The second animated TV special featuring Dr. Seuss' arguably most famous creation, The Grinch. This one isn't the absolute must-see classic that "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is, but it is decent on its own. The animation is good, especially by the standards of television animation at the time. The voice work is solid. Yes, Boris Karloff is missed but Hans Conried is an admirable replacement. I found the songs unimpressive. Certainly no standouts like in the Christmas special. All in all, it's an interesting effort that should please most Seuss fans. Just try to go into it not expecting anything on the level of the more famous Grinch story.
30 Reviews
Okay, but not really up to the Dr. Seuss standard
grantss30 April 2020
A strange wind blows into Whoville, making all the inhabitants stay indoors. They know the wind means the Grinch will be in a foul mood and out to do harm. However, young Eukariah decides to confront the Grinch.
Written by Dr. Seuss but not really up to his usual high standards. The creativeness and imagination are there in terms of strange animals, names for things, narration and general wordplay but the plot is so-so.
Entertaining enough but a bit disappointing too. Certainly not in the same league as How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
Written by Dr. Seuss but not really up to his usual high standards. The creativeness and imagination are there in terms of strange animals, names for things, narration and general wordplay but the plot is so-so.
Entertaining enough but a bit disappointing too. Certainly not in the same league as How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
How the Grinch failed to deliver Halloween
gizmomogwai17 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Christmas and Halloween are a kid's favourite holidays, and they're foils to each other, really. If Dr. Seuss could provide the great Christmas special (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 1966), surely the Grinch would be ripe for a Halloween special. Halloween is Grinch Night is a thirty-minute cartoon that debuted on TV in 1977.
Maybe they waited too long to make this, because unfortunately the Grich is passed his best before date. Halloween is Grinch Night features weak songs, weak jokes and weak animation (the Christmas special looks great if you've seen it on Blu-ray). Unfortunately, Boris Karloff having died in 1969, the Grinch has a new voice and it's just not the same. The Grinch's dog Max is miserable, and he shouldn't be such all the time. He's a lot cuter in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He even sings a song (in his head) about his misery, which is a mistake given that we never hear his thoughts in the 1966 cartoon- he's a silent character. Finally, what exactly does the Grinch *do* on "Grinch Night"? With the Whos all secure in their houses, what is there for him to do? This special suggests he scares people with elaborate visions that look like a bad drug trip, but it doesn't explain how he does that. Halloween is Grinch Night is a curiosity, but it just doesn't measure up to the Christmas classic and it's not surprising it didn't achieve the same level of immortality.
Maybe they waited too long to make this, because unfortunately the Grich is passed his best before date. Halloween is Grinch Night features weak songs, weak jokes and weak animation (the Christmas special looks great if you've seen it on Blu-ray). Unfortunately, Boris Karloff having died in 1969, the Grinch has a new voice and it's just not the same. The Grinch's dog Max is miserable, and he shouldn't be such all the time. He's a lot cuter in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He even sings a song (in his head) about his misery, which is a mistake given that we never hear his thoughts in the 1966 cartoon- he's a silent character. Finally, what exactly does the Grinch *do* on "Grinch Night"? With the Whos all secure in their houses, what is there for him to do? This special suggests he scares people with elaborate visions that look like a bad drug trip, but it doesn't explain how he does that. Halloween is Grinch Night is a curiosity, but it just doesn't measure up to the Christmas classic and it's not surprising it didn't achieve the same level of immortality.
Very Odd Halloween Special
Rainey-Dawn17 October 2016
Parts of this special is really good and other parts are way too odd. It seems they could have created a better story than this one for the Halloween season but it's not a total snore either. The parts that are good are good - very visually stimulating!!
Hans Conried did The Grinch's voice in this one... he's OK but does not have the menacing voice that Boris Karloff gave in his performance in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". I realize Karloff was Karloff and his voice is very hard to replace but I'm sure they could have found a voice more befitting of the Grinch in this Halloween Special than Conried's (his voice sound too nice).
6/10
Hans Conried did The Grinch's voice in this one... he's OK but does not have the menacing voice that Boris Karloff gave in his performance in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". I realize Karloff was Karloff and his voice is very hard to replace but I'm sure they could have found a voice more befitting of the Grinch in this Halloween Special than Conried's (his voice sound too nice).
