October 2007 Archives
Happy Halloween! Take off that mask while you’re reading the blog and- oh. You’re not wearing a mask. My bad…
Well, my Sven Halloween tour is officially over for this year, and it has been great meeting so many Sven fans. Nice to see so many people, in spite of the rain, at the Portage for the annual Monster Movie Fest- and I loved all the great costumes at the Venuti’s party! We had a lot of great couples costumes, like the prize-winning Wicked Witch (the original NEVER looked this good!) and her flying monkey, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, and even Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife Beth! Dog was a popular costume this year- there had to be at least three Dogs, ranging in size from beagle to Great Dane! There were also several guys doing the SNL Justin Timberlake ...uh…”(item) in a box.” A very creative one was the two girls who were “Jem and the Holograms” dolls – packed in their product boxes! They were truly outrageous. One of our regulars, Greg, showed up dressed as –Son of Svengoolie, circa the ‘80s! Among our favorites were the team of Wonder Woman and Batgirl, who were keeping the world safe while looking fabulous. We also had Ceasar, Cleopatra, and their slave- the Ghost of Christmas Past (a little early there, fella)- a few brave gladiators, plus the usual nurses, pussycats, cops and prisoners, and a really cool “Nightmare Before Christmas” homemade Jack and Sally! I appreciated all the nice comments from so many long-time fans!
Now- since it’s Halloween-our final monstrous movie pick really should be the original “Night of the Living Dead.” Though its impact may have been dulled by movies that came after it- this low-budget 1968 horror scared movie-goers more than any of the old school flicks that preceded it. It truly was the first of the movies that happened, realistically, “right in your own back yard”- unlike the old monster movies that took place in different times or in foreign lands. The sparse black and white production, with ordinary people, added to the creepy reality. And the ending- which I won’t give away, in case there’s somebody who still hasn’t seen it-came as a shock to most movie-goers- films just didn’t end that way back then! Another disturbing- at times disgusting- film – but a true horror classic nonetheless. It also seems to be the guidebook for portraying flesh-eating zombies. Uh- did we actually need one?
Enjoy your Halloween- and, send me your stories of things you encountered this year- weird trick-or-treaters? Odd costumes? Wild parties? Drop them in my treat basket at svengoolie@wciu.com!
Well, my Sven Halloween tour is officially over for this year, and it has been great meeting so many Sven fans. Nice to see so many people, in spite of the rain, at the Portage for the annual Monster Movie Fest- and I loved all the great costumes at the Venuti’s party! We had a lot of great couples costumes, like the prize-winning Wicked Witch (the original NEVER looked this good!) and her flying monkey, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, and even Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife Beth! Dog was a popular costume this year- there had to be at least three Dogs, ranging in size from beagle to Great Dane! There were also several guys doing the SNL Justin Timberlake ...uh…”(item) in a box.” A very creative one was the two girls who were “Jem and the Holograms” dolls – packed in their product boxes! They were truly outrageous. One of our regulars, Greg, showed up dressed as –Son of Svengoolie, circa the ‘80s! Among our favorites were the team of Wonder Woman and Batgirl, who were keeping the world safe while looking fabulous. We also had Ceasar, Cleopatra, and their slave- the Ghost of Christmas Past (a little early there, fella)- a few brave gladiators, plus the usual nurses, pussycats, cops and prisoners, and a really cool “Nightmare Before Christmas” homemade Jack and Sally! I appreciated all the nice comments from so many long-time fans!
Now- since it’s Halloween-our final monstrous movie pick really should be the original “Night of the Living Dead.” Though its impact may have been dulled by movies that came after it- this low-budget 1968 horror scared movie-goers more than any of the old school flicks that preceded it. It truly was the first of the movies that happened, realistically, “right in your own back yard”- unlike the old monster movies that took place in different times or in foreign lands. The sparse black and white production, with ordinary people, added to the creepy reality. And the ending- which I won’t give away, in case there’s somebody who still hasn’t seen it-came as a shock to most movie-goers- films just didn’t end that way back then! Another disturbing- at times disgusting- film – but a true horror classic nonetheless. It also seems to be the guidebook for portraying flesh-eating zombies. Uh- did we actually need one?
Enjoy your Halloween- and, send me your stories of things you encountered this year- weird trick-or-treaters? Odd costumes? Wild parties? Drop them in my treat basket at svengoolie@wciu.com!
Tomorrow is the big day- Halloween! It’s different from the days of old, when I was a kid- most neighborhoods actually have a set time for trick-or-treating, the treats have to be inspected by an adult, and schools have very specific guidelines for costumes, parties, and treats. I knew kids who would take a pillowcase, travel around various neighborhoods, and touch base at home to unload, and then head out again!
My favorite trick-or-treaters these days are the teenagers without costumes. At least, back in the old days, the teens still at least attempted to wear some disguise- a cheap mask, or a hat (usually one of their dad’s old fedoras)-these days, you ask them, wearing just their normal street clothes, what they’re supposed to be, and they mumble something-“mmmble Justin Timberrabbba…”
Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the cool costumes I saw in my appearances last weekend- as I mentioned before, with Halloween mid-week this year, the adult party stuff mostly happened on the weekend- not sure what will happen next year if it falls on a Thursday- will adults observe it that night? Or will it be dragged out to the next day, Friday? We’ll have to see- it would seem weird if it were celebrated the weekend before, in that case…
With only two monstrous movie picks left- I’d better make this one a good one- so, I asked for opinions, and –it looks like “the Exorcist” gets the nod as one of the most upsetting, frightening flicks ever! This 1973 film still packs a wallop- it’s based on an equally-scary novel, and the then-young Linda Blair must’ve needed buckets of therapy after all she went through to portray the demon-infested child! You know a movie is scary when just the trailer for the film was banned by some theaters as “too disturbing.” Famous Evangelist Billy Graham was quoted as saying that the film reels of the movie were actually inhabited by a demon. Here’s a side note of something that DIDN’T happen- the story’s author, William Peter Blatty, wanted to ease tension on the set by having a scene where the exorcist, Father Merrin would enter the house- remove his hat- and it would be Groucho Marx, a friend of Blatty! Groucho was eager to do it, but director William Freidkin was sick the day they were going to do it, and the idea was abandoned. Keep that in mind as you watch the movie-it may be the ONLY thing that’ll keep you somewhat calm!
My favorite trick-or-treaters these days are the teenagers without costumes. At least, back in the old days, the teens still at least attempted to wear some disguise- a cheap mask, or a hat (usually one of their dad’s old fedoras)-these days, you ask them, wearing just their normal street clothes, what they’re supposed to be, and they mumble something-“mmmble Justin Timberrabbba…”
Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the cool costumes I saw in my appearances last weekend- as I mentioned before, with Halloween mid-week this year, the adult party stuff mostly happened on the weekend- not sure what will happen next year if it falls on a Thursday- will adults observe it that night? Or will it be dragged out to the next day, Friday? We’ll have to see- it would seem weird if it were celebrated the weekend before, in that case…
With only two monstrous movie picks left- I’d better make this one a good one- so, I asked for opinions, and –it looks like “the Exorcist” gets the nod as one of the most upsetting, frightening flicks ever! This 1973 film still packs a wallop- it’s based on an equally-scary novel, and the then-young Linda Blair must’ve needed buckets of therapy after all she went through to portray the demon-infested child! You know a movie is scary when just the trailer for the film was banned by some theaters as “too disturbing.” Famous Evangelist Billy Graham was quoted as saying that the film reels of the movie were actually inhabited by a demon. Here’s a side note of something that DIDN’T happen- the story’s author, William Peter Blatty, wanted to ease tension on the set by having a scene where the exorcist, Father Merrin would enter the house- remove his hat- and it would be Groucho Marx, a friend of Blatty! Groucho was eager to do it, but director William Freidkin was sick the day they were going to do it, and the idea was abandoned. Keep that in mind as you watch the movie-it may be the ONLY thing that’ll keep you somewhat calm!
Halloween hits in just two days! I know many adults already did their partying this past weekend, since, with Halloween on a Wednesday during the work week, the actual day wasn’t convenient. I’ll have to write you a list of some of the unique costumes I saw in my travels- not counting the Sven look-alikes at the Portage Theater Friday night…
For those who asked-yes, by all means, wear your Sven t-shirt to work or school on Wednesday- I know some folks make it a tradition to wear theirs while answering the door to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters.
Regarding pumpkin carving- have you taken part in the latest trend- putting an electronic light source inside the pumpkin, rather than a candle? They’ve got all sorts of battery-powered lights you can insert in the ol’ gourd- some that flicker and look like candles, some that change colors, some that even play music! I’ve seen people who rig a smoke machine inside the pumpkin, so ye olde Jack O’Lantern looks like he’s vomiting second-hand smoke.
Or- are you among the group that prefers to not cut the pumpkin at all, and just paints the outside? Personally, I’ve always carved a pumpkin, and then used markers to add features on the outside…I just know, if I didn’t hollow it out and put some sort of illumination inside, I wouldn’t feel like I had the full Jack O’Lantern experience.
And- a final warning- stock up on the extra candy NOW! You don’t want to risk the wrath of uncostumed adolescents who’d turn up near the end of the evening and find that your treat well had run dry. My suggestion is- always buy some extra candy that’s stuff you really like- that way, if nobody additional shows up- woo hoo! It’s a candy bonanza for you!
Going into the home stretch- what’s my pre-Halloween monstrous movie pick for today? Let’s stick with the pumpkin theme and go with “Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings!” A favorite we used to show on our program, this 1994 film shows us a deformed youngster being sent to his death by some teasing high school bullies. Cut to “now”- and some new high school kids, who decide to revive the spirit of the deadly “Pumpkinhead” demon-accidentally setting fire to the home of the long-dead child’s witchy mom, and turning his decayed body into- Pumpkinhead! The demon heads for revenge against the now-adult high school bullies- and then- those current teens who set fire to his mama. Watch for the voluptuous former “Punky Brewster”-Soliel Moon Frye- as one of the teens!
For those who asked-yes, by all means, wear your Sven t-shirt to work or school on Wednesday- I know some folks make it a tradition to wear theirs while answering the door to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters.
Regarding pumpkin carving- have you taken part in the latest trend- putting an electronic light source inside the pumpkin, rather than a candle? They’ve got all sorts of battery-powered lights you can insert in the ol’ gourd- some that flicker and look like candles, some that change colors, some that even play music! I’ve seen people who rig a smoke machine inside the pumpkin, so ye olde Jack O’Lantern looks like he’s vomiting second-hand smoke.
Or- are you among the group that prefers to not cut the pumpkin at all, and just paints the outside? Personally, I’ve always carved a pumpkin, and then used markers to add features on the outside…I just know, if I didn’t hollow it out and put some sort of illumination inside, I wouldn’t feel like I had the full Jack O’Lantern experience.
And- a final warning- stock up on the extra candy NOW! You don’t want to risk the wrath of uncostumed adolescents who’d turn up near the end of the evening and find that your treat well had run dry. My suggestion is- always buy some extra candy that’s stuff you really like- that way, if nobody additional shows up- woo hoo! It’s a candy bonanza for you!
Going into the home stretch- what’s my pre-Halloween monstrous movie pick for today? Let’s stick with the pumpkin theme and go with “Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings!” A favorite we used to show on our program, this 1994 film shows us a deformed youngster being sent to his death by some teasing high school bullies. Cut to “now”- and some new high school kids, who decide to revive the spirit of the deadly “Pumpkinhead” demon-accidentally setting fire to the home of the long-dead child’s witchy mom, and turning his decayed body into- Pumpkinhead! The demon heads for revenge against the now-adult high school bullies- and then- those current teens who set fire to his mama. Watch for the voluptuous former “Punky Brewster”-Soliel Moon Frye- as one of the teens!
It seems that “Franken-Fall” got off to a great start last night- Everybody was waiting for the Abbott and Costello encounter with the major Universal monsters! Isn’t it strange, though, as I mentioned in the show- that Bud and Lou absolutely HATED the script- and that Lou wisecracked that his child could write a better story?! Supposedly it took a massive advance in salary and the hiring of one of their favorite directors to get them to cooperate!
Not that they didn’t have fun while filming- there are legendary stories of how the actors would crack up during filming- one particular example is, the scene where Lou “accidentally” sits on the lap of the Frankenstein Monster. Glenn Strange had to really exert self-control to keep from laughing bat the ad-libbed shtick that Lou was doing, and they did numerous takes that were spoiled by Strange laughing- after all, who expects the Monster to be chortling like his future ancestor, Herman Munster?!
