1/13/2008

In a discussion with one of my friends, revolving around last night’s “Son of Dracula”, we were talking about how my original name –“Son of Svengoolie” –was kind of an homage to both the original Sven, my mentor, and those old movies, with the offspring of a monster (or a creator, as was the case in “Son of Frankenstein.”) He was bemoaning the fact that there were never more “Son of…” characters, touching on the “Son of the Blob” (which is actually better known as “Beware the Blob.”) Wouldn’t a “Son of the Mummy” be intriguing? He could be a sort of King Tut “boy king” who is revived by the ancient cult, and creates havoc at a high school (hmm…that makes me think –would you consider the “I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Frankenstein, etc”…type films sort of the same thing?)There certainly could have been a “Son of the Creature from the Black Lagoon” (try fitting THAT on a marquee!) since there was a plan, at one time, to introduce a female Creature in that series of films. The Son of the Creature could possibly emerge from the Everglades, spawned in the Florida location of the last two Creature films! In a brilliant example of cross-promotion, he could make his way to Orlando, and end up at the Universal Studios theme park, where visitors would, at first, think he was just part of the entertainment- until he mangled some stooge in a Hulk costume, starting a riotous rampage through the various parts of the park- climaxing at the “Jaws” ride (if it’s working- I’ll never forget being at the park when it opened, trying to tape stuff for the “Koz Zone” show, and being frustrated by the non-working ride, and the surly and uncooperative employees who didn’t understand we were TRYING to make them and their park look good! I could have used an assist from a “Son of the Creature” at that point.)

What about our modern day monsters? Wouldn’t you love to see a “Son of Jason” wearing a little league hockey mask, trying to fit in with the other kids at a summer camp? Or, how about a “Son of Michael Meyers”- instead of a white-painted William Shatner mask, he could wear a white-painted Capt. Picard mask (no, that would make him look like an albino member of the Blue Man Group…)…and didn’t we actually have a “Son of Freddy Krueger” in one movie? He could start out with a safety scissors-type glove, with rounded edges, then gradually move up to sharp-pointed ones (as long as he didn’t run with them.) Will we see a “Son of Saw” (unlikely) or a “Son of Pinhead”? Have the sons set in film history? Or, will it take just one new one to start a whole new generation of awful offspring?! (And, again, let me state- the “Svengoolie” family line is destined to end with me, by mutual agreement of Jerry G. Bishop and myself!)