Freddy’s Nightmares Pilot Episode!
If you missed the sad news, director Tobe Hooper passed away on Sunday. Famous for helming The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist, Tobe also had one of the coolest-sounding names I’ve ever heard.
If you’re looking for something to watch in tribute, may I recommend 1986’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2? It isn’t for everyone and it certainly isn’t for people who are just getting their feet wet with horror, but what an amazing and unique movie that was.
Or you could just watch this instead:
This sweet pick was sent in by reader Ray G.
His summary says it best:
“In honor of the late, great Tobe Hooper, here’s the criminally underseen Freddy’s Nightmares pilot episode that Tobe Hooper directed. It arguably handled Krueger’s origin better than any of the movies.”
Freddy’s Nightmares has gained a reputation for being an impossibly goofy show that lived in its own bubble, but looking over the various episode synopses, I’m stunned by how often Freddy was actually a firm plot point and not just playing Crypt Keeper. This should be good!
Disney’s Haunted Mansion: The Beginning!
Tonight’s video was suggested by SomeoneElse, and it’s a must-see if you’re a combined Halloween/Disney fanatic:
From 1970, it’s a mini-doc on the then-new Haunted Mansion ride. This was part of the Disneyland Showtime special, which ran as an episode of The Wonderful World of Disney.
Lots of great behind-the-scenes footage in here. (And keep an eye out for a super young Kurt Russell!)
If you feel like falling further down the rabbit hole, the Haunted Mansion’s Wikipedia entry is like ten miles long.
PS: Dino Drac’s main page will be updated Monday through Friday with all-new spooky stuff!
The Salem Witch Trials!
First off, thanks for helping the Halloween Countdown make a big splash on its debut night. (Big enough to crash the server, actually!)
Second, I’ve been digging through everyone’s video suggestions for After Dark, and man, you guys sent in so much great stuff. Here’s another one:
It’s a History Channel documentary on the Salem witch trials, sent in by vhslvy. She remembers it getting a lot of play during more than one Halloween season, and now that I think about it, I do too.
After visiting Salem several times, I picked up a low-key obsession with the witch trials. The eeriness doesn’t stem from any supernatural doings, of course, but rather the clear-cut example of mass hysteria and the unfathomably cruel punishments of plainly innocent people.
This isn’t exactly a “party video,” but it sure is fascinating.
By the way, if you’ve never visited Salem and it’s at all a possibility for you, seize the opportunity. Absolutely amazing town, and even with all of the increased sensationalistic hubbub during September and October, you never get the sense that you’re in a “theme park.”
There are definitely things to see and do there, but for us it was always about the ambiance. It’s the city version of a pumpkin candle. Hell, one time we spent a weekend there during a brutal thunderstorm that just about killed the town dead, and we still had a blast.
So let’s take a note from that and add a survey:
What’s the most “Halloweenified” place you’ve ever visited?
Spill it, in the comments.
Grave of the Vampire!
Welcome, foolish mortals. Dino Drac After Dark is back at full speed!
If you’re new to DDAD, here’s how it works:
This part of the site is updated every night at 12AM EST. (In practice it’s often updated a few hours before, but let’s not dull the gimmick with minutiae.)
Most nights I post a random video found on YouTube, be it a movie, a compilation of old commercials or something more offbeat.
Other nights there might be a survey. Sometimes there won’t anything at all, which means that you guys get to chat in the comments about whatever the hell you want.
There are two driving forces behind Dino Drac After Dark:
1) The idea that night owls could always use another place to hang. When the mood is right, this place sees action all night long. There’s a great group of folks in the comments who are always up for casual conversations about geeky stuff, whether you’re into the “video of the night” or not!
2) The idea that social media isn’t enough (or even a thing) for everyone, and that some folks would like a place to interact that’s far removed from those platforms.
And hey, even if you’re not into commenting, no worries — just enjoy the movies and assorted media!
Dino Drac After Dark’s second Halloween season is going to be extra special. A while back, I asked readers to pitch videos that could carry us through October 31st, and you guys really rose to the occasion. So many great suggestions!
In fact, here’s the first of ‘em:
As suggested by Brian Arnold, here’s Grave of the Vampire from 1972.
From Brian: “It’s cheesy early ‘70s fun, and the screenplay was written by David Chase, creator of The Sopranos! He adapted it from a novel he’d written. Chase would also become a story editor on the horror TV series Kolchak: The Night Stalker.”
I’ve never seen this one, but as a huge mark for anything Sopranos, I’m naturally curious. I did skim through it briefly, and it seems like the kind of movie that would’ve played on TV at 2 in the morning. So yeah, pretty perfect for this place.
Thanks for the suggestion, Brian!
Okay guys, get set for (over) two full months’ worth of weird videos and reasons to stay up late.
Hope you enjoy this year’s Halloween Countdown!
