After trick-or-treating ended Saturday night, me and the missus went to the Nightlight Cinema in downtown Akron to see the original Halloween on the big screen. The Nightlight is a cool little independent theater. They sell alcohol and cupcakes at the concession stand. I thought about ordering a sasparilla, but I really don't know what that is. I only know about it from Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Anywho, I sat down with my popcorn and Diet Coke and watched Halloween for the first time in my life! It was a hoot! It was so cheesy and fun, I loved it!
Before the movie started, a three man band called Analog Fog played a tribute to John Carpenter movies by playing the theme music from the following movies:
1. Escape From New York
2. Christine
3. Assault On Precinct 13
4. Halloween
They sounded great. I recorded the first song they played (Escape From New York), but I wish I would have got Halloween! It was spectacular! Sorry about the videon quality, it was really dark in there.
WOW! I just don't know what to say about this. It's kinda cool and disturbing at the same time. Found this at Dangerous Minds. Here's what they had to say about it --
Lynda Carter’s rock and roll fantasy from her 1980 TV special Encore.
I find this an almost perfect collision of pop culture iconography that could have only existed in the era of spandex, platform shoes, disco balls and hairspray - twixt the end of the punkish 70s and the dawning of the gloriously absurd 80s.
Believe it or not, Perry Como has only had nine Christmas songs hit the various Billboard charts between 1946 and 1974. Here are those nine songs according to the awesome book Christmas in the Charts 1920-2004. I tried to find the original versions of each song, but I'm not sure on a couple of them.
My previous Christmas in the Charts compilations are still available for download -- Garth Brooks and Bing Crosby.
Track List
1. Winter Wonderland
2. White Christmas
3. The Lord's Prayer
4. Ave Maria
5. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
6. (There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
7. Jingle Bells
8. There Is No Christmas Like a Home Christmas
9. Christmas Dream
An instructional video for ensuring a happy home during this zombie-infested holiday season. Uploaded by Team Unicorn. (Caution: a few scenes may be too graphic for young children)
Steve Landesberg -- famous for his roles on "Barney Miller" and more recently "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" -- has died ... this according to the actor's agent who spoke with TMZ.
We're told Landesberg died of cancer early this morning. He had been battling the disease for a while.
Landesberg played Dr. Rosenbaum -- the pediatrician -- in "Sarah Marshall." But he was more famous for his role as Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich on the TV show "Barney Miller," which ran from 1975 - 82.
I remember seeing this special when it first aired in the US. I had forgotten about it until sometime in the late 80s when I tried to find it on VHS. The only problem was I couldn't remember the name of it. I searched used video dealers for years at flea markets and never found it. Jump to the early 2000s when I got my first computer. I finally found out what it was called only to discover that it was released on VHS in the 80s and was incredibly hard to find for a decent price. Thank God for YouTube.
A Cosmic Christmas is the first television special produced by the Canadian animation company, Nelvana. It premiered on December 4, 1977 in Canada on CBC Television.
Nelvana worked on their first television specials: A Cosmic Christmas (1977), The Devil and Daniel Mouse (1978), Please Don't Eat the Planet (better known by its subtitle, Intergalactic Thanksgiving) (1979), Romie-0 and Julie-8 (1979), Easter Fever (1980) and Take Me Up to the Ball Game (1980). During that time, George Lucas, an aficionado of their work, commissioned the company to work on a 10-minute sequence for the CBS TV film, The Star Wars Holiday Special. This short scene, officially entitled "The Faithful Wookiee", would introduce audiences to the villainous bounty hunter Boba Fett, who would make his first theatrical appearance in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back.
I'm way behind on my Christmas posts! I have a bunch of things planned, but I don't know if I'll have time to do it all. While you're waiting for new posts here, check out these sites that are much better at posting on a regular basis --
You can also listen to my Christmas Playlist. Enjoy some seasonal tunes while surfing the net.
Hopefully I'll get some quality holiday posts up soon. In the meantime, if you want to get me something for Christmas, see my Amazon Wishlist at the bottom of the blog :)
On that note, I'll leave you with one of the greatest Christmas songs ever!
