Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977 TV Movie) User Reviews

Favorable, but bittersweet memories.

[lucastle · 7/10 · 11 February 1999]

After being off the air for so many years, it was nice to see ANY new Addams Family adventure. Their first (and only) appearance in color, unfortunately helped to show how old many of them had grown. Being shot on video and the low budget special effects (cousin Itt spoke 'garbled' dialog not his usual high speed reverse English) were disappointing, but it is a GREAT watch at Halloween. A moment to look for: In order for Carolyn Jones to be able to march up the staircase for the finale, it was necessary for her tight fitting dress to be slit up the back all the way up to her spine. Watch for John Astin's ear-to-ear grin as he stares at her butt while walking behind her & you'll see that this is a TRUE story!

Fond memories of watching this before Trick or Treating

[impossibledreamers · 7/10 · 29 October 2007]

As stated by others, this is not as well-crafted as the more recent movies, but this was a pilot attempt to revive the original series in 1977.

Nearly all the cast returned, and new young children (Wednesday Junior and Puglsey Junior) were also added. Unlike the sound stage original, this special was shot on video in a real house, with props added, including good ol' Thing.

But, like many other shows that made the black and white to color transformation, the Addams' gallows dark humor seems lost in a bright colorful world of early video tape. Still, hats off to the performance of the original cast especially John Astin, Caroline Jones, Jackie Coogan and Ted Cassidy.

Basically the show, with a time extension

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 6/10 · 19 October 2019]

When Charles Addams' cartoon of a family who was too far into Halloween than most families were, he probably wasn't sure what a success it would be. When his creation was adapted into the 1964 show, the characters became larger than life with their unique personalities and interests. While the show itself only lasted two seasons, it made a lasting impression on several viewers. For couples, Gomez and Morticia are popular choices for costume Halloween parties. And although the look of the characters weren't an exact match to that of Charles Addams' original drawings, the look was iconic nonetheless. Amazingly several years later, most of the original cast returned for a TV movie special revolving around the season of Halloween.

The focus of the plot is around the holiday where the Addams will be celebrating all hallows eve. To them, it's their Christmas time. Before the end of the night, a legend by the name of Cousin Shy comes to give gifts and carve pumpkins. Meanwhile, a group of crooks lead by the boss (Parley Baer) want to infiltrate the Addams' home to steal their family fortune by luring Gomez to a lodge meeting far away. Simultaneously, Gomez (John Astin) is worried about his brother Pancho (Henry Darrow) having feelings for Morticia (Carolyn Jones). For a TV movie, it very much feels like an extended episode to the show but all in good fun. It's rather shocking considering the director, David Steinmetz, had no experience prior or after this event. Was he even directing?

Writing the script was George Tibbles, who also wrote for Dennis the Menace and Leave It to Beaver. As mentioned before the execution feels much like an extended episode and nothing more. The subplots about Gomez's brother Pancho and his advances on Morticia are bit out of place. Henry Darrow as Pancho looks very much like Gomez Addams and acts very similar, which has some comedic timing. But the point of having him being there is only because of the fake trip Gomez is going on. As for the crooks who want to break into the Addams' household, it could have very well been left out. Parley Baer, Patrick Campbell and Vito Scotti add comedic moments but they play random characters; not returning ones of such. There's even impostors who stand in as Gomez and Morticia.

In spite of all this though, this special is still watchable for the original cast themselves. Not only has time passed, but Morticia and Gomez have added children Pugsley Jr. (Ken Marquis) and Wednesday Jr. (Jennifer Surprenant). Ken Weatherwax and Lisa Loring who played the original Pugsley and Wednesday are now grown and also return to the family household. Ted Cassidy returns as the lumbering Lurch and still has his funny moments. Jackie Coogan also returns as Uncle Fester and still doesn't understand anyone outside the house. Felix Silla even has his moments as cousin It going back and forth with Gomez Addams. And of course, as if it had to be mentioned; Carolyn Jones and John Astin as the classic Addams couple still have their same comedic delivery.

For what's on screen, the visual gags are still funny too. Filmed by Jacques R. Marquette, the cinematographer to Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), the camera angles used here make use of the entire set. Thing's appearances between rooms always provides a good laugh. There's even props used that have pyrotechnics. Lastly, the music was supported by original composer Vic Mizzy, who also composed the original theme for the show. Since it was a special, the intro is a tad different but still remains as lively and memorable as the original. The cues used from transitions and other doodads all works appropriately to the situation occurring at the time.