6/10
A yowling, growling night with the Grinch
SimonJack3 January 2019
"Halloween is Grinch Night" is another of the Dr. Seuss animated films based on a Theodor Seuss Geisel children's story. This cartoon short aired as a TV half-hour special in 1977 on ABC.
The comedy isn't as clearly presented here to ameliorate for the fright factor. Dr. Seuss introduces some new creatures at the edge of Whoville. They are awakened when the sour-sweet wind descends in the fall. Gree Grumps awake from their sleep in the tree trumps. Their growling stirs the water of Punker's Pond. And that awakens the Hacken Cracks whose yowling reaches to the peak of Mt. Crompet. That, in turn, stirs the Grinch into action.
The old Grinch meets his match in a young boy, Euchariah, who stumbles upon him after being blown away from home by the sour-sweet wind. It's a fun cartoon story that most kids should enjoy - those of us from two to 92.
The comedy isn't as clearly presented here to ameliorate for the fright factor. Dr. Seuss introduces some new creatures at the edge of Whoville. They are awakened when the sour-sweet wind descends in the fall. Gree Grumps awake from their sleep in the tree trumps. Their growling stirs the water of Punker's Pond. And that awakens the Hacken Cracks whose yowling reaches to the peak of Mt. Crompet. That, in turn, stirs the Grinch into action.
The old Grinch meets his match in a young boy, Euchariah, who stumbles upon him after being blown away from home by the sour-sweet wind. It's a fun cartoon story that most kids should enjoy - those of us from two to 92.
Great Animation, Fair Songs
Michael_Elliott31 October 2016
Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
This twenty-five minute television special is a sequel to HOW THE GRINCH STOLE Christmas but of course this doesn't feature Boris Karloff's voice sadly. As far as the film goes, this time out the Grinch decides he needs to return to Whoville and make sure they don't have any fun at Halloween time.
HALLOWEEN IS GRINCH NIGHT certainly isn't the masterpiece that the original film was but to be fair one really shouldn't turn this on and expect it to be. For the most part this is a mildly entertaining special that will probably keep the kids a lot happier than their parents. Once again we're treated to some wonderful animation and there's no question that the Grinch character is one of legend. The major problem that I had with the film is that I didn't really care for any of the musical numbers. They were decent but just not good enough to hold my attention throughout the running time.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
This twenty-five minute television special is a sequel to HOW THE GRINCH STOLE Christmas but of course this doesn't feature Boris Karloff's voice sadly. As far as the film goes, this time out the Grinch decides he needs to return to Whoville and make sure they don't have any fun at Halloween time.
HALLOWEEN IS GRINCH NIGHT certainly isn't the masterpiece that the original film was but to be fair one really shouldn't turn this on and expect it to be. For the most part this is a mildly entertaining special that will probably keep the kids a lot happier than their parents. Once again we're treated to some wonderful animation and there's no question that the Grinch character is one of legend. The major problem that I had with the film is that I didn't really care for any of the musical numbers. They were decent but just not good enough to hold my attention throughout the running time.
The Grinch does Halloween (with mixed results)
IonicBreezeMachine13 October 2020
Halloween is Grinch Night (aka Grinch Night) revisits the titular Grinch on a different holiday, this time Halloween. The return of the sour sweet wind leads to several disturbances in the wildlife surrounding Whoville which causes a chain reaction of annoyances that spurs the Grinch to embark towards Whoville with his paraphernalia wagon to inflict his grinchly mischief, and only young who Euchariah can stop him.
Although allegedly a prequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, in truth the short has very little connective tissue to the previous short. Chuck Jones does not return to direct Grinch Night with the reins instead being handled to Rocky and Bullwinkle veteran director Gerard Baldwin and executive produced by Looney Tunes alum Friz Freleng and Dr. Seuss himself being the sole connective element on both shorts returning to his role as producer and writer respectively. Boris Karloff does not reprise his role as the titular Grinch having passed on 8 years prior, and the role is succeeded by veteran voice actor/character actor Hans Conried best known for voicing Captain Hook in Disney's Peter Pan and playing the villain in another Seuss project, Dr. T in the, in my opinion, overlooked film The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
The short certainly maintains the same visual style as its predecessor with its coloring, designs and animation being well produced and bearing the signature Seuss style with ease. Unfortunately Grinch Night suffers heavily when compared to its Christmas based counterpart, but even if that weren't the case this would still be an above average but unexceptional holiday short.
