Welcome to 2026's 31 Days of Heistoween, a daily dose of spooky icons, spine-tingling oddities, and — most harrowing of all — memes. Check back every day from now through October 31 for each daily entry!
It's Halloween season, which means it's also Heistoween season. One of the things that I do during this season is indulge in some lighthearted spooky fun by rewatching some of my favorite childhood Halloween classics. One such classic is the 1999 animated film Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost.
For those who haven't seen it, the premise of the movie involves Scooby and the gang traveling with famous horror writer Ben Ravencroft (voiced by the late, great Tim Curry) to his hometown of New Oakhaven. There, they discover the town is abuzz with the town's autumn-fest and the rumored appearance of the ghost of Sarah Ravencroft, Ben Ravencroft's ancestor. Naturally, the Scooby gang must investigate the truth behind the matter and experience some hilarious and dramatic events.
When the news of Tim Curry's passing first broke on August 25th, I immediately thought of his voice acting role as Ben Ravencroft. Curry's natural charm came through in the role, a charm that doesn't waver even as Ben Ravencroft's sinister true colors are revealed. It is elevated to its peak in the climactic scene where Ben Ravencroft recites the spell to summon Sarah Ravencroft. The power in Curry's voice is palpable enough to give me goosebumps. Reportedly, Fiction Horizon stated that this line in the movie was Tim Curry's favorite line in his career.
Of course, Ben Ravencroft isn't the only notable character in this movie. There are also the Hex Girls, the eco-goth all-female rock band that had bangers such as "Hex Girls" and "Earth Wind Fire and Air." Voiced by Jennifer Hale, Kimberly Brooks, and singer-songwriter Jane Wiedlin (of the Go-Go's), The Hex Girls have gone on to become queer and feminist icons. Rick Copp, one of the writers of the film, took inspiration from another female rock band, Josie and The Pussycats.
Speaking with The Independent, he said, "Growing up, I was a huge fan of Josie and the Pussycats. I was a little gay kid and I think it was that girl power that appealed to me. But I was also fascinated by this group of girls travelling the world and getting involved in criminal conspiracies. So naturally I was like, 'We have to have a girl band!' I remember coming up with the name Hex Girls and I kept thinking: 'Is it too simple? Is it not clever enough?'"
Simple or not, The Hex Girls would become so memorable that they would make appearances in other Scooby-Doo animated media such as Scooby-Doo And The Legend of The Vampire and What's New Scooby-Doo?. Back in 2021, The Hex Girls also received their own clothing line courtesy of Hot Topic. It's a shame these ladies never got their own animated spinoff.
Both Ben Ravencroft and the Hex Girls made Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghosts twice as entertaining, which is remarkable for an animated movie. It's one of the few Scooby-Doo properties where the monsters were real (shout out to Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island), with a rockin' soundtrack to boot. It's worth rewatching, not only during spooky season, but whenever you need a fun Scooby-Doo fix.
Come knock on our door tomorrow for even more 31 Days of Heistoween treats.
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