Svengoolie: October 2006 Archives
We’ve made it! Halloween! The day when you’re actually ENCOURAGED to falsify your identity (not with credit cards, doofus!) It’s always fun to see people who wear costumes to work…do you really want to buy your lunch from some clown (uh…that’s McDonald’s…sorry) or get your hair cut by a zombie ( mine already looks like a zombie cut it.) There are so many more rules these days than when I was a kid- they discourage wearing masks, going trick-or-treating at night, going to houses where you don’t know the people…it’s kind of sad that the world has gotten to the point where you HAVE to protect your kids with those rules. Hopefully, it doesn’t make the day –and night- less fun. Hope you’ve stocked up on treats… nothing is more embarrassing than running out of goodies, and resorting to handing out frozen waffles, little containers of coffee creamer, or Tums…even worse, handing out stuff like anti-static dryer sheets, those perfume ad cards from magazines, or autographed Sven pictures.(EDITOR’S NOTE: Trick-or-treat , Sven! We just pranked you!) Words of wisdom- always get candy that you like, but that ISN’T your favorite – if it’s your favorite, you’ll be tempted to keep snagging some- if it’s stuff you like, if you don’t get enough trick-or-treaters, you won’t mind having the excess around. As I’ve said, when Halloween is during the week, it’s more of a day for the younger folks…so, watch out for them, and don’t scare the smaller ones too badly. My Halloween story? Years ago, at my folks house, I dressed up like a scarecrow dummy, and sat motionless on the front porch for a while. Kids came and went, never expecting that there was a real person there. The payoff came when a local brat and his brother came by, and he said with a snicker “let’s kick the dummy apart!” All I did was just move forward- and someone decided to leave in a hurry without his treat! So- before you get any nasty ideas tonight- make sure that dummy ain’t breathin’! And- let’s finalize our “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie suggestions with an appropriately-named film- perfect for tonight! It’s the 1978 John Carpenter modern classic “Halloween!” Truly the blueprint for most modern horror films, It’s the story of Michael Meyers- that cute kid in the clown suit- who saw his sister fooling around with a boyfriend- then picked up a knife and hacked her to death- and was institutionalized. He escapes and becomes known to “Halloween” fans as “the Shape”- appearing out of nowhere, seemingly unstoppable and unkillable, his mask (in reality a William Shatner mask!) a blank and terrifying expressionless face of evil. Jamie Lee Curtis, in her first film role, couldn’t be more effective. The horror just keeps on coming, leaving you physically and emotionally exhausted by the end of the film. In spite of the fact that Carpenter never wanted to do any sequels- there’s a load of them. Ignore them, and watch the original tonight!!! And- sleep well…wait- did you just hear the door open? MwooAHAHAHA… okay, I’ll stop. Have a great Halloween. Thanks for coming by every day this month for the blog. Should I continue to write every day ? Let me know- svengoolie@wciu.com. Gotta go- someone- or something- is ringing the darn doorbell…somebody get me my scarecrow costume!!! # # #
Okay, okay- carve your pumpkin! It’s not gonna rot overnight! ( I hope) I know I told you to wait, but- do it now, or forget it! Does anybody still roast the pumpkin seeds? Ever flavor them with garlic salt, or some other seasoning? Try it! Just don’t burn ‘em and then try to pass them off as sunflower seeds… Costumes better be set by now as well…people always ask, what could Sven be for Halloween? Well, let’s see what might be quick and easy…the Sven look is adaptable to a few costume ideas…a timely one would be Capt. Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean”-(like you won’t see enough of THOSE this year!) My hairstyle is just about there- I can just add some bangles, and a head scarf- and I already have the eye make-up. Maybe I can get a puffy shirt from the “Seinfeld” collection…another easy one would be Howard Stern- just get me a pair of sunglasses and a slightly saltier vocabulary (and a million dollar radio contract)…how about the guitarist Slash? Or Alice Cooper? Or Aunt Harriet Cooper from the “Batman” series (actually, I have been the “Penguin” before!) I know, there are people who say I just need a monocle and a cane to be Mr. Peanut- I’m pretty much a nut already…some people think I should just be a giant rubber chicken, and fling myself at others as vengeance! (Except people might suspect something when I’m just flinging myself at the cheerleaders, pirate wenches, Batwomen, zombie French maids…) the thing is- if I’m not Sven for Halloween, people are disappointed! So- guess what, I’m going as Goolie… Night before Halloween- and our next to last “Countdown” flick is a devilish double play- again, two of my favorites that you have to present “arm-in-arm”- they’re “Frankenstein” and “Bride of Frankenstein!” Again, part of the foundation of Universal –and , indeed, all horror cinema- the 1931 “Frankenstein’ featuring Boris Karloff as the Monster, is the one movie everybody thinks of the minute they hear “horror movie.” Boris’ amazing portrayal of the monster- frightening, yet so expressive, uncoordinated as if the limbs really aren’t his own, yet possessing such amazing strength…enabled just the name “Karloff” to send moviegoers running in fear- back to the box office! And- the even stronger sequel- “Bride of Frankenstein”- made 4 years later- is still one of the best Universal horror films ever made. Yes, there’s some wacky humor (Dr. Pretorius’ little people)- and one of the great scenes of all time- the Monster meeting the blind hermit and sharing a smoke and meal with him! Karloff added even more dimension to his portrayal of the Monster. I still love the introduction, warning viewers about the horror that they’re about to see! (You’ve even seen that parodied in “the Simpsons!”) Invite this couple over for your pre-Halloween viewing –“Frankenstein’ and “Bride of Frankenstein!” Stop by here tomorrow- it’s Halloween! Just don’t ring my doorbell and run, leaving a burning bag of “According to Jim” on my stoop… # # #
Are you “Abbott and Costello”-ed out after the past four weeks? I know, I know- “why didn’t you run ‘Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein?’ As I explained before, we are going by a schedule set up for us by Universal- and it would appear that that movie was not available yet due to another commitment- BUT- next year around this time? I think you’ll be very happy! And, for those who caught up with us late- yes, we WILL be running the A & C flicks again - as I said, as scheduled by Universal. The reaction we’ve gotten from you guys has been great- I always told them, “show some cool movies, and they will come.” Wait- we’ve shown some lousy movies, and you’ve still shown up! All the better to reward you with some better stuff. There are also viewers who are questioning why no sound effects, etc, in these pictures? Well, very honestly, we think there are a lot of purists out there who would like to see these movies in as close to their original form as possible –and, we usually use “Svensurround” as a way to prop up the entertainment value of movies that need it.(Not that I couldn’t see a few places to add stuff in these…) I should say “thank you” to the folks who had Sven come out to their Halloween events this season. As always, I get to meet a lot of nice people, both new fans and long-time Sven fans. My knees seem to get a real work-out these days, because it seems everybody brings a camera to take a picture of me, so I’m getting up, sitting down, getting up- but I’m always happy to take a pic with you.
For a picture of another kind- how about our “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie for just two days before Halloween? It’s got to be one of my top favorites- the incredible Bela Lugosi “Dracula!” This 1931 classic, which seems dated to some, still maintains some awesome power- again, that atmosphere that only a black and white film can create! Bela seems over the top, granted, but you must remember he was a stage actor, and wasn’t easily adapting his acting to the new closer motion picture camera. He does seem to be a unique character- after so many imitations, we laughingly accept him- but his acting as the vampire count is full of dramatic tension. And- no fangs!!! Yes, there is comic relief in this film, much as there is in so many of these Universal flicks- but there is such a great unearthly quality to so much of this movie, you can see why it’s one of the foundations of horror films. And who doesn’t love Dwight Frye as Renfield?! Trivia time- director Tod Browning’s original choice for the Count was the great silent star Lon Chaney (Wolf man Lon Jr.’s dad) but he passed away before filming. “Dracula” will always be a favorite for this goolie- and you’ll only see it ONCE on our show- next year! Okay- two days ‘til Halloween- what should I be? We’ll touch on that tomorrow here at the Sven blog… # # #
For a picture of another kind- how about our “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie for just two days before Halloween? It’s got to be one of my top favorites- the incredible Bela Lugosi “Dracula!” This 1931 classic, which seems dated to some, still maintains some awesome power- again, that atmosphere that only a black and white film can create! Bela seems over the top, granted, but you must remember he was a stage actor, and wasn’t easily adapting his acting to the new closer motion picture camera. He does seem to be a unique character- after so many imitations, we laughingly accept him- but his acting as the vampire count is full of dramatic tension. And- no fangs!!! Yes, there is comic relief in this film, much as there is in so many of these Universal flicks- but there is such a great unearthly quality to so much of this movie, you can see why it’s one of the foundations of horror films. And who doesn’t love Dwight Frye as Renfield?! Trivia time- director Tod Browning’s original choice for the Count was the great silent star Lon Chaney (Wolf man Lon Jr.’s dad) but he passed away before filming. “Dracula” will always be a favorite for this goolie- and you’ll only see it ONCE on our show- next year! Okay- two days ‘til Halloween- what should I be? We’ll touch on that tomorrow here at the Sven blog… # # #
Saturday already?! This is actually, as I’ve been mentioning, more appropriately known as “Halloween weekend” this year… of course, it’s pretty much Halloween all year ‘round here in Svengoolie-land…the horror business is always part of the landscape for us! I get to dress up as all different characters, experience the tricks and treats of television management, see all sorts of scary creatures( every time I look in a mirror)- the frightful fun never stops.
The Svengoolie fun hasn’t really stopped for me since it started in 1979, when I became “Son of Svengoolie…”-even in the years that I was doing something OTHER than Sven, people never let me forget about him. I’d get asked to make public appearances as Sven- do radio interviews as Sven- when I was doing mornings on the radio, one thing they wanted me to do was have Sven as a character- I’d come in early, we’d record voice-tracks , and I’d re-act to them live on the air, so it’s be Sven talking to Rich Koz ! This actually confused some people who thought it WAS two separate people…Sven has appeared in comic books, national TV Guide articles, network tv shows, commercials, industrial videos, and various other forms of entertainment- and there’s more to come- only because you, constant viewer, have demanded that Svengoolie continue!
And, tonight, we continue with one more Abbott and Costello outing- as the boys meet a young boxer who has been framed for murder by the mob. He decides the only ay to avoid the police and clear his name- other than hiring defective detectives Bud and Lou- is to use the famous “Invisible Man’ serum- become invisible- and uncover the truth. Along the way, he makes Lou seem like a championship boxer by guiding his hands invisibly- but- the serum has the same effect it had on Claude Raines in the original “Invisible Man” film- it starts to drive the boxer insane! You’ve got to see this one- no, wait, you can’t “see” it, because…oh, just tune in tonight.