The biggest issue is for the first two thirds of the special not much happens as it's very dialogue heavy and there's not much in the way of a plot or characters that drives the special forward. Most of the beginning parts of the special are the Whos in the village hunkering down awaiting the arrival of the Grinch in fear simply because he's the Grinch. There's never a detailed plan as to what the Grinch plans to do once he arrives in Whoville with his paraphernalia wagon and the stakes of the special feel lacking as a result. The Grinch despite being in a Halloween special also feels less threatening as a presence because even though his name is in the title there really isn't all that much time spent developing the Grinch.
Despite the drawbacks that come from comparison, Grinch Night does boast some positive traits. The music, sounds, and voice acting are effectively done and do well to build that Halloween atmosphere Grinch Night is going for. The third act of the special is also quite effective as once we see the inside of the Grinch's Paraphernalia wagon it leads to many elaborate, creepy, unsettling, and creative designs that bear the signature Seuss weirdness while having a threatening presence that fits in well with the rest of the short. That's probably where Grinch Night succeeds the most, its story is unfortunately lacking in much substance but it does manage to salvage itself with an effective use of atmosphere and unsettling surreal imagery in the last third that make it worth viewing at least once.
Grinch Night's biggest drawback is being in the unfortunate position of being compared to a timeless holiday classic, but even that aside it still has its own personal hurdles to overcome. The first two thirds are marred by turgid pacing and an over abundance of dialogue and a story that just isn't that strong. However the show also makes effective use of its sound design, voice acting and visuals(especially in the third act) that make Grinch Night, not unlike the Halloween candy we consume, a pleasant enough treat that helps overlook its lack of substance.
Although allegedly a prequel to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, in truth the short has very little connective tissue to the previous short. Chuck Jones does not return to direct Grinch Night with the reins instead being handled to Rocky and Bullwinkle veteran director Gerard Baldwin and executive produced by Looney Tunes alum Friz Freleng and Dr. Seuss himself being the sole connective element on both shorts returning to his role as producer and writer respectively. Boris Karloff does not reprise his role as the titular Grinch having passed on 8 years prior, and the role is succeeded by veteran voice actor/character actor Hans Conried best known for voicing Captain Hook in Disney's Peter Pan and playing the villain in another Seuss project, Dr. T in the, in my opinion, overlooked film The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.
The short certainly maintains the same visual style as its predecessor with its coloring, designs and animation being well produced and bearing the signature Seuss style with ease. Unfortunately Grinch Night suffers heavily when compared to its Christmas based counterpart, but even if that weren't the case this would still be an above average but unexceptional holiday short.
The biggest issue is for the first two thirds of the special not much happens as it's very dialogue heavy and there's not much in the way of a plot or characters that drives the special forward. Most of the beginning parts of the special are the Whos in the village hunkering down awaiting the arrival of the Grinch in fear simply because he's the Grinch. There's never a detailed plan as to what the Grinch plans to do once he arrives in Whoville with his paraphernalia wagon and the stakes of the special feel lacking as a result. The Grinch despite being in a Halloween special also feels less threatening as a presence because even though his name is in the title there really isn't all that much time spent developing the Grinch.
Despite the drawbacks that come from comparison, Grinch Night does boast some positive traits. The music, sounds, and voice acting are effectively done and do well to build that Halloween atmosphere Grinch Night is going for. The third act of the special is also quite effective as once we see the inside of the Grinch's Paraphernalia wagon it leads to many elaborate, creepy, unsettling, and creative designs that bear the signature Seuss weirdness while having a threatening presence that fits in well with the rest of the short. That's probably where Grinch Night succeeds the most, its story is unfortunately lacking in much substance but it does manage to salvage itself with an effective use of atmosphere and unsettling surreal imagery in the last third that make it worth viewing at least once.