Also- boy, that Larry Talbot is immortal- he was KILLED at the end of the original “Wolf Man”- yet was quite alive for all these sequels- and – wait a minute! Didn’t we see- at the end of “House of Dracula”- that Dr. Edelman had CURED him of his lycanthropy, and he no longer had to fear changing during a full moon? No explanation here as to why he’s turning furry again…
And, yes, this is really only the second time (and also the last time) that Bela Lugosi would play Count Dracula in a Universal flick. The original choice to play the Count in this film was a guy named Ian Keith- no, I have no idea who he is, either- mainly because the goofs at Universal thought that Bela was dead! In spite of his later reputation, and hard times he had already endured, Lugosi was supposedly a true professional through the entire shoot, and could do all his scenes perfectly on the first take.
Missing from the movie was-the Mummy! Universal actually had wanted to include him with the other monsters, but they never found a storyline including him that they felt would work.
It took from this film in 1948 –until “Van Helsing” in 2004- for the Monster, Dracula, and the Wolf Man to re-unite in a Universal film. Sadly, Bud and Lou were no longer around for the reunion. Maybe they could have used George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer! Anyway- let’s make “Van Helsing” the monstrous movie pick for today- Hugh Jackman made a much more dashing Van Helsing than old Edward Van Sloane, and, while some disliked the computer generated monsters- I think the film stands well on its own. Our friend Kevin J. O’Connor gets to play Ygor in the film-Kate Beckinsale is a gorgeous vampire fighter- and Josie Maran, who recently “Danced with the Stars” was one of Dracula’s three winged harpies! (Wait- I thought that was those three judges on “Dancing”…)
Not that they didn’t have fun while filming- there are legendary stories of how the actors would crack up during filming- one particular example is, the scene where Lou “accidentally” sits on the lap of the Frankenstein Monster. Glenn Strange had to really exert self-control to keep from laughing bat the ad-libbed shtick that Lou was doing, and they did numerous takes that were spoiled by Strange laughing- after all, who expects the Monster to be chortling like his future ancestor, Herman Munster?!
Also- boy, that Larry Talbot is immortal- he was KILLED at the end of the original “Wolf Man”- yet was quite alive for all these sequels- and – wait a minute! Didn’t we see- at the end of “House of Dracula”- that Dr. Edelman had CURED him of his lycanthropy, and he no longer had to fear changing during a full moon? No explanation here as to why he’s turning furry again…
And, yes, this is really only the second time (and also the last time) that Bela Lugosi would play Count Dracula in a Universal flick. The original choice to play the Count in this film was a guy named Ian Keith- no, I have no idea who he is, either- mainly because the goofs at Universal thought that Bela was dead! In spite of his later reputation, and hard times he had already endured, Lugosi was supposedly a true professional through the entire shoot, and could do all his scenes perfectly on the first take.
Missing from the movie was-the Mummy! Universal actually had wanted to include him with the other monsters, but they never found a storyline including him that they felt would work.
It took from this film in 1948 –until “Van Helsing” in 2004- for the Monster, Dracula, and the Wolf Man to re-unite in a Universal film. Sadly, Bud and Lou were no longer around for the reunion. Maybe they could have used George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer! Anyway- let’s make “Van Helsing” the monstrous movie pick for today- Hugh Jackman made a much more dashing Van Helsing than old Edward Van Sloane, and, while some disliked the computer generated monsters- I think the film stands well on its own. Our friend Kevin J. O’Connor gets to play Ygor in the film-Kate Beckinsale is a gorgeous vampire fighter- and Josie Maran, who recently “Danced with the Stars” was one of Dracula’s three winged harpies! (Wait- I thought that was those three judges on “Dancing”…)
It’s alive! It’s - okay, I’ll tone it down, but it is exciting news- tonight at 9, the season shifts to –“Franken-Fall!” Yes, the Svengoolie show begins a Frankenstein festival- every Saturday night at 9, we’ll show you one of the classic Universal Frankenstein flicks!
We kick it off tonight with what may be one of the finest horror comedies ever made- the beloved “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!” For all of you who watched them meet the Mummy, the Invisible Man, etc., and kept asking me –“when will you show the one where they meet Frankenstein?”-HERE IT IS! Just in time for Halloween!
After the success of Bud and Lou’s “Hold That Ghost”- featuring scary elements- Universal wanted to follow up with something else in the fright neighborhood. An old stage show idea that the boys had once considered was re-vamped, and took advantage of the fact that Universal had most of screen’s greatest monsters “under contract!”
You see Bud and Lou as package delivery men, who bring the “supposed” remains of Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster to a “House of Horrors” museum- not realizing the stuff is for real- and that Dracula is quite alive (or, undead!) Drac plans to revive the Monster and bring him back to full power- but wants to replace his evil brain with a simple mind that would be easy for him to control. Paging Costello! Along the way, Larry Talbot- the Wolf Man- shows up, eager to thwart Dracula’s plans. It’s the top trio of horror-with a top comedy duo. You get Bela Lugosi as Dracula- Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man- and Glenn Strange as the Monster! Plus, Bud and Lou, still in good shape- one of my favorite quick, almost throw-away gags, is when Lou pulls a cloth off a table, leaving the stuff that was on it still on the table, and does a quick satisfied take to the camera!
We’ll be raking in the chills and chuckles as “Franken-Fall” begins with “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!” In fact- I’m making it today’s monstrous movie pick. And, next week- tune in for the Monster’s very first appearance!
We kick it off tonight with what may be one of the finest horror comedies ever made- the beloved “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!” For all of you who watched them meet the Mummy, the Invisible Man, etc., and kept asking me –“when will you show the one where they meet Frankenstein?”-HERE IT IS! Just in time for Halloween!
After the success of Bud and Lou’s “Hold That Ghost”- featuring scary elements- Universal wanted to follow up with something else in the fright neighborhood. An old stage show idea that the boys had once considered was re-vamped, and took advantage of the fact that Universal had most of screen’s greatest monsters “under contract!”
You see Bud and Lou as package delivery men, who bring the “supposed” remains of Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster to a “House of Horrors” museum- not realizing the stuff is for real- and that Dracula is quite alive (or, undead!) Drac plans to revive the Monster and bring him back to full power- but wants to replace his evil brain with a simple mind that would be easy for him to control. Paging Costello! Along the way, Larry Talbot- the Wolf Man- shows up, eager to thwart Dracula’s plans. It’s the top trio of horror-with a top comedy duo. You get Bela Lugosi as Dracula- Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man- and Glenn Strange as the Monster! Plus, Bud and Lou, still in good shape- one of my favorite quick, almost throw-away gags, is when Lou pulls a cloth off a table, leaving the stuff that was on it still on the table, and does a quick satisfied take to the camera!
We’ll be raking in the chills and chuckles as “Franken-Fall” begins with “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!” In fact- I’m making it today’s monstrous movie pick. And, next week- tune in for the Monster’s very first appearance!
A busy night tonight for yours truly- with the double shot of the Portage Theater and the Venuti’s Halloween party in Addison- the info is above, for anyone interested in last-minute planning. Add to that the beginning of “Franken-Fall” tomorrow night on our show, and you can feel the electricity in the air –or is that just from those electrodes on the Monster’s neck?!
Talking about Frankenstein- how many different versions have you seen? There’s the Universal Frankenstein, and the Hammer Frankenstein- but what about some of the others?
You must remember the adolescent monster of “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein” from the American International fabulous fifties! Young Gary Conway was the guy under the less-than-impressive make-up, as the teen that Dr. Whit Bissell hand-crafted. The famous quote from this movie: “Speak! You have a civil tongue in your head- I know, I sewed it back myself!” The other memorable point is Whit’s garbage disposal for body parts- his pet alligator!
How about the Monster portrayed by a Goodfella- in the 1994 “Frankenstein” flick, Bobby De Niro was the Creature! It’s always fun to imagine him using the mannerisms of other characters he played –transposing them to his Frankenstein character!
Let’s wind this up with our monstrous movie pick, and make it yet another Frankenstein-“Frankenstein Conquers the World!”
I remember seeing this listed in the TV Guide as a kid, being all excited (since, as I think I mentioned, Frankenstein was THE monster back when I was a kid)-then, being confused when I saw this- a Japanese film, featuring Nick Adams, in which the “Frankenstein” is a heart- exposed to radiation- that eventually grows into a giant wild young man with a somewhat flat head- hence his nickname- Frankenstein! He ends up in a smackdown with a giant Godzilla-type lizard. This 1965 flick will undoubtedly be one of the oddest Frankenstein films you’ll ever see!
Meanwhile, hopefully I’ll see you at one of my gigs tonight- and see you back here tomorrow for your introduction to “Franken-Fall!”
Talking about Frankenstein- how many different versions have you seen? There’s the Universal Frankenstein, and the Hammer Frankenstein- but what about some of the others?
You must remember the adolescent monster of “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein” from the American International fabulous fifties! Young Gary Conway was the guy under the less-than-impressive make-up, as the teen that Dr. Whit Bissell hand-crafted. The famous quote from this movie: “Speak! You have a civil tongue in your head- I know, I sewed it back myself!” The other memorable point is Whit’s garbage disposal for body parts- his pet alligator!
How about the Monster portrayed by a Goodfella- in the 1994 “Frankenstein” flick, Bobby De Niro was the Creature! It’s always fun to imagine him using the mannerisms of other characters he played –transposing them to his Frankenstein character!
Let’s wind this up with our monstrous movie pick, and make it yet another Frankenstein-“Frankenstein Conquers the World!”
I remember seeing this listed in the TV Guide as a kid, being all excited (since, as I think I mentioned, Frankenstein was THE monster back when I was a kid)-then, being confused when I saw this- a Japanese film, featuring Nick Adams, in which the “Frankenstein” is a heart- exposed to radiation- that eventually grows into a giant wild young man with a somewhat flat head- hence his nickname- Frankenstein! He ends up in a smackdown with a giant Godzilla-type lizard. This 1965 flick will undoubtedly be one of the oddest Frankenstein films you’ll ever see!
Meanwhile, hopefully I’ll see you at one of my gigs tonight- and see you back here tomorrow for your introduction to “Franken-Fall!”
Get set for the final double-header stop on the Svengoolie Halloween Tour this year- and it all happens tomorrow night!
You have your choice of an in-city big-screen horror movie- or, a fun over 21 Halloween costume party out in Addison . Either way, you’ll get to meet me, get an autograph, and/or take a picture with me!
First up- right here in the city of Chicago- the Portage Theater is again the location of the Six Corners Halloween Monster Movie Fest! It was such a big success last year, they’re doing it again- and have again kindly invited me to help kick it off! On Friday night at 7 pm, I’ll make a grand entrance and proceed to the lobby of the newly-restored Portage (complete info can be found at the top of this blog page)- where I’ll be signing autographs, etc.-then, between 8 and 8:30- I’ll be on the stage, m.c.ing a costume contest- but not just ANY costume- it’s a Svengoolie look-alike contest! So, suit up in your best Sven disguise, and you may be a winner! By the way, the film that night is the original Lon Chaney Jr. “Wolf Man”- the Portage will have great scary movies every night, from the 26th thru Halloween- but- I will only be there on Friday night, until 8:30-so, get your tickets now-or at the box office that night! Last year was a fun event, with cheerleaders, monsters, and mummies- and this year will be chock full of – Svens!
After that, yours truly will be heading out to the suburbs- Addison to be specific- for the big over 21 Halloween party at Venuti’s! Though I’ll be arriving at 10 pm- the party starts at 7 pm, with lots of great food, and music from DJ JoJo. I’ll be there to sign autographs and take pictures, of course-we are hoping to have a brand new autograph card that night, for you collectors- plus, I’ll be m.c.ing and checking out the costumes for the big costume contest-with a $1000 best costume grand prize! You’ll find the location and contact information at the top of our blog page here- please make sure to check with the event coordinators for full ticket information!
Okay, now- a quick monstrous movie pick-1996’s “the Frighteners”- featuring Michael J. Fox as a crafty con man with extra-sensory perception, who has some actual ghosts for friends, and uses them to scam people into having him do an exorcism. This works out great- until there’s a new evil spirit who’s NOT one of his buddies-on a killing spree! There’s humor and horror, with some good special effects- and notable cast members like John Astin and Chi McBride. Use “Frighteners” as a brightener for a drab pre-Halloween evening!
