The Dick Tracy Show!
Someone mentioned the old Dick Tracy cartoon in the previous thread, so I figured, why not?
The Dick Tracy Show premiered in the 1960s. I never heard of the series until 1990, when FOX dusted it off for an afternoon run to cash in on the Dick Tracy movie hype.
Longtime readers know of my obsession with that film, which extended to the toys and this cartoon. Tracy himself mostly had a Crypt Keeper sort of role in the show — the actual crime-fighting was left to a ragtag bunch of wacky coppers.
That led to some problems, because the good guys — Joe Jitsu and Go-Go Gomez, in particular — were thought to be racist caricatures by 1990s standards, and seem to be in even worse taste today. (As I recall, viewer complaints led FOX to only air the episodes starring Hemlock Holmes, who skirted the worst of the criticisms in light of the fact that he was a literal police dog.)
Controversy aside, I loved the villains on this series. They were split into duos, so you’d get to see two in each episode. (My fave team included Pruneface and Itchy, of course.)
Enjoy!
(Or watch it for a minute and give up. Your call.)
Tonight’s survey:
Back in 1990, I was all alone in my love for the Dick Tracy universe. As kids, we all had those few things that we were hopelessly fascinated with even if none of our friends were.
So, name something you grew up loving that *none* of your friends were into. Did you try to keep it a secret, or were you proud of your quirk?
“The Mist” Audio Dramatization!
Weird one for ya, tonight. Here’s the audio dramatization of Stephen King’s The Mist, starring William Sadler:
William Sadler was in the film, but this dramatization is based on the original novella. (…which has a number of differences, including a completely different ending. As much as I appreciate how ballsy the film ending is, I still prefer the book version.)
I saw The Mist on PPV while staying at a hotel many, many years ago. Fell in love with it instantly, and became totally obsessed with the lore. I’d soon gobble up King’s original story, and then spend years devouring all Mist-related online content.
Heck, I’m even genuinely excited about the new TV series, even though it’s to date not confirmed that it will include any monsters.
If it’s tied to The Mist, I neeeeeed it.
So, tonight’s survey:
Name a movie that so completely enamored you that you sought out *everything* that was even *remotely* associated with its story.
I’m not talking about movies that made you wanna buy collectibles, mind you. I mean movies that hit you so hard that you *had* to find everything that further explored their respective universes.
Spill it, in the comments!
Late Night TV Commercials.
This vid includes a bunch of TV commercials that aired in Detroit back in ‘86…
More specifically, it collects ads that aired during late night hours. The video quality is pretty bad, but I thought this represented the “flavor” of Dino Drac After Dark too well to skip.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a night owl. If I have no reason to get up in the morning, I’ll happily putz around until dawn.
That’s way easier to do nowadays, because the web never sleeps and even regular television gives you whatever you want whenever you want it. Back in the ‘80s and through most of the ‘90s, late nights were so much… emptier.
As a kid, I had a television in my bedroom, but not a cable box. If I was pulling a secret all-nighter, my entertainment was limited to whatever television threw at me.
Past a certain hour, there wasn’t much. There was that weird 60-90 minute period before the infomercials totally took over where you’d have a couple of ancient sitcom reruns or newsy-type programs, which at best served as background noise.
During those blocks, the commercials were worth more than the programming. They were more current, more energetic and often more familiar.
This mix of ads really captures what it was like to watch late night television back then. (Notice how some of them were slightly spooky, and remember about how easy it was for kids to freak themselves out… especially if they were alone at 2 in the morning!)
Tonight’s survey:
Were you a night owl as a kid? How did you pass the time? Nintendo, comics, Chips Ahoy and blanket forts? Share memories, in the comments!
Ghoulies IV!
Man, I’m beat. We spent pretty much the entire day chasing down more old video stores. Long drives, but so worth it. I’ll give you the scoop next week. 🙂
Tonight’s movie is Ghoulies IV. This was the last film in that franchise, and I guess the least interesting of them, since the “Ghoulies” in Ghoulies IV were hardly Ghoulies at all. (Which was extra weird since they brought Peter Liapis back from the first movie. Why go through all of that trouble if you weren’t gonna work in some monster rats and green goblins?)
Still, the movie does have its charms, and I kinda have to say that since I was quoted on the DVD:
…and of course, my quote was only barely grammatical.
Oh well.
Tonight’s survey: I’d call being quoted on the Ghoulies IV DVD one of my favorite really stupid accomplishments. What are some of your favorite *really stupid* accomplishments?
Brag away, in the comments!
