Hello everyone! I hope you are getting back into the post-summer groove easily and smoothly.
October is less than two weeks away, and I'm sure you are already prepping for Halloween. I'm a late bloomer compared to most out there, as I don't start celebrating Halloween hardcore until October 1st. I'm a slacker, I know! But I did make a couple of shopping excursions for the big night, only one of which bore any fruit, but I'm happy with what I bought.
First up, a family-size box of Carmella Creeper (Walmart, $3). I still have plenty of Monster Cereal I didn't eat from last year, but I couldn't pass up the first new Monster Cereal character since Fruity Yummy Mummy in the 80s. I've heard mixed reviews on the cereal, but I enjoy caramel apple flavor, so I'm looking forward to trying this next month. Until then, I need to eat last year's cereal!
Next up, a 3-DVD collection of Beetlejuice, Gremlins, and Gremlins 2: The New Batch in a new glow-in-the-dark slipcase (Walmart, $9.96). Even though I already have Gremlins on a VHS tape my wife bought me 20 years ago, and I have Beetlejuice on a not-so-great dubbed VHS tape from the late 80s, I thought the DVD upgrade was worth it, especially since I don't have Gremlins 2 in any format. Plus, the entire collection was less than $10. The new slipcase was just a fun bonus!
Next, a pair of skeleton gloves (Dollar General, $2). My wife bought a skeleton costume from Target on clearance last year, and I thought these gloves would complement it. They're a bit snug, but they'll do.
Finally, the pièce de résistance: a very cheap, off-model Michael Myers mask (Dollar General, $8). It's made of vinyl, it's only a half mask, and the hair is also vinyl, but considering how many bad Michael Myers masks there are out there, if I'm going to buy one, I'd rather pay $8 than $20 or more for one.
In a separate outing, and without even looking for it, I found a bottle of Fanta's foray into the "mystery soda flavor" gimmick, What The Fanta? (Wawa, 2 20 oz bottles for $4). I got the zero sugar version, and the artificial sweetener seemed to throw off what the intended taste should be, so I have no guesses, just something fruity. I want to try the sugar version for a better taste test.
So, what do you think? Is this a decent Halloween haul for my first trip of the season? It's still early, so I plan on doing more scary shopping in the coming weeks. If I find more good stuff, I'll share it with you.
And remember, the Countdown to Halloween starts here at the blog on Sunday, October 1st!
Hello one and all! This is just a quick note to let you know that Halloween night is only 100 days away! This is my yearly reminder to let you know that the blog is still active and will take part in the Countdown to Halloween 2023! It's my blog's biggest event of the year, and I look forward to scaring you and entertaining you this year.
This Halloween looks to be another great one, with products such as:
Hello everyone! This is your yearly reminder that today is only 100 days until Halloween! Which also means it's only 69 days until the start of the Countdown to Halloween!
As slow as things may be at the blog the rest of the year, October here at Me and You is always bursting with Halloween goodness. And there's already so much amazing stuff to look forward to. Here are several awesome things coming our way this Halloween season!
First up, Twitter cereal news account Cerealously has determined that this year's Monster Cereals will be doing a promotion with art brand KAWS. I hadn't heard of KAWS until my son told me about them, but that isn't even the story. The real story: Fruit Brute is back! It hasn't been available since 2013, but it will make a grand appearance this Halloween season!
A multipack is reportedly already available at Sam's Club wholesale stores, but you can expect this year's Monster Cereals to start shipping everywhere this August.
In other Halloween cereal news, toy expert James Zahn has discovered a Halloween cereal out in the wild right now! It's this year's edition of Halloween Fruity Pebbles. July seems awfully early to make a Halloween cereal available in stores, but if you look for it at your local supermarket, good luck!
Here's a BIG announcement regarding Halloween music. Record label Craft Recordings is releasing the full soundtrack to the legendary TV special It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! The soundtrack was first released in 2018, but it was not well received by fans. That version of the soundtrack was comprised of pieces edited directly from the TV special along with sound effects and not the original master tapes, which had been considered lost to the ages. But the masters have now been found, including alternate takes not used in the special!