Following the success of the show, majority of the original cast return for this Halloween themed TV movie special, and it could have been worse. While the subplots going on around the main characters don't amount to much, it's still fun seeing the same chemistry return for one more extended period of time.

Fair Television Special

[Michael_Elliott · 13 October 2016]

Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977)

** (out of 4)

Gomez (John Astin), Morticia (Carolyn Jones), Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) and various other members of the family return in this made- for-television special that has the weird family getting ready for a Halloween party. Along the way an outside tries to work himself into the family to try and so some spying on the various creepy things going on.

If you're a fan of the television series then you'll probably be slightly entertained by this special, which at least gets the majority of the original cast members back and in action. I personally thought this special was okay but there's certainly nothing classic here. It seems that this period was full of popular television shows getting feature length movies and this here is pretty much average for this type of thing.

I thought the best thing about this was Astin who has no problem fitting back into the role of Gomez. He's certainly very fun to watch and brings a lot of energy into the film. The supporting players are fun to watch as well but there's still no question that the screenplay is rather weak and there aren't nearly enough laughs to carry the picture.

The entire film seems like a bunch of skits and it just never really feels like a movie or even a television show for that matter. It certainly doesn't help that the laugh track is so annoying and often has laughter at the lamest of jokes. Still, fans of the original will enjoy seeing the cast members and that's probably enough for them to watch this.

A bleak trip and fall down memory lane

[Sycotron · 7/10 · 31 October 2008]

There does seem to be something about the 1970's that leads to awkward TV movies and specials. Just one year later the Star Wars holiday special was inflicted upon the public. But anyway...this reunion of the original cast is the best thing going to recommend this show. The direction is very slow. Many scenes just sit there leading to nothing as the gags have long since worn out their welcome. Still however I do enjoy watching this thing no pun intended. The daylight scenes have a bleak gray sky background which lends an odd almost sad air to the proceedings. And the laugh track sounds as if it can't decide whether to join in or sit this one out. So there you have it. I can't imagine anyone is going to finish this movie and declare it a triumph of TV comedy but it will do for a Halloween nostalgia trip. I recall seeing this when it ran the first time and then seeing it on afternoon movie slots during Halloween weeks for a few years after.

Better than most revival films...but...

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 5 May 2016]

During the 1970s and into the 80s, a ton of classic TV comedies were brought back through made for TV movies. What revivals of "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Leave it to Beaver", "The Andy Griffith Show", "Green Acres" and other programs have in common is that the reunion shows were painful to watch. Much of it is because you simply cannot recreate the magic and much of it is because the writing was so bad and much of it is because several of these revivals were ruined by dead cast members. For example, with the "Leave it to Beaver" special, Hugh Beaumont was dead so scenes with him were done by having June talk to Ward at his grave!! In the case of "The Beverly Hillbillies" too many old cast members were dead or refused to do the reunion...so they did it anyway!

So how does this "Addams Family" reunion stack up with the rest? Well, in some ways it's quite a bit better. The only missing cast member was Blossom Rock (Grandmama) and she was not a pivotal member of the cast. In addition, several very familiar old 60s TV guest stars (Parley Baer and Vito Scotti) were there as well. So at least in this sense the show achieved something...though the house set was gone and the Addams' new house just isn't the same. As far as the most important part goes, the show is only fair...at best. The writing and pacing of the show TRY to recreate the magic but cannot. The plot is only okay at best and the laugh track didn't work because the laughs and goofiness were just not there. Overall, mildly interesting for die-hard fans but like all the reunion shows I mentioned, it's still a mistake...albeit a better than usual mistake for the genre. A score of 4, while not good, is lightyears better than the "Green Acres" and "Beverly Hillbillies" reunions...and slightly better than the others I mentioned.

Another failed revival

[mrlanceb · 3/10 · 19 October 2005]

Like so many movies that revisit an old TV series, this one misses the mark. The stark look of the video tape it was shot on, the bright color, and the set lighting that looks more like a nighttime landscape showcase do nothing to capture the charm of the old show. I wouldn't go as far as to say it should have been in black and white, but film instead of videotape, please, and do something with the lighting to give it a more appropriate look. The house is nothing like the old Addams mansion - rather it looks like a place where Hollywood types frequently party.

The original actors are all good, but the story is not. After awhile it all seems inane and boring. And the Halloween song near the end... please... make it stop (or at least hit the MUTE button.) Another opportunity to pay proper homage to a classic 60's show is lost. I know it was a TV-movie, but if that's the result, why bother?

