends up falling for her dearest friend, Mr. Knightley. Mr. Knightley, the only one who will tell her the truth. In the mid-90s, writer-director Amy Heckerling took Austen’s classic and adapted it for a more modern audience.

The result? Clueless!

(SPOILERS? As if!)

Nostalgia Nook: Hercules

Fun story time! My dad worked at ABC during the Disney takeover and for a few years after. In 1997, Disney celebrated its renovation of the historical New Amsterdam theater by having a special event. My dad managed to get tickets but was unable to take off to go himself. So my mother, sister, aunt, cousin and I went. Disney characters put on a little show, celebrating and dancing in the aisle. My sister, who was almost five, was a bit confused as she thought the Disney characters all lived in Disney World. My mother told her they were visiting us in New York for the party. After the party, they lowered a screen and showed us Disney’s latest movie—Hercules!

From zero to SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: Wishbone

Two PBS shows dedicated to books back-to-back? Why not? Especially as I’ve said before—I’m a bibliophile!


“Wishbone” is the main character, a Jack Russell terrier with a BIG imagination. He can also talk but only the audience can hear him. Wishbone is owned by middle schooler Joe Talbot (Jordan Wall), who is being raised by his widowed librarian mother Ellen (Mary Chris Wall). Being surrounded by books, Wishbone becomes a bibliophile as well and often compares the situations Joe and his friends encounter to the books he’s read. Joe’s friends are David Barnes (Adam Springfield), a budding scientist and inventor, and Samantha “Sam” Kepler (Christie Abbott), an athlete with a heart of gold.

Nostalgia Nook: Reading Rainbow

Oh my goodness! How did I miss my scheduled deadline? My bad.

This month, we look back at a beloved childhood show. And since I’m a bookworm, it deals with books!
Take a look, it’s in a…Wait. Do I need to do a spoiler warning? I don’t think so. But just be careful anyway.

Nostalgia Nook: “Luck of the Irish”

Time for a Disney Channel Original Movie or DCOM! I should probably do more of these. But in honor of St. Patrick’s Day (which is why this is delayed to then), I present this original movie!

A pot of gold and SPOILERS!

Nostalgia Nook: The Lovers Part IV

And we bring February to a close with Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” In a few incarnations as the Jane Austen classic is beloved to this day.

So, even though it is over 200 years old—SPOILERS below!

Nostalgia Nook: The Lovers Part III

We press on with our month of love with an iconic couple who aren’t human. They’re mice!

I’m sure that was a dead giveaway, even if you didn’t read the preview last week. Yes, we’re discussing Minnie and Mickey Mouse this week.

Hey there, hi there, ho there…SPOILERS!

The story of how Mickey Mouse came to be is legendary. For those who don’t know, here’s a rundown: Walt Disney had just lost his cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit due to contractual wording. He was on a train, heading home to an uncertain future. And he started doodling. He created a little mouse he wanted to name “Mortimer.” But his wife Lillian convinced him to call the mouse “Mickey” and a star was born!

Mickey delighted audiences worldwide. And he gained friends. Donald Duck. Goofy. He gained enemies. Like Peg Leg Pete. Yes, he started out as a villain. And Mickey got a love interest—Minnie Mouse. He tried to woo her though he faced competition from Mortimer Mouse (seems Walt never gave up his penchant for the name). But Mickey ultimately emerged the victor, especially as Mortimer was a bit on the slimy side and Mickey is our hero.

Minnie and Mickey have lasted over the years, supporting each other. How many people have gotten married with Groom!Mickey and Bride!Minnie cake toppers? Or worn those hats in the parks? Or seen something like “I’ll be the Mickey to your Minnie”?

Why do we like this couple so much? Perhaps it is because Mickey is the Everyman in mouse form. And Minnie is an Everywoman. They are perfect together! And they give us hope, much like Cory and Topanga from last week. They are two halves of a whole. Mickey has been her knight in shining armor. He’s been her shoulder to lean on. Isn’t that what we want?

So I hope you’ve found the Mickey to your Minnie (or vice versa). Or that you will.

Next week: Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy

Nostalgia Nook: The Lovers Part II

Cory and Topanga.

Topanga and Cory.

Any 90s kid knows those names. They are probably in some ways the ideal we hold our romances to.

So, let’s go back to when a boy meets SPOILERS!