HallowScream - Scared Shrekless (2010)

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and HallowScream is starting to wind down. So, today, I'd like to talk about Shrek. Launching in the year 2001, the Shrek franchise has become a staple of DreamWorks animation, spanning four films, two Puss in Boots spin-offs, and several specials, including this 2010 Halloween special titles Scared Shrekless. 

        The special starts off with Shrek and Fiona, along with their children Fergus, Farkle, and Felicia, scaring off a group of trick-or-treaters, and claiming their Halloween candy. Upon returning to their home in the swamp, Shrek and Fiona are greeted by their friends Donkey, Gingerbread Man, Puss in Boots, the Three Little Pigs, the Wolf, the Three Blind Mice, and Pinocchio, who are attempting to scare Shrek. However, Shrek points out that ogres don't get scared, they DO the scaring. Unconvinced, the others convince Shrek to share scary stories. Shrek agrees, but on the condition that he picks the venue. And, where does Shrek take the others? Castle Duloc, former home of Lord Farquaad, and the place where he was devoured whole by a dragon. 

        And, seeing the once gleaming Duloc as a decrepit ghost town is actually kinda neat, especially with the annoying greeting box fully reflecting the town's new run-down nature. Anyway, once everyone is settled, it's time for scary stories. And, there are three stories that get told: Bride of Gingy, Boots Motel, and The Shreksorcist. Now, each of these stories is a parody of a classic horror film (Bride of Frankenstein, Psycho, and The Exorcist, respectively), and each one is centered on the character(s) telling it. 

        With Bride of Gingy, Gingerbread Man is going through a break-up with his girlfriend, and he goes to see the Muffin Man, who agrees to make a new girlfriend for him. However, Gingerbread Man adds way too much sugar to the cookie recipe, making sure that his new girlfriend is extra sweet. And, this, Sugar is brought to life, and the two have a lot of fun together. But, Gingerbread Man finds himself wanting some space, and Sugar becomes waayyy too clingy for Gingerbread Man's liking. Ultimately, Sugar falls into Muffin Man's mixing bowl, still filled with the dough she was made from, and an army of zombie copies of Sugar are born, all repeating Sugar's last words to Gingerbread Man: "Together forever." The pigs are scared off, and the Wolf follows them, as they're "his ride." 

       With Boots Motel, both Donkey and Puss in Boots tell a story of how they wound up at a motel, and each one ruins the story by telling how the other dies, but it gets undone in the most ridiculous fashions I've ever seen. And, the whole thing involves Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother's wand, and a giant sentient waffle. I'm not even kidding about that. Anyway, it all ends with Donkey scaring off Puss for real by spraying him with a water bottle. Huh. 

      Finally, we have The Shreksorcist, where Shrek has been hired as a babysitter for a seemingly possessed Pinocchio, who goes completely nuts all over the house, and drives Shrek completely up a wall. But, it turns out that the voice Pinocchio heard in his head was a cricket, who was supposed to be Pinocchio's conscience, but Pinocchio squishes it. Back in reality, Pinocchio denies having a big in his head, and Shrek pulls out another cricket and calls it Pinocchio's conscience, scaring Pinocchio away. 

      Now, it's down to just Shrek and Donkey. Shrek brings up the subject of Lord Farquaad's ghost, but Donkey doesn't believe him. However, a slew of sounds and an evil voice is heard, and a suit of armor approaches, scaring Donkey off. But, it turns out to be Fiona and the kids, working with Shrek to scare Donkey, proving that ogres truly are the kings of Halloween. One last thing, before the special ends, as Shrek and Fiona throw eggs at the seven dwarves. 

        Scared Shrekless is a really fun Halloween special from DreamWorks Animation. The voice performances by the returning Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Cody Cameron, and Conrad Vernon were fantastic, as were new additions like Dean Edwards as Donkey (filling in for Eddie Murphy) and Kristen Schaal as Sugar. The spooky shorts were all hilarious, with my personal favorite being Bride of Gingy. Definitely a fun watch for Halloween, I'm giving Scared Shrekless a rating of 5/5. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and we'll wrap up HallowScream on Halloween Day with Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.