Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost (1999)

Tim Curry as the Least Surprising Villain Ever + Goth Girls Save the Day 🧙‍♀️🦇🎶


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Trailer 🎥

Let’s start by showing y’all the trailer, shall we?

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Plot Rundown

Fresh off the success of Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, the gang lands in Oakhaven, Massachusetts, where horror author Ben Ravencroft (Tim Curry in full velvet menace) invites them to a festival honoring his ancestor, Sarah Ravencroft, who was “definitely not a witch”… allegedly. Meanwhile, a local ghostly “witch” keeps popping up, and the gang also meets the Hex Girls, an eco-goth trio who proceed to steal the entire movie with one guitar riff.

Character Rundown 🧙‍♀️

Fred Jones (Frank Welker) – Once again the self-proclaimed leader, setting up traps that (shocker) don’t always work. He’s steady, dependable, but here he’s overshadowed by bigger personalities—mostly Ben Ravencroft and the Hex Girls. Still, Fred gets his moments of bravery and comic cluelessness.

Daphne Blake (Mary Kay Bergman) – Daphne really shines here. She’s all-in with her new TV series “Coast to Coast with Daphne Blake” and drags the gang along for her spooky documentary. She’s more assertive than in earlier Scooby outings, showing she’s not just the damsel.

Velma Dinkley (B.J. Ward) – Velma’s fangirl moment over Ben Ravencroft’s novels is adorable—she quotes his books like scripture. But she’s also the one whose skepticism breaks the “mystery cruise” vibe when things go supernatural. Once again, Velma connects the dots when no one else will.

Shaggy Rogers (Scott Innes) – Pure chaos as always. Shaggy is in peak coward mode, running from witches, werewolves, and anything that breathes. But his comic timing is solid—especially his interactions with Scooby. The food obsession is played big here (corn festival, anyone?).

Scooby-Doo (Scott Innes) – Scooby and Shaggy are the heart of the comedy. He’s just as scared, just as hungry, and just as accidentally heroic. His goofy fear reactions make the darker tone of this movie a little easier to handle.

Ben Ravencroft (Tim Curry) – The “secret villain” who isn’t so secret at all. I mean, come on—it’s Tim Curry, with a name like Ben Ravencroft. Of course he’s evil. He plays the horror novelist charmer until his mask slips and his obsession with the Wiccan spellbook takes over. Curry gives him that deliciously sinister edge only he could pull off.

The Hex Girls – Thorn (Jennifer Hale), Dusk (Jane Wiedlin), and Luna (Kimberly Brooks) – Easily the breakout stars of the movie. They’re an eco-goth rock band who steal every scene they’re in. Thorn, the lead singer and part Wiccan, ends up saving the day by chanting the counter-spell. They’re gothic icons now, beloved by fans across genders and orientations, and their song “Earth, Wind, Fire and Air” cemented their cult status.

Sarah Ravencroft (Tress MacNeille) – Ben’s ancestor, the supposed “good witch.” Surprise—she’s evil. When resurrected, she transforms into a monstrous sorceress who plans to destroy the world. Her fiery magic powers and grotesque animation made her one of the scarier Scooby villains.




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Why Ben Ravencroft Was Obvious From Frame One 😑

Come on. It’s Tim Curry. The voice alone announces “I am the villain” in 5.1 surround. Then there’s the name Ben Ravencroft (it practically comes with thunder and bat SFX). Every time he smirks about “finding Sarah’s book,” you can hear the Scooby audience collectively mutter, “Oh he did it.”


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The Tacked-On Third Act 🪄

This movie was reportedly not supposed to go full supernatural. But after Zombie Island blew up, WB said, “Do that again.” Cue last-minute warlock spellbooks, resurrected ancestor-witches, killer pumpkins, and a kaiju turkey. It’s chaotic fun, but you can feel the studio note stapled to the script.


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The Hex Girls = Goth National Treasures 🎤🖤

Here’s the truth: the Hex Girls (Thorn, Dusk, and Luna) are why this movie has lasted beyond just being “the one with Tim Curry.” They weren’t just side characters; they were an instant cultural spark. Thorn being a Wiccan gave them authenticity, their eco-goth aesthetic gave kids and teens a vibe they could latch onto, and their music was legitimately catchy.