You have your choice of an in-city big-screen horror movie- or, a fun over 21 Halloween costume party out in Addison . Either way, you’ll get to meet me, get an autograph, and/or take a picture with me!
First up- right here in the city of Chicago- the Portage Theater is again the location of the Six Corners Halloween Monster Movie Fest! It was such a big success last year, they’re doing it again- and have again kindly invited me to help kick it off! On Friday night at 7 pm, I’ll make a grand entrance and proceed to the lobby of the newly-restored Portage (complete info can be found at the top of this blog page)- where I’ll be signing autographs, etc.-then, between 8 and 8:30- I’ll be on the stage, m.c.ing a costume contest- but not just ANY costume- it’s a Svengoolie look-alike contest! So, suit up in your best Sven disguise, and you may be a winner! By the way, the film that night is the original Lon Chaney Jr. “Wolf Man”- the Portage will have great scary movies every night, from the 26th thru Halloween- but- I will only be there on Friday night, until 8:30-so, get your tickets now-or at the box office that night! Last year was a fun event, with cheerleaders, monsters, and mummies- and this year will be chock full of – Svens!
After that, yours truly will be heading out to the suburbs- Addison to be specific- for the big over 21 Halloween party at Venuti’s! Though I’ll be arriving at 10 pm- the party starts at 7 pm, with lots of great food, and music from DJ JoJo. I’ll be there to sign autographs and take pictures, of course-we are hoping to have a brand new autograph card that night, for you collectors- plus, I’ll be m.c.ing and checking out the costumes for the big costume contest-with a $1000 best costume grand prize! You’ll find the location and contact information at the top of our blog page here- please make sure to check with the event coordinators for full ticket information!
Okay, now- a quick monstrous movie pick-1996’s “the Frighteners”- featuring Michael J. Fox as a crafty con man with extra-sensory perception, who has some actual ghosts for friends, and uses them to scam people into having him do an exorcism. This works out great- until there’s a new evil spirit who’s NOT one of his buddies-on a killing spree! There’s humor and horror, with some good special effects- and notable cast members like John Astin and Chi McBride. Use “Frighteners” as a brightener for a drab pre-Halloween evening!
Do you ever get those charity requests in the mail that have a nickel or dime or quarter attached to them? Does it annoy you as much as it does me? I’m sure these charities are legit, but- why would I want to send a donation to a charity that is silly enough to send money out, that most people won’t ever return- and they’re asking ME to send more money, so they can waste it that way? I know, I know, “it’s just a nickel”- but, still- if the need for funds is so critical- how can they waste ANY of the money they have? Okay, thanks for letting me vent…
Got an e-mail from Mark Yurkiw- he and Ted Okuda are the guys writing the “Chicago Horror shows-from Shock Theatre to Svengoolie” book. After many delays, it now looks like the book will hit stores around November 2.You’ll find substantial chapters on both the original Sven, Jerry G. Bishop, and myself in the book. Mark and Ted will be doing an interview with my friend Bob Sirott on Sunday night the 28th, between 6 and 7 pm, on WGN Radio, if you want to hear more about the book…
We get many requests for all sorts of interviews, both professional and amateur, during this Halloween season, and try to accommodate as many as possible- as Regis says, “I’m just one man!” We apologize if we can’t get back to everyone- and remind you that, although “ ‘tis the season” right now- the show IS on the air all year long…
…which leads me –or does it? –to today’s monstrous movie pick. Let me present to you- 1965’s “Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors!” A fun British film, it brings us a group of train travelers who encounter a Dr. Shreck (the great Peter Cushing) in a railroad car- and have him read their tarot cards. Every one of them has a fortune that ends in their demise, and each involves a theme utilized in horror films. I’m a big fan of these anthology films, with a group of stories held together by a central premise- and this one is a good one, especially for fans of British horror! You get noted actors like Christopher lee, Michael Gough, and even Donald Sutherland- and some truly creepy tales, with an ending that…well, wait and see the final stop for the train. “Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors” has a one-track mind- shakes on a train! (I can’t believe I actually wrote that…)
Got an e-mail from Mark Yurkiw- he and Ted Okuda are the guys writing the “Chicago Horror shows-from Shock Theatre to Svengoolie” book. After many delays, it now looks like the book will hit stores around November 2.You’ll find substantial chapters on both the original Sven, Jerry G. Bishop, and myself in the book. Mark and Ted will be doing an interview with my friend Bob Sirott on Sunday night the 28th, between 6 and 7 pm, on WGN Radio, if you want to hear more about the book…
We get many requests for all sorts of interviews, both professional and amateur, during this Halloween season, and try to accommodate as many as possible- as Regis says, “I’m just one man!” We apologize if we can’t get back to everyone- and remind you that, although “ ‘tis the season” right now- the show IS on the air all year long…
…which leads me –or does it? –to today’s monstrous movie pick. Let me present to you- 1965’s “Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors!” A fun British film, it brings us a group of train travelers who encounter a Dr. Shreck (the great Peter Cushing) in a railroad car- and have him read their tarot cards. Every one of them has a fortune that ends in their demise, and each involves a theme utilized in horror films. I’m a big fan of these anthology films, with a group of stories held together by a central premise- and this one is a good one, especially for fans of British horror! You get noted actors like Christopher lee, Michael Gough, and even Donald Sutherland- and some truly creepy tales, with an ending that…well, wait and see the final stop for the train. “Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors” has a one-track mind- shakes on a train! (I can’t believe I actually wrote that…)
Today, let’s discuss the difficulties of signing rubber chickens. Yes, it IS difficult- maybe not as difficult as it would be to try to sign live chickens, or frozen chickens, or even Chicken McNuggets, but- it’s no picnic. It certainly depends on the variety of rubber chicken that must be signed. While meeting folks at O’Connor Hyundai this past weekend, many people had chickens to be signed. There were really small plastic ones, which I had to do very precise signing on, using as fine a tipped pen as possible. Then, we had the full sized chickens that had many “goose bumps”- you know, the simulated little bumps where the chicken had been supposedly plucked. Some versions of that kind have a surface that is so rough, it’s difficult to manage to write on it…unless you’re simulating Braille. Then, there are certain chickens that are packed with an invisible coating of powder. This is done so the rubber doesn’t stick to itself when they’re being processed, shipped and packed. Unfortunately, the powder has a tendency to coat the point of any kind of pen- from a permanent Sharpie to a ball point- making the tip dry out so the pen will not work! We had a major problem with that at Flashback Weekend this year. Am I going to have to bring with a bottle of alcohol and a swab top clean the chicken surface, just to make sure it’s signable? And you thought life as a chicken-signing celebrity was easy…I also ended up signing a cast, someone’s shirt (while they were still in it) and a couple guys had brought a whole collection of birthday gifts – fake tombstones, a football lamp, skulls- and asked me to write a few things on them that I wasn’t comfortable doing- so, I didn’t- I just signed them. Writing on a Styrofoam tombstone with a fine point Sharpie is not the easiest thing, by the way- even signing some of the chickens was easier!
Before I sign off- here’s today’s pre-Halloween monstrous movie pick! John Carpenter’s 1998 “Vampires” has James Woods in a very creepy tale- he’s a vampire hunter whom leads an efficient team in the slaughter of vampires- until his team is wiped out by a vampire who has an evil scheme in mind. It seems there’s a “black cross” that the vampires are after- because, if they obtain it- they’ll be able to walk in daylight! The Vatican –that’s right- the Vatican- wants Woods, as vampire killer Jack Crow, to stop the vampires before they become a 24/7 menace! This is another one NOT for the faint of heart…and it appears to be a movie that people either totally love-or hate. Give it a watching, and decid
Before I sign off- here’s today’s pre-Halloween monstrous movie pick! John Carpenter’s 1998 “Vampires” has James Woods in a very creepy tale- he’s a vampire hunter whom leads an efficient team in the slaughter of vampires- until his team is wiped out by a vampire who has an evil scheme in mind. It seems there’s a “black cross” that the vampires are after- because, if they obtain it- they’ll be able to walk in daylight! The Vatican –that’s right- the Vatican- wants Woods, as vampire killer Jack Crow, to stop the vampires before they become a 24/7 menace! This is another one NOT for the faint of heart…and it appears to be a movie that people either totally love-or hate. Give it a watching, and decid
I remember from “Ghostbusters” that you’re not supposed to “cross the streams”- but let me segue from Sven to “Stooge-a-palooza” mode just for a second- to note that this is the 104th birthday of many people’s favorite Stooge- Jerome “Curly” Howard! Wish him a “happy birthday to you and woob-woob-woob- woo!” Which reminds me- for some reason, a few people have asked about a recent short we showed- “Three Little Beers”- aka “the golf one”- where Curly is on the golf course, and chops down a tree to get his golf ball, which is up in a branch. Some viewers think they heard the Italian groundskeeper who confronts Curly say “who you think you are, George Bush?” Was this eerie precognition? Heck no- he actually says, mimicking the stereotypical broken English of Italian immigrants (hey! Watch it! Those are some of my relatives!) “who you think you are- George Wash’?”- referring to Washington chopping down the cherry tree. To be fair, maybe Curly DID chop down a bush, as well…
My thanks to the record crowd who turned out for our big O’Connor Hyundai Oak Lawn appearance! The staff was great there, and the Sven fans were the best! Coming up this Friday- two more big appearances- we’ll talk about them in the days to come- but- for the Portage Theater (see the appearance listing) –be sure to dress up as- ME! There’ll be a Svengoolie look-alike costume contest! Just wanted to give you some advance warning, so you can get the make-up, costume and chicken…
My monstrous movie pick for today is based on Bram (Dracula) Stoker’s novel “Jewel of the Seven Stars.” It’s the 1971 Hammer horror “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb”- with the sexy Valerie Leon as both the dead Egyptian princess (missing a hand!) AND her modern reincarnation (not missing much of anything!)The ancient Egyptian sorceress /princess is brought from her tomb to London- along with her severed hand, which wears a mystic red jeweled ring. When Valerie wears this less-than –QVC-worthy bauble- revenge is wrought on the men who plundered the ancient tomb. I ran this one in my old WFLD days, and it’s typical Hammer fare- with the babes, blood, and terrific sets and color! (Not to mention- you know how I enjoy female mummies!
My thanks to the record crowd who turned out for our big O’Connor Hyundai Oak Lawn appearance! The staff was great there, and the Sven fans were the best! Coming up this Friday- two more big appearances- we’ll talk about them in the days to come- but- for the Portage Theater (see the appearance listing) –be sure to dress up as- ME! There’ll be a Svengoolie look-alike costume contest! Just wanted to give you some advance warning, so you can get the make-up, costume and chicken…
My monstrous movie pick for today is based on Bram (Dracula) Stoker’s novel “Jewel of the Seven Stars.” It’s the 1971 Hammer horror “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb”- with the sexy Valerie Leon as both the dead Egyptian princess (missing a hand!) AND her modern reincarnation (not missing much of anything!)The ancient Egyptian sorceress /princess is brought from her tomb to London- along with her severed hand, which wears a mystic red jeweled ring. When Valerie wears this less-than –QVC-worthy bauble- revenge is wrought on the men who plundered the ancient tomb. I ran this one in my old WFLD days, and it’s typical Hammer fare- with the babes, blood, and terrific sets and color! (Not to mention- you know how I enjoy female mummies!
All right, Frankenstein fans- get set for well over a month of films starring your favorite monster- as falling leaves bring falling victims when the Svengoolie show begins- “Franken-Fall!” No, it’s not about Al Franken suffering a nasty spill- it means that, every Saturday night at nine, the Svengoolie show will feature another of the great Universal Frankenstein movies. We begin this Saturday with the one film everybody has been asking for since we first showed “Abbott and Costello Meet…” movies- it’s one of the very best horror comedies ever made- “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!” Then, in the weeks to come, you’ll see the original “Frankenstein”- with Boris Karloff in the role that established him as Universal’s King of Horror! Also coming up- “Bride of Frankenstein”- which was one of the highest rated movies I ever showed when I was back at WFLD.You’ll see plenty of scenes that were parodied in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” in both these two films, and the super-sized “Son of Frankenstein”- one of the longest of the Universal monster flicks! That’s the one with the police inspector with the wooden arm, who thinks nothing of sticking a few darts into the wooden limb-and Bela Lugosi as the deranged hunchback Ygor! But wait- there’s more! You’ll get even MORE Franken-films- like “House of Frankenstein” that I mentioned yesterday, “Ghost of Frankenstein, “and even “Franken- stein Meets the Wolf Man!”
