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While Disney Esmeralda is a gold standard for a compelling Halloween costume, Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame does offer some more unexpected costume ideas. They range in complexity from items that may already be in your closet to more elaborate designs.

These are in no order but the last one might be the most scary one of all……

1. Djali

Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Djali, Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Djali is the best (a Literal GOAT.) One could get a goat costume and add the gold hoop earring or you could do a cute Disneybounding type look with a cute gray outfit, goat ears and the earring, sort like the SNL A Girl’s Halloween skit.

You could also so the same with Achilles and copy his bridle but less people might get it unless you were with a Phoebus

2 & 3. The Guards

Brute and Oaf Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Brute and Oaf Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Often called the Brutish and Oafish Guard these two a very mean and hostile in the movie. Basically a medieval knight costume and one has a bushy mustache. Could be very fun as a duo.

Bonus points if you do a Patrick Star impression, if you know than you know.

4. The Old Heretic

The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
The Old Heretic Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Old Heretic is a running gag throughout the movie. It’s a fairly easy costume with tattered clothing and a white bread.

Bonus points to those who include some kind of prison prop to the costume like a cage or a pillory.

5. Fire Vision Esmeralda

Esmeralda as a fire demon dancing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Damee picture image
Esmeralda as a fire demon dancing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

This is a really cool variation of Esmeralda. In Hellfire, Frollo sees visions of her dancing in the flames. One could do this costume in a few ways like one her costumes but in lightweight fabrics to suggests flames. I love this idea so much.

6. Creepy Hellfire Judge

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

This would be so wonderfully creepy, especially as a group of them with someone dressed up as Frollo. Really this one is pretty simple, it’s dark red hooded cloak with a blacked out face mask. I also love this idea

7. Creepy Statue

Frollo and Notre Dame Bells Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Frollo stares at Notre Dame during the Bells of Notre Dame FDisney Hunchback of Notre Dame

The way the statues stare down at Frollo in damning judgment is very chilling indeed. This idea is more conceptual than actually a recognizable part of the movie but you may have fun as a creepy judgment statue.

8. Nightmarish Gargoyle

Another one of Frollo’s hallucination as costume idea. Basically this idea is the hellish, nightmare gargoyle that casts Frollo into a figurative hell. This gargoyle is a nice contrast from the comedy trio.

9. The Torturer

Frollo with Phoebus Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

A bit character to be sure but this guy is scary as he loves what he does. The costume is simple and similar to guards but with a black hood, a whip, spike gauntlets, plus a mustache. Doesn’t have a lot of screen time but he makes an impression as he adds to Frollo’s sick sense of humor.

Worst case scenario everyone thinks you’re a torturer and can’t place your costume from the movie but that can be you’re own little secret.

10. The Church Lady

Frollo's Female Doppelganger singing a line in God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
A Noble Lady, God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

This could be a harder costume to make but it could be an interesting costume. She does bare a slight resemblance to Frollo too.

11. Madeline

Madeline Tight Rope Walking Hunchback of Notre Dame Sequel II 2 picture Image Disney
Madeline, Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney

Nothing is scarier than a Straight-to-Video Disney sequel, so why not lean in to it and dress up a Madeline. It’s not too hard of a costume as it consists of a light-green skirt and bodice with white sleeves and a short blonde wig. I’m terrified just thinking about the Hunchback II.

Would you dress up as any of these for a costume party?

Ah, the voice acting in Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. Some of it’s great, some it is just ok and some of the casting is off, which seems to weaken the believability of the characters. This is more or less in the order of rank, as I see it or hear it.. yeah.. I know lame joke.

 

Tony Jay picture image

Tony Jay

The highlight of the voices in the movie is Tony Jay’s rendition of Judge Claude Frollo. Jay’s cold sounding baritone mixed with his british accent makes for the perfect bad guy voice. He gives Frollo’s voice an air calm control that at any second could explode into fevered anger. Also his voice is seductive, you can believe this guy is a charmer and yet he speaks with command and authority. Jay’s voice helps make Frollo a more interesting character.

Jay had been a veteran Disney voice actor and voice actor in general. He’s been in a number of Disney related films and television shows as well many other non disney films, television and recordings of broadway shows.  On his IMDB page he has 150 credits but I think he most known for Frollo mainly because Frollo is a horrible person and his voice accentuates brilliantly.

Tony Jay  was  nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting.

 

Paul Kandel picture image

Paul Kandel

Paul Kandel voiced Clopin and is a Broadway performer. He’s probably the best singer in the film (the crescendo at the end of Bells of Notre Dame gets me every single time) and that’s probably why he ended up with the most songs in the movie. In fact Clopin sings more than he actually speaks. Kandel gives Clopin a sense of fun and whimsy but he also gives him a flair for the dramatics which is a boon for the introductory scene since it’s not funny.

 

 

David Ogden Stiers picture image

David Ogden Stiers

David Ogden Stiers voiced the Archdeacon. Stiers like Jay is a veteran voice actor and has been in many major Disney movies. He’s also primarily a  television actor. Stiers runs the gambit of tones  with the Archdeacon’s voice; tenderness, command, authority, concern and a little amusement (the Archdeacon sounded a little amused when he thinking about Esmeralda’s merry chase). Just because the Archdeacon is by all account a glorified extra Stiers’ voice helps makes the character more interesting.