Oh- our “Countdown to Halloween “ movie pick? Let’s go with the terrifying original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers!” Kevin McCarthy discovers that people in his little town are acting strangely- only to uncover a major invasion from space, as “pod people’ replace the townsfolk with duplicates- and nobody believes McCarthy’s story! This 1956 chiller has many implications about the real world and politics of the time period- and it’s another great example of how black and white can create a terrifying atmosphere. Watch it with someone you trust- that is, if it really IS the person you trust…
And trust me to have a new blog up here tomorrow. See you tonight at 9 pm on “the U”- and drop me a line when you can at svengoolie@wciu.com. ###
The Svengoolie fun hasn’t really stopped for me since it started in 1979, when I became “Son of Svengoolie…”-even in the years that I was doing something OTHER than Sven, people never let me forget about him. I’d get asked to make public appearances as Sven- do radio interviews as Sven- when I was doing mornings on the radio, one thing they wanted me to do was have Sven as a character- I’d come in early, we’d record voice-tracks , and I’d re-act to them live on the air, so it’s be Sven talking to Rich Koz ! This actually confused some people who thought it WAS two separate people…Sven has appeared in comic books, national TV Guide articles, network tv shows, commercials, industrial videos, and various other forms of entertainment- and there’s more to come- only because you, constant viewer, have demanded that Svengoolie continue!
And, tonight, we continue with one more Abbott and Costello outing- as the boys meet a young boxer who has been framed for murder by the mob. He decides the only ay to avoid the police and clear his name- other than hiring defective detectives Bud and Lou- is to use the famous “Invisible Man’ serum- become invisible- and uncover the truth. Along the way, he makes Lou seem like a championship boxer by guiding his hands invisibly- but- the serum has the same effect it had on Claude Raines in the original “Invisible Man” film- it starts to drive the boxer insane! You’ve got to see this one- no, wait, you can’t “see” it, because…oh, just tune in tonight.
Oh- our “Countdown to Halloween “ movie pick? Let’s go with the terrifying original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers!” Kevin McCarthy discovers that people in his little town are acting strangely- only to uncover a major invasion from space, as “pod people’ replace the townsfolk with duplicates- and nobody believes McCarthy’s story! This 1956 chiller has many implications about the real world and politics of the time period- and it’s another great example of how black and white can create a terrifying atmosphere. Watch it with someone you trust- that is, if it really IS the person you trust…
And trust me to have a new blog up here tomorrow. See you tonight at 9 pm on “the U”- and drop me a line when you can at svengoolie@wciu.com. ###
It’s another Friday the 13th- twice- plus one!(yeah, that’s stretching it…) In 5 days, it’ll finally be Halloween- and the fun is beginning tonight for a lot of people- a lot of Halloween events launch tonight, go right thru the weekend, and keep going until the big day. As I mentioned yesterday, I’ll be at the Portage Theater in Chicago tonight, as they kick off a Monster Film Festival.(I’m signing autographs around 7 pm- then at 8 host a costume contest!) Lots of radio station parties this weekend, all the usual neighborhood events, the various haunted houses all over the area- it’s a great time to want to be scared!
A lot of you have said the first stuff that scared you, as far as movies go, were the Universal classics. And- Universal has been scaring people for a long time- and, believe it or not- the roots for Universal come from right here in Chicago! An immigrant named Carl Laemmle bought a movie theater here in 1905- and expanded it to a chain of theaters. Thinking he could make even more money by making the movies that showed in the theaters, he said “Californy is the place I oughta be”- and he loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly- actually, to just north of Hollywood, where he opened Universal City- a new movie studio. Making silent movies, he got into the fright biz with the original “Hunchback of Notre Dame” –and watched its star, Lon Chaney, become a sensation in “Phantom of the Opera.” With Universal known as the home of horror, the studio carved its place in terror film history in stone when, in the 1930s, it made “Frankenstein”, “Dracula”, “Bride of Frankenstein”, “The Invisible Man” and “the Mummy.” The original Universal monsters first cycle ended with “Wolf Man” in 1941-starring Lon Chaney’s son, Lon Jr. From then on, it was mostly sequels to previous outings of the monsters, winding up when Abbott and Costello met so many of them. A new day dawned for the Universal horror film in the 50s when “Creature from the Black lagoon” and sci-fi films renewed the power of Universal to scare the pants off movie-goers. The horror hits have kept on coming, right up to dinosaur horror epics like “Jurassic Park.” We’re really happy to be bringing you the current group of Universal pictures we’ll be scaring you with for the months to come!
Our scary film for our “Countdown to Halloween” today? It’s A Universal classic- ‘the Invisible Man!” This 1933 version of the famous H.G. Welles story had incredible special effects for the time- as it told the story of a scientist who discovers a serum which makes him invisible- but also drives him mad. Claude Raines performance- mainly pulled off through powerful voice-over acting- is still impressive today. (For a sequel of sorts- watch Sven tomorrow!) Actually, just come back here tomorrow, and I’ll spill the invisible beans!Mean-while –you can write to me at svengoolie@wciu.com… # # #
A lot of you have said the first stuff that scared you, as far as movies go, were the Universal classics. And- Universal has been scaring people for a long time- and, believe it or not- the roots for Universal come from right here in Chicago! An immigrant named Carl Laemmle bought a movie theater here in 1905- and expanded it to a chain of theaters. Thinking he could make even more money by making the movies that showed in the theaters, he said “Californy is the place I oughta be”- and he loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly- actually, to just north of Hollywood, where he opened Universal City- a new movie studio. Making silent movies, he got into the fright biz with the original “Hunchback of Notre Dame” –and watched its star, Lon Chaney, become a sensation in “Phantom of the Opera.” With Universal known as the home of horror, the studio carved its place in terror film history in stone when, in the 1930s, it made “Frankenstein”, “Dracula”, “Bride of Frankenstein”, “The Invisible Man” and “the Mummy.” The original Universal monsters first cycle ended with “Wolf Man” in 1941-starring Lon Chaney’s son, Lon Jr. From then on, it was mostly sequels to previous outings of the monsters, winding up when Abbott and Costello met so many of them. A new day dawned for the Universal horror film in the 50s when “Creature from the Black lagoon” and sci-fi films renewed the power of Universal to scare the pants off movie-goers. The horror hits have kept on coming, right up to dinosaur horror epics like “Jurassic Park.” We’re really happy to be bringing you the current group of Universal pictures we’ll be scaring you with for the months to come!
Our scary film for our “Countdown to Halloween” today? It’s A Universal classic- ‘the Invisible Man!” This 1933 version of the famous H.G. Welles story had incredible special effects for the time- as it told the story of a scientist who discovers a serum which makes him invisible- but also drives him mad. Claude Raines performance- mainly pulled off through powerful voice-over acting- is still impressive today. (For a sequel of sorts- watch Sven tomorrow!) Actually, just come back here tomorrow, and I’ll spill the invisible beans!Mean-while –you can write to me at svengoolie@wciu.com… # # #
Since I’ve been doing this daily blog, I’ve been listing a lot of good scary movies for you to enjoy during this Halloween season- and, I just wanted you to know that there are a lot of titles we won’t get to- that are just as much fun to raise goosebumps with! Our daily listing is just a sampling of suggestions that we thought you might like- and, the fact that we haven’t listed, say, “Sixth Sense” or “Scream” or “Army of Darkness” or “Fried Green Tomatoes” (now THAT’S scary!) doesn’t mean we don’t like them, or don’t deem them as quality scares. There are so many scary movies- high budget, low budget, and no budget-that you can choose from; and, if one person doesn’t like gore, but another person thinks they can use more- that doesn’t mean it’s wrong! This is a great time to expand your horror movie library, by the way, because most video stores always put out TONS of horror movies- lots of low-priced dvds- around Halloween. You can stock up on scares to ration out after Halloween is gone! People will often ask me what movies were the first to scare me- well, as a kid, one of the movies that terrified me was (sigh) “the Wizard of Oz!” Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch was absolutely FRIGHTENING to a small child (some people have said they feel even MORE frightened of the flying monkeys- which sounds like a trapeze act starring Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz.) I also remember being in a movie theater with my great uncle, and there was some film (couldn’t tell you the title) where they were about to inject a woman with a HUGE needle. I need to explain- as a child, I was terrified of getting injections at the doctor’s office. So, that needle on the screen was all it took to get me scared! I also remember being scared BEFORE seeing “King Kong” (just from people talking about it being a monster movie)-but then watching it on tv and liking it. Also, I was really scared, as a kid, by anything that had skeletons in it. Funny- now I WORK with one! If I’d only known how close Tombstone and I would be back then…
You want a scary movie from our “Countdown to Halloween” collection? How about a fabulous 50s fish-faced fright with some water on the side? You know where I’m going- it’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon!” This 1954 creature feature definitely was a landmark film in 50s horror- the story of the search for the astounding and deadly Gill Man in the Amazon- with that amazing creature suit, and the working mouth and gills! Not to mention the appeal of Julie Adams as the damsel in distress- and in a white bathing suit that probably haunted the dreams of young men more than the Creature did! The Creature had two more outings after this first film- the last one having him converted- through surgical alteration- into a land creature- but the first is definitely the best.
And, hey- so are you. Seriously- I mean it. Thanks for checking in here-and come back tomorrow! Speaking of which- tomorrow night, I’m at the Six Corners Monster Film Festival at the Portage Theater –4050 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. I’ll be there at 7 pm, signing autographs- then host a costume contest (suit up as a character from the movie- you could be a winner!) before a showing of the classic “the Mummy!” Start off your Halloween early with me! # # #
You want a scary movie from our “Countdown to Halloween” collection? How about a fabulous 50s fish-faced fright with some water on the side? You know where I’m going- it’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon!” This 1954 creature feature definitely was a landmark film in 50s horror- the story of the search for the astounding and deadly Gill Man in the Amazon- with that amazing creature suit, and the working mouth and gills! Not to mention the appeal of Julie Adams as the damsel in distress- and in a white bathing suit that probably haunted the dreams of young men more than the Creature did! The Creature had two more outings after this first film- the last one having him converted- through surgical alteration- into a land creature- but the first is definitely the best.
And, hey- so are you. Seriously- I mean it. Thanks for checking in here-and come back tomorrow! Speaking of which- tomorrow night, I’m at the Six Corners Monster Film Festival at the Portage Theater –4050 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. I’ll be there at 7 pm, signing autographs- then host a costume contest (suit up as a character from the movie- you could be a winner!) before a showing of the classic “the Mummy!” Start off your Halloween early with me! # # #
‘Tis the season for hauntings of all kinds- and, you have to admit- television is just brimming with ghastly ghosts (no, not the overly-made up anchor men and women)-you’ve got your “Ghost Whisperer” Jennifer Love Hewitt-and, on cable, there’s no shortage of people in search of ghosts. One cable show is made up of ‘ghost hunters’ who seem one step removed from a cable tv installer - and , my favorite, on the “travel channel” (?!) is a show where a British female host leads a team through an all-night vigil at various allegedly –haunted locations. Usually she’s accompanied by one or two “psychics”- one of whom has a wacky ‘spirit guide” named Sam who gives him info on the various ghosts around. The host and her pals invariably see and hear all sorts of paranormal activity- problem is, we, the viewers, don’t always get to share- the ghost searchers usually have the hand-held cameras trained on their own faces, with the eerie night-vision giving them weird reflective-eyed stares- while they’re shrieking “Look! I just saw a shadow move through the doorway!” Well, if we weren’t stuck on a picture of your face, maybe WE’D have seen it as well! The best part is, this fearless hostess of the show is so chicken-livered, she’s constantly bursting into tears, and shrieking that she has to get out! She can’t stand it! Okay, who in their right mind takes the job of hosting a show where you’re going to encounter ghosts- if you’re so gutless, you’re ready to run like a sissy at the slightest unexplained noise?! One of the psychics invariably will locate a ghost who is a monk- or, as he puts it, “moonk”- and, will occasionally be “possessed” by a spirit, which means he starts thrashing about, always shouting in a guttural voice, and many times, in a sing-song cadence- my gosh, he’s possessed by a rapper! Only occasionally is there some bit of “evidence’ that could be something- but, most of the strange occurrences seem manifested buy the crew’s own nervousness (almost every week, one portly assistant exclaims “Something just touched me on me head!”) Touched in the head, indeed…
You want REAL scary? Let’s go to the 1982 Joe Dante werewolf movie “the Howling”-it’s a movie that really brings the old legend of the werewolf into modern day- with a tv newswoman getting way too close to her story- a serial killer, who almost does her in. This prompts her to travel to his last known home base- which she discovers to be an somewhat uncooperative nest of werewolves! The werewolf effects by Rob Bottin are great, and there are a lot of cameos by people like Roger Corman as an inside nod to fans of the horror genre. It’s one of the best contemporary werewolf films that showed up in the ‘80s.