So, drop that rake and get into “Franken-Fall”- every Saturday night on Svengoolie!
Here’s a quick monstrous movie pick for today- “Frankenstein 1970!” It’s actually a 1958 film with Boris Karloff as Victor Von Frankenstein- who, in a very modern situation- allows a TV crew to shoot a documentary about his ancestors and their evil work at the family castle- but- he’s no slouch- he’s building an atomic-powered monster of his own! We won’t be showing this film, unfortunately, because it wasn’t a Universal flick-but anything with Boris and the Frankenstein name is sure to raise a few chills! Oh, and wait until you see how 1970 was envisioned- not a hippie in sight!
So, drop that rake and get into “Franken-Fall”- every Saturday night on Svengoolie!
Here’s a quick monstrous movie pick for today- “Frankenstein 1970!” It’s actually a 1958 film with Boris Karloff as Victor Von Frankenstein- who, in a very modern situation- allows a TV crew to shoot a documentary about his ancestors and their evil work at the family castle- but- he’s no slouch- he’s building an atomic-powered monster of his own! We won’t be showing this film, unfortunately, because it wasn’t a Universal flick-but anything with Boris and the Frankenstein name is sure to raise a few chills! Oh, and wait until you see how 1970 was envisioned- not a hippie in sight!
Last warning- you can come out and see me today- 1-3 pm- at O’Connor Quality Hyundai, 8900 S. Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn! How cool was it that the WGN Morning News actually showed the newspaper ad and gave us an additional plug yesterday?! See you on the South Side! …and, of course, I’ll see you tonight at 9 pm- when we give you a little sneak peek at “Franken-Fall” (more about that tomorrow) with a visit from the Monster in the jam-packed horror house party- “House of Dracula!” A kindly doctor who is working on some amazing processes to help people with unusual afflictions finds that one of his patients has a strange blood disorder- that patient being- Dracula! Drac is played by John Carradine this time around- and, while the good doctor is helping the Count- none other than Larry Talbot- Lon Chaney Jr.- drops by the clinic, hoping to get some help with HIS condition- that being, when the moon is full- he becomes- the Wolf Man! A little later, the almost inert body of the Frankenstein Monster is found underground- while the good doctor starts finding himself turning to the dark side, thanks to the meddling machinations of Dracula! Add in a pretty hunchbacked nurse, a damsel in distress, and the usual torch-wielding villagers- and you’ve got a full house, with the “House of Dracula!”
For our Halloween monstrous movie pick today- let’s turn to a previous house (which will show up on the Sven show soon)- “House of Frankenstein!” Boris Karloff returns to the series after a long absence, as a mad doctor out to revive the Monster- and accidentally reviving Dracula (Carradine again) and running into- Larry Talbot- the Wolf Man! There’s a hunchbacked assistant (male, this time)- but this isn’t déjà vu- this is actually the movie that came BEFORE “House of Dracula” in the Universal series. We’re showing Drac’s house first, because Universal gave it to us when we ran the Dracula series. Either way, it’s another fine “House” you’ll want to inspect…
Information on “Franken-Fall” and upcoming appearances will be- upcoming right here, so come back!
For our Halloween monstrous movie pick today- let’s turn to a previous house (which will show up on the Sven show soon)- “House of Frankenstein!” Boris Karloff returns to the series after a long absence, as a mad doctor out to revive the Monster- and accidentally reviving Dracula (Carradine again) and running into- Larry Talbot- the Wolf Man! There’s a hunchbacked assistant (male, this time)- but this isn’t déjà vu- this is actually the movie that came BEFORE “House of Dracula” in the Universal series. We’re showing Drac’s house first, because Universal gave it to us when we ran the Dracula series. Either way, it’s another fine “House” you’ll want to inspect…
Information on “Franken-Fall” and upcoming appearances will be- upcoming right here, so come back!
I’ve been getting lots of questions about the Sven appearance tomorrow- Saturday- at O’Connor Quality Hyundai in Oak Lawn. I’ll be there from 1-3 pm, and you’re invited to come meet me, get an autograph, and take a picture with me- not to mention getting a look at those Hyundais.
So, let’s answer those questions- yes, I’m signing free autographs- on a card with my picture on it. Yes- if you bring your camera, I will be more than happy to take a photograph with you! No, we will NOT be selling the Sven t-shirts at this event. No, this is NOT my first trip to the South Side- but it’s the first one in quite a while…and, yes, PLEASE get there early, in the event that there’s a line, so you will be guaranteed the chance to get an autograph.
The weather looks like it will be great, so come see me! You’ll find the info right here on the blog page. Our friends at O’Connor have been very kind to invite me to appear, so come show your gratitude!
Also, to answer another question- the party Friday night at Venuti’s in Addison IS an over 21 party- I’m sorry that kids and teens won’t be able to attend. I’ll have more information about next week’s appearances in blogs right here in upcoming days.
With Halloween getting closer, let’s have today’s monstrous movie pick- and why not go with “Maximum Overdrive”? This popular Stephen King movie from 1986, which sometimes seems to be constantly running on cable TV, has strange outer space radiation causing mechanical devices to go haywire and attack humans! Emilio Estevez is the brave young truck stop worker who leads a band of diner patrons in the fight against the killer machines- especially the huge murderous semis (one of which sports the huge head of the Green Goblin from the Spider-Man comics- and nobody knows why!) You also get Yeardley Smith – the woman who provides the voice of Lisa Simpson- as an annoying young newlywed who isn’t taking the whole strange experience very well. King himself has described this as an “idiot movie”- but the first time I stumbled upon it on TV- I couldn’t tune away! (Perhaps it’s because I ‘m an idiot.)Give it a look-but DON’T try to use a blender while it’s on (you’ll understand!)
Come back tomorrow for some information about this Saturday night’s flick on Sven!
So, let’s answer those questions- yes, I’m signing free autographs- on a card with my picture on it. Yes- if you bring your camera, I will be more than happy to take a photograph with you! No, we will NOT be selling the Sven t-shirts at this event. No, this is NOT my first trip to the South Side- but it’s the first one in quite a while…and, yes, PLEASE get there early, in the event that there’s a line, so you will be guaranteed the chance to get an autograph.
The weather looks like it will be great, so come see me! You’ll find the info right here on the blog page. Our friends at O’Connor have been very kind to invite me to appear, so come show your gratitude!
Also, to answer another question- the party Friday night at Venuti’s in Addison IS an over 21 party- I’m sorry that kids and teens won’t be able to attend. I’ll have more information about next week’s appearances in blogs right here in upcoming days.
With Halloween getting closer, let’s have today’s monstrous movie pick- and why not go with “Maximum Overdrive”? This popular Stephen King movie from 1986, which sometimes seems to be constantly running on cable TV, has strange outer space radiation causing mechanical devices to go haywire and attack humans! Emilio Estevez is the brave young truck stop worker who leads a band of diner patrons in the fight against the killer machines- especially the huge murderous semis (one of which sports the huge head of the Green Goblin from the Spider-Man comics- and nobody knows why!) You also get Yeardley Smith – the woman who provides the voice of Lisa Simpson- as an annoying young newlywed who isn’t taking the whole strange experience very well. King himself has described this as an “idiot movie”- but the first time I stumbled upon it on TV- I couldn’t tune away! (Perhaps it’s because I ‘m an idiot.)Give it a look-but DON’T try to use a blender while it’s on (you’ll understand!)
Come back tomorrow for some information about this Saturday night’s flick on Sven!
Have you seen some of the elaborate lawn decorations people put up around their houses for Halloween? You’d think it was Christmas, with the huge displays some people have- but I like seeing it! I recall going to a big Victorian house in one neighborhood that had very elaborate displays every year- if you looked under the wooden front porch, there were dozens of small “E.T.” (the extra-terrestrial- not the celebrity gossip show) statues under there, with all their ‘heart lights” lit- and one big attraction was a pay phone on a huge tree in the front yard- it would begin to ring, and then- a gargantuan snake would slowly drop down from the top of the tree to the phone- which would always stop ringing just as the snake got there (probably a good thing- how could the snake answer it with no hands?!) The yearly display ended when the folks moved away- but I always liked it because the owners did it for fun, and never asked for anything in return. Lately, I’ve seen some houses that have big displays that actually ask people to DONATE to them to offset the cost. It’s one thing to try to get community or business sponsorship for your neighborhood display- but to try and “guilt” people who come to look into giving you money? That kind of takes some of the fun out of it- if you can’t afford to do it- don’t do it!
With Halloween a lucky thirteen days away, let’s make today’s pick of a monstrous movie – and you can’t go wrong with the original “Puppet Master”-the 1989 shocker that started a whole series built around a group of murderous living puppets! A haunted hotel turns out to be the home of some horrific Howdy Doodys- including the muscle-bound Pinhead, Blade , the Tunneler and the Leech Woman- all of whom demonstrate their deadly abilities in ways some people may not want to watch! Inspired by the Charles Band chiller “Dolls”- this is NOT for people who are spooked by movies with deadly dolls and killer toys that come to life! Watch this flick, and you’ll never look at a puppet show the same way again!
With Halloween a lucky thirteen days away, let’s make today’s pick of a monstrous movie – and you can’t go wrong with the original “Puppet Master”-the 1989 shocker that started a whole series built around a group of murderous living puppets! A haunted hotel turns out to be the home of some horrific Howdy Doodys- including the muscle-bound Pinhead, Blade , the Tunneler and the Leech Woman- all of whom demonstrate their deadly abilities in ways some people may not want to watch! Inspired by the Charles Band chiller “Dolls”- this is NOT for people who are spooked by movies with deadly dolls and killer toys that come to life! Watch this flick, and you’ll never look at a puppet show the same way again!
Let’s check out the feedback that came to me at svengoolie@wciu.com about the old superstition regarding “I Believe in Mary Worth.” As I explained previously, it’s a ritual most often engaged in by young women of school age- you go into a dark room, repeat “I believe in Mary Worth” three times- and she will supposedly appear in the mirror and scratch your eyes out (if that’s your idea of a good time!) I had asked if you knew it, using a different name or in some other variation…
It seems that most folks who live in the Chicago area know it as the “Mary Worth” version-areas like Des Plaines and Bridgeport have confirmed this, even telling how school kids would hit the bathrooms to tempt the spirit of Mary Worth!
Longtime viewer Debbie mentioned how a group of girls decided to try it in the girls locker room, and while Debbie didn’t believe it and just wanted to get out of there, she was grabbed by some frightened girl- meanwhile- nothing happened! Maybe Mary Worth had a previous appointment elsewhere? Kevin, who was raised in New Jersey, said they had a female version of the Boogey Man- Tara Moonlight- who would come at night and abduct children- but he didn’t mention if she was summoned like Mary Worth was...
Jerry sent an article that calls the ritual “Bloody Mary”- and involves the chanting of the name anywhere from three to thirteen to one hundred times! It also mentioned that the possible origins are Mary Queen of Scots of 16th century England (it’s her bloody corpse that appears!) or that it’s actually Satan’s spouse (the article mentions that they weren’t even aware that he was seeing anybody!)
So, as we force the “Mary Worth” subject back into the mirror, let’s get a quick monstrous movie pick- how about “The Boogie Man Will Get You” from 1942? It’s a horror comedy, featuring
Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre-with Boris selling his house to a silly woman, who wants to make it a hotel- while Boris experiments on traveling salesmen! Lorre is the town’s Andy Taylor, holding multiple high positions in the town- and he’s out to uncover what Boris is up to! It’s silly fright fun, and these two great stars definitely add to the typical 1940s style horror hilarity. This one airs on cable occasionally, so look for it during this scary season!
It seems that most folks who live in the Chicago area know it as the “Mary Worth” version-areas like Des Plaines and Bridgeport have confirmed this, even telling how school kids would hit the bathrooms to tempt the spirit of Mary Worth!
Longtime viewer Debbie mentioned how a group of girls decided to try it in the girls locker room, and while Debbie didn’t believe it and just wanted to get out of there, she was grabbed by some frightened girl- meanwhile- nothing happened! Maybe Mary Worth had a previous appointment elsewhere? Kevin, who was raised in New Jersey, said they had a female version of the Boogey Man- Tara Moonlight- who would come at night and abduct children- but he didn’t mention if she was summoned like Mary Worth was...
