Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost

Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost
Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost DVD cover
Directed by	Jim Stenstrum
Produced by	Davis Doi Joseph Barbara (executive producer) William Hanna (executive producer)
Written by	Rick Copp David A. Goodman
Starring	Scott Innes Frank Welker Mary Kay Bergman B. J. Ward Jennifer Hale Peter Renaday Tim Curry
Music by	Louis Febre
Editing by	Rick Hinson
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Home Video
Release date(s)	October 5, 1999
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Preceded by	Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
Followed by	Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000)

Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost is the second in a series of direct-to-video animated films based upon Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoons. It was released on October 5, 1999, and it was produced by Warner Bros. Animation (although with a Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. copyright) starting in late 1997 through 1999. The Mystery, Inc. gang, which includes Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma, travel to a New England town called Oakhaven after being invited by horror writer Ben Ravencroft. Like a number of direct-to-video Scooby-Doo animated films released in the late-1990s and early-2000s, Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost features real ghosts instead of simple bad guys in masks. The videos sold well and received generally positive reviews in the press.

Plot

Ben Ravencroft, a famous horror writer of whom Velma is a big fan, assists The Mystery, Inc. gang in solving a case at a museum. Afterwards, Ben invites the gang to his home town of Oakhaven. But when they arrive at Oakhaven, they find that the town has been built up by its Mayor into a tourist attraction, complete with a replica of the town in the 17th century and a supposed ghost of a witch who haunts the town. The Mayor and pharmacist Mr. McKnight explain that the ghost is of Sarah Ravencroft, a relative of Ben's, who was persecuted as a witch by the town in the 1600s. But Ben says that Sarah was actually a Wiccan who used natural herbs to heal people, and even has a diary of all her patients that Ben wants to find to prove her innocence. Scooby and Shaggy find what appears to be a shoe buckle, and then go to a local diner for food, owned by the friendly Jack.

Ben, Fred, Daphne, Velma, and many visitors stay out late and order to see the witch, but do not. But Scooby and Shaggy are chased by the fireball throwing witch, and run into Ben and the gang returning home. The gang finds some broken branches at the scene, as well as a local goth girl rock band named the "Hex Girls", composed of Luna, Dusk, and the beautiful Sally "Thorn" McKnight, who uses her young, natural beauty to entrance watchers while performing, including Fred who is attracted to her, much to Daphne's annoyance and humour. Then the gang split up; Fred and Daphne follow the Hex Girls, Velma and Ben explore an old barn, and Scooby and Shaggy follow the Mayor. Fred and Daphne see Thorn doing some sort of ritual, and become convinced that the Hex Girls are actually witches. Velma and Ben find a cherry picking truck in the barn. Scooby and Shaggy see the Mayor talking to and giving things to many of the townspeople. They then run into the witch again, who chases them past to Mayor and into Velma and Ben. Velma then tells the Mayor that she has a plan to catch the witch.

The Gang, Ben, and the Hex Girls meet in the woods. The witch appears and gives chase, but is captured by Daphne and Fred. The witch is revealed to be McKnight, who is Thorn's father. Velma then locates the truck in the trees. She explains that the truck lifted the witch and made her appear to fly, and also deduces that many townspeople were in on the trick, including Jack and the Mayor. Ben scolds the people involved for exploiting Sarah's good name for their benefit. Back at Ben's house, the gang apologize to the Hex Girls, and Thorn explains the ritual was just to improve her vocals, and that she is actually 1/16th Wiccan. The Mayor and McKnight then arrive, explaining that they had to use the witch to boost the towns economy because of lack of tourists. Also, the Mayor recalls that Ben once told him that supernatural phenomena always attracts people. They then say that they did find the head marker for Sarah's grave, but still don't know where the grave is located. Velma then remembers that the buckle Scooby found is that same one one Sarah's diary in a painting Ben has.

The gang, Ben, The Hex Girls, McKnight, and the Mayor go to the spot where Scooby found the buckle. Scooby digs deeper, and discovers a chest. An excited Ben opens the chest to find not a diary, but a spell book. He then explains to a horrified Mysetry Inc. that Sarah was indeed a witch, and that he created the case at the museum in order to meet the gang so they could find the book for him. Becoming insane with his new magical powers derived from the book, Ben captures McKnight, The Mayor, and the Hex Girls before resurrecting Sarah. But Sarah's ghost rejects Ben idea of ruling the world together, and instead wants to destroy it. Horrified by this, Ben attempts to imprison Sarah back in to book, but she says only a true Wiccan can return her. Velma then gets an idea. She frees the Hex Girls, and while Dusk and Luna try to release the Mayor and Mr. McKinght, Velma convinces Thorn to read the spell. Initially, she refuses, but then understands tha she's the only one who can stop Sarah. Velma then sends Scooby and Shaggy to get the book. The gang tries to get the book many times, but Sarah keeps turning pumpkins, trees, and even a turkey into monsters to stop them. Eventually, the gang obtains the book, each throwing it to another person when they get captured, until it reaches Thorn. Thorn reads the spell, sending the witch back to the book from where she was realeased. But Sarah decides that she will not go back alone and grabs hold of Ben at the last second, and they get both sucked into the book. A burning branch falls on the book, disintegrating it (apparently forever trapping or killing the two villains). The gang then free the others, and the witch's monsters turn back to normal (except the turkey). The film ends with the Hex Girls and the gang giving a concert to the townspeople and the tourists performing the song "Earth, Wind, Fire and Air".

Cast

• Scott Innes - Scooby-Doo, Shaggy Rogers
• Frank Welker - Fred Jones
• Mary Kay Bergman - Daphne Blake
• B.J. Ward - Velma Dinkley
• Tim Curry - Ben Ravencroft
• Jennifer Hale - Sally "Thorn" McNight
• Neil Ross - Mayor Corey
• Jane Wiedlin - Dusk
• Kimberly Brooks - Luna
• Tress MacNeille - Sarah Ravencroft
• Peter Renaday - Willard McKnight
• Bob Joles - Jack

Soundtrack

In 1999, the soundtrack was released featuring the Hex Girls performing Hex Girl and Billy Ray Cyrus performing Scooby-Doo, Where Are You.

External links

• Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost at the Internet Movie Database
• Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost at Allmovie

Facts

• This is the final Scooby doo film to be released before Mary Kay Bergman's death. She took her own life in November 1999 after suffering life-long depression and anxiety.
• This film includes the voice of Tim Curry. He would also star in Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King as the Goblin King almost ten years later.