For real contemporary convenience, you can’t beat a “wash-and-wear’ wolf. Okay, I’ll stop now. More blog tomorrow! # # #
You want REAL scary? Let’s go to the 1982 Joe Dante werewolf movie “the Howling”-it’s a movie that really brings the old legend of the werewolf into modern day- with a tv newswoman getting way too close to her story- a serial killer, who almost does her in. This prompts her to travel to his last known home base- which she discovers to be an somewhat uncooperative nest of werewolves! The werewolf effects by Rob Bottin are great, and there are a lot of cameos by people like Roger Corman as an inside nod to fans of the horror genre. It’s one of the best contemporary werewolf films that showed up in the ‘80s.
For real contemporary convenience, you can’t beat a “wash-and-wear’ wolf. Okay, I’ll stop now. More blog tomorrow! # # #
With Halloween just a week away- perhaps now is the time to help you out with the techniques of –monster avoidance! Yes, We all know that all the greatest monsters will be coming for you on Halloween- so, how do you protect yourself? How else, but- with knowledge? Before that grisly ghoul attacks, know how to keep him away, or exterminate him…like a sort of supernatural Orkin Man. Let’s begin with vampires- you’ve got your crosses and garlic, of course- so, if you’ve just attended a church spaghetti dinner, you’re safe. Also, vampires supposedly cannot cross running water- so, when in doubt- over-flow that toilet! There’s also the stake through the heart- if I were SAYING this stuff, I’d say, “if you don’t have a steak, use a handful of Hamburger Helper!” (Perhaps it’s a good thing this is in print.) Now, werewolves can easily be defeated by a silver bullet –so, stock up on that beer they call the “Silver Bullet!”(Actually, enough beer will pretty much make anybody easy to defeat- so, please drink responsibly!) You can also cover everything with the plant wolfsbane- which the wolvies can’t stand. They also don’t like Brittney Spear’s perfume much. Zombies? Well, since they’re already dead, the only way to stop them is to burn them. To burn them, hide their suntan lotion, or just coat them with baby oil. There’s also a rumor that cutting off their heads will stop them- but, that’d stop a normal person as well. How can you tell if it’s really a zombie, or just another follower of Oprah? Please- leave this to the professionals…
Let’s make our “Countdown to Halloween” movie choice one left to the professionals- the beloved “Ghostbusters!” A great comedy-horror film, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and Harold Ramis form the company that promises to end paranormal problems- but they never thought they’d end up facing “end-of-the –world stuff!” Lots of fun special effects, fun characters, and the biggest marshmallow man since Rush Limbaugh…the psuedo-scientific equipment and the various other-worldly creatures are the best, and Sigourney Weaver has never looked better than when she was Zuul. Supposedly on the set, Dan Ackroyd referred to the green ghost who later became known as “Slimer”- as the ghost of John Belushi, who was supposed to originally play the part of Peter Venkman. When there’s something strange in your neighborhood-this 1984 movie is the one you’re gonna call! Who ya gonna call tomorrow for more blogging? You know who… see you right here! # # #
Let’s make our “Countdown to Halloween” movie choice one left to the professionals- the beloved “Ghostbusters!” A great comedy-horror film, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and Harold Ramis form the company that promises to end paranormal problems- but they never thought they’d end up facing “end-of-the –world stuff!” Lots of fun special effects, fun characters, and the biggest marshmallow man since Rush Limbaugh…the psuedo-scientific equipment and the various other-worldly creatures are the best, and Sigourney Weaver has never looked better than when she was Zuul. Supposedly on the set, Dan Ackroyd referred to the green ghost who later became known as “Slimer”- as the ghost of John Belushi, who was supposed to originally play the part of Peter Venkman. When there’s something strange in your neighborhood-this 1984 movie is the one you’re gonna call! Who ya gonna call tomorrow for more blogging? You know who… see you right here! # # #
It’s another Monday- all together, say “Booo!” ( I mean, in the jeering, unhappy way- not the Halloween ghost way…) –next Monday should be a little more upbeat, since it will be the day before Halloween- “All Hallow’s Eve EVE”, as it were…as we all prepare for the big day. I’m sure, as we’ve said before, there will be fewer parties, at least adult-wise, on Halloween, with it being on a Tuesday this year. Most of the big people parties will be on the previous week-end. Among the most memorable Halloween parties I’ve been to- the one with the best costumes has to be those thrown by famous comic artist Alex Ross (“Kingdom Come”, “Justice”, and “Marvels”, just to barely scratch the surface)- some of the most detailed and incredible costumes I’ve ever seen have been at those events, with superheroes, monsters, and cartoon characters looking JUST like they do on the printed page! My all-time favorite was a guy who was “Bender” from the “Futurama” series- a robot that looked just like the cartoon image, made entirely out of metal! Another fun one was last year’s WBBM-fm “B 96” Halloween party, with a lot of great costumes (some of which wouldn’t pass the censors here at “the U”) and a great time hanging with the deejays. Then, there’s the one I mentioned yesterday- the WCKG party at Navy Pier back in 1989, with special guest Paul Shaeffer. I was the morning deejay back then for a brief while, and they brought in Dave Letterman’s musical director as the party’s special guest. I hadn’t done a Sven (then Son of Sven) Halloween appearance tied in with a broadcast program for about ten years, and we had a great time- I was supposed to do the Contours’ “Do You Love Me?” as a special number with the band that night- and Paul graciously agreed to play keyboard! Imagine- ol’ off-key Sven –accompanied by Paul Shaeffer! He said, “well, in honor, of your return after 10 years, I can hardly say no…” He was very kind, and we made each other laugh plenty of times while judging the evening’s costume contest!
Here’s today’s “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie pick- and we’re going to the classics- the 1941 Lon Chaney Jr. “Wolf Man!” Always a part of the Universal “Big 3” (with the Frankenstein Monster and Dracula)- Lon’s portrayal of the miserable Larry Talbot, whose fondest wish is to die and never become the beast again, shows the true acting power that Chaney could display. Also memorable are Maria Ouspenskaya as the gypsy woman whose son (Bela Lugosi!) bit Talbot to transform him into the werewolf- and former “Invisible Man” Claude Raines as Larry’s father. The transformation scenes were the benchmark of monster transfornation for many years.And, yes- we WILL be getting this film as part of our Universal deal!
I’ll make a deal with you- I’ll stop now, if you’ll come back tomorrow for more blog blather…unless there’s a full moon! AwoooOOOooo! (Was that a wolf cry or my car alarm?) # # #
Here’s today’s “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie pick- and we’re going to the classics- the 1941 Lon Chaney Jr. “Wolf Man!” Always a part of the Universal “Big 3” (with the Frankenstein Monster and Dracula)- Lon’s portrayal of the miserable Larry Talbot, whose fondest wish is to die and never become the beast again, shows the true acting power that Chaney could display. Also memorable are Maria Ouspenskaya as the gypsy woman whose son (Bela Lugosi!) bit Talbot to transform him into the werewolf- and former “Invisible Man” Claude Raines as Larry’s father. The transformation scenes were the benchmark of monster transfornation for many years.And, yes- we WILL be getting this film as part of our Universal deal!
I’ll make a deal with you- I’ll stop now, if you’ll come back tomorrow for more blog blather…unless there’s a full moon! AwoooOOOooo! (Was that a wolf cry or my car alarm?) # # #
I hope you saw that “Gold Digger” parody in last night’s show- looks like another one for the classics vault, like “Stop Calling Him the Son” and “Hit the Road, Drac”…( if you haven’t seen those two, please consult with other Sven fans- they’ll explain…)- we’re always happy that our loyal viewers are so into our songs, etc…and , at this time of year, a lot of you are into (literally) your Svengoolie t-shirts, especially as a Halloween day work costume or to wear when you answer the door for those trick-or-treaters. We’re glad that we’ve re-stocked the current “It Came from Berwyn” shirt to meet the on-going demand…as I may have mentioned, this design was the fastest-selling of all the previous Sven shirts. I know you guys love the “glow-in-the-dark” aspect of the shirts, and here’s a little “behind the scenes” trivia we’ve never mentioned before- originally, on this shirt, the glow-in-the-dark design was made so that the “zapped” figure of Sven- once the lights went out- showed Sven’s skeleton, like an x-ray!!! Unfortunately, when we got the sample, the greenish skeleton overlay covered up the Sven figure too much, so we had to abandon that part of the plan – but, it sure would have been cool!