Jerry sent an article that calls the ritual “Bloody Mary”- and involves the chanting of the name anywhere from three to thirteen to one hundred times! It also mentioned that the possible origins are Mary Queen of Scots of 16th century England (it’s her bloody corpse that appears!) or that it’s actually Satan’s spouse (the article mentions that they weren’t even aware that he was seeing anybody!)
So, as we force the “Mary Worth” subject back into the mirror, let’s get a quick monstrous movie pick- how about “The Boogie Man Will Get You” from 1942? It’s a horror comedy, featuring
Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre-with Boris selling his house to a silly woman, who wants to make it a hotel- while Boris experiments on traveling salesmen! Lorre is the town’s Andy Taylor, holding multiple high positions in the town- and he’s out to uncover what Boris is up to! It’s silly fright fun, and these two great stars definitely add to the typical 1940s style horror hilarity. This one airs on cable occasionally, so look for it during this scary season!
Do you remember me mentioning that I had received the dreaded summons to be a stand-by jury duty pool member during the summer? And that I had escaped serving because they didn’t need me? Well, my number has come up again, and this time, it’s none of that stand-by business- I am summoned as a full-fledged member of the jury duty pool early next month! So, no avoiding it this time- I’ll give you play-by-play after it happens…
I wanted to say “you’re welcome” to the folks who waited in line to meet me at Fright Fest this past Saturday, who e-mailed me to thank me for staying overtime. Usually, the line gets cut off so we won’t have people waiting in line when it comes time for me to leave (consider this a warning tip to get in line early!)-but, the line did not get cut-off in time to co-ordinate the last person in line being there right at my cut-off time. I stayed later to make sure everyone right up to the last person officially in line got his or her autographs. I appreciate the folks who had waited in line so long just to visit with me. This Saturday, we’ll be at O’Connor Hyundai in Oak Lawn- so, be there on time!
I’ve been getting a lot of feedback on the whole “I believe in Mary Worth” legend- and we’ll be going over that here in upcoming blogs, so make sure you come back this week…meanwhile, let’s launch today’s monstrous movie pick as we barrel towards Halloween. Let’s make the pick this time “Return of the Living Dead.” No, it’s not part of the George Romero “Living Dead” group- but it’s scary and funny, directed by Dan O’ Bannon, as a strange barrel of gas kept in a warehouse gets opened, and the gas re-animates the dead! The zombies (and, even just parts of them!)are on the loose- and searching for their minimum daily requirement of nourishing- brains! Director O’Bannon didn’t want to be accused of ripping off Romero, and demanded that the original script be re-written with more comedy. Not for kids or the sensitive, this 1985 flick is another great mix of horror and hilarity!
Do YOU believe in Mary Worth? Come back tomorrow for a less than Worthless blog…
I wanted to say “you’re welcome” to the folks who waited in line to meet me at Fright Fest this past Saturday, who e-mailed me to thank me for staying overtime. Usually, the line gets cut off so we won’t have people waiting in line when it comes time for me to leave (consider this a warning tip to get in line early!)-but, the line did not get cut-off in time to co-ordinate the last person in line being there right at my cut-off time. I stayed later to make sure everyone right up to the last person officially in line got his or her autographs. I appreciate the folks who had waited in line so long just to visit with me. This Saturday, we’ll be at O’Connor Hyundai in Oak Lawn- so, be there on time!
I’ve been getting a lot of feedback on the whole “I believe in Mary Worth” legend- and we’ll be going over that here in upcoming blogs, so make sure you come back this week…meanwhile, let’s launch today’s monstrous movie pick as we barrel towards Halloween. Let’s make the pick this time “Return of the Living Dead.” No, it’s not part of the George Romero “Living Dead” group- but it’s scary and funny, directed by Dan O’ Bannon, as a strange barrel of gas kept in a warehouse gets opened, and the gas re-animates the dead! The zombies (and, even just parts of them!)are on the loose- and searching for their minimum daily requirement of nourishing- brains! Director O’Bannon didn’t want to be accused of ripping off Romero, and demanded that the original script be re-written with more comedy. Not for kids or the sensitive, this 1985 flick is another great mix of horror and hilarity!
Do YOU believe in Mary Worth? Come back tomorrow for a less than Worthless blog…
Can you believe that we’re already half-way to Halloween?!
Have you got a costume ready yet? I can’t wait to see what costumes are popular with the ladies this year- last time, there were multiple Batgirls and Supergirls- plenty of nurses (which makes me wonder why health care is so expensive)- and lots of pirate lasses, all shivering their timbers ( next time, wear a sweater!) And, yes, there seems to be a trend for people to show up at Halloween events that I’m attending- dressed as me!
Sometimes I’m impressed by the detail put into the costumes- one of my favorites, from the Flashback Weekend convention this year, was a father and son team (you may have seen them on a webisode or on the show) who each had their own chicken shield! And- believe it or not- there are more and more women dressing up as a female Sven! One fan, who’s dressed as “Svengirlie” many times, is always a pleasure to meet- this year at Flashback, she gave me HER autograph!
There was another lady whose name was Julie, so she named herself- “SvenJulie!” One that worried me was a young lady who showed up at an event in the Sven costume- but said that it was because her boyfriend asked her to dress that way! Hmmm…I don’t think I’ll investigate that any further…
Anyway, let me know what you’re going to be- and, of course, you can send me a picture of you in your costume- it just might end up on the air!
Today’s pick as far as monstrous movies go –how about one where the scary killer wears a costume and mask? “Scream” is a big favorite with modern horror fans- as it plays off the old conventions of “endangered teen” horror flicks-plus, you have to love that mask! Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox help make this fun and frightful Wes Craven flick a perfect pre-Halloween treat-and watch for the school janitor Fred- who’s wearing the outfit of another “Nightmarish” Freddie from another flick!
Have you got a costume ready yet? I can’t wait to see what costumes are popular with the ladies this year- last time, there were multiple Batgirls and Supergirls- plenty of nurses (which makes me wonder why health care is so expensive)- and lots of pirate lasses, all shivering their timbers ( next time, wear a sweater!) And, yes, there seems to be a trend for people to show up at Halloween events that I’m attending- dressed as me!
Sometimes I’m impressed by the detail put into the costumes- one of my favorites, from the Flashback Weekend convention this year, was a father and son team (you may have seen them on a webisode or on the show) who each had their own chicken shield! And- believe it or not- there are more and more women dressing up as a female Sven! One fan, who’s dressed as “Svengirlie” many times, is always a pleasure to meet- this year at Flashback, she gave me HER autograph!
There was another lady whose name was Julie, so she named herself- “SvenJulie!” One that worried me was a young lady who showed up at an event in the Sven costume- but said that it was because her boyfriend asked her to dress that way! Hmmm…I don’t think I’ll investigate that any further…
Anyway, let me know what you’re going to be- and, of course, you can send me a picture of you in your costume- it just might end up on the air!
Today’s pick as far as monstrous movies go –how about one where the scary killer wears a costume and mask? “Scream” is a big favorite with modern horror fans- as it plays off the old conventions of “endangered teen” horror flicks-plus, you have to love that mask! Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox help make this fun and frightful Wes Craven flick a perfect pre-Halloween treat-and watch for the school janitor Fred- who’s wearing the outfit of another “Nightmarish” Freddie from another flick!
Thanks to everybody who showed up at Great America yesterday-and, if you didn’t make it out there- never fear! More appearances are listed right here! Next up is next Saturday’s “Sven Day at Hyundai”- at O’Connor Hyundai- 8900 S. Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn! I’ll be there from 1-3 pm, so plan to see me then! I’ll remind you as the week goes on…
I was reminded of an old “scary” game that rumor has it- conjures an evil spirit. Some tv show had an episode where, if you chant the name “Bloody Mary” while standing in front of a mirror, she will appear and kill you! Now, around my neighborhood, while growing up, the rumor was – you had to stand in a dark room, look into the mirror, and repeat three times- “I believe in Mary Worth”- and, if you did, she’d emerge from the mirror and scratch your eyes out! Even as a kid, I though this was stupid –why would you say something about believing in an old lady who was the busybody “star” of a daily comic strip in the newspaper- and why the heck was she intent on scratching your eyes out? How would you read her daily three panel exploits if you had no eyes? Needless to say, there were all the usual rumors that the cousin of a best friend of somebody did it- and subsequently was blinded-so, you knew it was true. Was there a variation on this ritual in your neighborhood? Let me know- just write me your version at svengoolie@wciu.com…
Let’s make today’s monstrous movie pick a flick that also utilized a variation of this story-and, was shot in Chicago to boot! “Candyman” had the lovely Virginia Madsen working on a thesis about various urban legends- including one about a hook handed killer who appears if you say his name 5 times, and slices you up. Scary stuff and local locations make this a great pre-Halloween film for folks in our area. Pop it into the dvd player, say “Candyman” five times- and hope that Willy Wonka doesn’t appear on the screen and force-feed you jawbreakers…
I was reminded of an old “scary” game that rumor has it- conjures an evil spirit. Some tv show had an episode where, if you chant the name “Bloody Mary” while standing in front of a mirror, she will appear and kill you! Now, around my neighborhood, while growing up, the rumor was – you had to stand in a dark room, look into the mirror, and repeat three times- “I believe in Mary Worth”- and, if you did, she’d emerge from the mirror and scratch your eyes out! Even as a kid, I though this was stupid –why would you say something about believing in an old lady who was the busybody “star” of a daily comic strip in the newspaper- and why the heck was she intent on scratching your eyes out? How would you read her daily three panel exploits if you had no eyes? Needless to say, there were all the usual rumors that the cousin of a best friend of somebody did it- and subsequently was blinded-so, you knew it was true. Was there a variation on this ritual in your neighborhood? Let me know- just write me your version at svengoolie@wciu.com…
Let’s make today’s monstrous movie pick a flick that also utilized a variation of this story-and, was shot in Chicago to boot! “Candyman” had the lovely Virginia Madsen working on a thesis about various urban legends- including one about a hook handed killer who appears if you say his name 5 times, and slices you up. Scary stuff and local locations make this a great pre-Halloween film for folks in our area. Pop it into the dvd player, say “Candyman” five times- and hope that Willy Wonka doesn’t appear on the screen and force-feed you jawbreakers…
Before I give you the lowdown on tonight’s flick- don’t forget I’m at Great America of Fright Fest this afternoon from 2-4 pm!
And, if that’s not scary enough for you- join me tonight at 9 for “Son of Dracula!” If you thought Lon Chaney Jr. was only Larry Talbot- wait ‘til you get a load of him as the tuxedo-wearing, bayou-surfin’ vampire! The goth-leaning daughter of an old southern family brings the Count to this country- under the secret identity of “Count Alucard” (hope that he doesn’t met any dyslexic vampire hunters) where he plans on marrying her, and bringing her into the realm of the undead.
He begins a chain of murderous events, and when the young woman’s original fiancé tries to shoot the Count- but kills his beloved (so he thinks!) –another plot begins to emerge. This film has some great transformation effects, and Big Lon is a strangely understated Count- so, tune in for a look at another branch of the Dracula family tree! (Remember-it starts at 12:30 on Me-TV…)
Meanwhile, let me bring you today’s pick for my Halloween month parade of monstrous movies- let’s stay in the vampire vein (ooh, I’m dyin’!) and go with- “Interview with a vampire”- the movie version of Anne Rice’s blockbuster novel! You get Brad Pitt as a grieving plantation owner who’s lost his brother-and Tom Cruise as the celebrated vampire Lestat- who turns Brad into a vampire and teaches him the ropes of vampirism. You get a look at Kirsten Dunst as a small (and creepy!) child, well before she started hanging around with Peter Parker-and she gives a truly great performance for a child at that age! It’s bloody, moody, and pretty chilling- and this 1994 flick is sure to be either absolutely loved- or absolutely hated by fans of author Rice. If you’ve never seen it- pop it into the dvd player after “Son of Dracula”-m and keep that nightlight in the shape of a garlic clove on at all times!
And, if that’s not scary enough for you- join me tonight at 9 for “Son of Dracula!” If you thought Lon Chaney Jr. was only Larry Talbot- wait ‘til you get a load of him as the tuxedo-wearing, bayou-surfin’ vampire! The goth-leaning daughter of an old southern family brings the Count to this country- under the secret identity of “Count Alucard” (hope that he doesn’t met any dyslexic vampire hunters) where he plans on marrying her, and bringing her into the realm of the undead.
