Commercials from October 1984!
This is a Free-For-All Thread. Talk about whatever!
Side note: I got my pumpkin today. It’s a “vertical” one with a freakishly long stem. Almost too pretty to carve, but that won’t stop me.
Tonight’s video is a way-cool commercial block from 1984. Looks like all of the ads were pulled from the original broadcast of Halloween Thriller, a TV special where Vincent Price introduced a bunch of spooky-themed music videos. (There are hints of the show dotted across the video.)
Most of the ads aren’t Halloweeny, but there’s enough of a creep factor to make it appropriate for tonight. Enjoy!
Garfield’s Halloween Adventure!
You know what? It’s the last Friday before October, so I think it’s time to bring out the big guns:
Hell yeah, it’s Garfield’s Halloween Adventure! (The original 1985 broadcast, with commercials!) I’ve run this every year since Dino Drac After Dark’s inception, so by this point, it’s tradition!
Oh, and let’s add a SURVEY tonight, too:
September is almost over. Time to take inventory. What’s been your top “Halloween moment” this month? Even if you haven’t found time to do anything major, I’m sure you’ll think of something.
Spill it, in the comments!
(For me, I think I’d go with the afternoon we spent in Blairstown eating spooky pancakes at the Friday the 13th diner. Just such an odd and perfect experience.)
Halloween Costume Survey!
Yesterday’s survey was so much fun! Even if you didn’t wanna participate, I’d recommend just reading it, because every answer somehow feels like a short story. (You’ll also find great ideas on ways to spend “sleepier” nights during the Halloween season.)
Running that survey also reminded me to, you know, run surveys more often. The months blend together for me, and when After Dark kicked back into gear this season, I kinda forgot that it hadn’t been updated much since the previous Halloween season. The surveys are a great way to reestablish the community aspects of this place, which I’ve always loved, because the regulars here are just super chill.
So, while there will never be a lack of videos on After Dark — it’s what this section was built for, after all — you can expect more surveys and “conversational” threads.
Starting right now!
In the comments, name one Halloween costume that you absolutely HAD TO HAVE as a kid.
I think we all had one of those, right? A situation where your very LIFE seemed to depend on being exactly what you wanted to be for Halloween.
This wasn’t always as easy as it sounds. Years ago, I wrote about my failed attempt to score an ALF costume, which still stands as one of my most vivid Halloween-related childhood memories.
Feel free to be descriptive. You don’t have to just name the character you wanted to be. Tell us why, and give us details on how the search went, what the costume was like, and whether getting to be that character lived up to your expectations.
Looking forward to your answers!
Spooky Survey Night!
I think we’re long overdue for a survey, huh? I’m gonna go ahead and drop it on a dead Wednesday night, and just hope for the best. Hoping it pulls some of you lurkers out of the woodwork. You know who you are!
Picture it. Halloween, 2019. Or really the Saturday before, because it falls on a Thursday this year, and that blows.
You’re SICK. Not too sick to eat, not too sick to watch a movie, but definitely too sick to go anywhere, and too sick to sit on a computer all night.
Basically, you’re in your bed or on your couch, and that’s how you’re gonna spend Halloween.
Name ONE movie, ONE dinner, ONE candy, and ONE surprise element to make this terrible Halloween feel a little less terrible.
Make the most of this wretched imaginary Halloween. The “surprise element” can be whatever you want.
Here are my own answers:
MOVIE: I want something interesting, but also something I haven’t seen ten trillion times. I’d also like to avoid anything too gross, because I’m sick and stuffing my face while watching this. Let’s go with Sleepy Hollow.
DINNER: Oh wait, I’m sick AND it’s Halloween? That means all bets are off. Pizza it is. And not “chain” pizza, either. I mean the place around the corner — the one with the red-and-white checkered tablecloths. They make great pizza. Let’s put pepperoni and black olives on that shit, too.
CANDY: My brain says “pick something chocolate,” but if I’m sick, I think I’d want something sweet. Like the Halloween version of a cough drop. Let’s go with Starburst. An endless supply of Starburst.
SURPRISE ELEMENT: Reading isn’t much fun when you’re sick, but I think I’ll risk it. Get me one of those Time-Life Enchanted World books from the old Vincent Price commercials. Perfect for Halloween!
YOUR TURN! Let’s hear from you in the comments. Don’t be afraid. Nobody here bites. (That’s probably untrue, but they don’t bite here, at least.)