Craft will offer the soundtrack in severals formats; digital and streaming, CD, a 45-rpm vinyl record, a 33 and 1/3-rpm orange vinyl record shaped like a pumpkin, and a picture disc vinyl album with a unique splatter design, but that one has already sold out in pre-order.
But that's not all. A "single" from the album has already been made available digitally, an alternate take of "The Great Pumpkin Waltz." Listen below!
The soundtrack will drop on all music retail outlets on Friday, August 26th. For more information, click here, pre-order here, and look below!
And the Halloween hits just keep on comin'! September will ramp up the Halloween festivities with two new films, but featuring familiar faces. Rob Zombie's long-awaited Munsters film will appear on Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital on demand Tuesday, September 27th, with a Netflix debut later in the year (before Halloween I hope!). Here is the latest trailer!
On Friday, September 30th, the witch is back! Witches plural, that is. Hocus Pocus 2 flies into Disney+ with more treacherous trickery than before!
Folks, all of the above takes place before October even starts. And we STILL have more Halloween greatness to cover!
October will see the release of The Spirit Halloween Movie, a movie inspired by the number one Halloween costume and novelty retailer. In the movie, several teenagers enter a Spirit Halloween store on Halloween night as a prank, but the joke is on them. There is a ghost in the store possessing all of the animatronic figures and attacking the teens! If the kids don't escape, they'll become possessed too!
The movie stars Christopher Lloyd and Rachel Leigh Cook. There is no trailer yet, nor is there word on if the movie will be available in theaters or home video/streaming, but this sounds really cool!
Everyone's favorite homicial doll, Chucky, returns to SyFy and USA Network on Wednesday, October 5th! My son and I had a lot of fun with this series last season, and we're looking forward to to see what the little man does next!
Finally, the big one: Halloween Ends.
Yes, the final showdown between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers takes to theaters (and maybe Peacock) Friday, October 14th. I wasn't too thrilled with Halloween Kills last year, but if it's Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode in a movie together, I have to see it! It doesn't get more Halloween than that!
Simply judging from this list alone, this upcoming Halloween season looks to be fantastic! But I'm sure there will be plenty more fun surprises we don't see coming. Brace yourself, folks, it's gonna be one spooky hayride.
Welcome to Week 4 of the Countdown to Halloween! I hope your season is going great!
Today I offer another round of Halloween TV commercials. This batch is even better than the last one!
First up, a McDonald's commercial debuting the inaugural edition of the Halloween Happy Pails! I wish I still had mine!
Next, the Frankenstein monster is revived not by lighting, but by a cold Heineken beer!
This is a cute, low budget commercial for Taco Bell, offering glow sticks with food purchases. I don't remember this commercial, but this is right from my era of childhood.
Going without chocolate Pop-Tarts for too long can turn anyone into a monster!
Frankenstein can use that Heineken he got in his last commercial to wash down a pack of Twix.
You should always be on guard when camping. You never know when an unknown creature may steal your Watchamacallit!
But you don't need to go camping to run into Creepy Crawlers--you can make your own!
Finally, Dracula "vants" to bite your finger--even if it's just with red markers like in this classic game!
On Day 3 of the Countdown, and in my second-ever blog video, my kids Megan and Brian and I try the new Halloween soda Mountain Dew VooDew. Word of this soda has spread like wildfire across the 'Net for weeks now. What do we think? Check out the video below!
We hope you enjoyed our video. Stay tuned for more!
Welcome to Day 2 of the 2019 Countdown to Halloween. Today I present one of my favorite articles to post, Halloween TV commercials. I have a great collection this year, so let's get to it!
Seeing a horror movie at the theater with your significant other can be a surprisingly romantic experience, as this Reese's Cup commercial attests.
Next, a surprisingly cost-conscious Frankenstein monster is overjoyed about the bargains he got on Nestle chocolate. Not only does he benefit, so do his trick-or-treaters!