He begins a chain of murderous events, and when the young woman’s original fiancé tries to shoot the Count- but kills his beloved (so he thinks!) –another plot begins to emerge. This film has some great transformation effects, and Big Lon is a strangely understated Count- so, tune in for a look at another branch of the Dracula family tree! (Remember-it starts at 12:30 on Me-TV…)
Meanwhile, let me bring you today’s pick for my Halloween month parade of monstrous movies- let’s stay in the vampire vein (ooh, I’m dyin’!) and go with- “Interview with a vampire”- the movie version of Anne Rice’s blockbuster novel! You get Brad Pitt as a grieving plantation owner who’s lost his brother-and Tom Cruise as the celebrated vampire Lestat- who turns Brad into a vampire and teaches him the ropes of vampirism. You get a look at Kirsten Dunst as a small (and creepy!) child, well before she started hanging around with Peter Parker-and she gives a truly great performance for a child at that age! It’s bloody, moody, and pretty chilling- and this 1994 flick is sure to be either absolutely loved- or absolutely hated by fans of author Rice. If you’ve never seen it- pop it into the dvd player after “Son of Dracula”-m and keep that nightlight in the shape of a garlic clove on at all times!
Sven Early Warning System- for those of you who catch Sven at 1 am on our sister station, the beloved Me-TV- tomorrow night, the show will start a half-hour earlier- at 12:30 am- to accommodate a longer movie which follows it. Please spread the word to other Me-TV Sven fans.
From early to late- a late congratulations to our friend and head Sven cameraguy Malcolm- he and his lovely wife Teresa have welcomed a new addition- Malcolm II ! No doubt Malcolm has already gotten him started with a mini-cam –shaped rattle, and a junior-sized “lightning stick”- his patented device to adjust the lighting in our dungeon studio!
And, again- let me remind you that I will be making my annual appearance at Six Flags Great America Fright Fest tomorrow afternoon- I’ll be in their latest monstrous parade, “Freak” starting around 2 pm- then, I’ll head to Hometown Square to sign autographs and pose for pictures with you until 4 pm.
PLEASE get in line early, so you’ll be guaranteed a chance to meet me (I know, you’ll be tempted to be elsewhere in the park, enjoying all the frightful fun…)
Let’s get to our monstrous movie pick for today- it’s not “DAWN of the Dead”- it’s “SHAUN of the Dead!” This is a 2004 British film, in which a young man leads an unambitious life stuck in mediocrity – at a job where no one respects him, with a girlfriend who’s fed up with their relationship, and constant problems with his step-father. Things change when the dead start rising from their graves, hungry for human flesh- and it’s up to him and his best pal to battle the zombies and save those he cares about! It’s got its gore, but it’s also very funny- and will make you think differently when you see your next George Romero flick! Though not for everyone, I think most Sven fans – and fans of shows like the original British “Office” and such-will appreciate the humor and winks at popular culture.
Come back here tomorrow for a preview of what we’ll be running on Sven (a half hour earlier on Me-TV- don’t say I didn’t warn you!)
From early to late- a late congratulations to our friend and head Sven cameraguy Malcolm- he and his lovely wife Teresa have welcomed a new addition- Malcolm II ! No doubt Malcolm has already gotten him started with a mini-cam –shaped rattle, and a junior-sized “lightning stick”- his patented device to adjust the lighting in our dungeon studio!
And, again- let me remind you that I will be making my annual appearance at Six Flags Great America Fright Fest tomorrow afternoon- I’ll be in their latest monstrous parade, “Freak” starting around 2 pm- then, I’ll head to Hometown Square to sign autographs and pose for pictures with you until 4 pm.
PLEASE get in line early, so you’ll be guaranteed a chance to meet me (I know, you’ll be tempted to be elsewhere in the park, enjoying all the frightful fun…)
Let’s get to our monstrous movie pick for today- it’s not “DAWN of the Dead”- it’s “SHAUN of the Dead!” This is a 2004 British film, in which a young man leads an unambitious life stuck in mediocrity – at a job where no one respects him, with a girlfriend who’s fed up with their relationship, and constant problems with his step-father. Things change when the dead start rising from their graves, hungry for human flesh- and it’s up to him and his best pal to battle the zombies and save those he cares about! It’s got its gore, but it’s also very funny- and will make you think differently when you see your next George Romero flick! Though not for everyone, I think most Sven fans – and fans of shows like the original British “Office” and such-will appreciate the humor and winks at popular culture.
Come back here tomorrow for a preview of what we’ll be running on Sven (a half hour earlier on Me-TV- don’t say I didn’t warn you!)
Our friends at the Chicago Museum of Broadcast Communications- which is thankfully back under construction- have mentioned to me that they have put up a special seasonal addition to the museum’s on-line store! It’s “Svengoolie’s Horror Picks”- a selection of some of my favorite dvds to help make the scary season more scary! Check them out, and remember that the proceeds help benefit this great treasure of a museum-which, upon completion, will be an amazing place to look at broadcasting history! If you remember the original museum, then you know how cool the new one is going to be- and any fan of local broadcasting will love all the Chicago television represented there! You can check out my picks at www.tvondvdshop.com on the MBC site.
I’ve been a part of events, tapings, and viewings at both the original museum, in that “Jetsons”-looking building, and the second location in the Cultural Center-and can’t wait for the new version- right near where the old WFLD-channel 32 –used to be (which is now the House of Blues!)
Speaking of picks- how about today’s Halloween season monstrous movie pick? Let’s go with the whole museum theme and choose –“The Relic!” Shot in Chicago, this 1997 movie was directed by Peter Hyams- who, at one point, was a news anchor here – possibly at channel 2. I always remember that he would read stories of murder, death and devastation with a weird looking smile on his face! Regardless, this story of a strange and deadly creature on the loose in a museum has plenty of scares- including an eerie scene down in the underground exhibit storage area with the creature stalking a museum employee. It’s based on an excellent novel written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (by all means, READ THE BOOK- and any of their other books- they’re favorites of mine!)
You’ll love the shots of the Field Museum and other Chicago landmarks- but, the frightening story of a reception for an new exhibit that ends up being crashed by the murderous monster might just have you looking over your shoulder next time you visit the museum campus!
I’ve been a part of events, tapings, and viewings at both the original museum, in that “Jetsons”-looking building, and the second location in the Cultural Center-and can’t wait for the new version- right near where the old WFLD-channel 32 –used to be (which is now the House of Blues!)
Speaking of picks- how about today’s Halloween season monstrous movie pick? Let’s go with the whole museum theme and choose –“The Relic!” Shot in Chicago, this 1997 movie was directed by Peter Hyams- who, at one point, was a news anchor here – possibly at channel 2. I always remember that he would read stories of murder, death and devastation with a weird looking smile on his face! Regardless, this story of a strange and deadly creature on the loose in a museum has plenty of scares- including an eerie scene down in the underground exhibit storage area with the creature stalking a museum employee. It’s based on an excellent novel written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (by all means, READ THE BOOK- and any of their other books- they’re favorites of mine!)
You’ll love the shots of the Field Museum and other Chicago landmarks- but, the frightening story of a reception for an new exhibit that ends up being crashed by the murderous monster might just have you looking over your shoulder next time you visit the museum campus!
…did you ever think that finding a “good” Frankenstein mask would be a difficult task? I mean, one that really LOOKS like the Monster as seen in Universal flicks. From when I was just a youngster, I recall masks of the Monster being available, not just at Halloween in vast quantities, but also through the rest of the year from gag companies like Johnson-Smith, and of course, in Forrest Ackerman’s great “famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine- it seems to me that I recall Forry having a wide variety, including one he listed as the “thin Frankenstein” and a few others.
The reason I bring this up is-we were in search of a “good” Frankenstein mask, since we’re producing shows for our big “Franken-Fall”- the upcoming run of a whole bunch of great Universal Frankenstein flicks that will start the weekend before Halloween, and continue right on through December!
I decided we really needed a solid depiction for our show- and came up empty! First off, it seems that an old-timey monster like Big Frank isn’t a popular costume these days- oh, you find more than enough Freddys, PinHeads, Jasons, and even that “Saw” goof- but the classic Frank? Not in evidence anywhere. The closest I saw was a really cartoon-like Monster, which wasn’t what we needed. How the mighty have fallen!
Fear not, however, fans of Frankenstein- thanks to dear Elizabeth from our sponsor “Horrorbles”- we have a great mask! She obtained it from someone who has a wide array of various props- in fact, we think this mask was used as a prop on a dummy, since- it didn’t have eye or nose holes! We carefully added some, and, though it was a tight fit for our cast member “?” (we call him that in honor of Boris Karloff’s original billing)- it worked- and you’ll see it soon!
Okay, another quick monstrous movie pick as we head towards Halloween- let’s make it “Alien”-Ridley Scott’s 1979 galactic gorefest that has Sigourney Weaver and crew answer what they think is an SOS call- and discovers a huge hive nest of fearsome creatures- one of which puts a crew member into a coma, and then, supposedly dies. From “face-huggers” to “chest-bursters”- to one of modern monsterdom’s most fearsome creatures- “Alien” more than earns its green card!
The reason I bring this up is-we were in search of a “good” Frankenstein mask, since we’re producing shows for our big “Franken-Fall”- the upcoming run of a whole bunch of great Universal Frankenstein flicks that will start the weekend before Halloween, and continue right on through December!
I decided we really needed a solid depiction for our show- and came up empty! First off, it seems that an old-timey monster like Big Frank isn’t a popular costume these days- oh, you find more than enough Freddys, PinHeads, Jasons, and even that “Saw” goof- but the classic Frank? Not in evidence anywhere. The closest I saw was a really cartoon-like Monster, which wasn’t what we needed. How the mighty have fallen!
Fear not, however, fans of Frankenstein- thanks to dear Elizabeth from our sponsor “Horrorbles”- we have a great mask! She obtained it from someone who has a wide array of various props- in fact, we think this mask was used as a prop on a dummy, since- it didn’t have eye or nose holes! We carefully added some, and, though it was a tight fit for our cast member “?” (we call him that in honor of Boris Karloff’s original billing)- it worked- and you’ll see it soon!
Okay, another quick monstrous movie pick as we head towards Halloween- let’s make it “Alien”-Ridley Scott’s 1979 galactic gorefest that has Sigourney Weaver and crew answer what they think is an SOS call- and discovers a huge hive nest of fearsome creatures- one of which puts a crew member into a coma, and then, supposedly dies. From “face-huggers” to “chest-bursters”- to one of modern monsterdom’s most fearsome creatures- “Alien” more than earns its green card!
Let’s do some quick feedback from your messages at svengoolie@wciu.com…
First of all, thanks for all the kind words on “the Wolf Man” last Saturday night- it seems our parody of Cher’s “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves”- “ Gypsies, Cramps and Fleas”- was a big favorite with the many viewers who watched! FYI- the Wolf Man will be returning in some upcoming flicks- including at least three where he shares billing with the Frankenstein Monster!
“Borowy26” sent us some great info on Leigh Snowden’s husband (Leigh was the Creature’s love interest in “the Creature Walks Among Us.”) He was accordion ace and sometimes actor Dick Contino, who “played the accordion like Elvis shook his pelvis” and starred in a wacky flick titled “Daddy-o”- where he got mixed up with American International Pics villain Bruno Ve Soto, in a drug smuggling plot- and sang a show stopping tune “Rock Candy Baby!” He made a thousand bucks for this role- hopefully, wifey got more for playing footsie with the Gill Man.
Bill mentions there’s a Beggar’s Pizza in Crown Point IN that has a bunch of scenes of classic Chicago TV on its wall- and says it includes me! Has anybody seen it- or, better yet, got a picture of it?
Okay, a quick monster pic for today- how about Joan Crawford’s 1964 William Castle flick “Strait-jacket!” Miss Joan is a “reformed” axe murderess, out of the sanitarium, and trying to start life anew with her daughter-but- when people start losing their heads- is she back to her old ways?!
A typical Castle creepshow, and worth your time, even though Joan does her usual scenery-chewing!
First of all, thanks for all the kind words on “the Wolf Man” last Saturday night- it seems our parody of Cher’s “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves”- “ Gypsies, Cramps and Fleas”- was a big favorite with the many viewers who watched! FYI- the Wolf Man will be returning in some upcoming flicks- including at least three where he shares billing with the Frankenstein Monster!
