1983 was a good year for movies. With such classics as Return of the Jedi, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and A Christmas Story being released, it is hard to believe that, in late April of that year, a film would come out that would hold a place in my mind for decades without seeing it more than once in its short release. That movie was Something Wicked This Way Comes.
As a young child, this film stood out for two reasons: 1) it had a cool poster and 2) Disney made it. Though the Walt Disney Studios was still years away from the new renaissance era of films, to me, the name still meant a lot and something about the tone of this film made it look cool. Be it the carnival setting, the darkness of the trailer, or just the fact it was a spooky film that I could go see because it was only rated PG I can recall how excited I was to ride my bike to the theater to see it.
Once the movie was released, it would come and go from my memory over the years. Maybe it would pop up on TV or I would see it at the video rental store, but it was deemed a flop by the studios so it would be remanded to mostly Disney Channel showings around Halloween.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to attend a screening of this amazing film on the Walt Disney Studios lot where Ray Bradbury, the author of not only the novel that inspired the film but also the initial scriptwriter, would make a rare appearance a few years before his passing. One of my core memories will be the time I had to speak with him and tell him how much this film has meant to me and how I wish there was more about this film. Well, fast forward to earlier this month and my utter shock when, as part of the Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival, they would not only be showing Something Wicked This Way Comes but also a SNEAK PREVIEW – We Are The Autumn People: The Making of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.
The Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival takes place each fall in Tarrytown, NY, and showcases up-and-coming films with a bit of a darker feel and showcases classic films like Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and Tim Burton’s Ed Wood. But a first-ever “Work-In-Progress” screening of We Are The Autumn People was a childhood dream come true. Even though Walt Disney himself was one of the pioneers of “making of” featurettes in the days of his Disneyland and Walt Disney Presents TV shows, there was little to no chance of anything like that for this film…or so I thought!
Mikayla Theone Khramov, Writer/Director/Producer has dedicated 10 years to making a documentary about a film she randomly found when she was 14 in a box of VHS tapes and her labor of love shines through. Showcasing interviews with anyone associated with the film, including actors Pam Grier, Diane Ladd, and Ellen Geer, and archival footage of Ray Bradbury himself talking about the book and the film, We Are The Autumn People truly is the perfect companion piece that I have been waiting 40 years for.
It’s hard to write a review of something that is a work in progress especially when after the screening we were asked for feedback and input on what can be changed. But, after one viewing, I can say the story of this film is almost richer than the film it’s about. Khramov speaks with anyone who had even the slightest association with the film to get to the bottom of not only how this film came to be but also how the movie I’ve always known wasn’t the film that was originally made. Without giving too much of the juiciest part of the story away, in what would have been a major story on Deadline in current times, the original director of Something Wicked This Way Comes had brought on his writer to rewrite the original Ray Bradbury script and ended up filming a very different version than what we know today. That was until Bradbury and the studio took over the film and, at the cost of approximately $6 million, reshot and created a new soundtrack for the film.
Following the screening Khramov as well as co-producer, Taylor L. White were on hand. As I said, to take feedback from the audience to not just hear what we thought but to also possibly help shape the next cut of the documentary. Some of the information shared included how she has not only been trying to track down “the boys” Vidal Peterson – Will Halloway and Shawn Carson – Jim Nightshade as well as get in contact with Sir Jonathan Price – Mr. Dark for interviews, but also there is a full director's cut of the film that they are trying to have filmed at next years Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival.
Though I may not have known about this documentary before the film festival, I will now be following it every step of the way till it is complete. To stay up to date on Khramov and her amazing projects, MikaylaTheoneKhramov.com will be where you want to go. And, to make sure you know what may be coming to the Tarrytown Music Hall during next year’s Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival, make sure you keep up to date with all the goings on.