Flawed But Improves Over Time

[monkofmagnesia-96294 · 8/10 · 30 October 2021]

This is a made for tv movie, whci means every fifteen minutes or so there was a commercial, so every fifteen minutes the action stops, but that is not one of the flaws. First, it was not filmed but video taped. One could tell just by watching. Second, it is not black and white. Being in b/w made the show feel like it was a part of the Universal Classic Horror series. The opening credits irked me, as it did at least one other reviewer. It gave Carolyn Jones a "Specoal Guest Star" listing. Why? Althhough the show was an ensemble cast, it was John Astin who made the show. Most of the original cast returned for this special, including the children (Ken Weather max' smile remained the same), and a couple of the actors who played various roles returned. The pacing seems off but it has its moments (such as Lurch's reaction when he discovers what his "date" actually is). I watch this every Halloween and, voer the yeats it sees to get better. If it feels like a pilot for a new series, it was (Charles Addams tombstone is in the family grave yard). It is on Youtube so one can watch it any time for free, although years ago I did purchase the DVD.

Stick with the original B&W TV series or the two early 90's movies

[Wuchakk · 4/10 · 12 June 2023]

Eleven years after the previous televised adventures of the Addams Family, Gomez' brother, Pancho (Henry Darrow), visits just in time for a Halloween celebration. He's still interested in Morticia (Carolyn Jones), which stirs the jealousy of Gomez (John Astin). Meanwhile some burglars (Vito Scotti, et al.) are interested in getting their hands on the family fortune. The cast also includes Ted Cassidy (Lurch), Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester) and Felix Silla (Cousin Itt), amongst others.

"Halloween with the New Addams Family" (1977) was considered a pilot for a revival series, which wasn't picked up and wisely so. While I always prefer color over B&W, this is the exception because the color mixed with videotape, as opposed to film, give the proceedings a seriously amateur quality. It's so bad you'll be tempted to tune out in 5-10 minutes.

Also, the Addams' house set is long gone and the real-life mansion used (cited below) just isn't very effective by comparison. Then there are curious additions that don't work, like Gomez's brother who's basically a replica of Gomez. It's the same with Wednesday Jr. And Pugsley Jr., who add nothing to the proceedings. So why are they there? Lastly, the corny gags that were amusing in the mid-60s are now hackneyed and unfunny, like the spy (Vito Scotti) being scared by every little odd thing in the Addams' creepy manor.

Thankfully, Carolyn still looks great and Lisa Loring as Wednesday Sr. Is a highlight on the feminine front, being 18 during shooting. There are some entertaining bits, but this is strictly for die-hard fans of the 60's show interested in a low-rent reunion over a decade later.

The flick runs 1 hour, 14 minutes, and was shot at Higgins-Verbeck-Hirsch Mansion, Los Angeles.

GRADE: C-

great movie

[baxterbj-66872 · 10/10 · 28 August 2022]

Great movie as all of the Addams Family movies are. I don't remember this one as a child, but I can watch it now thanks to tubi. The plot and Story line was Great, it is sad to that grand ma ma was not with us to be in this one. I would loved to see her in this one. No one could ever do such a good job as lurch, that would be impossible in my opinion. I do not want to give away any of the movie, I would rather you watch the movie for your self and enjoy it. All I can do is just say watch it for your self, it will keep you laughing and smiling. Finally a family show that the hole family can watch. I did see one easter egg in the movie. 0:30:29. When Vito Scotti goes for the door to leave if you look out the door, what you see is the back wall of a set where you should have seen the outside. I guess that one slipped by .

It didn't quite work.

[Java_Joe · 5/10 · 24 August 2019]

I remember this when it came out. I loved the Addams Family and had seen it in re-runs all the time as a child. So imagine my surprise when they were coming out with a Halloween movie starring the original cast.

And... it wasn't that good. The characters were the same and I love John Astin's Gomez but the rest of it felt a little flat. You could see that it was done cheap meaning it was shot on video and the special effects were no better than they were back in the 60's. The set lighting made it seem too bright and why didn't they make Lurch green? He always struck me as being green during the black and white days.

The story is, pretty basic. It's Halloween and the entire Addams clan is getting together. Wednesday and Pugsley have moved out. She's studying the picolo and he's training to be a witch doctor in Nairobi. Just go with it, it was the 70's. But Morticia and Gomez have had two more children that look suspiciously like their older siblings. They're Wednesday Jr and Pugsley Jr. Rounding out the cast are the rest of the Addams clan as well as the newcomer Pancho, Gomez's brother.

There's a bunch of thieves that are trying to rip them off, doubles of Morticia and Gomez resulting in a lot of mistaken identity and a bit of unrequited love.

Overall it's not that bad as there are parts of it that work but in the end it feels rather empty and is best left as a curio of failed revivals.