“Borowy26” sent us some great info on Leigh Snowden’s husband (Leigh was the Creature’s love interest in “the Creature Walks Among Us.”) He was accordion ace and sometimes actor Dick Contino, who “played the accordion like Elvis shook his pelvis” and starred in a wacky flick titled “Daddy-o”- where he got mixed up with American International Pics villain Bruno Ve Soto, in a drug smuggling plot- and sang a show stopping tune “Rock Candy Baby!” He made a thousand bucks for this role- hopefully, wifey got more for playing footsie with the Gill Man.
Bill mentions there’s a Beggar’s Pizza in Crown Point IN that has a bunch of scenes of classic Chicago TV on its wall- and says it includes me! Has anybody seen it- or, better yet, got a picture of it?
Okay, a quick monster pic for today- how about Joan Crawford’s 1964 William Castle flick “Strait-jacket!” Miss Joan is a “reformed” axe murderess, out of the sanitarium, and trying to start life anew with her daughter-but- when people start losing their heads- is she back to her old ways?!
A typical Castle creepshow, and worth your time, even though Joan does her usual scenery-chewing!
Just wanted to quickly acknowledge the passing of someone whose work has appeared on the Sven show- Charles B. Griffith (No relation to Andy or Stewie) was a screenwriter who did a lot of work for Roger Corman.
He was born here in Chicago, and his greatest hit would have to be “Little Shop of Horrors”- he wrote the original screenplay, about the shy klutzy young guy who ends up raising a strange plant from outer space, which thrives on- human blood! The original Corman film features a young Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient. Griffith himself made cameo appearances, as another pained dental patient-and, as a burglar who ends up as plant food. The film was later, of course, later turned into a Broadway musical, which was then turned into a major motion picture. One of his other biggies that has appeared on Sven is “Death Race 2000”-he even directed some later films, including the original “Eat My Dust” which starred Ron Howard (finally- A REAL Griffith –Andy-connection!)
Let’s salute Griffith by making today’s monstrous movie pick that great 1975 flick “Death Race 2000”- featuring the futuristic race where hitting pedestrians is one of the goals!
The variety of actors in the film, from Sylvester Stallone to Fred “Love Boat’s Gopher” Grandy and the outrageous competition- not to mention the whole rebel forces against the government” story arc- makes this a real cult classic-which, naturally, they’re planning to do a re-make of! Do yourself a favor, and watch the original- I hope we can screen it again on Sven…
Meanwhile, please check out my appearance info- next Saturday, it’s Fright Fest at Great America-with more to come- and I want to meet YOU at one of our events this October!
He was born here in Chicago, and his greatest hit would have to be “Little Shop of Horrors”- he wrote the original screenplay, about the shy klutzy young guy who ends up raising a strange plant from outer space, which thrives on- human blood! The original Corman film features a young Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient. Griffith himself made cameo appearances, as another pained dental patient-and, as a burglar who ends up as plant food. The film was later, of course, later turned into a Broadway musical, which was then turned into a major motion picture. One of his other biggies that has appeared on Sven is “Death Race 2000”-he even directed some later films, including the original “Eat My Dust” which starred Ron Howard (finally- A REAL Griffith –Andy-connection!)
Let’s salute Griffith by making today’s monstrous movie pick that great 1975 flick “Death Race 2000”- featuring the futuristic race where hitting pedestrians is one of the goals!
The variety of actors in the film, from Sylvester Stallone to Fred “Love Boat’s Gopher” Grandy and the outrageous competition- not to mention the whole rebel forces against the government” story arc- makes this a real cult classic-which, naturally, they’re planning to do a re-make of! Do yourself a favor, and watch the original- I hope we can screen it again on Sven…
Meanwhile, please check out my appearance info- next Saturday, it’s Fright Fest at Great America-with more to come- and I want to meet YOU at one of our events this October!
I’ve been asked, by my friends at Horrorbles, our sponsor that provides our rubber chickens- to expound upon- what else?- rubber chickens! This came about when I was mentioning (as I think I did once here, months ago, that the best rubber chickens used to come from Italy. For a month or so recently, we were worried that there was a drought of rubber chickens- it became very difficult for the store to locate them in bulk! (Is there a rubber Col. Sanders on the loose somewhere?) Fortunately, it seems that the plasticine poultry are widely available again.
One recent shipment was a kind of rubber chicken I had never seen (or felt) before- they were solid, made of a sort of plastic- and the heads and legs were attached separately- you could see the seams! Also, they were just hard enough that, when hurled at your favorite television ghoul, they really kind of –hurt! The varieties of chickens seem to be innumerable- there are smooth ones, some with amazing detail, some that are totally floppy and barely keep their shape, and some where the goosebumps –okay, I guess, CHICKEN bumps- which make them look like they’ve been plucked-are extremely prominent. Either that, or the poor things are really cold. I won’t even bring up the screaming variety, with the noisemaker that shrieks when you squeeze the chicken.
Let’s not chicken out on today’s monstrous movie pick- how about “the Giant Claw?!” Those who know it know why- in this 1957 epic, the ‘giant claw’ is attached to a huge, totally fake-looking puppet of a bird! This movie is unintentionally hilarious, and worth a look just for the laughs! And, no, I didn’t stop to see if it had goosebumps or chickenbumps…
One recent shipment was a kind of rubber chicken I had never seen (or felt) before- they were solid, made of a sort of plastic- and the heads and legs were attached separately- you could see the seams! Also, they were just hard enough that, when hurled at your favorite television ghoul, they really kind of –hurt! The varieties of chickens seem to be innumerable- there are smooth ones, some with amazing detail, some that are totally floppy and barely keep their shape, and some where the goosebumps –okay, I guess, CHICKEN bumps- which make them look like they’ve been plucked-are extremely prominent. Either that, or the poor things are really cold. I won’t even bring up the screaming variety, with the noisemaker that shrieks when you squeeze the chicken.
Let’s not chicken out on today’s monstrous movie pick- how about “the Giant Claw?!” Those who know it know why- in this 1957 epic, the ‘giant claw’ is attached to a huge, totally fake-looking puppet of a bird! This movie is unintentionally hilarious, and worth a look just for the laughs! And, no, I didn’t stop to see if it had goosebumps or chickenbumps…
We’ve got a classic for you tonight on Svengoolie- it features the Universal monster whose name is specifically tied to one actor- who played that character in a wide range of films. I speak, of course, of –“The Wolf Man!”
Only Lon Chaney Jr. played the tragic Larry Talbot- who ends up bitten by a werewolf (though he thinks it’s only a wolf at the time!) The man who had become that wolf is none other than- Bela Lugosi, the definitive Universal Dracula!
In this case, he’s not a vampire, but a gypsy- whose mother is the wise old gypsy woman Maleva (pay no attention to the fact that Bela is, in reality, only six years younger than his mom!) Repeat the rhyme with me- “even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night- may become a wolf- when the wolfbane blooms- and the autumn moon is bright!” Chaney’s make-up took about six hours to put on! Also- one bit of trivia we didn’t fit into the show- the church Larry stops at during the film- was actually part of a cathedral set still standing on the Universal back lot-for his father’s famous silent classic- “the Hunchback of Notre Dame!”
Now, for a monstrous movie pick that you can pop into the dvd player after Sven concludes- why not make it a version of “the Hunchback of Notre Dame?” But- let’s make it the sound version from 1939 that featured the amazing actor Charles Laughton as Quasimoto, the hunchbacked bell ringer of the cathedral. Laughton’s hideous make-up is astonishing, and no pictures of him appeared in advertising of the time, so that he would make a shocking appearance on screen when people finally saw the movie!
And, just for those of you keeping track, there was a 50s version done by another studio- with Anthony Quinn as the hunchback- and Gina Lollabrigida as Esmerelda. As you can guess- that wasn’t the Disney version!
Only Lon Chaney Jr. played the tragic Larry Talbot- who ends up bitten by a werewolf (though he thinks it’s only a wolf at the time!) The man who had become that wolf is none other than- Bela Lugosi, the definitive Universal Dracula!
In this case, he’s not a vampire, but a gypsy- whose mother is the wise old gypsy woman Maleva (pay no attention to the fact that Bela is, in reality, only six years younger than his mom!) Repeat the rhyme with me- “even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night- may become a wolf- when the wolfbane blooms- and the autumn moon is bright!” Chaney’s make-up took about six hours to put on! Also- one bit of trivia we didn’t fit into the show- the church Larry stops at during the film- was actually part of a cathedral set still standing on the Universal back lot-for his father’s famous silent classic- “the Hunchback of Notre Dame!”
Now, for a monstrous movie pick that you can pop into the dvd player after Sven concludes- why not make it a version of “the Hunchback of Notre Dame?” But- let’s make it the sound version from 1939 that featured the amazing actor Charles Laughton as Quasimoto, the hunchbacked bell ringer of the cathedral. Laughton’s hideous make-up is astonishing, and no pictures of him appeared in advertising of the time, so that he would make a shocking appearance on screen when people finally saw the movie!
And, just for those of you keeping track, there was a 50s version done by another studio- with Anthony Quinn as the hunchback- and Gina Lollabrigida as Esmerelda. As you can guess- that wasn’t the Disney version!
Have you noticed all the Halloween stuff in the stores? I’m not just talking about the usual masks, costumes, and candy assortments- I mean all the decorations- including some huge inflatables! One store had a complete eerie coach (not Lovie Smith- whom I’ll talk about in a moment)-with driver and everything, and all fully inflatable! Stores that you wouldn’t expect it from have full-sized figures of mummies and monsters, some with movement and sound chips. Of course, you’ve got a lot of those seasonal Halloween stores- you know the ones- they go into that shoe store, or department store that’s been sitting vacant for months or years, and spend an entire month hawking over-priced costumes and decorations- although they do carry some pretty cool stuff. The thing is, if you have a little imagination, and possibly even a little sewing skill- you can whip up a costume that would cost you (gasp!) a hundred fifty bucks at one of those stores! So- use some imagination and save some cash, folks- how do you think we come up with costumes and props on the Sven show?!
Now- about Lovie … I’m pretty sick of his commercial where he’s babbling to the guy in the parking lot about how great his cable/phone system is, capped by his laughing at the guy who only has regular phone service. Hey, Coach- let’s see how hard you’re laughing when the power goes out for a while, and your cable phone system DOESN’T WORK- as happened to my folks back during those nasty storms. Maybe you’d like to save the laughter as a reaction to the antics of some of your players…
Okay, enough venting- here’s our October daily monster movie pick for today…it’s one a viewer asked about a while back, and seems to be a big fave for many of our Sven viewers- “The Keep!” It’s a 1983 movie, directed by Michael Mann…about a castle-considered haunted by the local Romanians- where some WW II German soldiers stand guard against a strange and deadly force that is contained inside its walls. Whatever this thing is, unfortunately, it gets released and begins to roam freely, killing anyone who gets near it. The Germans are forced to form an alliance with a Jewish expert who understands the nature of the supernatural beast that they’re fighting.
This is a weird atmospheric movie, aided by the music of Tangerine Dream, and a variation of the old Golem legendBears games have been…
Now- about Lovie … I’m pretty sick of his commercial where he’s babbling to the guy in the parking lot about how great his cable/phone system is, capped by his laughing at the guy who only has regular phone service. Hey, Coach- let’s see how hard you’re laughing when the power goes out for a while, and your cable phone system DOESN’T WORK- as happened to my folks back during those nasty storms. Maybe you’d like to save the laughter as a reaction to the antics of some of your players…
Okay, enough venting- here’s our October daily monster movie pick for today…it’s one a viewer asked about a while back, and seems to be a big fave for many of our Sven viewers- “The Keep!” It’s a 1983 movie, directed by Michael Mann…about a castle-considered haunted by the local Romanians- where some WW II German soldiers stand guard against a strange and deadly force that is contained inside its walls. Whatever this thing is, unfortunately, it gets released and begins to roam freely, killing anyone who gets near it. The Germans are forced to form an alliance with a Jewish expert who understands the nature of the supernatural beast that they’re fighting.