This quick one for Kit-Kats simply show how much everyone loves them. Count me in on that group!
This next one, also for Kit-Kats, debuted just last year. A haphazardly carved jack o' lantern demonstrates his understanding of his situation with his carver by offering her some Kit-Kats. That jack is a trooper!
I have to admit, this next one for Taco Bell from 1997 is kinda gross, but hey, that's part of Halloween!
This next one for Pillsbury Halloween-shaped Cookies will cleanse the pallet with its sweetness. If you bake them, however, don't leave them in the oven for too long or they'll burn quickly. I know from personal experience!
Finally, this last one is brand new this year! As you probably know, IHOP is having a promotion for the upcoming Addams Family movie with a special menu. Here is IHOP's commercial to tell you all about it!
I have so much fun creating these articles, I may do another one later this month. Keep an eye out--ew, that reminds me of the Taco Bell commercial!
Today is an exciting day for the blog. For the first time, I present my first ever blog video! With the help of my kids, we review the newly released Maple Creme Oreos, issued by Nabisco as a limited edition release for Fall 2019.
What did we think? Find out below!
Please forgive the amateur quality of the video, because I am indeed an amateur! No editing, no special camera or video, I just hit "record" on the laptop camera and hoped for the best. All in all, I think it worked out OK!
Today I present, later than I usually do in a season, a round of classic Christmas commercials. Some may not understand my fascination with TV commercials, as they are usually something people complain about, but there's something about an old commercial, especially with a Christmas theme, that takes you back to good memories and celebrations just like a TV program can.
Here's hoping this year's showcase does the same for you!
First up, this sweet spot for Burger King from 1976.
Next, a series of promos for various CBS Christmas specials such as Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, among others.
I never thought to sing "Deck The Halls" with the name of M&Ms inserted, but now that's all I can do!
This may be the "hardest sell" Christmas commercial I've ever seen, and I just discovered it days ago. The first Tim Burton Batman film was the hottest selling VHS tape of 1989, and this commercial pulls no punches in emphasizing how urgent a gift this was!
Everyone is still lamenting the loss of Toys R Us this year, and their classic Christmas commercial is one of the all-time greats, but this commercial for the even longer expired toy chain Kiddie City isn't shabby either!
Finally, this last commercial is the most recent of the bunch, being from 2014, but it deserves to be noted as being as wonderful as ringing Hershey's Kisses or Santa sliding on snow on an electric razor. In this Apple Computers commercial, an infamous and lonely figure tries to make peace with the townsfolk by embracing the holidays with them. Things nearly go awry, but the magic of the holidays sets in. What a great commercial!
Today I offer an 8-minute medley of some awesome commercials that aired on CBS on October 26, 1984, between the premiere airing of Garfield in the Rough (memories of which escape me) and the Halloween perennial, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
When such specials took over prime time, kids felt special themselves; choice TV real estate normally devoted to adults was now the terrain of kids, and we loved it! Even the commercials were evidence that this was our time. Some great examples here include ones for McDonald's Happy Meals, Frosted Flakes, a fantastic one for Bubble Yum bubble gum (clearly inspired by the video for the Cars song "You Might Think"), and, being just a few days before Halloween, an ad for Paas Halloween Make-Up Kits. This set instantly takes me back.
Speaking of Halloween, I should note that the 2018 Countdown to Halloween starts two weeks from today! Consider this an ever-so-slight teaser for the celebration.
I've always been a fan of The Flintstones, but I've never been a big consumer of the show's breakfast cereals, Fruity and Coco Pebbles. I have, however, always enjoyed the fun commercials for the cereal. The following commercials, however, are a bit before my time and, well, kind of weird.
These commercials involve Bedrock citizens developing bizarre conditions from lack of Pebbles Cereal, still images in place of animation, breaking the fourth wall to show children the factories in which the cereals are made, and other craziness that I simply don't remember in any Pebbles commercials I remember seeing as a kid.