Grinch Night's biggest drawback is being in the unfortunate position of being compared to a timeless holiday classic, but even that aside it still has its own personal hurdles to overcome. The first two thirds are marred by turgid pacing and an over abundance of dialogue and a story that just isn't that strong. However the show also makes effective use of its sound design, voice acting and visuals(especially in the third act) that make Grinch Night, not unlike the Halloween candy we consume, a pleasant enough treat that helps overlook its lack of substance.
ordinary kids cartoon, in spite of the pedigree
cherold9 January 2012
I never heard of this movie, and when I discovered there was an Emmy- winning Grinch sequel written by Dr. Suess, I had to see it. Unfortunately, it's not very good. I realize I'm going against the tide here, but I suspect all these glowing reviews are by those who first saw the movie as a kid, and thus have an opinion based on a child's mind. From an adult perspective, it's really not very good.
The most surprising thing is how poor the writing is compared to classic Dr. Suess books. I had to check the credits to make sure this was really written by Dr. Suess, because the meters and rhymes are much less elegant than one would expect; it actually sounds like someone trying to copy Suess and failing. I can only suspect that he simply wasn't putting the same effort into perfecting the rhymes of the show as he did in his books.
While the original Grinch story had a wonderful fable-like quality, this is pretty much just standards kid fare, with an overly busy plot and poor songs. But apparently if you're a kid there's a good chance you'll love it.
The most surprising thing is how poor the writing is compared to classic Dr. Suess books. I had to check the credits to make sure this was really written by Dr. Suess, because the meters and rhymes are much less elegant than one would expect; it actually sounds like someone trying to copy Suess and failing. I can only suspect that he simply wasn't putting the same effort into perfecting the rhymes of the show as he did in his books.
While the original Grinch story had a wonderful fable-like quality, this is pretty much just standards kid fare, with an overly busy plot and poor songs. But apparently if you're a kid there's a good chance you'll love it.
This one's a keeper
chuchubanana1 May 2005
Ah, the lesser known Grinch holiday movie. In my family it's always been regarded a classic, kept on a dingy old VHS recorded from TV when I was just a small child. It is truly a bizarre film, much different than it's Christmas counterpart, and probably wouldn't appeal to lots of people. But for me, it is pure DECADENCE. I ADORE it. This is a quality film, undeniably, and anyone who says different, well, it's just not their thing I guess. But really, MAX SINGS!!! Can it get any better than that?? I think not. There's actually quite a bit of singing. As well as fun creepy creature things. I dunno, I'm weird, but I love this movie. It's excellent in a very bizarre way, I can't describe. I'd say it helps to be a bit abnormal yourself, as an indication of whether u may like it or not. Mmmmm yes.
Decent Suess story, but terrible by comparison
JakeBrinkman23 November 2019
If this was intended to be a sequel to the famous Christmas tale, it was horribly written because it completely ignores the Christmas movie's conclusion. If it is a prequel, it's also terrible because Max's story doesn't fit. The only logical explanation is that this movie is an alternate dimension, completely unrelated to the most famous version of the Grinch.
At any rate, it's certainly has Suess' prose and drawings, though the animations are dated and the plot isn't very inspired. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is famous because of its message. The Grinch had a full character arc, emotional depth, and a truly diabolical plan. The Grinch in Halloween is Grinch Night lacks all of that. He is driven purely by an animalistic instinct that compels him to scare people without any intent to inflict lasting physical or emotional harm. It waters down his evil side and strips him of emotions.
At any rate, it's certainly has Suess' prose and drawings, though the animations are dated and the plot isn't very inspired. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is famous because of its message. The Grinch had a full character arc, emotional depth, and a truly diabolical plan. The Grinch in Halloween is Grinch Night lacks all of that. He is driven purely by an animalistic instinct that compels him to scare people without any intent to inflict lasting physical or emotional harm. It waters down his evil side and strips him of emotions.
Surprisingly Good
FilmFreak947 October 2011
Halloween is Grinch Night takes place one evening when a 'sour-sweet wind' blows through Whoville and warns the Who's that the Grinch is coming down with his Paraphernelia Wagon from Mt.Crumpit to celebrate the much feared "Grinch Night." One boy, Euchariah is swept away by the wind and comes face to face with the Grinch himself. Now Euchariah must stall the Grinch until the wind dies down, even if he has to face the horrors in the Paraphernelia Wagon.
Halloween is Grinch Night is surprisingly good. The length of the movie is only about 30 minutes but during that time there's at least more then 10 songs, which are all incredibly catchy. Most of them are describing what Grinch Night is, how nasty the Grinch is, even the Grinch sings a song. One song sung by Max, Grinch's dog, really surprised me due to how sad it is and how Max longs to get away from his terrible master.