Every once in a while, someone will show up at an event with a well-worn “SON OF Svengoolie” t-shirt- the red one with a white high-contrast picture of me as the Son of Svengoolie. The only other shirt from that era was a special “Bi-Sventennial” shirt made for our 200th show at WFLD- it was black, and featured a Son of Sven picture drawn by- me! There were not many of those…but, there are even FEWER of the shirts that were done when I was doing mornings at WCKG around 1989-90 – there was a Halloween sweatshirt with a cartoon drawing of Sven and “Late Night’s” Paul Shaeffer, who was the special guest at our radio Halloween party (more about that tomorrow) and, an even more limited shirt for a trip we made to broadcast from Jamaica- featuring the Jamaican flag’s colors, and a drawing of (ahem) Rich Koz with a little Sven on his shoulder, whispering into his ear! If I had all the free shirts I got from stations that I’ve worked at, I’d never have to buy clothes again…well, maybe underwear… And, I’m aware that we need to pick today’s entry into our “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie list- let’s make it a higher-profile flick that some may not consider a true horror film, but, does it deliver the scares! It’s Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws”- a story that boils down to, essentially, three men out to hunt for the huge shark menacing the village of Amity. It’s well-known that the mechanical shark (nicknamed “Bruce”) didn’t work right, so Spielberg was forced to shoot around it- and the SUGGESTION that the shark was around made the suspense even more spine-tingling. The immediately-recognizable musical score definitely helps make the movie what it is- and, seriously, made an awful lot of people stay out of the water! My jaws have been flapping for too long already- so, let me disappear into the internet until tomorrow…when I’ll suddenly re-appear! (Quick, do the “Jaws” theme- duh-DAH, duh-DAH, duh-dah -Dah-Da da DAAAH!) ####
Every once in a while, someone will show up at an event with a well-worn “SON OF Svengoolie” t-shirt- the red one with a white high-contrast picture of me as the Son of Svengoolie. The only other shirt from that era was a special “Bi-Sventennial” shirt made for our 200th show at WFLD- it was black, and featured a Son of Sven picture drawn by- me! There were not many of those…but, there are even FEWER of the shirts that were done when I was doing mornings at WCKG around 1989-90 – there was a Halloween sweatshirt with a cartoon drawing of Sven and “Late Night’s” Paul Shaeffer, who was the special guest at our radio Halloween party (more about that tomorrow) and, an even more limited shirt for a trip we made to broadcast from Jamaica- featuring the Jamaican flag’s colors, and a drawing of (ahem) Rich Koz with a little Sven on his shoulder, whispering into his ear! If I had all the free shirts I got from stations that I’ve worked at, I’d never have to buy clothes again…well, maybe underwear… And, I’m aware that we need to pick today’s entry into our “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie list- let’s make it a higher-profile flick that some may not consider a true horror film, but, does it deliver the scares! It’s Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws”- a story that boils down to, essentially, three men out to hunt for the huge shark menacing the village of Amity. It’s well-known that the mechanical shark (nicknamed “Bruce”) didn’t work right, so Spielberg was forced to shoot around it- and the SUGGESTION that the shark was around made the suspense even more spine-tingling. The immediately-recognizable musical score definitely helps make the movie what it is- and, seriously, made an awful lot of people stay out of the water! My jaws have been flapping for too long already- so, let me disappear into the internet until tomorrow…when I’ll suddenly re-appear! (Quick, do the “Jaws” theme- duh-DAH, duh-DAH, duh-dah -Dah-Da da DAAAH!) ####
On the blog again (sorry, Willie Nelson)-and, let me tell you- I am one tuckered-out goolie…the Halloween season is always a busy time for me (like Santa in December, as one of our bosses always says)- between our new shows, writing this blog, and making appearances (and thanks to all of you who’ve come out to see me- more to come!)- I need some serious chill-out time. I do really appreciate how many of you always come out to see me (in spite of bad weather, far-flung locations, and places where it’s hard to find parking!) I have a nice group that we proudly call the “repeat offenders”- fans who come to almost every one of our appearances, who almost seem like part of the Sven family. We get people who watched me when they were kids- and now watch with their kids! I meet hip teenagers who one would think wouldn’t be caught dead waiting in line for some tv goof’s autograph, and little kids who have memorized my songs! I especially enjoy when there are police coming by on their usual rounds while I’m at an appearance, who get on their loudspeakers to shout “BERWYN?!”
Here’s a couple tips on what NOT to do when you come to a Sven appearance- parents, if your small child is afraid of me- DON’T hold him or her up and shove them in my face! This only scares them more! I don’t care if you say “…but- he loves to see you on tv!” Being right in front of them, life-size, is sometimes a whole different thing! I love to met them , but please, don’t traumatize your little ones if They suddenly get shy or fearful. Also- an appearance is not a job fair. Don’t come to ask me for a job (there are none, by the way- sorry!) It’s not the time or place to pitch your ideas, skills, talents, or money-making schemes. We don’t take outside submissions, hire free-lancers, or add on to our staff- that’s just the way it is. I’m glad so many people want to be part of the show- but, again- there are no vacancies!
Speaking of the show- you have to tune in tonight at 9 for “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy”- especially for our parody of Kanye West’s “GoldDigger”-can Mr. Goolie keep up with a fast-paced wrap? You’ll see..
And, you’ll see today’s movie pick is fast-paced as well…it’s “Underworld”-the 2003 film starring the adorable Kate Beckinsale as a warrior vampiress- in love with an innocent man who ends up becoming a werewolf. This is NOT a good thing, since there is an on-going war between the vampires and werewolves-and she’s one of the elite force whose job it is to wipe werewolves out! Plenty of action and good effects- and, it spawned a sequel, so if you want more…
If you want more Sven blog- you have to come back tomorrow! Enjoy our show tonight- and let me know what you think of it- at svengoolie@wciu.com !
Here’s a couple tips on what NOT to do when you come to a Sven appearance- parents, if your small child is afraid of me- DON’T hold him or her up and shove them in my face! This only scares them more! I don’t care if you say “…but- he loves to see you on tv!” Being right in front of them, life-size, is sometimes a whole different thing! I love to met them , but please, don’t traumatize your little ones if They suddenly get shy or fearful. Also- an appearance is not a job fair. Don’t come to ask me for a job (there are none, by the way- sorry!) It’s not the time or place to pitch your ideas, skills, talents, or money-making schemes. We don’t take outside submissions, hire free-lancers, or add on to our staff- that’s just the way it is. I’m glad so many people want to be part of the show- but, again- there are no vacancies!
Speaking of the show- you have to tune in tonight at 9 for “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy”- especially for our parody of Kanye West’s “GoldDigger”-can Mr. Goolie keep up with a fast-paced wrap? You’ll see..
And, you’ll see today’s movie pick is fast-paced as well…it’s “Underworld”-the 2003 film starring the adorable Kate Beckinsale as a warrior vampiress- in love with an innocent man who ends up becoming a werewolf. This is NOT a good thing, since there is an on-going war between the vampires and werewolves-and she’s one of the elite force whose job it is to wipe werewolves out! Plenty of action and good effects- and, it spawned a sequel, so if you want more…
If you want more Sven blog- you have to come back tomorrow! Enjoy our show tonight- and let me know what you think of it- at svengoolie@wciu.com !
I’m glad it’s just one day to our next show-because it’s a really fun Sven extravaganza. We’ve got “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy”- with Bud and Lou in Egypt, dealing with thieves, a cult that worships the mummy-and, of course- the living mummy! This was Abbott and Costello’s final Universal film after 15 years making movies there, and they go out in style. Our parts of the show are fun , too- including a music video number that I know you guys are going to want to see again! If you can’t believe a white-bread horror host can rap…well, you’re right, but I give it an old school attempt, when Doug Graves and I do a parody of the Jamie Foxx/Kanye West hit “GoldDigger!” If you know the original video for the song, you’ll get some extra laughs out of our presentation- and, no doubt, enjoy the “mummy” who appears in the video, not to mention the special guest- lovely overnight deejay Candi from B96 ! You’ll definitely want to have tape rolling on this one…I appreciate all the e-mails from you, indicating that the weekly song is probably your favorite part of the show. As many of you know, all the music is arranged and recorded by my long-time musical sidekick, Doug Graves- a guy I’ve been friends with since high school (no, not in Berwyn…) Doug plays trumpet, keyboards, drums, and several more instruments- and was part of the “Joan Rivers Late Show” band that premiered when WFLD first became Fox (right after they cancelled my original show!) Doug has worked with many famous musicians, including
Thomas Dolby, Jeff Lind, Mickey Dolenz, Mark Hudson of the Hudson Brothers- he even worked with comedian Henny Youngman! If you look carefully, you can also find him in a band accompanying Kim Basinger in the movie “the Marrying Man!”
Speaking of movies- here’s our “Countdown to Halloween” pick for today-it’s “House!” That was one of the first movies I showed when I came to “the U ”- and it’s got scares and laughs, plus lots of tv stars- William Katt (“Greatest American hero”) is a writer with writer’s block – who has inherited the “haunted” house he grew up in…right next door to Chicago’s own George Wendt! Before long, he realizes that the house is a portal to an evil dimension-with deadly creatures, and links to his past! Watch for Richard Moll (Bull from “Night Court”) as his pal who died in Viet Nam- or, did he? Direct from 1986- “House” will definitely mortgage about an hour and a half of your valuable time- but you’ll have fun…
More blog-a-riffic fun from yours truly tomorrow- right here- same place you see our latest webisodes in the video room- and find out the info on your favorite shows (including mine- right? Mine’s your favorite- right? …hello?)
Thomas Dolby, Jeff Lind, Mickey Dolenz, Mark Hudson of the Hudson Brothers- he even worked with comedian Henny Youngman! If you look carefully, you can also find him in a band accompanying Kim Basinger in the movie “the Marrying Man!”
Speaking of movies- here’s our “Countdown to Halloween” pick for today-it’s “House!” That was one of the first movies I showed when I came to “the U ”- and it’s got scares and laughs, plus lots of tv stars- William Katt (“Greatest American hero”) is a writer with writer’s block – who has inherited the “haunted” house he grew up in…right next door to Chicago’s own George Wendt! Before long, he realizes that the house is a portal to an evil dimension-with deadly creatures, and links to his past! Watch for Richard Moll (Bull from “Night Court”) as his pal who died in Viet Nam- or, did he? Direct from 1986- “House” will definitely mortgage about an hour and a half of your valuable time- but you’ll have fun…
More blog-a-riffic fun from yours truly tomorrow- right here- same place you see our latest webisodes in the video room- and find out the info on your favorite shows (including mine- right? Mine’s your favorite- right? …hello?)
I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from you guys since starting this blog- at svengoolie@wciu.com - and we hear from a wide variety of Sven fans- all of you who watch us on Chicago’s WCIU- plus the viewers who see us on our other Weigel Broadcasting stations. Then- thanks to the internet- we hear from old school Svengoolie fans from all over the country, who happened to “google” me (how dare you! I hardly know you!) and find this site. It’s really great to hear from people who watched my original “Son of” show, who no longer live in the Chicago area, and are happy that I’m still doing the program. Their fond memories make me feel very honored that the goofy stuff I’ve done has meant that much to them.
I’m always surprised when I run into local celebrities who not only know who I am, but actually watch the show! For some reason, our local sports guys love Svengoolie! When I was part of a Chicago Bulls game’s half-time “Simon Says’ contest- I was out on the floor before the game, and hear someone yelling “Sven!” It was Johnny “Red “ Kerr- who proceeded to tell me chicken jokes! Years ago, I was at a White Sox “Turn Back the Clock” game, with a bunch of local celebs, plus Jerry “Beaver” Mathers and Ken “Eddie Haskell” Osmond (“gee, Mr. Goolie, that’s a lovely tuxedo you’re wearing”)-and I see Jack Brickhouse. I’d never met him, but had been watching and listening to him all my life! A true Chicago broadcasting legend. I wanted so badly to just say hello to him, and finally worked up the courage, kind of fearing what his reaction would be to this guy in the strange outfit and make-up. I walked up next to him, stammered “ex-excuse me, Mr. Brickhouse…”-and Jack turned around and said “Hey-Rich! Boy, this is like talking to an old friend!” We had a nice conversation that I will never forget, and I was so flattered that he knew all about me! And, of course, the late great Tim Weigel was a big fan- I always remember the sound of his laugh. And, I haven’t even gotten to Steve “Mongo” McMichael…
Let’s go from a Monster of the Midway to a monster worthy of being our “Countdown to Halloween” movie pick for today-“The Blob!” You have to love this 1958 Steve McQueen classic- as a gelatinous ooze from space grows and grows, invading a small town and devouring everything in its path! Nobody wants to believe the story of the teenagers who’ve seen it- and soon, the Blob has reached massive proportions! The attack on the movie theater is a favorite scene (watch for the grinning extras running out of the theater-and for Andy Griffith’s future Mayberry sweetheart Helen- Aneta Corsaut- as the film’s leading lady.)