I've had these commercials in my queue for a long time, and I'm happy to finally present them to you.
I didn't plan on writing anything about fall this early, but due to a combination of milder temperatures and humidity this week and a plethora of fall-related news to share, I figured "why not?" So without further ado, here are some links to get you into the autumn spirit!
I'll start with the most important news of all--Matt from Dinosaur Dracula officially kicks off his 2018 Halloween Countdown tonight! No one loves Halloween more than Matt, and his love for the season is infectious. Make plans to see Madd Matt, Larry, Leviathan, and the whole crew starting tonight and lasting straight through October 31st!
Even Boston Market is getting in on the fall food action. Check out their garlic and herb chicken, loaded roasted potatoes, and cinnamon apple streusel. Delicious! Fall is also the time when broadcast networks launch their new series and new episodes of returning favorites. TV Line provides a handy guide of the debut dates of new and returning shows here. Set your DVR accordingly! If classic TV is your thing, retro network MeTV has announced its fall lineup. I'm sorry to see Batman go, but dude--they're bringing back Buck Rogers! For you cord cutters out there, here are Netflix's new shows for September. Black Panther! Iron Fist! Scott Pilgrim and more! Finally, we've discussed the sights and tastes of fall, but we can't leave out a very key component of the season--the scents! Glade brand air fresheners have announced their autumn scents for 2018--Warm Flannel Embrace and Cozy Autumn Cuddle (awww). Available in candles, wax melts, and aerosol sprays in stores now!*
*The press release doesn't mention the sprays, but trust me, they're available. I've seen them in stores. That should be enough to quench your thirst for all things autumnal until the season arrives for real--and it will be here before you know it!
Have a great weekend! Squeeze in some last minute beach time and rollercoaster rides!
Hello everyone to another great Christmas season at Me and You! I really need this Christmas season, and it couldn't have come at a better time. My body is ready!
First up, my annual collection of Christmas commercials. We start with a fun Christmas commercial from blog stalwart McDonald's. Their gift certificates are great for the Hamburglar in your family!
Not to be outdone, here comes Burger King!
After all that fast food, you may need some Alka-Seltzer to calm things down. Here are two great commercials, one featuring the late Sammy Davis Jr!
Up next, a quick network promo for two of the best animated Christmas specials of all time, A Charlie Brown Christmas and 'Twas The Night Before Christmas!
Speaking of Charlie Brown, here is a commercial from 1991 for Shell Oil which had a promotion with Peanuts that year, selling VHS copies of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Finally, here is a great local commercial for Ben Franklin's 5 and 10 store promoting their Christmas decorations and novelties. Local commercials such as these may not have the best production values, but they make up for it in charm and warmth. I love it!
I'll feature more commercials in the season if I can. If not, check out my archives from Christmases Past for other great ones.
Thanks, and stay tuned. There's plenty of Christmas cheer on the way!
It may come as much of a surprise to you as it has to me, but there is an extended version of the classic Tootsie Pops commercial from the 70s and 80s!
Even the current generation is familiar with the little boy looking to various talking animals (??) for the answer to "how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop." In most versions, he seeks the answer from Mr. Turtle first, then to Mr. Owl, who provides his answer (3). However, in the extended version, there are two other animals from whom the boy seeks the wisdom of the Tootsie Pop!
See below to experience the boy's journey to the truth with Mr. Cow and Mr. Fox. The voice of Mr. Fox is provided by none other than V/O legend Paul Frees!
Not only are there two additional characters, but the dialog between the boy and Messrs. Turtle and Owl are different from the traditional shorter version. I won't type it all out here, so here's the traditional commercial that most of us know and love for comparison.
Perhaps I'm the only person to be blown away by the differences between two versions of a nearly 50-year-old commercial--but I suspect I'm not!
Thanksgiving is exactly two weeks away as I write this, and while many don't like to celebrate the holidays before their time, it's still smart to at least begin holiday preparations now. And that's what these links are all about!
Below are some holidays happenings you may want to work into your seasonal calendar. Take a look!