Unlike "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" there's a lot of dialogue in this special and the voice acting is very good. The most impressive comes from Hans Conried who voices The Grinch(and narrator). It's down right terrifying at times.
The animation is also great with everything detailed in that classic Dr. Seuss style. The most impressive scene is when the Grinch opens the Paraphernelia Wagon. It's then when everything from your nightmares you had as a kid comes out at once. With scary visuals and scary lyrics sung by the one and only Thurl Ravenscroft, that scene is no doubt the best in the special.
If you have kids or if you want to watch something to kill your time that's Halloween related, this special is for you. It's not as classic as How the Grinch Stole Christmas but it is nonetheless a good Halloween special.
Halloween is Grinch Night is surprisingly good. The length of the movie is only about 30 minutes but during that time there's at least more then 10 songs, which are all incredibly catchy. Most of them are describing what Grinch Night is, how nasty the Grinch is, even the Grinch sings a song. One song sung by Max, Grinch's dog, really surprised me due to how sad it is and how Max longs to get away from his terrible master.
Unlike "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" there's a lot of dialogue in this special and the voice acting is very good. The most impressive comes from Hans Conried who voices The Grinch(and narrator). It's down right terrifying at times.
The animation is also great with everything detailed in that classic Dr. Seuss style. The most impressive scene is when the Grinch opens the Paraphernelia Wagon. It's then when everything from your nightmares you had as a kid comes out at once. With scary visuals and scary lyrics sung by the one and only Thurl Ravenscroft, that scene is no doubt the best in the special.
If you have kids or if you want to watch something to kill your time that's Halloween related, this special is for you. It's not as classic as How the Grinch Stole Christmas but it is nonetheless a good Halloween special.
Missed chance
Horst_In_Translation26 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The Grinch meets Halloween. This does sound like an actually pretty good premise. The involvement of Dr. Seuss, Gerard Baldwin and Friz Freleng as well as many talented (voice) actors certainly offers more hope, but the outcome is a bit of a disappointment I must say. The main problem for me was that, unlike the title suggests, these 25 minutes felt a lot more about an annoying little kid with glasses (and his family) than about the Grinch. This movie here was made roughly 10 years after the very famous Christmas-themed short film about the Grinch and the latter will have its 60th anniversary soon. It is also superior to this one here. It has a bit of everything: comedy, drama, horror, family movie..., but sadly, it does not really deliver in one of these genres. The animation is pretty similar in terms of style and level to the 1966 movie I mentioned earlier, so it's not exactly a modern work for the late 1970s. Then again, this decade was fairly disappointing in terms of animated (short) movies anyway. This one here is no exception. Not recommended, not even during Halloween.
Satanic!
Retro200626 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
For a long time as a mere girl in 1994, I was liking this TV special. But now, I've seen that I was wrong. I've reviewed this thing on DVD and got creeped out by these subliminal messages that are related to occultism, such as characters resembling to Nazi signs and KKK members, the Grinch is a total sorcerer that made his eyebrows fly while rhythmically chanted in a Russian text, one song mentioned that the Grinch blasphemies as another literature substituted the word, and another song had a reference to the mark of the beast by the number of money. I'm shocked that Dr. Seuss was working on something like this. I chucked the DVD and will stick with the other Grinch specials that aren't that creepy (and I do not mean that live action headache from 2000).
A Halloween favorite from Dr. Seuss
ja_kitty_712 October 2007
Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I love to have a good scare from watching a really good horror movie, or just a classic animated special like this one. I remember this special way back when I was a kid in elementary school, when it was on TV, of course. But they don't show it on TV anymore now, along with The Halloween Tree, which is another favorite of mine, and a few other favorites too. But I was lucky to order myself a copy from Amazon.ca.
It's also a great special about facing your fears, as Ukaraiah did to save Whoville by jumping into the Grinch's spook wagon to buy time. Now, that scene really scared the hell out of me as a kid. I would like to point out the interesting critters at Punker's Pond. The Gree Grumps like pink cats living in tree stumps (I am a cat lover), but I wonder what the bottom half of an Hakken-Krakke looks like? A seal's body? Or the body of a Plesiosaurus? Well, I don't know, but it never hurts to use your imagination.
