- Directed by Charles Nichols
- Written by Mark Evanier
- January 9, 1982
- Based on the books by Deborah and James Howe
- ABC
Voice Cast
- Host-Willie Tyler
- Harold, Roy-Jack Carter
- Chester, Stockboy, Hank-Howard Morris
- Boss, Andy-Alan Dinehart
- Toby Monroe-Pat Petersen
- Mrs. Monroe, Gertie, Alice-Janet Waldo
- Mr. Monroe, Storekeeper-Alan Young
When strange accidents happen at the factory where Mr. Monroe works and vegetables are drained of their juices, the neighbors as well as Harold the Dog and Chester the Cat suspect that the new-found family bunny is really a vampire.
Back in the day, ABC randomly aired the ABC Weekend Specials. They were based on books or short stories or any number of things. They were generally simple and family friendly without being dull or condescending towards the audience. They were fluff but quality fluff. Enter into it Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit.
Calling this special cute would be an understatement. This bit of animation is simply adorable though a bit cheap as was common then. It’s family friendly yet just fine if you’re an adult (at least one that grew up in that era). This is one of those things that has aged very well for what it is.
The story itself is a bit Scooby-Doo in that the local food processing plant is believed haunted and shutdown when by the end they reveal there really are no ghosts but rather rational (if not a touch difficult to believe) reasons. That and a rumored haunting is enough to close a major facility. Normal for Scooby-Doo then.
On the final day when Mr. Monroe is leaving work his kids find a random shoebox which they obviously pick up to find a rather immobile rabbit inside. This rabbit has noticeable fangs and nobody asks “Why?” The dog Harold reads a note that he says is written in Russian, but they later start saying was written in Romanian. Two different languages. This is a kid’s special but consistency matters.
Our two main characters are the dog Harold and the cat Chester. Rather than be antagonistic they get along quite well even if Harold thinks Chester lets his imagination get the better of him yet he falls into that trap too. They correctly deduce what Bunnicula is, but their deductions are based on their minds running away with what little information they have. Which is not much beyond the linguistically flexible letter.
As a character Bunnicula doesn’t do very much until the finale when the true culprits of what’s going on at the food processing plant are revealed. I am not sure how they got in the title implying they were a main character. Bunnicula spends most of its time in a shoebox on the family’s dining room table. What you see in the film is the aftermath of Bunnicula’s activities which involves sucking out every ounce of juice from whatever vegetables it can get its hands on. I’m not sure how you a glean a rabbit doing that because they are a young rabbit but that’s exactly what the well-educated father does. I think he might want to look into getting his money back on his diploma. Then again, if he was smart enough to do that, he would’ve changed universities. Anywho…
It is just fun and enjoyable and transports you back to when television animation was all hand drawn. There was not a need to be self-aware but rather just fun. This was aimed at the kids but done for a limited channel/options era in such a way that the adults stuck watching would not pray for the sweet release of death.
To the best of my knowledge, there aren’t physical copies of Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit available but you can find various versions available on YouTube. However you view it I think it will make excellent family viewing with the younger kids. You won’t be bored to tears and your kids will enjoy it.
Warren Watched A Movie 