Filmation’s Ghostbusters!
Though many believe Filmation’s Ghostbusters series to be a ripoff of The Real Ghostbusters, the truth is more complicated. Filmation’s series was actually based on The Ghost Busters, a live action series from the 1970s. In fact, the people behind the 1984 Ghostbusters film had to pull some strings to be able to use the name!
Still, this “other” Ghostbusters cartoon never would’ve existed had the movie not been so popular. It debuted in 1986 (a few days before The Real Ghostbusters, if I’m reading things right), and while I certainly watched it every now and again, all I really remember is a talking gorilla and a way cool lead villain that looked like a cross between Skeletor and Satan.
Here’s the first episode. If you dig it, there are many more on YouTube.
House!
Heeeeeeere’s House!
Released in 1986, House has a lot going for it. Norm from Cheers and Bull from Night Court, for starters. It’s a great little horror movie that blends legitimate scares with a somewhat lighthearted tone, making it a good pick if you wanna dip your feet into the genre even if you’re not ready for the “heavy” stuff.
I still say that the sequel was a bigger creative achievement, but there’s no denying that the original is a thousand times easier to digest. You’ll have fun with this, and it won’t hurt your brain too much.
More Old School TMNT Goodness…
Here are two more episodes of the old TMNT series… and they just happen to be two of my all-time faves:
The Case of the Killer Pizzas was nonsensical even by TMNT standards, but it did give us that swank knockoff Xenomorph. Enter the Fly was famous for finally turning Baxter Stockman into a big, crazy bug. (All Baxter episodes were special, but this was obviously the most important of ’em.)
Enjoy!
Friday the 13th: The Series!
Well, God knows if more than 2 people will see this, considering that I’ve slacked on updating Dino Drac After Dark this week. (My apologies. I have the flu!)
Since we just posted an all-Friday the 13th episode of The Purple Stuff Podcast earlier today, tonight’s pick was easy:
Behold, the very first episode of Friday the 13th: The Series, from 1987. Keep in mind, the show had nothing to do with Jason, and only borrowed the title as a cheap trick to lure viewers. It did share a producer with several F13 films, though!
I don’t remember much about the show, other than that it was a twist on the standard “anthology” horror series in that it had a set cast. The awesome opening sequence provides a tour of a creepy antique shop, which hints at the hook of the series: Each episode is about some haunted artifact from the shop that the stars need to retrieve… before it’s too late.
Enjoy!
