In this post series, I’ve been revisiting the movies I loved as a pre-teen and teen. Few movies shaped me more than Casper – or should I say, no five minutes of a movie shaped me more than THAT scene in Casper. You know the one I mean. Anyway, here’s how the experience of rewatching it (the whole movie, and THAT scene) went down…
1. The animal howling is such a spooky opening.
2. I probably should have watched this before Halloween, huh.
3. Any time is a good time for Casper, though.
4. Oh wow I completely forgot about these two random kids trying to get a photo in the haunted house at the start.
5. Now I remember thinking one of them was kinda cute.
6. This guy with the droney voice used to be in everything.
7. “The death of her only father has left a gaping void in her bank – uh, in her life.” I forgot how funny this movie was.
8. Whipstaff Manor is such a great haunted house name.
9. “So, what do you think?” “I think you’re going to get wet.” Carrigan has major big dick energy, I love it.
10. This is a beautiful house tbh. Creepy, but beautiful.
11. They do a really good job of not making this movie about literal ghosts too scary for kids. Like I don’t remember being that traumatised by this movie at all? It’s more just really funny and entertaining.
12. Okay the priest’s head being on backwards is kinda ooky.
13. DAN AKROYD. “Who you gonna call? Someone else.” SCREAMING.
14. “All I want’s a friend.” Same, Casper. Same.
15. “You can call them ghosts, or as I prefer, the living impaired.” Amazing.
16. I was so obsessed with Christina Ricci as a kid. Between this and Now and Then, she got to kiss Devon Sawa TWICE and I extremely wanted to be her.
17. I was all about Human Casper at the time, but watching it now, Bill Pullman was a bit of a babe, hey.
18. I love Kat’s cat-eye sunglasses.
19. It’s pretty messed up that Dr Harvey dragged his kid around looking for her dead mother’s ghost.
20. “I’m a close, personal friend.” What IS Dibs’ relationship to Carrigan?
21. I wore a thumb ring for so long because of Christina Ricci in this movie.
22. “It’s conceivable.” This is the first time I’ve watched this movie and actually known what conceivable meant.
23. Casper’s crush on Kat is so cute and also low-key heartbreaking.
24. I dig how they establish that Kat is way more capable than her dad early on.
25. “There’s a girl on my bed. Yesss.” Casper the horny ghost.
26. The score of this movie makes me feel like I’m nine all over again.
27. I have a lot of questions about Casper’s physical presence.
28. Why aren’t the uncles up already to chase them out of the house?
29. Cackling at Dr Harvey’s terrified reaction to Casper.
30. Ohhhh here come the uncles. They weren’t at home.
31. Poor Casper. He’s not only dead, depressed and lonely, he also has to be a slave to his three uncles.
32. Here’s something that’s always bothered me: are they actually his uncles? Like, from life? Or did they, er, adopt him in the afterlife?
33. Oh my gaaaahd these cameos! Clint Eastwood?! Mel Gibson?!?!???!
34. “Hey boys, we got a closet case here.” Well. That went over my head as a child.
35. That “smell-o-gram” gave me instant flashbacks to primary school and the boys saying that before burping or farting. Eugggh.
36. The “this sucks” joke as they’re being sucked into the vacuum is a LITTLE on the nose.
37. “Who’s got their pointy head in my–” “That’s not my head.” WHAT.
38. Lmao @ Kat entering rooms armed with a dustbuster.
39. Dustbusters were, like, such a thing in the ‘90s.
40. I enjoy this breakfast scene a lot.
41. “I feel like Oprah on hiatus.” I remember trying to figure out what “on hiatus” meant and now I realise they’re just making awful fat jokes.
42. The ghosts “eating” is super gross.
43. Oh my god, the guy Kat has a crush on is Guy from The Mighty Ducks! Did I know this as a kid? If I did, I’ve completely forgotten it.
44. Love Casper tying the shoelaces together of all these school jerks.
45. The uncles pretending to know Dr Harvey’s dead wife is way harsh.
46. I forgot Vic was such a jerk, asking Kat out because Amber forced him to as part of an evil plan.
47. “See, I’m a good dancer.” Caspeeer I’m gonna cry.
48. Casper basically pulled a magic carpet ride move on Kat. Smooth.
49. “Sometimes I worry that I’m starting to forget.” This is so real to anyone who has lost someone.
50. I just realised Christina Ricci plays a girl who has lost her mother in both this and Now and Then.
51. “Can I keep you?” Okay now I really am crying.
52. “I found your Visa card.” “Where was it?” “In your wallet.” Looool.
53. I never realised they were talking about Kat’s virginity at the breakfast table.
54. I do not believe Kat got that toy room looking that good all by herself in a matter of hours.
55. I was sooo jealous of this room.
56. Why do ghosts only have four fingers though?
57. “What’s it like to die?” “Like being born, only backwards.” That really clears things up.
58. It’s really sad that Casper didn’t cross over so his dad wouldn’t be lonely, and then his dad was declared insane.
59. The way into the dad’s secret lair is so over-complicated but also looks like a lot of fun.
60. I remember being very stressed that she got toothpaste all over that antique dress that she was supposed to be wearing to the dance.
61. “I’m gonna be alive.” This part has ALWAYS gotten to me. His hope is so heartbreaking.
62. The first time I watched this, I thought that was Casper’s human hand reaching out to grab the formula, and not Dibs’.
63. “Dibs you’re taking this way too personally” – Carrigan as she literally tries to murder him.
64. How did I never get until now that this karaoke joint is deserted because the ghosts scared everyone away?
65. Dr Harvey just desperately needs some friends. Who aren’t dead.
66. I can’t believe this movie killed off Carrigan and Dr Harvey in a matter of minutes.
67. Why do they still look like their human selves when the other ghosts don’t look remotely human? Do you become less human-like the longer you’re a ghost, maybe?
68. I love that they defeat Carrigan by using her own ego against her.
69. I’m so BROKEN over Casper sacrificing his one chance at life for Dr Harvey and Kat.
70. Okay but like didn’t Casper’s dad write his formula down anywhere? Surely they could just make more primordial potion?
71. Why did Amber actually think her costume with Vic would scare people as opposed to, you know, people just thinking they were in costume?
72. I love how it backfires, with the ghosts scaring them.
73. I’m crying again at Kat’s mum appearing to Casper and talking about how proud his dad is.
74. Wow this really is a Cinderella story huh, Casper even has to do chores for his wicked family members and now he gets to go to a dance.
75. HERE HE COMES. HERE HE COOOOMES.
76. Helloooooooo, Human Casper.
77. Oh god I have butterflies in my tummy like I’m a pre-teen again.
78. THAT SPIN REVEAL.
79. Boom, that’s my sexual awakening right there.
80. ~REMEMBER ME THIS WAAAAAAAAAY~.
81. “Can I keep you?” AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH.
82. “Don’t pick up the extension every time she gets a phone call.” Wow ‘90s problems.
83. Nooooo not the clock. It wasn’t enough time!!
84. *rewinds so I can watch Devon Sawa walk down the stairs again* *and again* *and again*
85. What a good movie.