Happy Halloween 2012!

Man, I can't believe it. The big day is finally here! 31 days feels more like 31 minutes. I'm sure you feel the same way--and some of you started in September or even earlier! Of course, thanks to Hurricane Sandy, trick or treating will be delayed by a couple of days for hundreds of thousands on the East Coast.. My town is having it tomorrow night, while others towns around me are having it Friday or Saturday. To those folks, I say look on the bright side--you get to celebrate the Halloween season that much longer! And to help you do so, please check not only this year's Halloween posts at the blog, but from past years as well.  And always, go to the Countdown to Halloween site for all your Halloween blogging needs!

With all that said, here are the last of my Halloween treats this year!

First up, an early cartoon version of The Headless Horseman, even older that the Disney animated version!

Next, Happy Halloween--from Hot Rod himself, Rowdy Roddy Piper!




Finally, we end the season the way we began--with Halloween wishes from the Cool Ghoul himself, Zacherley!




And...that's it.

I'm going to take the rest of the week off from blogging, to allow the Halloween posts to "breathe" a bit while readers catch up on posts they may have missed--I know I plan on doing that for the blogs that I read. Please stick with the blog going forward. There's much more here than Halloween, so if you enjoyed the blog this month, please stay tuned, as there's plenty to enjoy year round.

I find myself feeling bittersweet and wistful. There's only one thing left to say...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Tuesday's Forgotten Film: Innocent Blood

The Countdown to Halloween seems trite compared to all the bad news about Hurricane Sandy. I hope everyone is safe and sound. Please leave a comment and let me know you're OK. My family has been very lucky, with no property damage or power loss.

With any luck, the only inconvenience you're suffering is the possible crimp in your Halloween plans. My town has postponed trick or treating until Thursday November 1st, and I suspect many towns will also postpone festivities, if they're fortunate enough to have them at all. Again, I'd like to hear what's going on in your town.

With that said, if you're able and in the mood for some distraction from the storm, I offer the last Halloween-themed Tuesday's Forgotten Film of the season--the John Landis-directed vampire film Innocent Blood.

Innocent Blood stars Anne Parillaud (La Femme Nikita) as Marie, a "good" vampire who only drains the blood of heinous criminals. One of her victims is a ruthless mob boss (Robert Loggia), who instead of dying, becomes a fellow bloodsucker. He decides to create a vampire mafia to take over the city. It's up to her and her police detective lover to stop him.

To be honest, I haven't seen this film, but it sounds intriguing, and the movie is offered with much humor (Don Rickles is featured as Loggia's right hand man). The film is readily available on DVD and online streaming services. If you've seen it, I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Here is the film's trailer. Thanks!

Mr. Magoo, "Magoo Meets Frankenstein"

HURRRICAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNEEEEE!

Yes, Sandy has put more than a damper on the Eastern seaboard's Halloween spirit. I hope everyone within Sandy's path (which includes me) is safe and sound. If you're bunkered down in your homes, pass the time with some Halloween goodness.

Today (later than anticipated, sorry!) I offer a fun cartoon featuring everyone's favorite near-sighted senior citizen, Mr. Magoo, in "Magoo Meets Frankenstein." Enjoy! Be safe!

Film Classic Halloween Re-released in Theaters

Holy schnikeys! The last full week of the Countdown to Halloween is almost over! I feel like we just started yesterday. Let's make the most of what time we have left by revisiting one of the true all-time holiday classics.

In case you don't know, the original version of Halloween is being re-released in theaters for a very limited time. It opened last night and continues through Halloween night. Theaters and screen times vary, so check the official re-release Web site for a theater and showtimes near you.

I've never seen a horror film in a theater before, so I don't know what the experience is like. I can't make it to the screening in my area, but if I could go back in time and see the film in a theater when it was first released in 1978, it probably would have gone something like this. This is a clip of the climax of the film with audio recorded on a tape recorder and dubbed over the movie to recreate the audience reaction. There really is a distinct difference between seeing a horror movie in a theater with other people and seeing it at home by yourself.

The making of the film is a fascinating one; here in its entirety is the documentary Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest, which explains how the film came to be.




Finally, here is an animatic (an animated storyboard for a movie) created by an aspiring filmmaker featuring his vision of the opening sequence of a new version of the movie should he be fortunate to make one. Very different from the John Carpenter and Rob Zombie versions, and well done!




Thanks!

Punky Brewster, "Halloween Howlers"

Today's post is strictly for the kids. Today I offer a Halloween episode of the Punky Brewster Saturday morning cartoon series. I posted a Christmas episode last year, and I go into details about the cartoon series there. Here, Punky, her friends, and her magical pet Gloamer get into trick-or-treat shenanigans in "Halloween Howlers." Enjoy!

Saturday Night Dead starring Stella, KYW-TV Channel 3, Philadelphia

I've talked about local TV horror movie hosts several times before, but that won't stop me from talking about them again. Today I mention a fun show that aired through most of the 1980s here in my beloved Philadelphia, Saturday Night Dead.

Saturday Night Dead aired at 1am Saturdays on KYW-TV Channel 3, then an NBC affiliate, now a CBS O&O, immediately after Saturday Night Live (get it?). The program aired the standard cheesy, low budget horror flicks you'd expect to see on such a show. The hostess of the program was Karen Scioli better known as Stella, the "Maneater from Manayunk" (a posh section of the city).

Stella, along with her butler Hives and several other silly/creepy cast members, would make fun of both the movie and themselves until 3am every week, and as a preteen boy, I ate it all up, even though I was afraid of horror films, even the bad ones. I would stay awake as long as I could just to see the antics of Stella and Co. Such programs are very rare anymore, and I'm glad I kept my eyes open to catch all the laughs.

Here are some segments from various broadcasts over the years. Enjoy!

Also, and completely by coincidence, Karen Scioli gave an interview with the New Jersey publication The Aquarian just this morning. I didn't know until I did research for this blog post! Here you can find out what she's up to these days. Click here!

Tuesday's Forgotten TV-Movie: The Midnight Hour

Time of another horrifying Tuesday's Forgotten selection. This week, it's the obscure 1985 TV-movie The Midnight Hour.

One eerie Halloween night, a group of fun-seeking teenagers sneak into their small town's history museum (always a bad idea) and steal some old vintage clothing and come across an old scroll containing an ancient curse. The foolish teens read the curse off the scroll for kicks (always a bad idea) and go on their merry way to their big Halloween party, unaware that they've unleashed evil forces throughout the town, turning the teens into vampires and raising the dead (dumb kids). It's up to one young man and a mysterious high school cheerleader he's never seen before (hmmmm) to put an end to the curse.

The plot of the film isn't anything that hasn't been done a thousand times, but it's unusual to see something like this made for TV, and the execution is quite enjoyable. The movie also introduced me as a child to what is one of my all-time favorite songs, Baby I'm Yours by Barbara Lewis, used memorably at the end of the film.

Plus, Dick Van Patten.

Unfortunately, it's not currently available in print; it was last released on DVD in 2000, so you'll need to hunt the movie down through the Ebay/Craigslist/Internet retailer route.

Here is a musical number featuring Shari Belafonte singing the original tune "Get Dead." Enjoy!