Our final Spooktober entry comes from Archie's Weird Mysteries.
Veronica uses a love potion intended for Archie, but it seems everyone's gotten a whiff.......
No rating.
Monday, October 31, 2016
From Out of the Recycling Bin: Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (1978)
In order to produce holiday-themed specials for CBS, Warner Bros. would cobble together clips from a collection of older, classic shorts, and create a new, wraparound storyline.
Such was the case with 1978's Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special. Some of the shorts excerpted in this show had been used in edited form on The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Show on Saturdays, so the challenge was on parents to recognize where they'd seen certain clips.
We've previously reviewed some of the shorts, such as "Hyde & Go Tweet". You try to figure what comes from where.
Such was the case with 1978's Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special. Some of the shorts excerpted in this show had been used in edited form on The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Show on Saturdays, so the challenge was on parents to recognize where they'd seen certain clips.
We've previously reviewed some of the shorts, such as "Hyde & Go Tweet". You try to figure what comes from where.
Edit, 9/14/23: Had to change the video. Here's a commercial promoting the show:
No rating. We didn't see this the first time.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Spooktober: Garfield's Halloween Adventure (aka Garfield in Disguise)(1985)
Earlier this month, we showed you a PSA featuring Garfield. I'm told that the images of Garfield and Odie were lifted from our next entry.
Garfield's Halloween Adventure, originally titled Garfield in Disguise when it first aired on CBS in 1985, has Jim Davis' orange-furred feline (Lorenzo Music) and Odie trick or treating as if they were kids. The episode also features songs performed by Music and the incomparable Lou Rawls.
Of course you know that a couple of years later, Garfield would begin a lengthy run as part of CBS' Saturday morning block. The more recent CGI-driven Garfield Show doesn't really hold a candle, and its only advantage is allowing for Garfield's lips to move.
Rating: B.
Garfield's Halloween Adventure, originally titled Garfield in Disguise when it first aired on CBS in 1985, has Jim Davis' orange-furred feline (Lorenzo Music) and Odie trick or treating as if they were kids. The episode also features songs performed by Music and the incomparable Lou Rawls.
Of course you know that a couple of years later, Garfield would begin a lengthy run as part of CBS' Saturday morning block. The more recent CGI-driven Garfield Show doesn't really hold a candle, and its only advantage is allowing for Garfield's lips to move.
Rating: B.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Spooktober: A McDonald's promotion you may remember (1979)
Back in the day, McDonald's used to emphasize selling gift certificates, usually around Christmas. In 1979, they tried the same promotion around Halloween, using a talking pumpkin.......
Funny thing. This is the first time I've seen this ad.
Funny thing. This is the first time I've seen this ad.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
It Should've Been on a Saturday: Faerie Tale Theatre (1982)
I will warn you now that I, because I don't have premium cable channels such as Showtime, have never seen Faerie Tale Theatre, which ran for six "seasons" between 1982-7. Hence, there won't be a rating for this next item, presented as more of a public service.
Actress Shelley Duvall ("The Shining", "Popeye", etc.) developed the series while on the set of "Popeye", as she was reading some classic fairy tales while on the set. Two of her "Popeye" co-stars, Paul Dooley and Robin Williams, would eventually appear on Faerie Tale Theatre. In fact, Williams, fresh from Mork & Mindy, starred in the pilot episode, "The Tale of the Frog Prince".
For now, here's one of the final episodes of the series, from March 1987, "Rip Van Winkle", starring Harry Dean Stanton in the title role, and co-starring Ed Begley, Jr. (St. Elsewhere):
Edit, 7/9/22: The YouTube poster decided to restrict his videos to YouTube. So, we've replaced it with a sample intro:
Duvall would follow up with Tall Tales & Legends, which didn't quite have the staying power. I have no memory of either series airing in syndication, but they should have. We'll look at Tall Tales another time.
Actress Shelley Duvall ("The Shining", "Popeye", etc.) developed the series while on the set of "Popeye", as she was reading some classic fairy tales while on the set. Two of her "Popeye" co-stars, Paul Dooley and Robin Williams, would eventually appear on Faerie Tale Theatre. In fact, Williams, fresh from Mork & Mindy, starred in the pilot episode, "The Tale of the Frog Prince".
For now, here's one of the final episodes of the series, from March 1987, "Rip Van Winkle", starring Harry Dean Stanton in the title role, and co-starring Ed Begley, Jr. (St. Elsewhere):
Edit, 7/9/22: The YouTube poster decided to restrict his videos to YouTube. So, we've replaced it with a sample intro:
Duvall would follow up with Tall Tales & Legends, which didn't quite have the staying power. I have no memory of either series airing in syndication, but they should have. We'll look at Tall Tales another time.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Spooktober: The Halloween Door (The Real Ghostbusters, 1989)
The Real Ghostbusters, in its 4th season on ABC (5th overall---don't ask), were granted their only primetime special. The Saturday edition had expanded to an hour to give Slimer (Frank Welker) his own half-hour of comic adventures.
However, "The Halloween Door" is a half-hour in length, and, oddly, starts with a song. "Touchin' Old Magic", performed by the Ghostbusters themselves (Welker, Dave Coulier, Maurice LaMarche, & Buster Jones), before the drama begins.
Yeah, you're getting the "music video" twice. Can't be helped.
Coulier (Full House) was actually trying to do a Bill Murray imitation, rather than Lorenzo Music, who'd left to do Garfield & Friends. Apparently, Jones didn't sing after all, as Bus Boys frontman Brian O'Neal sang Winston's parts.
Rating: B.
However, "The Halloween Door" is a half-hour in length, and, oddly, starts with a song. "Touchin' Old Magic", performed by the Ghostbusters themselves (Welker, Dave Coulier, Maurice LaMarche, & Buster Jones), before the drama begins.
Yeah, you're getting the "music video" twice. Can't be helped.
Coulier (Full House) was actually trying to do a Bill Murray imitation, rather than Lorenzo Music, who'd left to do Garfield & Friends. Apparently, Jones didn't sing after all, as Bus Boys frontman Brian O'Neal sang Winston's parts.
Rating: B.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Spooktober: Betty Boop's Halloween Party (1933)
Betty Boop's 1933 "Halloween Party" wasn't really banned. The person who posted this video to YouTube was looking for click bait from curious viewers. Instead, it's the Fleischers at their most surreal. Who else would have paintings of witches come to life to scare off a party-crashing gorilla?
Silly, harmless fun. That's all it is. They just don't make cartoons like this anymore.
Rating: A-.
Silly, harmless fun. That's all it is. They just don't make cartoons like this anymore.
Rating: A-.
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