It's also a great special about facing your fears, as Ukaraiah did to save Whoville by jumping into the Grinch's spook wagon to buy time. Now, that scene really scared the hell out of me as a kid. I would like to point out the interesting critters at Punker's Pond. The Gree Grumps like pink cats living in tree stumps (I am a cat lover), but I wonder what the bottom half of an Hakken-Krakke looks like? A seal's body? Or the body of a Plesiosaurus? Well, I don't know, but it never hurts to use your imagination.
What the heck does this have to do with Halloween?
jimmycondon3 March 2023
This film honestly made like no sense. First off, since when did the grinch live near people other than who's and also there's not one mention of Halloween in this movie other than the first 3 seconds where they're introducing the title. The story isn't bad though and the songs are very catchy but the film kinda just doesn't connect to the grinch. Like if this movie was not about the grinch and wasn't titled Halloween is Grinch Night, then it honestly would've probably gotten like 8 stars instead of 4. If you're just looking for a short film to watch, maybe this isn't a bad choice but if you're looking to watch a halloween movie, this isn't the one you should go with.
Not a classic in the way How the Grinch Stole Christmas is, but it is still great
TheLittleSongbird1 November 2012
Halloween is Grinch Night is not going to appeal to everybody, people will find it hugely entertaining and others will find it bizarre. I do belong in the former category, but I can certainly understand the latter opinion as well. It is not as good as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but is still very impressive. The animation is very good, it is full of colour and the Paraphanelia Wagon sequence is memorably trippy. The music is wonderful, I love the jauntiness of the incidental scoring and the songs are very catchy. Max also sings and his song I found touching as a child and still do at 20. There are more faithful Dr Seuss adaptations out there, but the rhymes that form the dialogue are witty and elegant at the same time, while the story is briskly paced and bewitchingly oddball. The characters are ones you engage with, The Grinch himself will live long in the memory, and the voice acting is superb especially the soothing then terrifying narrator/Grinch of Hans Conreid, a worthy successor to Boris Karloff. So all in all, a great and underrated special. 9/10 Bethany Cox
This isn't a classic for a reason.
The-Strid15 October 2023
Aka "Halloween is Grinch Night", there is no Halloween atmosphere at all. So its second name is a misnomer, which is sad, considering a good solid infusion of Halloween standards would have helped this cartoon immensely. The descriptor that wind is blowing, thus signaling the coming of the Grinch, is quite accurate. But there are no haunting chills, no build-up of impending scares, no anticipation of any thing wicked this way comes... just boring song after boring song telling you the Who's are scared. The animation is the same as any other Dr. Seuss animation, which, (tho nostalgic) is not a good thing by today's standards. If you show this with enthusiasm to under-20s, just know that it will be another check in their check list verifying that yo are old. As for under-7s, they like anything, so go for it.
The one that got away
ginish6669 February 2007
For a prequel, this one exceeded "The Grinch That Stole Christmas" in many ways. It's a more secular ethic being presented in an almost Oscar Wilde fashion. We are taught by a precocious child ( Eukariah ) that pragmatism and a strong identity are tools that can overcome adversity, despite all the ballyhoo and bluster the Grinch may present.
After all we all go to the euphemism all the time.
Eukariah presents us with an ideal of dignity in the face of calamity. The Grinch's bag of tricks confound and befuddle, but our diminutive hero takes a straight and sober view of these hi-jinx and wins the day.
The sub text to this film is Eukariah's poor judgement insisting he go to the euphemism in the first place. What if the Grinch managed to grinch him? All the Who's fears would be realized.
After all we all go to the euphemism all the time.
Eukariah presents us with an ideal of dignity in the face of calamity. The Grinch's bag of tricks confound and befuddle, but our diminutive hero takes a straight and sober view of these hi-jinx and wins the day.
The sub text to this film is Eukariah's poor judgement insisting he go to the euphemism in the first place. What if the Grinch managed to grinch him? All the Who's fears would be realized.
Tonight's the Night!