Dale Kay is a Horror Host on a local public access channel on Amherst City Cable in Ohio. A few weeks ago I watched one of his shows that was streaming on Alternative Realities. The movie he was showing was The Eye Creatures. The movie was really bad, but his show was really fun. I've been "talking" to Dale through email recently. Here's his history cut together from several emails --
"Well....let's start with a brief history...my childhood doesn't sound much different than yours in areas of interest. I used to make clay dinosaurs come to life on my old 8mm and Super 8 cameras that had single frame capabilities and I used them for special classes, but mostly my own enjoyment.
In 1980, The Ghoul announced he would come back to the (then) new channel 61 in Cleveland, which later became the shopping network channel. He was also doing radio on 108 FM on Saturday nights. I sort of "crashed" the radio station with my finance, at the time, and surprised Ron Sweed and his then wife Barbara. Queen Barbara was very gracious and let us come into the production room out back while Ron did his show live. They learned very quickly I had a knack for character voices and timing and I learned to use the recording equipment equally fast. I made some promos with impressions of famous people for Ron's show and we were promptly invited to the TV station, as well where we played Blanche Figmeyer and I was Spike (who rides a bike) as well as other characters.
After about a year of appearing weekly on both shows, I discovered through one of the other characters on the show that one could make pretty good money as a DJ in bars and weddings.....it was like a dream come true for me....to be able to be paid to drink and act like an ass (well....maybe I wasn't acting). I utilized my TV and radio appearances to obtain nightclub work and had a fairly successful run for the next 15 years. As our family began, I gravitated to a more conventional method of earning a living and drifted away from my hobbies and entertainment, except for an occaisional DJ gig.
Late in 2006, my son and I were collecting soundtracks for horror and sci-fi movies. As I searched more and more online, I discovered a website hosted by Doktor Goulfinger (Michael Monohan) that was dedicated to horror hosts across the country which got the horror host bug to bite me on the heiny. The site also explored the old Spook shows or Ghost shows that were popular in the 40s and 50s in movie theaters. It was then, that Dale Kay's Spookshow was......hatched? I approached our local cable station who at first seemed very interested in the project and the local office manager said "go ahead and film it with the cameraman". In 48 hours, an entire show which includes a cartoon, movie (with comic sound bytes inserted), original comedy skits and hosted studio segments was completed save for editing. The finished product was presented to the "big shots" at the cable company who informed me they don't do public access.
I was given a copy of that "pilot" show and went next to Amherst City Cable at the suggestion of the cameraman, Bob Schlenbaker. He said Amherst is always looking for new shows. From there we've been doing one show a month during the school year, typically, with 28 shows completed. Issue 29 is in post-production, now slowed by a heavy sports schedule there. Spookshow is family-friendly and my own two children Mike and Rachael co-write and co-produce some of the skits, at times.
We've been regular guests at Ghoulardifest...they usually show an Issue of Spookshow and in 2008 I was asked to be on a panel with other hosts and local celebs to discuss the genre. We post the best skits on YouTube....www.youtube.com/dkspookshow.
I get a lot of positive feedback. I'm also hoping to host for 100ymm.com (for one hundred years of monster movies if you accept Edison's 1910 Frankenstein as a first). A company called Fearwerx in NY created a website and every Friday night a different horror host is featured hosting two cheesy horror flicks on a webcast....complete with a chat. Dozens of horror hosts across the country...some well known in the genre and some "newbies" like myself join in the chat.....it's almost like an expanded version of Mystery Science Theater 3000, in a way. I get to use more of my adult humor....A nice outlet for a former nightclub DJ!!
As far as my character....not too far from my DJ persona, which isn't a far cry from the real me. I used my last initial when I started as a DJ and people got to thinking "Kay" was my last name, so I used it, since my real name is a bit ethnic...ski. The best compliment I received so far, was someone who said.....gosh....it's SO much like Big Chuck and The Ghoul without copying either. I tend to be a wise guy and my kids are equally sarcastic, picking at my age and weight while I bust on them to do chores or be respectful. I like to say Spookshow is a cross between the Addams Family and Married With Children....but not really, yet....it's a direction we want to head in.
The first Spookshow aired Apr 15, 2007. We get some interesting guests...the most well known is Uncle Vic from old G98, who is a good friend of mine.
Dale Kay's Radio Spookshow will be on Sat Oct 30 from 7-9 pm on Kool Kat Oldies 1380 AM in Oberlin and then it's over to the Oberlin Inn's bar, Brewster's, for a live Halloween DJ Show."