Reba McIntyre hosts this year's CMA Country Christmas celebration on ABC Monday, November 27th.
I can't resist. I just can't! I still have so many great spooky TV commercials that they can't wait until next year. I have to share them with you now. YOLO, right?
Also, last week's installment of commercials has been one of the most visited articles I've written in a very long time. I have to give the public what they want. Thank you all for your support!
Without further ado, here are more great commercials!
For starters, in case of vampires, hope that there is plenty of Heineken beer around!
Sticking with the vampire theme, here Dracula enjoys a hearty soup with plenty of cheese!
You don't get to type that sentence very often.
Next, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble encounter some strange visitors as they enjoy their Pebbles cereal.
Not only is the zombie in this Starburst commercial the living dead, he's also very cranky!
This commercial for a local Kia dealer isn't all that spooky, but I still love it because it at least makes the effort to acknowledge the holiday even when it doesn't have to. It some ways, those are the best Halloween commercials, because they actively try to celebrate the day by choice rather than the necessity to sell.
Same thing with this other local Kia dealer, which goes even farther with its Halloween commercial. It's hokey, it's crudely produced, it has talking dogs--I love it!
As I've said before, Snickers has some of the best Halloween/spooky commercials of all time. In this extra long example, the product shilling takes a back seat to the star of the commercial, pumpkin carver John Neill. He is excellent!
In this next one, Snickers goes in a different direction. The host of a fictional budget Halloween kids special is obviously hungry--and obviously unprofessional!
Finally, the master of horror himself, Stephen King, praises the powers of his American Express card in this classic spot (the first time I ever saw King was when I was a kid when this commercial aired).
I'm thoroughly convinced that's his real house and not a set.
As promised, here are more spooky TV commercials to put you in that Halloween mood!
It wouldn't be Halloween without the involvement of McDonald's. Here is a Happy Meal commercial with the ever-popular McNugget Buddies!
Next, here are promos for CBS Saturday morning programs from 1981, as well as a promo for two long-forgotten Halloween specials, Bugs Bunny's Howl-O-Ween and Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile(featured previously at this blog)!
I can't let a Countdown to Halloween go by without at least one mention of the Monster Cereals. Here they are pushing their monster-sized marshmallows!
Here is a fun ad for the defunct party supply store iParty involving zombies hungry for Halloween savings!
This is an awesome TV spot from 1980 for the first Friday the 13th movie. I see commercials for horror movies all the time today, but there's something about the older ones that seem to have more...something. I don't know what, but I think you know what I mean!
Vampires are tough. Vampires are ruthless. Vampires...can be stopped by a set of Audi headlights.
This commercial was recorded off of a camera pointed at a TV screen, but it doesn't make watching this ad for Play-Doh's Fuzzy Pumper Monster Shop any less fun!
Finally, here is a great one for T-Mobile. Dr. Frankenstein can be such a condescending bore!
Even better, outtakes from that same commercial!
Maybe--maaaaaaaaaaybe--I'll have one more installment of commercials for this year. I don't want to go this well too often, but I have such a large collection this year that I may not be able to resist.
Without the Internet, Halloween celebrations like the Countdown wouldn't be possible, so I'm very thankful for the 'Net's existence. You will be too, as you peruse the following awesome Halloween Web sites throughout the month!
First up, I can't put off mentioning the awesomeness that is Dinosaur Dracula. Site owner Matt has been counting down to Halloween since 2003 at his old site X-Entertainment, and he continues the tradition in bigger and better fashion every year at Dino Drac. Videos, junk food reviews, his music jukebox, and his wonderful writing are all the ways Matt will make you feel warm and spooky inside. Go to his site now!
If you're a big fan of Halloween music--and I know you are--check out Halloween Hits. The mysterious curator offers a great set of Halloween tunes every year at the site, which is only functional throughout the month of October. If you try to visit on September 30th or November 1st, you'll be out of luck! I suggest you rush on over and download all 14 volumes (!) of great music, ranging from hard rock to spooky standards of the 30s and 40s. You never know what you'll find!
