Svengoolie: Sven's Summer Special, Frankenstein, WFLD-TV, June 25, 1982

 

Happy Summer!

It's been far too long since I've shared anything with you, and I'm afraid I won't be able to connect with you as frequently as I'd like anytime soon, but I wanted to take a quick moment to shared this summery find.

Below is an installment of the Son of Svengoolie (now known simply as Svengoolie) presenting a special summer-themed airing of the horror classic Frankenstein. Along with the film, Sven shares his usual gags, songs, and skits, several with a summertime theme. This is the type of thing I usually post during the Countdown to Halloween, but hey, horror is great year round!

This was recorded Friday, June 25th, 1982 on WFLD-TV Channel 32, Chicago, and has many of the commercials that aired that night. The recording shuts off after the movie's end credits, so Sven's usual wrap-up bits are missing, but what is here is a great find nonetheless.

Enjoy! Have a great summer! Happy 4th of July! See you soon!

Vincent Price's Dracula: The Great Undead (1982)

 

Hello! It's the last week of the Halloween season! And this is the next-to-last post of the Countdown to Halloween. And I celebrate this week by going full circle back to the beginning of my part in the Countdown--Vincent Price.

Today I present Vincent Price's Dracula: The Great Undead, a documentary about the Dracula legend from Bram Stoker's titular Count to real-life inspirations for the same. This was first released directly to home video in 1982, then in later years shown on PBS stations.

Price presents the material as a wealthy eccentric hosting the viewer in his gothic abode, telling the legends and history of the character with Price's usual wry wit and pomp. Perfect Price!

Enjoy below or directly on YouTube here. Thanks!

See you on the 31st, when I'll wrap up the Countdown!

The Intruder Within TV-Movie (1981)

 

We come to the conclusion of this week's portion of the Countdown to Halloween with the 1981 TV-movie The Intruder Within!

Workers at an oil rig in Antarctica discover prehistoric fossilized eggs while drilling for oil. When one of the eggs hatches and introduces a killer creature into the premises, it's up to the drillers to take it down.

If this sounds like a rip-off of Alien, it is, but that doesn't mean it's not entertaining. I remember my parents watching this movie when it first aired, and while I couldn't tell what was going on at the time, it still creeped me out.

1981 must have been a good year for made-for-TV horror movies. Last Friday, the TV-movie I featured, This House Possessed, also debuted in 1981.

Enjoy below or directly on YouTube here. Have a great spooky weekend! We're in the thick of the season now. Make the most of it!

Friday the 13th: The Series, Season 1, Episode 5, "Hellowe'en"

 

Welcome back! I hope you had (or are having, if you have today off) a great October weekend!

I kick off Week 3 of the Countdown to Halloween with the Halloweeniest program I've featured yet this year. I present a Halloween-themed episode of the 1980s horror TV series Friday the 13th: The Series!

For those unaware, the series was about two distant relatives who inherit their uncle's antique store. The only problem--all of the items for sale are cursed, thanks to the uncle making a deal with the devil! It's up to the cousins and an old business partner of the uncle to reclaim the cursed items before further harm can be done.

Although the show uses the title and logo of the famed horror movie franchise, there is no canonical connection between the film and tv series whatsoever. The show's producting studio, Paramount, simply wanted to get more mileage out of the franchise name. Ha!

In this episode, "Hellowe'en," our protagonists are out doing their thing on Halloween night, only this time, the not-so-dearly departed uncle makes a return to renter the living world. Not a good idea!

Enjoy! And for Joe Mello---THIS ONE'S FOR YOU! :)

The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute starring Vincent Price

 

Hello again, and welcome back! Today we kick off the Countdown in earnest with a fun look at movie monsters of the past, hosted by the unofficial mascot of the Countdown.

Today I present The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute, a special that aired on February 20, 1974 as part of ABC's Wide World of Entertainment series on weekday late nights. It's a lighthearted look at horror movie characters of the past, hosted by none other than one of the greats, and a favorite of this blog--Vincent Price. I try to include at least one visit from Price in every Countdown, and this year, there may be more than one!

The special is heavy on comedy, and the jokes are pretty tame, but that's 1974 TV for you. Guests include Price's fellow Batman alum Frank Gorshin, John Astin (TV's Gomez Addams as well as another Riddler portrayer), and horror movie legend John Carradine, among others.

You can watch the special below or directly on YouTube at this link. Enjoy! Have a great first weekend of October. Drink pumpkin beer! Watch horror movies! Read my blog's archives! Eat candy!

Dracula, Sovereign of the Damned (1980)

 

Welcome to the first full week of the Countdown to Halloween!

I'm afraid I goofed! I promised you readers new posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in October, but I missed out this past Friday. Sorry about that! I'll throw in an extra post at some point this month to make up for it. Today, I share with you what I would have posted last Friday.

This is the 1980 Japanese anime horror film Dracula, Sovereign of the Damned! Based on Marvel Comic's 1970s horror comic Tomb of Dracula, the film features the Son of the Devil, being, well, devilish. If you think it odd that a Japanese studio would adapt an American horror comic, don't--it's also been done with Marvel's The Monster of Frankenstein comic from the same time period. I've featured the Frankenstein film right here on this blog a few years ago.