They quickly became fan-favorite icons—for goth kids, queer fans, alternative teens, eco-conscious kids—you name it. For a lot of people, the Hex Girls were the first time they saw themselves reflected in a “kids” cartoon, but with edge and attitude. That’s why they’re still beloved decades later. They weren’t just characters, they were an identity touchstone.

For you, they’re easy favorites: goth, edgy, unapologetically weird, and carrying more charisma per minute than half the Scooby villains combined. They turned a random Scooby direct-to-video into a cult favorite.


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The Weird Environmental Pivot 🌎

I love “Earth, Wind, Fire & Air.” It slaps. But it’s also a hard left turn. We spend 70 minutes on witches and spellbooks, then close on a Go Green anthem. Great song, whiplash messaging. It works because the Hex Girls are that good—but yeah, it’s random.


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Final Thoughts

Witch’s Ghost is a fun, messy, very-1999 good time. The mystery’s obvious (hi Tim Curry), and the supernatural blowout feels stapled on, but the vibes? Immaculate. The Hex Girls? Legendary. And Scooby doing spooky again? Still a win.

Rating: 9.8/10


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Spoilers (Full, Fleshed-Out) 🧪📜

We open on a museum caper: two “monsters” swipe a painting, the gang gives chase, and a conveniently helpful stranger trips the thieves—Ben Ravencroft. He’s a horror novelist (of course) and invites everyone to Oakhaven for a town festival celebrating his ancestor Sarah, “falsely accused” of witchcraft. Uh-huh.

In Oakhaven, Daphne hunts the “ghost” for her show; Fred hovers with his camcorder; Velma side-eyes everything; Shaggy and Scooby find snacks. A pale, shrieking witch keeps appearing, the town milks it for tourism, and then the real stars arrive: the Hex Girls—Thorn (a practicing Wiccan), Dusk, and Luna. They’re introduced as suspects, but the movie clearly loves them too much for that to stick.

The “witch” is unmasked as a local doing a publicity stunt, and it seems like we’re done… until Velma notices a clue in an old portrait of Sarah: a specific tree stump. The gang digs there and—surprise—finds Sarah’s spellbook. That’s when Ben finally drops the act. He never wanted to “clear” Sarah’s name; he wanted the book to gain power and resurrect her. (Yes, the most predictable twist in Scooby history. Still fun because Curry chews the scenery like it owes him money.)

Ben succeeds—Sarah returns—and instantly turns on him. She traps Ben in a magic bubble (karma speedrun) and begins warping Oakhaven like a Halloween screensaver on steroids: pumpkins sprout fangs and legs, a turkey becomes giant, and gnarled roots rip up the ground while she vows to “cleanse” the town. This is the exact point where you can feel the studio note—make it supernatural like Zombie Island—take the wheel.

The only way to stop Sarah is to use the book against her, but it must be read by a witch. Enter Thorn/Sally McKnight, who hesitates (because Wicca is not evil sorcery), then steps up anyway. She recites the counter-spell, banishes Sarah and Ben back into the book, and a falling, flaming branch burns the book to ash, implying Ben is gone for good. For a kids’ movie, that’s… dark.

With the town saved, the festival is wrecked—so the Hex Girls rip into “Earth, Wind, Fire & Air.” The environmental message kicks in out of nowhere, but the song rules, the credits roll, and the movie leaves you humming—even if your brain is still trying to reconcile eco-rock with book-bound warlock doom.

That third act is a blast, but it does feel bolted on: the faux-ghost scheme ends, the real magic plot begins, and the tone hard-swerves into witch-apocalypse set piece. It works because the characters sell it—especially Thorn—and because Scooby doing legit supernatural again was the post-Zombie Island mandate. Is it elegant? Not really. Is it fun? Absolutely.

Like I said the ending song is amazing, now, when the heck did this movie become an environmentalism message is beyond me.But it’s a great song nonetheless, and this is how the movie closes off, by the way.