HallowScream - Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire (2000)

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and something I noticed when I was putting together this year's HallowScream lineup, I noticed a lack of anything Disney related. So, after doing some research, I found a Disney Channel movie from my childhood that is vampire centric: Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire starring Caroline Rhea, Matt O'Leary, Laura Vandervoort, Robert Carradine, Myles Jeffrey, and Charles Shaughnessy. 

        The movie focuses on the Hansen family, which consists of single mother Lynette, and her three children: Adam, his older sister Chelsea, and their younger brother Taylor. Adam is obsessed with monster movies, especially those centered on vampires. One day, Adam gets in trouble at school for using an article in a local tabloid called The Weekly Secret as opposed to making up a story, and is subsequently grounded and unable to go to an upcoming rock concert. Chelsea is also grounded for making a snarky remark about Adam's predicament. So, in order to sneak out, Adam and Chelsea try to set their mother up with a date, who she meets at the local supermarket in the form of a man named Dimitri. 

         Meanwhile, another man is in town, keeping an eye out for potential vampire activity. This man is renowned vampire hunter Malachi Van Helsing, although he only goes by his full name "on a good day." So, after the meet at the supermarket, Taylor sees Dimitri transform into a bat and fly away, indicating that Dimitri is, in fact, a vampire. The next night, Lynette goes on her date with Dimitri, and Taylor fails to convince her, Adam, or Chelsea of how Dimitri is a vampire. However, after seeing that Dimitri casts no reflection, Adam realizes that Dimitri is, indeed, a vampire. So, while Adam and Chelsea follow their mother to keep her safe from Dimitri, Taylor reaches out to Van Helsing, and the two of them follow in Dimitri's trail. At the harvest carnival, Dimitri confirms he's a vampire to Adam, and warns him off. 

         This culminates in a showdown at Dimitri's home. Chelsea and Adam drag Dimitri's coffin into the lake near the house. Dimitri and  Lynette soon arrive, and Dimitri forces Adam and Chelsea to put it back, and then Van Helsing and Taylor arrive, with Dimitri and Van Helsing duking it out. Van Helsing is taken down, and Adam and Chelsea are in trouble. However, her love for her children breaks the spell Lynette was under, and she shoved Dimitri into his coffin, which is nailed shut by Van Helsing, who used silver-plated nails. Lynette and Van Helsing introduce themselves to each other, and Lynette invites Van Helsing over for chocolate chip pancakes. And when the kids try to throw off the notion of it being a date, Lynette remarks "I date, just not vampires." All the while, Dimitri is knocking on the lid of his coffin, and wishes the viewers a Happy Halloween, ending the movie. 

       Now, before I give my critique of this movie, I need to point out one fact. This was a Disney Channel movie from the year 2000. And as such, it has a lot of elements that we see as cliche nowadays, but that wasn't the case back when these movies were being made. So, any criticism I lob at this movie is done knowing that many of the cliches were simply a product of the times and what kind of audience this movie was made for. 

        That being said, Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire is one of the most ludicrous movies of any Halloween made for the Disney Channel, and quite honestly, one of the cheesiest movies I've reviewed for HallowScream, and THIS coming from the guy who reviewed Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred three years ago for HallowScream.

       The acting from the three kids was fine, with both Matt O'Leary and Laura Vandervoort doing a decent job as Adam and Chelsea, but Myles Jeffrey as Taylor was pretty obnoxious. Not trying to put down a kid actor, but he just left no impression whatsoever. Seriously, Kirsten Dunst's little brother in Small Soldiers was more believable. But, I will admit that I enjoyed the adult actors in this movie. Caroline Rhea, who was a big star at the time thanks to her role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch at the time, was really good as Lynette. Robert Carradine definitely nailed the role of a badass vampire hunter as Malachi Van Helsing. Lastly, Charles Shaughnessy was an absolutely terrific villain as Dimitri the vampire. 

          The visual effects were pretty standard for a Disney Channel movie from the year 2000, although I will say that the shot of Dimitri turning into a bat was pretty cool. The overall tone and look of the movie was very much a time capsule for the late '90s and the year 2000. As far as Disney Channel movies made for Halloween, it was decent, but not fantastic. 

            Overall, I enjoyed this movie more when I was a kid and it was new. Looking back at it now, it doesn't hold up, but it's still a fun little Halloween nostalgia trip. I'm giving Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire a rating of 3.45/5. Anyway guys, this is Chuck signing off, and HallowScream will dive back in to the world of vampires vs. Lycans with Underworld: Evolution.

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