That’s the blog for today- I’ll write more tomorrow- but now, for some reason, I have an odd craving for Jell-o…
I’m always surprised when I run into local celebrities who not only know who I am, but actually watch the show! For some reason, our local sports guys love Svengoolie! When I was part of a Chicago Bulls game’s half-time “Simon Says’ contest- I was out on the floor before the game, and hear someone yelling “Sven!” It was Johnny “Red “ Kerr- who proceeded to tell me chicken jokes! Years ago, I was at a White Sox “Turn Back the Clock” game, with a bunch of local celebs, plus Jerry “Beaver” Mathers and Ken “Eddie Haskell” Osmond (“gee, Mr. Goolie, that’s a lovely tuxedo you’re wearing”)-and I see Jack Brickhouse. I’d never met him, but had been watching and listening to him all my life! A true Chicago broadcasting legend. I wanted so badly to just say hello to him, and finally worked up the courage, kind of fearing what his reaction would be to this guy in the strange outfit and make-up. I walked up next to him, stammered “ex-excuse me, Mr. Brickhouse…”-and Jack turned around and said “Hey-Rich! Boy, this is like talking to an old friend!” We had a nice conversation that I will never forget, and I was so flattered that he knew all about me! And, of course, the late great Tim Weigel was a big fan- I always remember the sound of his laugh. And, I haven’t even gotten to Steve “Mongo” McMichael…
Let’s go from a Monster of the Midway to a monster worthy of being our “Countdown to Halloween” movie pick for today-“The Blob!” You have to love this 1958 Steve McQueen classic- as a gelatinous ooze from space grows and grows, invading a small town and devouring everything in its path! Nobody wants to believe the story of the teenagers who’ve seen it- and soon, the Blob has reached massive proportions! The attack on the movie theater is a favorite scene (watch for the grinning extras running out of the theater-and for Andy Griffith’s future Mayberry sweetheart Helen- Aneta Corsaut- as the film’s leading lady.)
That’s the blog for today- I’ll write more tomorrow- but now, for some reason, I have an odd craving for Jell-o…
Did you carve your Jack O’Lantern yet? Isn’t it kind of early? Seems to me, I carve the pumpkin, and , within a couple days, it’s turning into a science project, growing home-made penicillin. Not to mention the odor of rotting pumpkin innards…mmmm-BOY! Actually, the Jack O’Lantern gets even scarier looking as it rots- the teeth curl in- the face becomes mummified. They end up looking like that British judge on “Dancing with the Stars…”
I always laugh when I read the old legend that the original “Jack O’ Lantern” was allegedly a spirit who wandered the countryside carrying his light in a…turnip!!! How come THAT never caught on in this country? Carving turnips- making turnip pies- roasting turnip seeds…just remember, for those ‘Halloween in July” parties, you can’t “ beet” carving a watermelon Jack O’ Lantern! Every one of them looks like the Hulk.
What’s the deal with those plasticene pumpkins that look like real ones- but they’re hollow and you can carve them and keep them from year to year? Isn’t part of the fun carving a new design every year? Not to mention the frustration of the poor juvenile delinquents who try to smash the fake pumpkins, and they just bounce, laughing in the face of these poor pitiful pranksters.
Let’s connect our “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie pick for today to pumpkins- with the gourd from the grave- “Pumpkinhead!” This 1988 horror favorite tells the story of a simple rural storekeeper and his son. When some wealthy city kids come riding around and accidentally kill the son, the distraught dad decides he must get revenge on them- he seeks out an old woman who knows how to raise a deadly demon known as “Pumpkinhead”- to give those nasty kids what they deserve. But soon the dad- the always amazing Lance Henriksen- learns that vengeance comes at a price. Director Stan Winston’s special effects make this movie a must- see- and the sequel “Pumpkinhead: Blood Wings” makes for a great double feature!
This pumpkinhead’s candle is just about out- so, I’ll close ‘til tomorrow. The weekend’s coming, and our Sven show has a contemporary music video that you’re gonna love! More about that later- meanwhile, keep in touch- I’m at svengoolie@wciu.com !
I always laugh when I read the old legend that the original “Jack O’ Lantern” was allegedly a spirit who wandered the countryside carrying his light in a…turnip!!! How come THAT never caught on in this country? Carving turnips- making turnip pies- roasting turnip seeds…just remember, for those ‘Halloween in July” parties, you can’t “ beet” carving a watermelon Jack O’ Lantern! Every one of them looks like the Hulk.
What’s the deal with those plasticene pumpkins that look like real ones- but they’re hollow and you can carve them and keep them from year to year? Isn’t part of the fun carving a new design every year? Not to mention the frustration of the poor juvenile delinquents who try to smash the fake pumpkins, and they just bounce, laughing in the face of these poor pitiful pranksters.
Let’s connect our “Countdown to Halloween” scary movie pick for today to pumpkins- with the gourd from the grave- “Pumpkinhead!” This 1988 horror favorite tells the story of a simple rural storekeeper and his son. When some wealthy city kids come riding around and accidentally kill the son, the distraught dad decides he must get revenge on them- he seeks out an old woman who knows how to raise a deadly demon known as “Pumpkinhead”- to give those nasty kids what they deserve. But soon the dad- the always amazing Lance Henriksen- learns that vengeance comes at a price. Director Stan Winston’s special effects make this movie a must- see- and the sequel “Pumpkinhead: Blood Wings” makes for a great double feature!
This pumpkinhead’s candle is just about out- so, I’ll close ‘til tomorrow. The weekend’s coming, and our Sven show has a contemporary music video that you’re gonna love! More about that later- meanwhile, keep in touch- I’m at svengoolie@wciu.com !
Do YOU have your Halloween costume yet? Planning on buying one? Here’s a Sven tip- GO GET ONE NOW!!! The store-bought costumes will be flying off the shelves by this weekend, and, if you wait until NEXT weekend, you’ll be buying a box of aluminum foil and going as a baked potato.
Okay- where was I in our Sven history lesson? Ah, yes- Jerry G. (the first Sven) was about to go to San Diego- I had been working with radio great Dick Orkin, working on syndicated features like “ChickenMan returns for the Last Time Again” and commercials- and Dick was moving his company to L.A. Jerry asked what my plans were, and I said I might try to pitch some local station on a show. Jerry generously offered “if you want to try to do ‘Son of Svengoolie’ like we talked about- you have my blessing.” How kind and flattering it was to have him basically pass the character on to me! So- I called tv stations. One program director, when I told him what I wanted to do, laughed and HUNG UP on me! Finally, I talked to WFLD- presented them with the complete show, format, etc. they said “Hmmm- we’ve talked about doing something like this- but- let’s make-it a bake-off, and let anybody who wants to audition doing whatever they want.” Gee, thanks. Well, others auditioned, and, to make a long story short (although it took about a year)-I finally got the job. Maybe someday I’ll write a book, and tell the complete story. I premiered on WFLD, the same station as the original Sven did, in June of 1979.And the rest, as they say- is hysteria…no, wait, history.
Quick- let’s get in today’s scary movie pick. Grab your popcorn, because its’ the 1984 feature “Children of the Corn.” Based on a Stephen King story, we find a young couple (Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton of “Terminator” fame) in a farm country- where they drive through the corn-lined scenery- only to have a guy with his throat slashed stumble out onto the road! They head to a small town, which looks deserted- but is actually controlled by an evil young religious leader who has commanded all the town’s kids to kill all the adults! The pint-sized preacher wants our travelers to be his next sacrifice- to a strange thing that lives behind the rows of corn. This film is a corn-fed chiller that will “stalk” (get it? Corn? Stalk?) your dreams!
Well, enough of this corn- I’m out of here. Write to me at svengoolie@wciu.com check out the webisodes in the video room- and come back tomorrow! (“Stalk” your dreams…heh-heh-I kill myself!)
Okay- where was I in our Sven history lesson? Ah, yes- Jerry G. (the first Sven) was about to go to San Diego- I had been working with radio great Dick Orkin, working on syndicated features like “ChickenMan returns for the Last Time Again” and commercials- and Dick was moving his company to L.A. Jerry asked what my plans were, and I said I might try to pitch some local station on a show. Jerry generously offered “if you want to try to do ‘Son of Svengoolie’ like we talked about- you have my blessing.” How kind and flattering it was to have him basically pass the character on to me! So- I called tv stations. One program director, when I told him what I wanted to do, laughed and HUNG UP on me! Finally, I talked to WFLD- presented them with the complete show, format, etc. they said “Hmmm- we’ve talked about doing something like this- but- let’s make-it a bake-off, and let anybody who wants to audition doing whatever they want.” Gee, thanks. Well, others auditioned, and, to make a long story short (although it took about a year)-I finally got the job. Maybe someday I’ll write a book, and tell the complete story. I premiered on WFLD, the same station as the original Sven did, in June of 1979.And the rest, as they say- is hysteria…no, wait, history.
Quick- let’s get in today’s scary movie pick. Grab your popcorn, because its’ the 1984 feature “Children of the Corn.” Based on a Stephen King story, we find a young couple (Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton of “Terminator” fame) in a farm country- where they drive through the corn-lined scenery- only to have a guy with his throat slashed stumble out onto the road! They head to a small town, which looks deserted- but is actually controlled by an evil young religious leader who has commanded all the town’s kids to kill all the adults! The pint-sized preacher wants our travelers to be his next sacrifice- to a strange thing that lives behind the rows of corn. This film is a corn-fed chiller that will “stalk” (get it? Corn? Stalk?) your dreams!
Well, enough of this corn- I’m out of here. Write to me at svengoolie@wciu.com check out the webisodes in the video room- and come back tomorrow! (“Stalk” your dreams…heh-heh-I kill myself!)