This is a weird atmospheric movie, aided by the music of Tangerine Dream, and a variation of the old Golem legendBears games have been…
Yes, you’ve read right- Mr. Goolie will be appearing in various places this “Halloween season.” First up is another return visit to Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest, which is always a great time. If you haven’t been up to Fright Fest in the past few years, you’ll really love the amazing change that the park goes through, as it becomes a “ghost” of itself- with spirits, monsters, crashed UFOs, and creatures of all kinds, for all ages! One thing that always impresses me is the way they turn the reflecting pool area right in front of the huge carousel into a striking haunted area- with the water looking kind of like (gulp) blood, and tombstones, coffins, and skeletons, plus eerie mist drifting through the air…
I’ll be making my appearance on Saturday afternoon, October 13th (get it? The 13th?! Oooh, that’s scary!) At 2 pm, I’ll be the grand marshal for their big parade- this year, it’s entitled “Freak!”- do you think they knew I was coming?! The parade will wend its way through the park, and I’ll get to wave at all the unsuspecting passers-by who didn’t know I’ d be showing up! Then, after the parade, up until my quitting time at 4 pm, I’ll be in Hometown Square, signing autographs and posing for pictures with you! Just be wary of some of the strange people who wander by, and try to engage you in conversation. All I know is- last year, there was a huge crashed flying saucer right behind me, occasional army intelligence guys checking out the area, and a weird foreign sounding guy who was trying to get me to keep a briefcase for him. Because so many families make the trip on a Saturday afternoon, we know there’ll be lots of Sven fans throughout the park- wear that Sven shirt so you can identify each other!
I remember that, last year, we were out on a Friday night, which proved to be one of the coldest nights of the Fright Fest season! I was amazed at how many brave souls still came out to enjoy the park (no water rides, please)- and to meet yours truly. The great staff and cast members at Fright Fest just took the cold in stride, and put on great shows, providing chilling (and that was no lie, that night!) entertainment and fun for the visitors. I’m guessing that the temps for Saturday the 13th might be a little closer to normal for this time of year- So, come out, enjoy all the great rides and shows that have been re-VAMPED into a horror happening. Don’t worry, if you have younger creatures with you- there are specific areas that are not-so-scary and perfect for them.
While we count the days until the 13th, let’s pull a monster movie pick for today that’s an exact polar opposite of Fright Fest- you may have seen it on Sven- “the Funhouse!” It’s a Tobe Hooper movie that involves some teens sneaking off to a carnival with a bad reputation, and deciding that it’d be great to spend the night in the carnival funhouse. Sure it would- except that there’s a deformed murderous mutant lurking in there, who’s aware that the kids saw him kill someone- and now, plans to bump THEM off! “The Funhouse” is a dark ride indeed- so jump in, as our cruise towards Halloween continues!
I’ll be making my appearance on Saturday afternoon, October 13th (get it? The 13th?! Oooh, that’s scary!) At 2 pm, I’ll be the grand marshal for their big parade- this year, it’s entitled “Freak!”- do you think they knew I was coming?! The parade will wend its way through the park, and I’ll get to wave at all the unsuspecting passers-by who didn’t know I’ d be showing up! Then, after the parade, up until my quitting time at 4 pm, I’ll be in Hometown Square, signing autographs and posing for pictures with you! Just be wary of some of the strange people who wander by, and try to engage you in conversation. All I know is- last year, there was a huge crashed flying saucer right behind me, occasional army intelligence guys checking out the area, and a weird foreign sounding guy who was trying to get me to keep a briefcase for him. Because so many families make the trip on a Saturday afternoon, we know there’ll be lots of Sven fans throughout the park- wear that Sven shirt so you can identify each other!
I remember that, last year, we were out on a Friday night, which proved to be one of the coldest nights of the Fright Fest season! I was amazed at how many brave souls still came out to enjoy the park (no water rides, please)- and to meet yours truly. The great staff and cast members at Fright Fest just took the cold in stride, and put on great shows, providing chilling (and that was no lie, that night!) entertainment and fun for the visitors. I’m guessing that the temps for Saturday the 13th might be a little closer to normal for this time of year- So, come out, enjoy all the great rides and shows that have been re-VAMPED into a horror happening. Don’t worry, if you have younger creatures with you- there are specific areas that are not-so-scary and perfect for them.
While we count the days until the 13th, let’s pull a monster movie pick for today that’s an exact polar opposite of Fright Fest- you may have seen it on Sven- “the Funhouse!” It’s a Tobe Hooper movie that involves some teens sneaking off to a carnival with a bad reputation, and deciding that it’d be great to spend the night in the carnival funhouse. Sure it would- except that there’s a deformed murderous mutant lurking in there, who’s aware that the kids saw him kill someone- and now, plans to bump THEM off! “The Funhouse” is a dark ride indeed- so jump in, as our cruise towards Halloween continues!
Today is a big day for us here at “the U” and “Me-TV”- we’re doing a very special event with the great Carl Reiner- creator of “the Dick Van Dyke Show!” The City of Chicago has proclaimed this “Carl Reiner Day”- and you’ll be seeing a lot about Mr. Reiner, not only on Me-TV, but on other broadcast stations.
Some of you may not know that Carl originally wrote the show as a vehicle for –himself! Yes, he would have played Rob Petrie- in fact, he DID play him in the pilot, which was called “Head of the Family!” (Not to be confused with the horror movie we’ve presented with the same name…) And- he was a writer for the “Alan STURDY Show”- not Alan Brady! Eventually, his friend Sheldon Leonard told him that he thought the show could be a hit if it was recast- with someone else as Rob! Mr. Reiner agreed, they convinced Dick van Dyke, who was a big hit on Broadway in “Bye Bye Birdie” at the time, to take the part of Rob…and it was TV magic. One of the finest situation comedy shows ever produced, with incredible writing and wonderful acting was launched- with episodes that still hold up so well today. Oh, and , by the way- for those of you looking for a Svengoolie/horror connection- he once appeared on “Night Gallery!”
So, as we celebrate “Carl Reiner Day”- let’s find a suitable choice for our monstrous movie pick as we head towards Halloween- we could just find a movie with someone as bald as Alan Brady! So, let’s go with one that was always a scary movie that my mother used to talk about- “Dr. Cyclops!” This 1940 film has a group of explorers heading to the jungles of Peru at the request of a physicist. When they arrive, they discover that the doctor is not quite right- he’s become a mad scientist, and has been doing some strange experiments involving radium. The doctor then shrinks these poor people down to miniature size- and their attempts to escape from the evil doctor make this a pretty exciting flick! This was the first science fiction film done in Technicolor, and it was produced and directed by the same people who did the original “King Kong”- so, they had some experience with the idea of a large menace attacking puny humans! You’ll love the bizarre-and, yes, bald- Albert Dekker as the doctor-whose nickname comes from the fact that he has such poor eyesight, and parallels the mythological tales of the brave Greeks who tried to escape from the Cyclops. “Dr. Cyclops” is a vintage fright film that was as frightening to audiences as Alan Brady was to Mel Cooley!
Some of you may not know that Carl originally wrote the show as a vehicle for –himself! Yes, he would have played Rob Petrie- in fact, he DID play him in the pilot, which was called “Head of the Family!” (Not to be confused with the horror movie we’ve presented with the same name…) And- he was a writer for the “Alan STURDY Show”- not Alan Brady! Eventually, his friend Sheldon Leonard told him that he thought the show could be a hit if it was recast- with someone else as Rob! Mr. Reiner agreed, they convinced Dick van Dyke, who was a big hit on Broadway in “Bye Bye Birdie” at the time, to take the part of Rob…and it was TV magic. One of the finest situation comedy shows ever produced, with incredible writing and wonderful acting was launched- with episodes that still hold up so well today. Oh, and , by the way- for those of you looking for a Svengoolie/horror connection- he once appeared on “Night Gallery!”
So, as we celebrate “Carl Reiner Day”- let’s find a suitable choice for our monstrous movie pick as we head towards Halloween- we could just find a movie with someone as bald as Alan Brady! So, let’s go with one that was always a scary movie that my mother used to talk about- “Dr. Cyclops!” This 1940 film has a group of explorers heading to the jungles of Peru at the request of a physicist. When they arrive, they discover that the doctor is not quite right- he’s become a mad scientist, and has been doing some strange experiments involving radium. The doctor then shrinks these poor people down to miniature size- and their attempts to escape from the evil doctor make this a pretty exciting flick! This was the first science fiction film done in Technicolor, and it was produced and directed by the same people who did the original “King Kong”- so, they had some experience with the idea of a large menace attacking puny humans! You’ll love the bizarre-and, yes, bald- Albert Dekker as the doctor-whose nickname comes from the fact that he has such poor eyesight, and parallels the mythological tales of the brave Greeks who tried to escape from the Cyclops. “Dr. Cyclops” is a vintage fright film that was as frightening to audiences as Alan Brady was to Mel Cooley!
Time for- annoying radio station attitudes! When I’m in the car, I’m a button-puncher- and one of the stations that I hit occasionally, which is what we used to call “adult contemporary” music, never ceases to amaze me with their “censorship” of certain popular songs. I understand and agree that certain things in popular songs might need censoring- but what they do is- generally remove any rap that might occur in some tunes. It can be a Gwen Stefani song, or a Fergie song- but they’ll run a version that excludes that rap stuff. Now they’ve gone a step further- in the Sean Kingston song “Beautiful Girls”- part of the “hook” of the song is him singing how the girls have got him “suicidal-suicidal” when they say it’s over. This station runs an alternate version where he sings they’ve got him “in denial- in denial!” You might understand that, if they didn’t also run the Maroon 5 song “Wake Up Call”- which has a line about having to “shoot him dead.” That they don’t censor- so, is their station policy that suicide is bad- but murder is okay by them?
Okay, now that I’ve vented, let’s give you today’s monstrous movie pick for this day of our Halloween month. Let’s go with a classic by the master of suspense- Adam Sandler (hah! Just threw that in to see if you were paying attention!) Of course, I mean Alfred Hitchcock- whose tales of eerie and deadly events have darkened movie and TV screens for so many years. The flick I suggest today is the chilling “The Birds!” This 1963 classic Hitchcock horror has creeped any number of people out, not to mention caused a major paranoia among some folks regarding our “feathered friends” who become fiends in this film. Icy blonde Tippi Hedren is a fun-loving babe in pursuit of a man she’s set her heart on, whom she met in a pet store. She follows him to a small northern California town named Bodega Bay, with a pair of lovebirds that the guy had first planned on purchasing. Right about then, for a reason that is never explained in the movie- various winged beasties begin to attack people. One of the most frightening scenes has Tippi hiding in an old glass telephone booth as birds swarm and attack everywhere! Another scene that is truly unforgettable, and a great example of Hitchcock’s power to build suspense, has Tippi sitting on a bench with some “monkey bars” playground equipment if the background- and , every time they cut back to the wide shot , we see more and more birds lounging on the equipment.
I’ll admit some of the old effects don’t holdup perfectly, including the “rear projection” of attacking birds (very obviously shown on a screen behind the actors)- but most of this film is extremely effective. Rent a copy of “the Birds” and put some newspaper under the dvd player-and, be prepared to get a little antsy the next time a crow or seagull flies by.
Okay, now that I’ve vented, let’s give you today’s monstrous movie pick for this day of our Halloween month. Let’s go with a classic by the master of suspense- Adam Sandler (hah! Just threw that in to see if you were paying attention!) Of course, I mean Alfred Hitchcock- whose tales of eerie and deadly events have darkened movie and TV screens for so many years. The flick I suggest today is the chilling “The Birds!” This 1963 classic Hitchcock horror has creeped any number of people out, not to mention caused a major paranoia among some folks regarding our “feathered friends” who become fiends in this film. Icy blonde Tippi Hedren is a fun-loving babe in pursuit of a man she’s set her heart on, whom she met in a pet store. She follows him to a small northern California town named Bodega Bay, with a pair of lovebirds that the guy had first planned on purchasing. Right about then, for a reason that is never explained in the movie- various winged beasties begin to attack people. One of the most frightening scenes has Tippi hiding in an old glass telephone booth as birds swarm and attack everywhere! Another scene that is truly unforgettable, and a great example of Hitchcock’s power to build suspense, has Tippi sitting on a bench with some “monkey bars” playground equipment if the background- and , every time they cut back to the wide shot , we see more and more birds lounging on the equipment.
I’ll admit some of the old effects don’t holdup perfectly, including the “rear projection” of attacking birds (very obviously shown on a screen behind the actors)- but most of this film is extremely effective. Rent a copy of “the Birds” and put some newspaper under the dvd player-and, be prepared to get a little antsy the next time a crow or seagull flies by.