Thanks for the info Dale. If anyone is in the area, be sure to check out his show. For more info, click on the links below.
We are pleased to announce that we are going to be releasing a limited edition 7" single of Alice's song, "Keepin' Halloween Alive!" We will only be pressing 2,300 units on special Glow In The Dark Vinyl! Of those 2,300 only 1,450 will be available for sale, in the U.S. ONLY! The remaining copies will be used for promotional materials and pre-orders in the U.K and the U.S. to promote the release of Alice's new DVD, "Theatre Of Death." U.K.
The limited edition vinyl will be available direct from http://www.alicecooper.com/ for US fans starting Thursday (10/21) evening at 5:00pm CST. UK & International links coming soon, We will only be able to ship to the U.S. Sorry, no international orders will be accepted from http://www.alicecooper.com/.
Side A: Keepin' Halloween Alive
Side C: I Love The Dead (Live) Theatre Of Death DVD/CD
“Keep looking up!” With that memorable phrase, Jack Horkheimer would close yet another addition of his 5 minute program on mostly naked-eye observational astronomy that would air on PBS stations all over the nation. Now, the “Star Gazer” who helped bring the heavens to millions all over the country, and Earth, has died at the age of 72.
Horkheimer's death on Friday was confirmed via a spokesman for the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium. Horkheimer had been director of the Planetarium for over 35 years. However, it was the 5 minute “Stargazer” mini-program that brought Horkheimer worldwide fame.
“Star Gazer” began as “Star Hustler” in 1976 in the Miami market. The show would run for almost 10 years before it went national in 1985. The show then began to be aired internationally in 1989. The name of the show was changed to “Star Gazer” in 1997 because Internet searchers would often come up with results for the adult magazine when looking for information on the show.
In the early years, PBS stations would often sign-off for a period of time overnight. It was at this last window of airtime that Horkheimer's show was aired. Now, with 24-hour broadcasting on PBS, “Star Gazer” was often slotted in between shows in the evening. However, despite the name and time changes, the show's focus remained the same for nearly 35 years in that it spotlighted observational astronomical events for the week, with a bit of fun facts thrown in for good measure.
With Horkheimer's death, astronomy has probably lost its most famous ambassador since when Carl Sagan died in 1996. Besides the loss of the iconic TV personality, the status of the show is now uncertain. Even if it continues, it just won't be the same without Jack at the helm. However, there will always be other great astronomical resources out there providing plenty of reasons to “keep looking up!”
Mitch Miller, a musician and record-company executive who became one of the 20th century's most influential forces in popular music as the producer who launched the recording careers of singers Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis and Patti Page, died July 31 at a hospital in New York. He was 99.
Mr. Miller was a talented conductor and oboist who became a recording star in the 1950s and 1960s, with dozens of defiantly backward-looking "sing-along" albums that sold millions of copies. As the host of a popular television show in the early 1960s, "Sing Along With Mitch," he has been credited by some with being the inventor of karaoke.
He made his greatest mark as a behind-the-scenes producer for the Mercury and Columbia record companies from the late 1940s to the 1960s, helping create the sound of popular music between World War II and the Beatles-led British Invasion.
With a deep antipathy for to rock-and-roll -- he turned down Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly for contracts with Columbia -- Mr. Miller preferred an older style of pop music based on jazz and the classics.
For years, it wasn't unusual for half the country's top 10 Top Ten hits to have come from Mr. Miller's studio, including Page's "Tennessee Waltz," Frankie Laine's "Mule Train," Doris Day's "Secret Love" and Johnnie Ray's "Cry."
He brought country music into the pop mainstream, with new recordings of Hank Williams's "Cold, Cold Heart" and "Jambalaya" by Bennett and Jo Stafford, respectively. He refashioned classical music and international folk tunes into pop hits, expanded the studio practice of overdubbing and helped make so-called novelty tunes, with nonsensical lyrics and tricky musical effects, a pop-music staple. (His 1952 recording of 13-year-old Jimmy Boyd singing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," for example, sold 2 million copies.)
When he became Columbia's head of the popular music in 1950, the label was fourth in record sales. Sales jumped 60.percent within 18 months, and Mr. Miller's golden touch made Columbia the most important pop music label of the era.
