We love Tim Curry. You love Tim Curry. Let’s revisit one of his lesser-remembered roles.

Earlier this week I wrote a story about a fan trailer that imagined “The Addams Family” as a Netflix series – with Oscar Isaac and Eva Green in the roles of Gomez and Morticia, the faux trailer quickly amassed millions of views. I bring it up because in doing research for the post, I was reminded that the last time the titular family made a movie, Gomez was played by Tim Curry!

How could I ever forget?!

Back in 1998, Warner Bros. rebooted the Addams Family franchise with direct-to-video film Addams Family Reunion, released on September 22nd. The film, not tied to previous features The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, was originally intended as a pilot for “The New Addams Family,” and it recast Gomez and Morticia with Tim Curry and Daryl Hannah.

In Addams Family Reunion…

Discovering that his grandparents have developed “Waltzheimer’s disease”, a disease that is slowly turning them “normal”, Gomez organizes a family reunion, hoping that some branch of his enormous family tree will find a cure. Unfortunately, the company arranging it misspells his surname and reunites him with the Adams family instead, including Dr. Philip Adams, who plans to poison his father and rearrange his will.

Meanwhile, Gomez hopes that Dr. Adams can cure his grandparents; Morticia spends time with the women; Fester and Thing do their best to capture Butcher, a mutated puppy who feeds on human hair; Wednesday and Pugsley are busy making new friends; and Lurch falls in love.

Naturally, most don’t remember much about Addams Family Reunion aside from Curry’s performance, which was as delightful and scenery-chewing as you’d expect. At the same time, it’s weird to see Curry in a role that other actors (John Astin and Raul Julia) made famous. Curry was of course known throughout his career for essentially creating iconic characters like Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Pennywise, so trying to fill the shoes of another actor was kind of, well, beneath him. That said, it was inspired casting, and it’s a blast to watch Curry as the Addams family patriarch.

Raul Julia may have done it best, but Curry sure proved to be a worthy successor.

Unfortunately, the film has to date only been released on VHS, never on DVD. But you can watch Addams Family Reunion in full below. Or if you prefer, watch only Tim Curry’s scenes!