We’re officially half-way through what we like to call the “Halloween Season”-which, of course, builds until the big day, the 31st. For many of the older fans of Halloween, when the actual day itself hits early or mid-week- the weekend before is the time for Halloween partying. It really is amazing how, in recent years, Halloween has become such a big event for adults, as well as kids. Elaborate lawn decorations used to be a mainstay of Christmas, but now, whole blocks will do themed decorations for Halloween. Some are really cool, some are really gross- who doesn’t love the perpetually-vomiting zombie, leaning over an old oil drum? Enough with the grown men running after kids with chainsaws… though, in Berwyn, there was a guy chasing trick-or-treaters with a lawn mower (non-motorized)… I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails asking me to continue with the Sven family history- so, let’s continue your history lesson. After Jerry G. Bishop, the original Sven, was cancelled in 1973- he moved on (and graciously brought me along) to WMAQ radio. As a special sales event, they did a funeral for Svengoolie-with a dummy of Sven lying in state in a coffin. Jerry always said seeing that seemed a little weird! As time passed, and the radio gig went away when WMAQ “was gonna make you rich” with a country music format- Jerry and I went on to different jobs. At one point, someone had kicked around the idea of him doing Sven again , just as a summer tv project. Jerry wasn’t sure he wanted to do it all again- plus, he was of the mind, at that time, that he might want to run for local office some day-and didn’t want some future opponent breaking out pics of him as Svengoolie! He did, however, feel I was able enough to be…say… a “SON of Svengoolie”-and he would produce the show.There were some false starts, and it didn’t happen- and then, Jerry got a great job offer to do tv in San Diego. Looked like the end of the Sven road… but, we all know it wasn’t- I’ll tell more tomorrow…
Whats’ our scary movie pic for today? Well, since we’re halfway through October, let’s go with a half-baked helping of half- and –half you’ve got to see to believe-1972’s “the Thing with Two Heads!” Yes, a creature who’s half football great-turned-actor Rosey Grier and half- (okay- just a head-) of once-celebrated actor Ray Milland. Milland is a white racist who is dying, and wants his head transplanted onto a new body. Unfortunately, he ends up on the body of a black man, whose own head hasn’t quite vacated the premises. Milland’s head tries to take control of the body, while spouting Archie Bunker-isms. It’s actually a very entertaining movie, NOT to be confused with the lower-grade “Incredible Two-Headed Transplant.”I’m not even going to spout some idiotic joke line like “two heads are better than one…” But, one blog is better than two- especially when the one is over for today! More blogging tomorrow…
Whats’ our scary movie pic for today? Well, since we’re halfway through October, let’s go with a half-baked helping of half- and –half you’ve got to see to believe-1972’s “the Thing with Two Heads!” Yes, a creature who’s half football great-turned-actor Rosey Grier and half- (okay- just a head-) of once-celebrated actor Ray Milland. Milland is a white racist who is dying, and wants his head transplanted onto a new body. Unfortunately, he ends up on the body of a black man, whose own head hasn’t quite vacated the premises. Milland’s head tries to take control of the body, while spouting Archie Bunker-isms. It’s actually a very entertaining movie, NOT to be confused with the lower-grade “Incredible Two-Headed Transplant.”I’m not even going to spout some idiotic joke line like “two heads are better than one…” But, one blog is better than two- especially when the one is over for today! More blogging tomorrow…
Hope you enjoyed Abbott, Costello, and Karloff last night- it was kind of a swerve that the title was “Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff ”-and then, Boris WASN’T the killer! (Okay, he does try to get Costello to kill himself, but , if the title was ”…Meet the Enabler Boris Karloff”- would that go over as well?) I’m hoping Bud and Lou continue to go over well with you guys, since we have two more of their flicks coming up to round out this month. So, it’s “Who’s on First, Second, Third…”
Ol’ B.K. (Boris Karloff, not Burger King) made two appearances with Bud and Lou- but, he opted NOT to be in the movie you would have expected him to appear in- “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” He was gracious enough, however, to appear in publicity photos for the move; standing in line to purchase a ticket for the film, and , looking admiringly at a movie poster promoting it. Karloff was indeed hardly a monster, but a real gentleman- according to the latest issue of Chuck Schaden and Steve Darnall’s “Nostalgia Digest”-in a great feature article written by Walter Scannell- Boris (real name- William Henry Pratt) had a gentle sense of humor, and greatly disliked coarse language! Boris made over 160 films-some good, some not so good- and worked a lot because he worked at a reasonable price (not Vincent Price) and took any role he could.
So, let’s make our “Countdown to Halloween” movie pick for today something with Boris- and, not just any flick, but a true classic- 1932’s “The Mummy.” People always talk about Karloff shuffling around, chasing people while wrapped in bandages, but he actually spends very little of the time in the traditional wrappings. We see him as the bandaged Mummy Im-Ho-Tep mainly at the film’s start- when he revives and sends one of the archeologists into a hysterical laughing fit. Most of the movie features him in the identity of the shriveled-faced, cold-eyed Egyptian Ardeth Bey, searching for his re-incarnated lost love. Among the most fascinating scenes is the flashback to ancient Egypt- where we learn what Im-Ho-Tep did to deserve such a fate (very similar to scenes in the latest “Mummy “movie, featuring Brendan Fraser.)
The lack of musical soundtrack and slow pace of the movie sometimes disappoints those who expect plenty of shambling mummy chases- but, again, the atmosphere created by this black and white film- which Karloff shot between his portrayals of the Frankenstein monster- makes this an effective chiller.
Time for me to fall off the blog- come back tomorrow- meanwhile, check out our latest webisode in the video room- and feel free to write to me at svengoolie@wciu.com . And say “hi” to your Mummy for me…
Ol’ B.K. (Boris Karloff, not Burger King) made two appearances with Bud and Lou- but, he opted NOT to be in the movie you would have expected him to appear in- “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” He was gracious enough, however, to appear in publicity photos for the move; standing in line to purchase a ticket for the film, and , looking admiringly at a movie poster promoting it. Karloff was indeed hardly a monster, but a real gentleman- according to the latest issue of Chuck Schaden and Steve Darnall’s “Nostalgia Digest”-in a great feature article written by Walter Scannell- Boris (real name- William Henry Pratt) had a gentle sense of humor, and greatly disliked coarse language! Boris made over 160 films-some good, some not so good- and worked a lot because he worked at a reasonable price (not Vincent Price) and took any role he could.
So, let’s make our “Countdown to Halloween” movie pick for today something with Boris- and, not just any flick, but a true classic- 1932’s “The Mummy.” People always talk about Karloff shuffling around, chasing people while wrapped in bandages, but he actually spends very little of the time in the traditional wrappings. We see him as the bandaged Mummy Im-Ho-Tep mainly at the film’s start- when he revives and sends one of the archeologists into a hysterical laughing fit. Most of the movie features him in the identity of the shriveled-faced, cold-eyed Egyptian Ardeth Bey, searching for his re-incarnated lost love. Among the most fascinating scenes is the flashback to ancient Egypt- where we learn what Im-Ho-Tep did to deserve such a fate (very similar to scenes in the latest “Mummy “movie, featuring Brendan Fraser.)
The lack of musical soundtrack and slow pace of the movie sometimes disappoints those who expect plenty of shambling mummy chases- but, again, the atmosphere created by this black and white film- which Karloff shot between his portrayals of the Frankenstein monster- makes this an effective chiller.
Time for me to fall off the blog- come back tomorrow- meanwhile, check out our latest webisode in the video room- and feel free to write to me at svengoolie@wciu.com . And say “hi” to your Mummy for me…
We’ve got more Karloff tonight- as he again plays third fiddle to Bud and Lou in “Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff” (could that title BE any longer)?! This is one of those creepy murder mysteries, in a hotel on a dark and stormy night, where dead bodies keep turning up! Chubby Lou is the main suspect- but there is no shortage of suspicious guests, including Boris as a strange swami. As I’ll mention, this movie has an alarmingly high body count for an Abbott and Costello comedy! Plenty of Sven shtick included, it’s more Universal fun, tonight at 9 pm. A lot of you wanted me to continue the saga of the original Svengoolie (Jerry G. Bishop)- so let’s pick up where we left off: Jerry/Sven had his new coffin, was doing video taped shows, and public appearances- one of my favorites was a 4th of July Soldier Field extravaganza, with circus acts and more before fireworks, with the huge crowd cheering for Sven- I know Jerry was almost over-whelmed by that- and his act (which I was a part of) ended with a giant chicken chasing him around the field! And, speaking of Field- that’s where the story starts to turn nasty- Field Communications, which owned ch. 32, was sold to Kaiser Broadcasting- which took over the station, and after promising Jerry a new season of Svengoolie, pulled the plug on the show! They replaced him with Cleveland’s “Ghoul” who didn’t even last a year, because Sven fans were used to the Svengoolie brand of entertainment. So- the Svengoolie story came to an abrupt halt in 1973…for a while… On to our “Countdown to Halloween” movie pick- in honor of Jerry, let’s call it “Svengali”- the 1931 classic featuring John Barrymore as musician and hypnotist Svengali who uses his evil power to control a young singer’s career and life. Based on a famous novel, that’s also where we get the term for a person who seems to control another’s life. Jerry G, actually had his original make-up based on the look of Barrymore in this film, though it became more simplified as time went on! And I go on and on and on, don’t I? All right, I’ll shut up- see you tonight at 9 on “the U”- and back here tomorrow. Write to me at svengoolie@wciu.com. As your Svengali, I command you. A Svengoolie Svengali? Enough already…
Yes, it’s Friday the 13th- the traditional day of bad luck. Quite honestly, most Friday the 13th days have been good for me- but, then again, I’m Svengoolie…and, I’m glad that’s the case, because TONIGHT- from 8-11pm- I’ll be appearing at Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest! They will be selling rubber chickens for me to sign, and I’ll have free autographed pictures. Rumor has it I may be the Grand Marshall of the parade! Come out and meet me tonight, for my return –for the first time in years- to Fright Fest! Now, regarding the whole Friday the 13th thing-not to get too religious on you, but some say the fear of thirteen has roots with the Christian belief that 13 people were at the last supper- and the “thirteenth” was Judas the traitorous apostle (Svengoolie talking religion-now we KNOW today is unlucky)! Another theory is that there were 13 months in the pagan calendar (I get dibs on keeping the picture of “Miss Thirteenth Month”)! Friday also may be considered unlucky due to religious and pagan beliefs. For those who read “Thor” comics, Norse mythology claims thirteen is unlucky because the evil god of mischief Loki crashed a party of twelve, making him the “thirteenth”, at a banquet where he killed the beloved Norse hero Balder! Modern sages claim that 13 is unlucky because rarely, on old TV sets, before cable TV, was there an active station on channel 13. Okay, I made that one up- but, on our cable system, BOY-does channel 13 stink!
Here’s a suggestion for a scary movie that doesn’t stink- and, what else could it be today, but 1980’s ‘Friday the Thirteenth”? The first in a long series of movies that made the hockey-masked undying Jason Voorhees a household name (in rather creepy households), the story of Camp Crystal Lake- where the young counselors get a little too friendly with each other- and are slaughtered for their “indiscretion”- is famous for being the vehicle for one of Kevin Bacon’s early roles. It’s also considered by many as one of those modern horror classics, like “Nightmare on Elm Street”- and certainly has survived many sequels, good and bad (or worse)!
Hey, it’s your lucky day- I’m gonna stop writing! See you here tomorrow, and at 9pm tomorrow night on “the U”!
Here’s a suggestion for a scary movie that doesn’t stink- and, what else could it be today, but 1980’s ‘Friday the Thirteenth”? The first in a long series of movies that made the hockey-masked undying Jason Voorhees a household name (in rather creepy households), the story of Camp Crystal Lake- where the young counselors get a little too friendly with each other- and are slaughtered for their “indiscretion”- is famous for being the vehicle for one of Kevin Bacon’s early roles. It’s also considered by many as one of those modern horror classics, like “Nightmare on Elm Street”- and certainly has survived many sequels, good and bad (or worse)!
Hey, it’s your lucky day- I’m gonna stop writing! See you here tomorrow, and at 9pm tomorrow night on “the U”!
Yes, it’s Columbus Day- the day when Columbus discovered Amerigo Vespucci- or, is it the other way around? Or, was it Columbus, Ohio? Which is nowhere near Berwyn? Regardless, all I know is- I don’t get the day off. So- let’s continue our thread from yesterday- the story of the original Svengoolie. I mentioned his (Jerry G. Bishop’s) first coffin was an actual, lay-down, flip-top gray box- that visiting guests –“guest coffin openers”- would actually sign. Guys like local radio and TV personalities, visiting entertainers- they would all sign the coffin. Where is it now? Well, when I was “Son of Svengoolie”- we brought it to Chicago’s Will Rodgers Theater as part of a promotion- and the person who was supposed to make sure we got it back- never did. That theater was torn down, so who knows if it survived? Anyway, let’s flash back to the seventies again- Jerry’s wooden coffin was replaced by a stand-up, “dutch–door” coffin, with a design by yours truly. It was built by stagehand Bobby Walker. We’ll tell you more about it in an upcoming webisode! It is, in fact, the coffin I use today- with a few differences…
And- so today is no different than any other- let’s give you a scary movie suggestion- since Columbus sailed the ocean blue- let’s take a slow boat to “The Island of Lost Souls.” This 1932 film adaptation of H.G. Well’s “Island of Dr. Moreau” is somewhat dated, but still frightening- an island controlled by a crazed scientist who experiments on men and animals, creating shocking hybrids, who cower under his threats of taking them to his lab- “the House of Pain.” Charles Laughton is chilling as the evil doctor- and watch for Bela Lugosi as a fur-faced “manimal.” There have been re-makes, but this one still retains its haunting quality!