On October 27th, CBS will air a one-hour animated special loosely based on Michael Jackson's song "Thriller," complete with an appearance by Michael in the special's finale. OK.
Some of my favorite Halloween posts of all time have been my collections of Halloween TV commercials. They're society's way of recognizing that the season is upon us. I have a large amount of creepy commercials to share with you, so I'm showcasing them in multiple posts. Enjoy part one now!
This first quick clip features a promotion by Bonkers fruit candy for a Mad Balls rip-off called Ugly Balls. 15 seconds of pure creepitude!
In this next clip, the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz meets her match in the Energizer Bunny!
Snickers is always one of the most popular Halloween candies, and they're also one of the best advertisers around. This Spanish language commercial makes excellent use of a zombie in the workplace!
This next commercial may be the most elegant one I've ever featured in the Countdown. Using Lux bath soap may save your life!
Poor Phil the Vampire. He should have chosen a more understanding partner with whom to take to dinner at Sonic!
Vincent Price appeared in countless commercials and is a Countdown staple here and at many other blogs. He always performed in every commercial as if it were an Oscar-worthy production. Here he gives it his all as the spokesman for the Milton Bradley game Stay Alive. I'd be too scared to play against him!
Finally, this commercial from Hostess snack cakes features a tween boy bullying his sister's sweet-looking doll--a choice he soon regrets!
I'll have plenty more spooky commercials for you later this month. Stay tuned!
I haven't posted a List O' Links since February, so I'm long overdue for one. Enjoy your unseasonably hot Friday (on the east coast, anyway) with these cool links!
Want to weed out unwanted selections from Netflix's not-so-accurate algorithms? Here's how!
Here are some gorgeous backgrounds from the great Hanna-Barbara action-adventure cartoon Thundarr The Barbarian.
If, like me, you still have a big collection of audio cassettes laying idle in your house that don't often see the light of day, you may have a way of listening to them in the near future. I give you--the Elbow, the next portable cassette player!
I don't normally address 1990s nostalgia here, as I'm much more of a 70s and 80s guy, but for any of you that do have a soft spot for the decade, you may also have a soft spot for the classic 90s song "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger. Check out the Onion AV Club's spotlight on the song.
A great deal of people are looking forward to the new Wonder Woman movie starring Gal Gadot, including me. Why not prove your love to the Wonder Woman in your life by getting here these lovely Wonder Woman bracelets, tiara, and lasso. And they're only 400 FREAKIN' DOLLARS!!!
Finally, have you ever driven by a building that looks suspiciously like a Pizza Hut and yet doesn't serve pizza? It happens a lot more than you think--so often that someone has created a Web site called Used to Be A Pizza Hut. You'd be surprised how many former Huts have been repurposed for any number of enterprises. Take a look!
Welcome back everybody! I hope you all had a great holiday season (it's weird asking about your holidays when February has already started). It has been far too long since I've written here, and I only have time to show you some cool stuff at other sites, but I'm still worth your time, aren't I?
Oh. Well, here are some fun links anyway.
When I got into comic books heavily at the end of the 80s, I came across an awesome "choose your own adventure" style book featuring Batman; I still have it to this very day! Coincidentally, The Retroist has a brand new article about it. Check it out!
It's that time of year again--time for McDonald's to bring back the ever-popular Shamrock Shake! But they've kicked it up a notch this year. In fact, they've kicked it up three additional notches! This year, McDonald's is offering four versions of the shake! Bring on the calories!
If you love awesome toys from the 70s, then you'll love THESE awesome toys from the 70s! I totally had the green and black Roaring Hot Cycle!
I can never get enough foreign-made posters for popular America movies. Their outtake on our films are always both crazy yet full of insight that we Americans lose. Try these foreign movie posters on for size!
Finally, I have had the new Chocolate Strawberry Oreos, and they are goooooooooood! Don't believe me--check out the word of Stunt Zombie. He likes them too!