A trudge down memory lane

[Blazehgehg · 3/10 · 21 April 2016]

I'll be honest with you, dear reader, and maybe this will invalidate my opinion for you: I could not finish watching this. Before you write me off, let me tell you why.

I am probably considered a casual fan of the Addams Family. I like the characters, and while I've seen the original TV series, I have not seen every episode. I've barely read any of the original comics. But I do enjoy them a great deal.

This is not a joke: I figured this movie had to be building up to some kind of ending only to look down at the run time and realize I'd only been watching for about 30-40 minutes. It had felt like an eternity had passed, and I still had at least half of the movie left to go. I struggled to keep watching and eventually turned it off.

The plot is typical Addams Family guff: thieves attempt to burgle the vast Addams fortune, only to get cold feet and freak out at how weird everybody is. Except this time around, it just doesn't feel weird enough. This is set in a different house, one that looks far more contemporary and a lot less macabre. On the inside, it's cramped and cluttered, but rarely ever "spooky." It's too colorful, too well lit, too sunny. Completely different from what would be considered the "signature" Addams Family home decor.

Many of the jokes do not feel fresh. A whole secondary cast of characters gets introduced that are carbon copies of existing members of the family. Take Gomez's brother Pancho, for instance, who is nearly indistinguishable from Gomez, right down to the fact he can't control himself when Morticia speaks French. There's a Wednesday Jr. and a Puggsly Jr., who fill in the same roles as the original children, given the old actors were now grown adults. There's two Grandmas, too, and even a feminine version of Thing called Ladyfingers. Very little is done to establish these as their own unique people. They merely exist to clutter the screen and double up the cast.

The other issue is the fact this movie centers around Halloween. That's the perfect holiday to suit The Addams Family, but this movie seems to have been shot at the peak of summer in the middle of California. Uncle Fester's out in a sunny back yard, moving among graves set in vivid green grass, under swaying palm trees. Doesn't exactly scream "Autumn" nor does it say "Addams Family." They try to offset this by scattering around clumps of fake straw, but it just doesn't feel creepy, mysterious, or ooky.

As if that wasn't enough to spoil the mood, this movie indulges in some weird, left-field 1970's pop culture references. From gags mocking Life cereal commercials to Star Wars jokes, it feels out of place compared to the tone of typical Addams Family media.

I honestly get the feeling this was originally pitched as a stealth pilot for a new (1970's) Addams Family TV show, because that would theoretically allow them to keep making more episodes with a new cast of very familiar (but technically distinct) characters. The fact that no such TV series followed "Halloween with the New Addams Family" says more about the quality of this movie than anything I could write here. It is completely unnecessary fluff.

stink-o-RAMA

[jumbobrain · 11 November 2003]

This low-budget, color video followup to the 1960s Addams Family series was a hardcore stinker. The original series, which in my opinion was never as clever as the original Charles Addams cartoons which inspired it, nevertheless had a certain charm and atmosphere that made a big impact on me as a kid. This special had none of that, and was little more than a chance to point the camera at the same group of actors (or at least the surviving ones). I mean, it ends with the family singing a Halloween carol! How lame is that? I had the good fortune to meet Charles Addams shortly before he died in 1988. While he was politely dismissive of the original series (he called it a kids' show, but not a bad one), he mentioned the reunion show as being singularly terrible. I agree.

Black and white vs. colour

[Bored_Dragon · 4/10 · 25 September 2018]

Some people wonder why anyone would make a black-and-white film in the era of color films. There are many reasons, and this film is an excellent example. A decade after the completion of the cult series "The Addams Family" (1964-1966), the original cast gathered to make this TV special. As a big fan of the original series, I looked forward to enjoying the adventures of this hilarious family some more, but after I saw it I wished I didn't, because it only spoiled the memory of my favorite childhood series. Although there are 8 actors from the original show, only Jackie Coogan, Carolyn Jones and Ted Cassidy retained the old charms, and John Astin seems like he never stopped being Gomez, while Wednesday and Pugsley are completely unrecognizable. The rest of the cast is mediocre and the scenario is unoriginal, unimaginative and boring. But the final nail in the coffin was nailed by the decision to make this film in color. The color completely erased every trace of Addams's original atmosphere and totally ruined the already bad movie. If they were left in black-and-white, it would somewhat save this film, and even if everything else in the film was excellent, the color would spoil the impression. I really like Carolyn Jones, but Morticia in color is not Morticia anymore.

4/10

WOW I have seen some tough reviews before but these...........