ExplorerDS678928 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
What started out as another peaceful evening in Whoville quickly took a turn for disaster. For you see, the sour sweet wind was creeping in, causing all the alarmed citizens to rush in doors and lock themselves in tight. Why, you may wonder? Well, the sour sweet wind starts a chain reaction, for when that wind starts howling, that causes the Gree Grumps to start growling, which causes Puncker's Pond to runkle and grunkle, which disturbs the Hacken-kraks who start yowling, and all this dreadful noise irritates a certain angry green guy known as the Grinch atop Mount Crumpet. He sees this as the perfect opportunity to ride into two and wreak untold havoc upon Whoville and its stalwart citizens. He sends his dog Max to fetch his "paraphernelia wagon." You see, this version of the Grinch knows the black arts, for not only can he make his own eyebrows fly off his face, but he's got a giant wagon full of strange creatures that will be helping him celebrate his Grinch Night Ball. So down the mountain they go, Max pulling the wagon and the Grinch snapping his whip at him, the dog begins to rethink his life choices and laments winding up the slave of "this grinchy old crock." So on his way to Whoville, the Grinch has some fun running over flowers and terrorizing an endangered species of Wuzzy Woozoo, which ends with him getting tossed in a brickle bush.
Meanwhile, in Whoville, despite being told to stay in doors, a young boy named Ukariah suddenly had to go to the euphemism, but on his way out, the wind was so strong is carried him right out of the yard. He's blown up the side of the mountain where he comes across Max and assumes he's a lost puppy. That's when Ukariah meets the Grinch face to face, though at first he doesn't believe he is who he is, which raises the Grinch's ire even further. He gives him a "$2.00 treatment" by flying his eyebrows around to a weird chant, then tells Ukariah to get lost and goes along his way. The boy found he couldn't let that weirdo wreak his havoc on Whoville, so raced down the mountain to try and stop him again, but no luck. On the second try, Ukariah bravely confronted the Grinch and dared him to show him what he's got, and so that evil green hermit unleashed his paraphernalia wagon, giving Ukariah a real spooks' tour. Every weird, bizarre and unspeakable creature from the dark recesses of Dr. Seuss' imagination came at him full force. When it was all over, the boy noticed that the sour sweet wind was dying down, which simultaneously stopped all the other noisy creatures that caused the Grinch from prowling. Defeated, the Grinch orders Max to take him home, but the dogs blows him a raspberry and decides to go home with Ukariah. So Whoville was safe once again, Ukariah went home to his grandparents with his new friend Max, and the Grinch alone had to haul that wagon back up the hill. But he knew the wind would be back some day, and when it does, he'll be back. Some day. Ha ha ha.
The title always struck me as a bit odd, as this special really doesn't focus on the holiday of Halloween, though an alternate title is simply It's Grinch Night. Either way, if you watch this, you're guaranteed a fun night. Great story, great animation, great voice acting, and especially fantastic music. The songs are catchy, the creature designs are imaginative, this was just an all-around excellent animated special. I don't think it's in canon with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and if it is, this is a prequel as he doesn't reform in the end. Now something that struck me as funny while I watched this, when Ukariah goes missing, his grandparents just keep calling his name from the house, rather than go look for him. I guess Grinch Night is so horrific that they wouldn't even go out to search for their own grandson. But anyway, definitely give this Dr. Seuss classic a look. The fun and frolic will soon commence. I wouldn't miss a special like this for six dollars and sixty cents.
Meanwhile, in Whoville, despite being told to stay in doors, a young boy named Ukariah suddenly had to go to the euphemism, but on his way out, the wind was so strong is carried him right out of the yard. He's blown up the side of the mountain where he comes across Max and assumes he's a lost puppy. That's when Ukariah meets the Grinch face to face, though at first he doesn't believe he is who he is, which raises the Grinch's ire even further. He gives him a "$2.00 treatment" by flying his eyebrows around to a weird chant, then tells Ukariah to get lost and goes along his way. The boy found he couldn't let that weirdo wreak his havoc on Whoville, so raced down the mountain to try and stop him again, but no luck. On the second try, Ukariah bravely confronted the Grinch and dared him to show him what he's got, and so that evil green hermit unleashed his paraphernalia wagon, giving Ukariah a real spooks' tour. Every weird, bizarre and unspeakable creature from the dark recesses of Dr. Seuss' imagination came at him full force. When it was all over, the boy noticed that the sour sweet wind was dying down, which simultaneously stopped all the other noisy creatures that caused the Grinch from prowling. Defeated, the Grinch orders Max to take him home, but the dogs blows him a raspberry and decides to go home with Ukariah. So Whoville was safe once again, Ukariah went home to his grandparents with his new friend Max, and the Grinch alone had to haul that wagon back up the hill. But he knew the wind would be back some day, and when it does, he'll be back. Some day. Ha ha ha.
