UNDER WRAPS (1997): The Best Halloween Film The Disney Channel Ever Made
by John Larkin
On the subject of Disney Channel Halloween films, over the years I have heard many a fellow millennial shower praise upon HALLOWEENTOWN (1998) and crown it the quintessential Halloween film of their upbringing. For me, though, that distinction belongs to UNDER WRAPS (1997), a comedy about a 3,000-year-old mummy accidentally brought back to life by three kids who discover his sarcophagus in a neighbor’s basement and expose his ancient amulet to moonlight. The film’s arrival in the fall of 1997 coincided with the peak of my interest in the channel, when it was a staple of my viewing rotation.
The story follows three friends, Marshall, Gilbert, and Amy, who, while initially terrified of what they have wrought, soon realize that their clumsy new acquaintance is more friend than monster. What follows is a race to protect him and return him to his sarcophagus before midnight on Halloween, or he will turn to dust and lose his immortal soul.
Director Greg Beeman, whose USC film school classmates included Michael Lehmann, Phil Joanou, and Ken Kwapis, moves the film along with real confidence and an assured sense of comic timing, giving its actors room to play off one another without ever letting the momentum slip. There’s a playful visual energy to Beeman’s direction here that is reminiscent of the work of those perhaps better-known contemporaries.
It’s hard to imagine a coming-of-age TV comedy more smoothly executed, or three young stars with more effortless chemistry than Mario Yedidia, Adam Wylie, and Clara Bryant. All three have the charisma and comedic chops to stand alongside the best young comic actors of their generation. Bryant, who plays Amy, eventually left acting for a career in law, going on to work as corporate counsel for Swisslog.
None other than Bill Fagerbakke, best known as the voice of Patrick Star on SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, portrays the mummy, whom the kids name Harold. His physicality and vocal grunting are funnier and more effective than they have any business being. We mustn’t forget Ken Hudson Campbell, a mainstay of ’90s supporting comedy, who gets a role as perfectly suited to him as any he’s ever played. As Bruce, the proprietor of a shop of curiosities, he finds himself tangled up in the drama and hijinks surrounding the mummy.
Atmospherically, UNDER WRAPS perfectly encapsulates childhood Halloween nostalgia through its suburban setting, nighttime scenes, and locations like the creepy horror shop run by Bruce (Ken Hudson Campbell). This is something I’ve always found lacking in HALLOWEENTOWN, whose brightly lit daytime exteriors and overly sunny, cheery disposition lack the vibe I yearn for when revisiting these types of films. UNDER WRAPS, by contrast, is steeped in just the right amount of darkness, with a wonderfully macabre quality to its production design that complements rather than competes with its warmth and humor. It feels like actual Halloween, rather than simply having it in the title. To top it all off, David Michael Frank’s main theme holds its own alongside Danny Elfman’s work, evoking the same mischievous, off-kilter energy as BEETLEJUICE and THE SIMPSONS. Playful without losing its spooky edge, it feels like an invitation to a little Halloween mayhem, perfectly complementing the film’s blend of macabre atmosphere and good-natured humor.
UNDER WRAPS is breezy, funny, touching, and indelible, and remains one of my all-time favorites to return to each Halloween season.
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