Enjoy! And sorry for depriving you of this movie last Friday! Watch the movie embedded below or directly on YouTube here.

The Curse of Dracula TV Series (1979)

 

Here we are at the end of Week 4 of the Countdown to Halloween! This is the last weekend before the big night, so let's soak in as much candy-fueled joy as we can these last few days!

This weekend I present to you a long program, but I hope you will find it entertaining. This is the 1979 short-lived TV series The Curse of Dracula. This was in fact a series within a series.

In February of 1979, NBC debuted an anthology called Cliffhangers. The series consisted of three different series under the Cliffhangers umbrella title, similarly to what they did with the NBC Wheel of Mystery (Columbo, McMillan & Wife, McCloud). Each week the Cliffhangers series would present an episode of one of the three adventure series: this Dracula series, Stop Susan Williams, and The Secret Empire. The Curse of Dracula was the highest rated of the three series.

But not highly rated enough. All three Cliffhangers series were canceled later than season, but a follow up movie, The World of Dracula, aired in 1986. Maybe I'll save that one for next year. :)

Here, edited into one giant block, is the entire Curse of Dracula. I've embedded it below, but you will probably prefer watching it directly on YouTube here.

Enjoy! Have a great last weekend of the season!

John Carpenter's Halloween: The TV Edit

 

Another Friday means another long-form program, and today is another special one.

Today is one of the biggest days this Halloween season, because today is the release of the long-awaited movie Halloween Ends, the final showdown between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). It opens in theaters today and appears on the streaming service Peacock.

In preparation and celebration of this event, here is where it all started--the original classic Halloween. But at the same time, not quite the original!

This is in fact the TV edit of the film made for broadcast on NBC on October 30, 1981, which was the movie's television debut. After editing the film for content (this was over-the-air TV after all), Halloween was running too short for a two-hour broadcast, even with commercials. So at the request of the network, brand new scenes were shot specifically for the TV version, filmed at the same time as Halloween II (which was opening in theaters the same weekend this version of the original aired). Reluctantly, John Carpenter and the other filmmakers agreed, and this edit of the movie was born.

Enjoy! Have a great weekend! Eat, drink, and be spooky! Beware the Bogie Man!

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1972)

Closing out Week 3 of the Countdown to Halloween is a film adaptation of the Ray Bradbury classic Something Wicked This Way Comes...but not the version you expect!

This version from 1972 appears to be a British production and is 11 years older than the more famous version by Disney released in 1983. I saw the Disney version for the first time this year, and possibly due to all the hype I've heard about it over the years, I was disappointed in it. Maybe this more obscure version will do me better.

Have a great weekend! It's the last one before Halloween, make it count!

 

Vincent animated short film by Tim Burton (1982)

 

Today's presentation is the animated short film Vincent, created by Tim Burton.

Vincent is a stop-motion animated film based on a poem Burton wrote that he originally intended for a children's book. This was created while Burton was still a Disney animator. It features a young boy named Vincent Malloy, who has a macabre personality and pretends he is in fact Vincent Price. His imagination has him believing he is a mad scientist who does experiments on his dog and who yearns for his deceased wife. Despite his mother's efforts to snap Vincent out of his head, he proceeds to be consumed by his morbid fantasies. Oh, the narrator of the film is the real Vincent Price.

Yep, it's a Tim Burton film, all right.

I didn't know this film existed until this month, which is another reason I love doing the Countdown. I love finding this stuff.

Enjoy!

Suspense, "Ghost Hunt" (June 23, 1949)

 

Today I have an especially fun treat. Today I present an episode of the classic radio drama Suspense.

Suspense was a top-notch radio drama with A-list writers and actors that ran on CBS radio from 1940 to 1962. Most episodes featured stories of crime and danger, with the occasional dive into the fantastic. This is one of those episodes.

"Ghost Hunt" features Ralph Edwards, most famous for being the host of This Is Your Life, as a disc jockey who enters a supposed haunted house as a stunt for his radio show. He of course doesn't believe in such things so he enters the house willingly with an expert in the paranormal.

Let's just say the jock shouldn't be so skeptical.

I loved this episode when I first heard it years ago, and I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks!

An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe starring Vincent Price

 

It's Friday, which means a long form program, and this week, we are paid a visit from our old friend Vincent Price.

An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe features Price acting as Poe reading four of his classic tales: "The Tell-tale Heart," "The Sphinx," "The Cask of Amontillado," and "The Pit and the Pendulum." Price performs in front of a live audience, which gives the program a theater-like feel. A great way to spend an October weekend.

Enjoy!

"The Monster of Frankenstein," Power Records

One day left! There's no time to waste!

Today I present an audio adaptation of Marvel Comics' origin story for The Monster Frankenstein. The Monster is a real character in the Marvel Comics universe, and his title was one of several successful horror titles for Marvel in the 70s.

At the same time, Power Records, a small kids record label, made an audio adaptation of Marvel's version of the character, with a matching comic to be read while listening to the story. I had other Power Records as a kid and absolutely loved them. These records are always a lot of fun.

