Pulsar, Halloween (1977)

 

I usually save longer features for Fridays during the Countdown, but with only a few days left, I'm bending my own rules. Today's post is the 1977 progressive rock album Halloween by the French prog band Pulsar.

This was the third album for the band and their most noteworthy album. While not directly tied into the holiday, it's eerie and ethereal enough to fit in with the season.

Enjoy!

Ghost Cartoons of Louie Zong

 

One week to go in the Countdown to Halloween. One. Week. Let's make it count, folks!

Today I offer a couple of short yet delightful cartoons from animator Louie Zong. Zong's work features short musical cartoons without words that are whimsical, sweet, and simple. Some of his most popular cartoons feature adorable ghosts singing a soft tune, which is actually the sound of a theramin-like instrument.

Below I feature all of Zong's ghost cartoons I could find, including his latest at the bottom which was just released last week.

For all of Louie Zong's animations, visit his YouTube channel here.

Enjoy!

The Vampires, "At The Monster Ball"

 

Happy Friday! As with all Countdown to Halloween Fridays, I present a longer-form item for you to enjoy. This week I present the novelty music album At The Monster Ball by The Vampires!

The Vampires aren't a real band, alas; they're a group of session players brought together for this fun album of goofy monster-related songs. Published in 1964 and produced by legendary TV and movie music conductor Milton Delugg (he wrote the Munsters theme!), this album is perfect for Halloween listening. Pure innocent fun for all!

Enjoy! Have a great weekend! Be spooky!

Halloween TV Commercials 2021 Edition Part 2: Local TV Commercials

 

With today being October 20th, it means we're now in the home stretch of the season. No more playing around. Time to get seriously Halloweeny!

Today I offer another round of entertaining spooky TV commercials. But this time, we're focusing on local TV commercials, which aren't usually high budget, but have a great deal of fun and creativity. Let's get to it!

We start with this quick commercial for Mel-Mac Shoes in Laurel, Mississippi, which goes the classic "Halloween Safety Tips" route.

This is a cool commercial for the local dark attraction Pope's Haunted Farm in Texas. Local commercials are so awesome!

Another case in point!

And the hits just keep on comin'!

Finally, McDonald's is an international business of course, but this particular commercial was produced for a local franchisee in Minnesota and only aired there. A real fun one!

 

While we're focusing on local business, please patronize the local businesses in your area. They need your help more than ever.

Thanks!

ABC Weekend Special, "The Adventures of a Two-Minute Werewolf"

 

Welcome to Friday! This means we have a long-form program to share, and this week it's something I've been looking for for years and couldn't find it--until now! Today I present the 1985 ABC Weekend Special "The Adventures of a Two-Minute Werewolf!"

The ABC Weekend Special aired on ABC for a number of years as part of the network's Saturday morning lineup, scheduled after the earlier morning cartoons and before American Bandstand, and was aimed at a preteen audience. As for this particular installment, I'm going to borrow the description from the YouTube user who uploaded it, as it's clear and concise:

"13-year-old Walt Cribbens finds himself transforming into a werewolf for two minutes at a time. He has no idea why he is a werewolf, so he decides to seek answers with the help of his best friend Cindy, who witnessed his very first transformation. This quest is complicated by a series of local robberies that throw suspicion on Walt."

I remember this being a lot of fun, so I hope you enjoy as well.

Have a great weekend! Look out for Michael Myers, he's back in town!

You Can't Do That On Television, "Halloween"

Today's Countdown post should be a fun one for Generation X readers out there. Today I present an episode of the fondly remembered '80s Nickelodeon series You Can't Do That On Television.

You Can't was a Canadian-produced sketch comedy show aimed at pre-teens. The series began airing locally in Ottawa in 1979 before going national in Canada and in the US on Nickelodeon in 1981. The show became a huge hit for Nick, becoming the most famous show on the network at the time. The green slime poured on the show's young performers remains associated with the network to this very day.

Each episode's skits revolved around a particular theme, and in this episode, that theme is Halloween. This video is courtesy of the Museum of Classic Chicago Television, a YouTube channel that is a showcase of classic TV recorded in the Chicago area. It's one of my favorite YT channels; check them out!

Enjoy!

Woody Woodpecker, "Spook-A-Nanny"

 

Today at the Countdown I feature an unknown-to-me Halloween cartoon starring a childhood favorite character, Woody Woodpecker.

In "Spook-A-Nanny," Woody tries to fool his friends into thinking he's a ghost at their Halloween party, but they see right through his disguise. Afterwards, some real spirits appear on the scene to get the party started, dancing a dance called Spook-A-Nanny.

Walter Lantz cartoons aren't part of pop culture conversations much these days, which is a shame, as while they weren't on the same level as Disney or Looney Tunes characters, they had a charm of their own.

Enjoy!