Tomorrow- it’s Friday the 13th- which means, it’s bad luck not to check back here for my next blog (and worse luck that I have to write another one- my aching fingers)! And- tomorrow night- come out and meet me at Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest from 8-11pm! Rubber chickens WILL be available…
And- so today is no different than any other- let’s give you a scary movie suggestion- since Columbus sailed the ocean blue- let’s take a slow boat to “The Island of Lost Souls.” This 1932 film adaptation of H.G. Well’s “Island of Dr. Moreau” is somewhat dated, but still frightening- an island controlled by a crazed scientist who experiments on men and animals, creating shocking hybrids, who cower under his threats of taking them to his lab- “the House of Pain.” Charles Laughton is chilling as the evil doctor- and watch for Bela Lugosi as a fur-faced “manimal.” There have been re-makes, but this one still retains its haunting quality!
Tomorrow- it’s Friday the 13th- which means, it’s bad luck not to check back here for my next blog (and worse luck that I have to write another one- my aching fingers)! And- tomorrow night- come out and meet me at Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest from 8-11pm! Rubber chickens WILL be available…
Thanks for coming back to check out the blog…my two-fingered typing has been increasing in speed (but not accuracy)! Lots of great comments from you guys- and suggestions for things I should address. A constant topic- the original Svengoolie- Jerry G. Bishop. How did he become Sven? Well, Jerry G. happened to be the live announcer on duty when Ch. 32 ran a horror movie on Friday nights- and started reading the announcements and ad-libbing in his (as he out it) “Hebrew Bela Lugosi” accent! This caught on, and he began getting mail from viewers- so, soon, he became the character “Svengoolie”, doing audio bits thru-out the “bumps” in and out of movie segments. At about that time, a young Northwestern student named Rich Koz began sending him material, which Jerry liked, and asked for more. Soon, Jerry was doing his voice-overs over still pictures of himself in the Svengoolie costume- which, at that time, was a sweatshirt, re-white-and blue bell-bottom pants, sandals, plus a green hippie wig, headband, and sunglasses. The popularity of the character brought about the next move- the Sven segments became videotape segments, featuring Zelda the female talking skull, and Sven playing guitar, or attempting to play piano. Guest coffin-openers would come in to start the show- signing the plain gray wooden coffin that was Sven’s first coffin. Where is it now- and what came next? I’ll tell you- tomorrow!
Now, let’s get our “Countdown to Halloween” film selection in- it’s a recently- “pre-quelled” horror film- “the Texas Chainsaw Massacre!” The savagery of this film turned a lot of people off when it first came out-but a good many consider it the first of the modern horror classics, like “Nightmare on Elm Street.” This low-budget 1974 Tobe Hooper film is basically the story of some teenagers who wander into a rural area- and are confronted by- uh- rural cannibals! No one can forget the psychotic “Leatherface” on the attack with his chainsaw! This film is definitely not for everyone- but any modern horror fan needs to see it to discover the roots of many current horror movies.
Discover some scary fun this Friday night at Six Flags Great America- when yours truly will be signing autographs, appearing in the parade and more from 8-11pm on Friday the 13th!!! I want to see YOU there!
More blogging tomorrow? You bet! Don’t forget to touch base with me at svengoolie@wciu.com - yes, I read everything that comes in…unless it’s spam, spam, spam, spam…
Now, let’s get our “Countdown to Halloween” film selection in- it’s a recently- “pre-quelled” horror film- “the Texas Chainsaw Massacre!” The savagery of this film turned a lot of people off when it first came out-but a good many consider it the first of the modern horror classics, like “Nightmare on Elm Street.” This low-budget 1974 Tobe Hooper film is basically the story of some teenagers who wander into a rural area- and are confronted by- uh- rural cannibals! No one can forget the psychotic “Leatherface” on the attack with his chainsaw! This film is definitely not for everyone- but any modern horror fan needs to see it to discover the roots of many current horror movies.
Discover some scary fun this Friday night at Six Flags Great America- when yours truly will be signing autographs, appearing in the parade and more from 8-11pm on Friday the 13th!!! I want to see YOU there!
More blogging tomorrow? You bet! Don’t forget to touch base with me at svengoolie@wciu.com - yes, I read everything that comes in…unless it’s spam, spam, spam, spam…
Hey, it’s a “Terror-filled Two-fer Tuesday” (See yesterday’s blog)! I promise I’ll make good on the “two-fer” bit with TWO suggestions of scary films as we countdown to Halloween- but first- you know our Svengoolie t-shirt commercial? The one with the giant chicken rampaging through the city? Well, we’re happy to announce that it’s been nominated for a Midwest Emmy award! Special thanks to our co-workers on the spot- Jeff Hinkle of our design department, and Chris Faulkner, our Sven director and chief editor. We try to make these more than just a hard-sell for the shirts- we always try to make them entertaining, and I always laugh when fans use the line “Can I pay with a personal check?” That really seems to have caught on as a catch phrase! (And, by the way- NO!!! You STILL can’t pay with a personal check)! This design has been the fastest-selling of all our Sven shirts, and we’re glad so many of you really love it!
An interviewer recently asked me about how many Emmys I have- the answer is seven, for various shows and “outstanding individual achievement on camera.” (We obviously snowed someone)! I was also inducted into the prestigious TV Academy’s “Silver Circle”- which honors people who have made “outstanding contributions to Chicago television.”(Did I say “snowed”? I meant a veritable blizzard! White-out conditions)! In all seriousness, I’m very proud of that. If you check around the country and through TV history- very few horror show hosts win Emmys. I’d like to think that this means what we do really is special, and the many talented people I currently (and previously) have worked with have all had the same attitude- they CARE about what we’re doing. And we’re glad it means so much to so many of you!
Okay, wipe those tears away (I know I am)- here’s our “Two-fer Tuesday” picks of the fright films- since I’m going to “pick two” (as Moe always says)- we need a film with fingers- and none is as chilling as “The Beast With Five Fingers!” From 1946, it stars the truly creepy Peter Lorre as an astrologist who checks out the manor of a recently deceased pianist- where murders have been committed, and he believes the culprit is –the disembodied hand of the dead pianist! There are plenty of scary scenes of the hand attacking, and Lorre is –well, he’s Lorre! Our second pick- is more like a second hand (a second-hand what?) –it’s the Sven favorite “the Crawling Hand!” An astronaut dies in space under mysterious circumstances, and all that returns to earth is- his hand! It now has a life of its own- killing and then attacking a teenage guy- “infecting” him, and turning him into a violent killer. This 1963 flick features the song “the Bird is the Word” by the Rivingtons- and stars none other than “Gilligan’s” skipper, Alan Hale Jr. So, double your digits with these two hands-with hands like these, I’m going to fold now. Remember- I’ll be at FrightFest this Friday night- Friday the 13th- for autographs and more- from 8 –11pm at Six Flags Great America. More bloggin’ tomorrow!
An interviewer recently asked me about how many Emmys I have- the answer is seven, for various shows and “outstanding individual achievement on camera.” (We obviously snowed someone)! I was also inducted into the prestigious TV Academy’s “Silver Circle”- which honors people who have made “outstanding contributions to Chicago television.”(Did I say “snowed”? I meant a veritable blizzard! White-out conditions)! In all seriousness, I’m very proud of that. If you check around the country and through TV history- very few horror show hosts win Emmys. I’d like to think that this means what we do really is special, and the many talented people I currently (and previously) have worked with have all had the same attitude- they CARE about what we’re doing. And we’re glad it means so much to so many of you!
Okay, wipe those tears away (I know I am)- here’s our “Two-fer Tuesday” picks of the fright films- since I’m going to “pick two” (as Moe always says)- we need a film with fingers- and none is as chilling as “The Beast With Five Fingers!” From 1946, it stars the truly creepy Peter Lorre as an astrologist who checks out the manor of a recently deceased pianist- where murders have been committed, and he believes the culprit is –the disembodied hand of the dead pianist! There are plenty of scary scenes of the hand attacking, and Lorre is –well, he’s Lorre! Our second pick- is more like a second hand (a second-hand what?) –it’s the Sven favorite “the Crawling Hand!” An astronaut dies in space under mysterious circumstances, and all that returns to earth is- his hand! It now has a life of its own- killing and then attacking a teenage guy- “infecting” him, and turning him into a violent killer. This 1963 flick features the song “the Bird is the Word” by the Rivingtons- and stars none other than “Gilligan’s” skipper, Alan Hale Jr. So, double your digits with these two hands-with hands like these, I’m going to fold now. Remember- I’ll be at FrightFest this Friday night- Friday the 13th- for autographs and more- from 8 –11pm at Six Flags Great America. More bloggin’ tomorrow!
Welcome to a Monstrous Monday at the Svengoolie blog. Should I start naming every day, like wacky deejays used to do? Werewolf Wednesday? Frankenstein Friday? Third-rate Thursday (in honor of some of the stinkers we’ve shown)? At least, we’re benefiting from our group of Universal flicks now. This week, it’s more Abbott, Costello, and Karloff with a creepy hotel on a dark, stormy night- and bodies piling up faster than room service bills! Boris is a sinister swami up to no good- with a whole platoon of other unsavory hotel guests. It’s “Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff”-this Saturday night on Sven. By the way, the show is at 9 pm now. I love getting e-mails and letters from people who say “I’m a big fan and watch every week. I tuned in at 11 pm last Saturday, and you weren’t on. Where did the show go?” Well, if you watch every week- how did you miss the announcements that we were moving to 9 pm? Also-it’s funny how some who have followed my career long-term, will not find the show just once, and immediately fear that it’s been cancelled! Have faith, Sven believers- we’re coming up on twelve years here at “the U”- almost DOUBLE the time the “Son of Svengoolie” show ran!
Time for another horror film to help you countdown to Halloween- and my pick today is a good old–fashioned ghost story. 1988’s “Lady in White” has some amazingly beautiful shots- and a really chilling plot. It’s Halloween 1962, and young Frankie (Lukas Haas) gets locked in the school cloakroom- only to witness the ghostly form of a young girl and the man who killed her many years ago! This frightening vision brings Frankie to a strange house allegedly haunted by the “Lady in White”- and also brings him into danger when the killer realizes Frankie knows about him, and begins to stalk him! This story is based on an old New York legend of a “White Lady” ghost who roams around searching for her murdered daughter- and the film is bound to haunt you once you’ve seen it.
Make plans to come see me on Friday the 13th at Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest-from 8-11pm! Meanwhile-got some original ideas for a Halloween costume this year? Drop me a line at svengoolie@wciu.com or, if you’re worried someone might steal your idea- tell me about a good one you had for a previous Halloween! I’ll write some more blog babble for you tomorrow- y’all come back now, ya hear?