The title always struck me as a bit odd, as this special really doesn't focus on the holiday of Halloween, though an alternate title is simply It's Grinch Night. Either way, if you watch this, you're guaranteed a fun night. Great story, great animation, great voice acting, and especially fantastic music. The songs are catchy, the creature designs are imaginative, this was just an all-around excellent animated special. I don't think it's in canon with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and if it is, this is a prequel as he doesn't reform in the end. Now something that struck me as funny while I watched this, when Ukariah goes missing, his grandparents just keep calling his name from the house, rather than go look for him. I guess Grinch Night is so horrific that they wouldn't even go out to search for their own grandson. But anyway, definitely give this Dr. Seuss classic a look. The fun and frolic will soon commence. I wouldn't miss a special like this for six dollars and sixty cents.
A very fun 70's TV special
Woodyanders31 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Nasty old killjoy the Grinch (superbly voiced with deliciously oily aplomb by Hans Conried, who also does the charming narration) plans to pay the Whos in Whoville a decidedly unpleasant visit during a fierce wind storm. It's up to brave little Who Eukariah (an endearing sweet voice by Gary Shapiro) to stop the no-good Grinch. This typically offbeat and imaginative tale by Dr. Seuss not only offers the expected oddball creatures, catchy and witty songs, and trademark wacky rhymes, but also a spot-on central message about one can only effectively surmount fear by facing it head on. The Grinch makes for a delightfully sour and glowering buzz-crusher villain while Eukariah is a likable protagonist. The sequence in which a creepy array of spooky ghosts and grotesque ghouls try to scare Eukariah is wonderfully trippy and macabre. Henry Gibson as the voice of the Grinch's hapless browbeaten dog Max sings a hauntingly sad song. The animation is extremely vivid, colorful, and creative. Joe Raposo's infectiously jaunty score further enhances the enjoyably kooky merriment. A pleasingly quirky romp.
One of Seuss' Finest
SimpsonsRock1120 September 2002
I absolutely love this cartoon...only gripe...it's a little scary for really little kids. It's not really like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, even though it does involve Whos and Whoville, but I like how it's more like the other Dr. Seuss cartoons than the Grinch Christmas special. (But don't get me wrong... I love that one too!)
absolutely perfected
garfieldguy00710 July 2001
possibly one of the best cartoons ever made. "Its Grinch Night" is a very non-average animated film ever made. Dr. Seuss put alot of thought into making an animated film of his own into a new plot with a new holiday. it would have been just a little bit better if the grinch could help this holiday instead of trying to ruin a holiday again. i gave this show 9/10
Oh Ted, you old trickster!
lee_eisenberg7 May 2019
Right after Dr. Seuss died, I saw an interview with him. He stated that of all his characters, the Grinch was his favorite. His most famous work starring that green misanthrope is of course "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", but another one is the Emmy-winning "Halloween Is Grinch Night". Once again, the Who-hating villain targets Whoville. A noticeable difference between the more famous special and this one is that this one is darker. The previous one was all about the Grinch being a jerk and trying to steal everyone's happiness, but this one depicts him as more evil than just mean. The scene where he lets Euchariah see what's inside the Paraphernalia Wagon might be a little extreme for the tykes (even assuming that it's an allegory for facing one's fears).
But don't get me wrong, this is still a fun short. It was good to see that Dr. Seuss hadn't lost his cleverness. For the record, I have no desire to see the feature adaptations of his works; I only read negative things about the live-action adaptations of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Cat in the Hat" (as well as the computer-animated features). Seuss's recently deceased widow Audrey refused to allow any more live-action adaptations of his work after "The Cat in the Hat".
Anyway, cool one.
But don't get me wrong, this is still a fun short. It was good to see that Dr. Seuss hadn't lost his cleverness. For the record, I have no desire to see the feature adaptations of his works; I only read negative things about the live-action adaptations of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Cat in the Hat" (as well as the computer-animated features). Seuss's recently deceased widow Audrey refused to allow any more live-action adaptations of his work after "The Cat in the Hat".
Anyway, cool one.
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