Enjoy!

Desire, The Vampire (1982 TV-Movie)

Today is Friday, which means it's time for a longform program for you. This week, I present the 1982 TV-movie Desire, The Vampire.

Desire, The Vampire (aka I, Desire) stars David Naughton (An America Werewolf in London) as a hospital worker who gets in the way of a female vampire making her way through her victims one by one in downtown Los Angeles. He is assisted by a disbelieving police detective and an intense ex-priest (played with scene-stealing glee by Brad Dourif) who has chased the vampire across the country.

The movie is naturally more tame than a theatrical film, but it does a decent job of being suspenseful within the constraints of 1980s network television. Plus, I always find network TV horror a curiosity because of those same constraints.

Enjoy! Have a great weekend! If you are off for the Columbus Day holiday, make it a great day! Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

And come back Monday, October 14th for the start of Sleepy Hollow Week here on the Countdown! Five days of Headless Horseman goodness! See you then!

Return of the Revenge of the B-Movie Trailers!

Halloween is a great time to enjoy the finest, most well-crafted horror movies ever made.

It's also a great time to enjoy the low budget b-level stuff too.

Here are a select sample of the forgotten b-movies of yore--yore being the past forty years or so.

Enjoy!

Swamp Thing 1991 Fox Kids Animated Series, "The Un-man Unleashed"

I'm excited to see the new Swamp Thing horror series debuting tomorrow on the DC Universe streaming service. In preparation, I watched the original 1982 theatrical movie directed by Wes Craven and starring Adrienne Barbeau yesterday. After doing a little IMDB-ing on ol' Swampy, I came across something I didn't know existed.

Back in the fall of 1991, a Swamp Thing animated series appeared on the Fox network. I was in high school at the time and wasn't paying much attention to Saturday morning TV at that point, so I shouldn't be surprised I missed it. Still, I'm surprised I don't hear other geeky-minded folks bring it up.

Admittedly, it's not a great series, but for a comic book fan, it's an odd curiosity worth checking out. It fits right in with what I remember Fox Saturday morning programming being: irreverent and obsessed with wacky, gross-out kinds of characters.

See the first episode for yourself and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

My Mom's A Werewolf (1989)

It's Movie Friday, and this week it's--My Mom's A Werewolf!

A single mom is bitten by a werewolf while on a date and receives the curse herself. She tries to hide her "condition" from her family, but the curse gets the best of her. Her kids do their best to get her help, and family-style horror and hilarity ensue.

Hardcore horror fans will likely pass on this one, but it's a fine film for families.

Enjoy! Have a great spooky weekend!

Drak Pack (1980)

Today's offering is an episode of the 1980 Saturday morning cartoon series Drak Pack.

Drak Pack consisted of three seemingly normal teenagers who were in fact descendants of classic monsters. Led by Count Dracula (referred to as "Big D" by the cast), the three teens would go on missions to stop a villainous band of monsters known as O.G.R.E--the Organization for Generally Rotten Enterprises--from causing worldwide havoc.

Oh, did I mention that the teens had the power to turn into monsters themselves? Yes they did. See above for the results.

The show only lasted one season, the fall of 1980, but I found it amusing enough as a kid to watch. When you're six years old, "amusing enough" usually is all you need.

This episode is also featured on Dinosaur Dracula's side blog Dino Drac After Dark. If you don't know about that site, you really need to get acquainted with it.

Enjoy!

Holiday List O' Links 2017 Edition

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.

Pepsi is releasing a Christmas cake-flavored soda for the holidays. But only in Japan. And it tastes like strawberry shortcake. Because that's what Christmas cake is in Japan. The more you know!

Your favorite TV network and mine, MeTV, is airing blocks of Christmas episodes of their series every Sunday afternoon between now and Christmas. Set your DVRs!

Horror fans sorry to see their favorite season over can take solace in a new Christmas horror movie this year, The Elf. You better watch out!

Elvis Presley fans like myself can rejoice! There is a new album of Elvis Christmas classics remixed with performances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The regular edition has been available since October 6th, and a deluxe edition will be released Friday, November 24th.

My other favorite music act also has a history of classic Christmas recordings, although of a different kind.

Finally, SiruxXM satellite radio announces their holiday music lineup for 2017.

I hope to have more holiday links for you throughout the season. Thanks! Have a great weekend!

Trick or Treats (1982)

It's the last weekend before Halloween! AUGH! Make it a great one! Hopefully you can start by watching the last full length program I have for you this year, the 1982 slasher film Trick or Treats.

Trick or Treats involves an escaped madman searching for his ex-wife and son on Halloween night. The mom is out for the night, and the son is at home with a babysitter. The son is a holy terror, playing prank after prank on the hapless sitter. Meanwhile, the deranged father gets closer and closer to the house.

To be honest, in the research I did for this movie, I came across some less than stellar reviews. But I've decided to feature the movie anyway for two reasons:

1) The son actually does play some cool, Halloweeny pranks.

2) David Carradine.

Although this isn't the goriest of slasher flicks by any measure, viewer discretion is still advised. Enjoy! And have a great Halloween weekend!