JL: Come on, Jim. Please?
JH: Jeff, I can’t do it. It wouldn’t be right. We’ve been friends for — what? — 15 years now? So there’s no way that I can be expected to put together a totally impartial review of your “Trick or Treat” DVD.
JL: But Halloween’s only a couple of days away. And I was really hoping that I’d be able to move a few more copies of this recording.
JH: Jeff, it’s unethical. I mean, I’m your boss at JHM. Which is why it really wouldn’t be right for me to write a review of your disc. It would be crossing a pretty significant line …
JL: Please?!
JH: Besides, didn’t Kevin Yee just say nice things about your “Trick or Treat” DVD as part of his column this week over at Miceage.com?
JL: Pretty please?!
JH: Alright! Fine! Stop nagging me! … And don’t expect a rave …
JL: Thank you, thank you, thank you …
Lange then quickly exits. Grumbling, Jim slaps a copy of Jeff’s “Trick or Treat” DVD in his laptop and begrudgingly starts watching the disc. And — as he watches the DVD — Hill quickly cobbles together a review.
Er … Um …
Okay. You got the basics, right? That Jeff Lange and I have been friends for more than a decade. More importantly, that he basically nagged me into doing this review of his DVD. Which chronicles last year’s “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party” at WDW‘s Magic Kingdom.
To be honest, though Mr. Lange can often be a real pain-in-the-@$$ … He actually does a pretty decent job of capturing this event. I mean, the guy camped out at curbside on Main Street U.S.A. for hours before “Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade” actually stepped off. Just so Jeff could get great shots of the start of the show …
Image capture by Jeff Lange
… as well as the various characters that appeared in this street pageant.
Image capture by Jeff Lange
Some of which were making their first-and-only appearances in a Disney theme park parade.
Image capture by Jeff Lange
Now, one taping of “Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade” would probably be enough for a normal human being. But not for Mr. Lange. Which is why — after the first presentation of the street pageant — Jeff quickly schlepped over to Liberty Square to catch the next performance of “Boo-to-You” …
Image capture by Jeff Lange
Just so he could get the floats & performers that were featured in this seasonal street pageant from different angles.
And I’ll say this much: Mr. Lange really does have an eye for unusual detail. Which is what compelled him to walk through that entire theme park, documenting what the Magic Kingdom really looked like during this after-hours event …
Image capture by Jeff Lange
… Not to mention catching a shot of a witch on the fly …
Image capture by Jeff Lange
As well as getting recordings of those one-night-only entertainments, like the Cadaver Dans’ appearance at the Diamond Horseshoe saloon in Frontierland.
Image capture by Jeff Lange
So — if you’d like to get a sense of what it’s like to attend WDW’s “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party” and/or would like to own a recording that would remind you of the time that you & your family attended this special after-hours event at the Magic Kingdom — I guess you could do worse than pick up a copy of Jeff Lange’s “Trick or Treat” DVD.
Okay. I know. That sounds like pretty faint praise. I don’t mean it to be. By that I mean: This 53-minute-long recording is professionally put together and — truth be told — is rather enjoyable to watch. It’s just that … While I really want to help out my friend, I don’t want to sacrifice my credibility just so Jeff can sell a few more DVDs.
Tell you what. Go read Kevin Yee’s review again. He’ll tell you that Jeff Lange’s “Trick or Treat” DVD is really worth purchasing.