MICKEY MOUSE: MERRY & SCARY is available now and it is a pretty perfect disc to keep handy over the next few months. Whether it becomes background fodder for a party or get-together or keeps the little ones entertained for a few moments of peaceful sanity, it is a fun little collection of Mickey Mouse shorts.

As its name very clearly indicates, the theme for this collection is HOLIDAY; Christmas and Halloween to be precise. That means this collection of shorts — rounding out at nearly an hour (that’s two 22-minute specials and five 3-minute bonus shorts) — makes for a fun gift or stocking-stuffer. The two features are themed to Halloween and Christmas respectively and bring the expected zaniness familiar to the brand while blending in those familiar seasonal tropes.

Here’s what you get:

Featured Shorts: (22-minutes each)

  • The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular
  • Duck The Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special

Bonus Shorts: (3-minutes each)

  • Ghoul Friend
  • The Boiler Room
  • Black & White
  • Entombed
  • Split Decision

You either love the new Mickey Mouse cartoons or you don’t. On first glance, I hated the new character designs when they were first launched but after watching just one of the 5-minute shorts a few years ago, I was instantly hooked. It is certainly not the playful mouse from the days of Unky Walt. But that’s ok. No really, it’s fine. The new direction doesn’t invalidate the previous versions and it helps keep the characters relevant for a whole new crowd to ensure their status in the cultural zeitgeist.

I would have never imagined it would work but the new shorts are really pretty funny and this new set continues that hilarious tradition; it’s a great one to keep handy over the new few months for the busy holiday season!

MICKEY MOUSE: MERRY & SCARY is available now on DVD.