Time for another horror film to help you countdown to Halloween- and my pick today is a good old–fashioned ghost story. 1988’s “Lady in White” has some amazingly beautiful shots- and a really chilling plot. It’s Halloween 1962, and young Frankie (Lukas Haas) gets locked in the school cloakroom- only to witness the ghostly form of a young girl and the man who killed her many years ago! This frightening vision brings Frankie to a strange house allegedly haunted by the “Lady in White”- and also brings him into danger when the killer realizes Frankie knows about him, and begins to stalk him! This story is based on an old New York legend of a “White Lady” ghost who roams around searching for her murdered daughter- and the film is bound to haunt you once you’ve seen it.
Make plans to come see me on Friday the 13th at Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest-from 8-11pm! Meanwhile-got some original ideas for a Halloween costume this year? Drop me a line at svengoolie@wciu.com or, if you’re worried someone might steal your idea- tell me about a good one you had for a previous Halloween! I’ll write some more blog babble for you tomorrow- y’all come back now, ya hear?
Well, how did you like our first Universal flick- “Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?” Make sure you let me know at svengoolie@wciu.com - and be prepared, as MORE Bud and Lou/monster meetings continue throughout October. Also, let me know if, when watching, you think there’s any legitimacy to Moe Howard’s claim that Costello ripped off bits of business from Curly! Moe has been quoted as saying that Abbott and Costello used to stand in the wings and watch the 3 Stooges work as headliners in vaudeville- and that Lou took a lot of reactions, grunts, squeals, and movements from Curly’s character. I don’t know- sometimes I see it, sometimes I don’t. It’s kind of interesting to see some of these movies from a period when Bud and Lou really weren’t getting along much, but had such a successful act they still wanted to work together. It’s hard to tell how much of Bud’s gruff behavior towards Lou is just an act!
Now, today’s “Countdown to Halloween” movie selection- in view of our Bud and Lou discussion- let’s pick another horror comedy- in fact, one of the best! Mel Brooks’ outstanding “Young Frankenstein” (1974) is so true to the Universal Frankenstein flicks- right down to his use of actual lab equipment from the original Frankenstein film- and, the performances are hilarious. Two highlights- The Monster (Peter Boyle) meeting the blind hermit (Gene Hackman)- and the ever-popular “Puttin’ on the Ritz” song and dance number! Add the late Marty Feldman as the hunchback, and you’ve got a perfect parody of the classic black and white horror genre. Gene Wilder-as Dr. Frankenstein (that’s Frahnk-en-STEEN!) -was never wilder!
Okay- big news –yours truly Svengoolie will be appearing at Six Flags Great America this Friday night- Friday the 13th!!! They’ll even be selling rubber chickens, so you can have them signed!! Come out for a great time- I’ll be there from around 8 pm to closing! (And- I’ll be back here tomorrow!)
Now, today’s “Countdown to Halloween” movie selection- in view of our Bud and Lou discussion- let’s pick another horror comedy- in fact, one of the best! Mel Brooks’ outstanding “Young Frankenstein” (1974) is so true to the Universal Frankenstein flicks- right down to his use of actual lab equipment from the original Frankenstein film- and, the performances are hilarious. Two highlights- The Monster (Peter Boyle) meeting the blind hermit (Gene Hackman)- and the ever-popular “Puttin’ on the Ritz” song and dance number! Add the late Marty Feldman as the hunchback, and you’ve got a perfect parody of the classic black and white horror genre. Gene Wilder-as Dr. Frankenstein (that’s Frahnk-en-STEEN!) -was never wilder!
Okay- big news –yours truly Svengoolie will be appearing at Six Flags Great America this Friday night- Friday the 13th!!! They’ll even be selling rubber chickens, so you can have them signed!! Come out for a great time- I’ll be there from around 8 pm to closing! (And- I’ll be back here tomorrow!)
Tonight is the night! Yes, it’s “Stooge-a-palooza”-NO!!! (Well, yes- that’s on at 7pm)-but, it’s what we’ve all been waiting for- the first Svengoolie show featuring the Universal Studios films everybody asks about! We’ll start off with some creepy comedy- “Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!” Ever since the boys’ meeting with Frankenstein- which rejuvenated their careers, as well as returning the Universal monsters to the screen- the studio tried to come up with more monster meetings for Bud and Lou. For this one, they managed to get the King of Horror, Boris Karloff- who had worked with the boys previously, and had taken a pass on working in their Frankenstein flick. They cast Boris as the semi-benevolent Dr. Jekyll- who, of course, experiments with a serum that transforms him into the horrid Mr. Hyde. There’s even cameos by a couple other “monsters.” This film leads off a full month of Abbott and Costello/monster flicks- so, you get some fun with your fright- not to mention, yours truly Svengoolie along for the ride. Definitely a good time, and I don’t want you to miss it! For today’s Halloween horror film selection- let’s go with something comedic as well…”Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!” A lot of people swear I’ve shown this 1978 flick on my show, but nope- I never did. You have to love a horror film whose theme song –a stirring minor-key march- includes lyrics like “I know I’m going to miss her- a tomato ate my sister!” This movie is just what it says- people are attacked by mutant tomatoes! The government steps in to handle this menace (I guess Emeril wasn’t available back then..) and wacky characters abound. Violent vegetables are a world away from those “Veggie Tales” – but this movie is actually pretty safe for the younger set- and may encourage them to eat their vegetables- before the vegetables eat THEM! All right- see you tonight at 9 for “Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!” You can always reach me at svengoolie@wciu.com. I’ll write more tomorrow (is that a promise- or a threat?)
We’re about to launch into the weekend, and not a moment too soon- as we await the first of our Universal Studios offerings tomorrow at 9 on “the U!” As I’ve said, if there’s one question people always ask, and have asked for the past eleven years (other than “Shouldn’t you be taller?”)-it’s “Why don’t you show those great old original horror movies- like Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, etc?” The reason has been pretty simple- the films have not been available to independent stations like ours. Many of them have been sewn up in exclusive contracts by cable networks, which usually only bring them out once a year- at Halloween. We simply haven’t been able to get the rights for local broadcast. It took many years, and a lot of work- but, thanks to the diligent work of our fearless leader, Neal Sabin- we’ve finally gotten the chance to bring back those great flicks that haven’t been seen on broadcast TV in more than a decade. Let me point out that we’ll be getting a wide variety of old and newer films-lots of favorites, lots of classics- for months to come. Some of the classics will come a little later (again, due to their deals with cable, etc.)-but I think you’ll enjoy the selections. I’m really happy that our show was the place that is finally allowed to present these favorites to old fans and new generations of horror fans! So- let’s make today’s Halloween season film suggestion one of those classics-it’s Dracula, in da house…I mean, “House of Dracula.” This was Universal’s follow-up to “House of Frankenstein”- a 1945 reunion of all the top monsters, with John Carradine as Dracula, plus Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman, and Glenn Strange as the Frankenstein monster. A mysterious doctor thinks he can “cure” all the monsters-you can guess if he succeeds or not! It’s full of the great black and white atmosphere that makes these movies so effective. Rent this “House” (or, wait for it to show up in the future on our show!) See you tomorrow- both her in blog-land, and at 9pm on WCIU along with Karloff, Abbott and Costello!!!
We continue to countdown to my favorite day of the year-Halloween- with this blog, complete with a daily suggestion of a scary movie for you to while away the hours until it’s time to put on your mask (and, if you’re like me, that’s an improvement). I’ve seen some amazing costumes, at parties and conventions, and some of them show real creativity. There’s a huge, over 7 foot tall “Grim Reaper” who shows up at various events, and gets taller and scarier every year. Another favorite is a little zombie girl, who last showed up as “Little DEAD Riding Hood!” Last year, I saw a lot of Batwomen (with varying degrees of bat-cleavage) and some great clones of the characters from Rob Zombie’s “House of 1,000 Corpses.” I’d expect quite a few Supermen this year, after the movie…and lots of Capt. Jack Sparrow look-a-likes! Invariably, when I do appearances, there’s always a few people dressed as Svengoolie- both guys and gals! And, an occasional Empire Carpet guy…since we’re going to be running the Universal classics in months to come, it’s nice to see the traditional Frankensteins, Creatures from the Black Lagoon, and other old school monsters represented at costume parties. It seems like being in a costume really removes a lot of people’s inhibitions by varying degrees- it’s the one time very year, I guess, that people feel they can be somebody else. Of course, that never happens to me… I’ll pave the road with another film suggestion as we count down the days to Halloween - and, I’m giving you a choice this time! You can pick either version of “House of Wax”- the traditional Vincent Price, formerly in 3-D version from 1953- or the newer version from 2005, which did include- gasp- Paris Hilton. Now, before you say “that’s not hot”- you really should check it out! The story differs somewhat from the Price version, but does include some great special effects, some unique twists (and some obvious ones)-and, Paris does get knocked off –see, give the people what they want…but- the original is still a creepy classic, in 2-D or 3-D.Plenty of scares when Vincent, as a waxworks creator who prefers art- gets double-crossed by a partner who burns his place down-which leads to a mad killer stalking New York (any connection? Hmmm…could be)! You also get a mute Charles Bronson and very young “Morticia” Carolyn Jones. Either version will leave you with that waxy look in your eyes… I’ll take a few wax…I mean, whacks- at writing another blog tomorrow. E-mail me at svengoolie@wciu.com so I know you’re still awake…
Time to slog through the blog again- thanks to you all for the messages at svengoolie@wciu.com! I appreciate the suggestions for movies to add in our countdown to Halloween- Though I can’t use ‘em all, you guys have given me some great ideas! When I mentioned the Houby Parade was last Sunday- I got e-mails asking the FAQ- “What’s the deal with always saying-BERWYN?” Since so many people want to know- I’ll tell the story once more. Back when my mentor Jerry G. Bishop was starting his Sven shtick, Rowan and Martin, on their TV show “Laugh-In” –as well as Johnny Carson- made “backward small town” jokes about “beautiful downtown Burbank.” Jerry wanted a local equivalent- and decided on Berwyn after hearing about the Houby Day parade, in honor of mushrooms, and its main streets loaded with used car dealers and savings-and-loans. The cry of “BER-WYN?!” caught on, and I continue to carry the torch my “dad” handed off to me. One other element, that I never found about ‘til recently, was that famed movie host Ghoulardi, who was on TV opposite Jerry when he was in Cleveland- also made fun of a backward suburb named Parma…so, Jerry also took a lead from that. In all honesty, the people of Berwyn have always been very kind to me, and the mayor of Berwyn has his own Svengoolie “It Came from Berwyn” t-shirt…possibly, with a few fried mushroom stains on it. As we head towards Halloween- let’s grab our movie pick from back in those fabulous 50s! Producer/director William Castle, king of exploitation films with gimmicks, trotted out “The Tingler” in 1959. Here’s the deal- the Tingler is a nasty centipede-looking thing that is created in the human spine by fear! Try getting an Orkin Man in there… These nasty creatures will kill you if you get too scared and they get too powerful. It’s up to Vincent Price to get possible victims- and you, the audience- to “release the fear” by screaming your freaking head off! Add to this the fact that Castle actually had theater seats rigged with a wire to give viewers a mild shock-to make them think the Tingler was right in the theater! Please don’t try this at home. Leave the batteries in the remote. I mean it. And, I mean to come back here for more tomorrow (what am I, a cowboy?!) Saddle up, podner- we still got us a way to go ‘til Halloween!