Way back in November, I got an email from Gray & Company, Publishers. They are publishers of the best books about Cleveland, Ohio. They had seen my blog and wanted to know if I'd like to have a preview copy of their book "Big Chuck! My Favorite Stories from 47 Years on Cleveland TV" by Chuck Schodowski with Tom Feran. Of course I would! I grew up watching Hoolihan and Big Chuck and then Big Chuck and Lil' John on Friday nights. It's taken me awhile, but I've finally finished reading it. I highly recommend it for anyone who grew up in northeast Ohio or is a fan of horror hosts. Two thumbs up. You can order the book from the Gray & Co. website or from Amazon.com. They also included a couple of other books, "Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride" and "The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio." I can't wait to start reading those.
From the back of the book --
Big Chuck was on camera, behind the scenes, or in the director's chair for an amazing 47 years, starting in 1960. He collaborated with Ernie Anderson on the groundbreaking "Ghoulardi" show, and continued to host a late-night show with popular co-hosts Bob "Hoolihan" Wells and then Lil' John Rinaldi across four decades--the longest such run in TV history.
He worked alongside a wide range of talented people, from Tim Conway to Burgess Meredith to Muhammad Ali. He wrote and directed two thousand hilarious sketches featuring characters like the Kielbasy Kid and Certain Ethnic Guy; they were watched by adoring fans, including Drew Carey, Tom Hanks, Meat Loaf, Don King and even two of NASA's top astronauts. His honors are almost too many to mention: dozens of Emmys, film and television festival awards, a Grammy nomination (for a polka record--what else?). He even fought heavyweight champ Mike Tyson!
Chuck's stories are packed with juicy details. They'll entertain fans of all ages--and anyone who enjoys behind-the-scenes tales of television and celebrities. So slip on your white socks, heat up some kielbasy, and get ready for great stories from the man who made Cleveland laugh for 47 years!
I'm still in shock over the death of Peter Steele. 48 is way to young. He was only a few years older than me.
I still can't see YouTube videos on any blogs. I hope Blogger figues out what the problem is soon. If you can see the video, here's the full nine minute video for the song "Christian Woman".
Wow! This is really cool news. I still have all of the Shogun Warriors in a box in the basement (they've seen better days). My brother and I had them all when they came out in the late 70s. Actually my brother had most of them (Raydeen, Mazinga, Daimos, Dangard Ace, Combattra, Gaiking and Godzilla). I only had Dragun. But, they were the coolest toys ever!
Back in the '70s, Mattel released a toyline called "Shogun Warriors" which was made up of several imported Japanese toys that were based on a popular anime series. "Shogun Warriors" was later adapted into a 20-issue comic book series by Marvel Comics, featuring writer Doug Moench and artist Herb Trimpe.
While the franchise has been dormant for several years, word has emerged that "Gaiking" and the rest of the "Shogun Warriors" may be heading to the big screen in the near future.
According to Ain't it Cool News, a "Gaiking" film is being planned for 2012 release date by director Matthew Gratzner and special effects artist Jules Urbach, with a potential "Shogun Warriors" film planned as a sequel. While the report didn't indicate which giant robots from "Shogun Warriors" would appear in the films, it did offer some insight into how the robots will be brought to the big screen, and some impressive test footage created to promote the project.
"We are building the robots life size," wrote Urbach. "Matt [Gratzner] is one of the last great practical effects guys in the business who can pull this off."
Urbach also stated that "We'll have more 'Shogun Warriors' than ever appeared in the Marvel Comics." The report also indicated that a new "Shogun Warriors" comic book series is coming from Dynamite Entertainment, with Alex Ross "mentoring on the project" and providing covers as well.
The report also promises that further announcements regarding the giant robots to be used within the film will be made at this year's San Diego Comic-Con International. However, the early word is that the action won't just be limited to Earth and will also take place on other planets in the "Shogun Warriors" universe.
Last (but definitely not least), the site offered up a look at some CGI footage created to showcase the look and tone they're envisioning for "Gaiking."
Can anybody see the YouTube video above! For some reason I can't. Not sure what the problem is.
EDIT: There seems to be a Blogger problem with videos. I hope they fix it soon. In the meantime, you can see the Gaiking teaser trailer at Ain't It Cool News.
. I tried to find the original versions of each song, but I'm not sure on a couple of them.
. They also included a couple of other books, "Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride" and "The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio." I can't wait to start reading those.
and pick up all of there CD's.