[dan_still · 10/10 · 2 December 2021]

Time marches on. Nothing is ever as good as it was and a series like this is an impossibile thing to follow. As a child I loved the show and eventually read a paperback book that perhaps the series was based upon. I don't know. I know Gomez was so good at his part he never successfully played anything else. You want to be disappointed try that on. Morticia, PLEASE. Beautiful Morticia. Had she not exited early I suspect the same fate would have been hers. Everybody else were just exactly that. The others. Oddly enough I have watched and rewatched these old shows over the many years and somehow they hold up well. I never saw the halloween special from the original series until many, many years later. Even in reruns our TV stations would not broadcast these "hail satan specials" So it is I have never seen this attempt at reviving the impossibile. No doubt this was a failure in conception. Commercials every ten or fifteen minutes were planned around and may have actually helped in this adventure. Gomez and Morticia look as good as ever. In color Morticia has radiance unequalled. The rest of this mess was pretty tough to endure. As well as the simple stories work in the original series they completely flounder in this effort. No doubt the budget was insufficent for the task, why else would there be no film. It wasn't because of a lack of potential, that this failed to satisfy. Too many recreations on the big screen scream out that reality. The original series worked all too well. The interest continues ,anytime a properly funded well managed effort to continue this story. Despite the fact that this wasn't that it sure was nice to see them in color. As far as that newspaper cartoon went , It never really entertained me. I'll still read it if I see it though, That is how good the TV show was. Oh and Lurch was never green that was Munsters overlap. It came into being because people loved the Addams Family.

This bothered me right from the start

[avatarofshadow · 3/10 · 17 October 2019]

This isn't a review of the whole show, though it's clear they didn't put a lot of effort into it.

One thing that really bugs me about this right away is that in the credits, Carolyn Jones is called the "special guest star."

She was Morticia. She's not a special guest star. She's a member of the cast. I haven't checked any of the Gilligan's Island made for TV movies lately, but if I saw the woman who played Mrs. Howell listed as a "special guest star" it would bug me.

Or Samantha's mother on Bewitched. I thought she was great. But not enough that you'd put her on her own level above the rest of the actors from the show.

Just my two cents.

Not the same

[twilightshadows-428-400303 · 3/10 · 20 March 2022]

Despite having most of the original cast, this was not remotely the same as the original. I can see why they didn't continue it as a series. The writer and director are different, so maybe that had something to do with it. But it's like they never watched the show. The set is too modern looking, and the overall tone has an almost 70s sci-fi feel to it. The original could be silly, but it had an endearing charm that is lacking here. This is like a satirical, campy version with a plot that's just stupid instead of charmingly silly and which, in the end, doesn't make sense. The villains start out with surveillance equipment that is pretty high tech, particularly for the 70s, and they focus a lot on "deciphering the code" of the Addams' language, but they turn out to be ordinary thieves. It's like the writer started with a different plot and then changed it. The subplot regarding Gomez and his lodge was out of character for the show, particularly in his reaction. Part of that endearing charm the show had was the Addams' naivety and their way of always painting things in a positive light. Also lacking is the chemistry between the characters, even between the original actors. Part of the appeal of the series was the relationship between Gomez and Morticia, the way they worshipped each other. Even when Morticia would rebuff Gomez for being too passionate at the wrong time, the attraction was there underneath. Here, what's underneath feels like irritation. I'm wondering if Caroline Jones was ticked off at John Astin. Or maybe she was ticked off that the new powers that be had ruined what had been a really great show. Then there are the other characters. Lurch is all wrong; he was always incredibly shy and reserved. He would never have even asked a woman to dance, much less been forceful. And then there was that ridiculous, pointless obsession with pterodactyls. It wasn't even used as a plot device for catching the criminals. Itt's costume is cheap and the voice is awful. I can't imagine the original series had much of a budget, but Itt was not only realistic but had beautiful hair that was probably envied by much of the audience. But the worst part was that the voice was nothing like the original. Since that voice was created through a special effect that would have been easy to duplicate, it shows laziness and a lack of concern for details, as does the fact that the party is supposed to be attended by their relatives, but there were no oddities among the guests. Not all of their relatives are abnormal in appearance, but considering the number that are, there should have been a few. The casting of the grandmothers was terrible, and what was the point of the two "junior" children? That just felt weird, especially since they were like clones of the other two, even having the same names. The thing with the flute was never given an explanation, and it also didn't fit within the show. This is the Addams family; there are number of better options. Even just dumb luck would been more in keeping with the established narratology. Add to all of that a lack of cohesion and continuity with the overall progression of the story, and the result is a very disappointing movie.