 

 

Kevin Kline picture image

Kevin Kline

Kevin Kline voiced Phoebus. Kline does well as Phoebus but I think he falls short of Jay and Kandel because I mean really, Phoebus isn’t a hard role to play. Phoebus has a dry wit but so Kline, I mean Kline is practically playing himself.  I give Kline credit, he made Phoebus funnier than probably was originally intended which makes him more interesting as character. Because without the humor would Phoebus have been memorable? My guess is no.  Kline is also partly responsible for Achilles’ name. He insistent that horse have a name, so they gave the Phoebus’ horse a name at Kline’s insistent.

 

Fun Fact about Kline’s process – to get into the character of playing a knight, Kline held a sword in hand during recording sessions. He even ruined some recordings because he would hit the microphone (accidently, I’m sure.)

 

 

Jason Alexander picture image

Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander voiced Hugo. As much as I dislike the gargoyles, I think the voice acting is fine. Jason Alexander is best known as George Costanza on Seinfeld. George is uptight and neurotic, the total opposite of Hugo. Hugo is fun-loving and laid back. I think Alexander does very well in the role. But again, is a fun-loving partier a demanding role?  No, not really.

 

 

Charles Kimbrough picture image

Charles Kimbrough

Charles Kimbrough voiced Victor.  Kimbrough  has been in many types of media; film, TV and voice acting. Kimbrough does well enough as the prim, more serious-minded Victor, but it’s hard to lay out Victor’s personality compare to Hugo and Laverne. So it’s hard to identify how well Kimbrough did as Victor.

 

 

 

Mary Wickes picture image

Mary Wickes

Mary Wickes voiced Laverne. Later in Wickes’ career she played cranky old ladies. Two of the movies I remember her in were Little Women (Aunt March) and Sister Act (Sister Mary Lazarus), both characters are tell-it-like-it-is, cranky old ladies much like Laverne. So while she does well in the role she definitely playing her type of role.

 

 

 

Jane Withers picture image

Jane Withers

I want to mention Jane Withers briefly. Mary Wickes died as the film was being recorded and so Jane Withers stepped in to finish the recording and took over the role of Laverne. There are some lines where Wickes started and Withers finished, which is testament to Withers; acting to able to sound almost identical to Wickes.

 

 

 

Tom Hulce picture image

Tom Hulce

Tom Hulce voiced of Quasimodo. Tom Hulce is most known for his role in Amadeus Mozart. I do not find any fault with Hulce’s acting, I think he does a good job giving Quasimodo tenderness, gentleness and a bit of pitiable emo-ness. I also think Hulce does well exhibiting both Quasimodo’s natural disposition and in contrast to his attitude when he’s with Frollo.  So Why is Hulce’s performance second to the last on this Blog post? Well that is because I wonder what the directors were smoking in making  Quasimodo a school boy that’s gentle and sweet. Quasimodo is suppose to be gentle but only to Esmeralda. He’s not suppose have a school boy. I can understand why Disney did this and I understand why Hulce’s voice is good for this type of role but just because I can understand it doesn’t mean I have to condone it. Honestly they made Quasimodo into a Disney Princess. Hulce has a clear voice which is a commonality to the Disney Princess trope. Think about, Quasimodo is a Disney princess, he just a male and not very pretty.

 

Demi Moore image picture

Demi Moore

Demi Moore voiced of Esmeralda.  Like Quasimodo, I think casting was way off. I get that they wanted something different. The directors liked Moore’s husky and rough tone of voice and they liked that she also had a tenderness to it, but Moore ages the character. It’s weird looking at the concept art, how youthful Esmeralda started and how mature she looks/acts in the movie. I understand that the decision to cast Moore was intentional and as part the process of animation is that Esmeralda took on Moore’s looks and mannerism but I don’t think the pay off was good in the long run. I think Esmeralda is too much like Moore and effectively Moore was playing herself  (or at the most her type-cast role) so she didn’t exactly have to exert her acting prowess. Also I think Moore got the role due to sex appeal and popularity. And point Deductions for being the only one of the cast not able to sing her character’s song, though if can’t sing than she can’t sing, but they could have just had Heidi Mollenhauer do the role in it enitety, she is an singer/actress after all. They fact they they didn’t just mean that Moore was cast for her popularity and appeal.

 

Shout Outs/Kudos to:

Gary Trousdale picture image

Gary Trousdale

 

 

-Shout out/Kudos to Gary Trousdale voice of Djali (that not a bleat) and the Old Heretic.

 

 

Corey Burton picture

Corey Burton

Bill Fagerbakke picture image

Bill Fagerbakke

 

 

 

 

 

-Shout out/Kudos to Corey Burton and Bill Fagerbakke, Brutish and Oafish Guards these two made those characters hilarious.

 

 

Agree or Disagree, I’d love to know your opinions

 

Next Time- Going to Start Looking  Music/Songs,  starting off with beginning “The Bells of Notre Dame”