Mr. Boogedy

People around my age range must remember growing up and watching the “Disney Afternoon” on weekdays from 3-5pm and on weekends, “The Wonderful World of Disney.” Those were the days of great cartoons, but yes, I do believe they might have made some that weren’t good, but we didn’t know that back then.

Often, “The Wonderful World of Disney” would play Disney’s theatrical releases, but a lot of the programs in the beginning was material made for the show. One that I didn’t know about until Doug Walker mentioned it in one of his “Disneycember” reviews is the 1986 short, “Mr. Boogedy.” You would say Disney was trying to tell a story about the Boogeyman. Under the Radar said in their review, “It all worked pretty well for a straight-to-TV thing at the time, but at this point I just wanna bring it to people's attention as something pretty much in the realm of "so bad it's good".”

“Mr. Boogedy” introduces us to the Davis family, who are excited to be moving to the fictional Lucifer Falls, New England, which may be “Nilbog.” Carlton, played by Richard Masur, is a novelty salesman who’s hoping to attract interested customers, being the only novelty salesperson that is closer to people once they move. Together with his wife, Eloise (Mimi Kennedy) and kids, Jennifer (Kristy Swanson), Corwin (David Faustino), and Aurie (Benjamin Gregory), they move, only to find themselves in possibly a haunted house.

At first, almost everyone believes the strange occurrences are just the father playing practical jokes. However, they soon find out an entire dark history to a few ghosts who haunt the house, including Mr. Boogedy (Howard Witt) who a harbinger named Neil Witherspoon (John Astin) had warned them about when they moved. Under the Radar said, “I won't give away much more than that, but the history to these ghosts are dark enough that you kind of have to wonder what was going through their minds at the time.” Along with the amazingly bad visual effects of 80’s TV and a vast of familiar actors have given “Mr. Boogedy” to have a cult following in its absurdity.

After being released on TV in the late 80’s, the short has faded into obscurity. However, since Disney+ is around, they have decided to release it on there. It’s easy to sit through, seeing how it is 45 minutes long. Under the Radar admitted, “If you're like me, and love looking for ridiculous movies that will make you laugh for all the wrong reasons, it's a solid watch. Terrible, but in all the best ways. It's all a pure, thick slice of 80's cheese, and may bring back fond, first-scare memories if you caught it on TV back in the day.”

I have to be honest; it is a product of the 80s. However, this is not something I see myself returning to after watching it one time. Honestly, I can’t even remember the short. Maybe that’s just the way it is. It’s one of those shorts that don’t leave a lasting impression on you. You watch it, then easily forget about it. Like I said, it wouldn’t hurt to watch it, so if you want to watch it on Disney+, I don’t think it will hurt.

Tomorrow, I will be looking at another short that is actually good in “Disney Month 2025.”