Invitation to Hell!
You know what? It’s Saturday, it’s the middle of September — let’s run something with a little more meat on the bone:
Here’s another great pick from Daviel McKaye. Get set for Invitation to Hell, a made-for-TV movie that ran on ABC in 1984.
Daviel has much to say on the subject:
“This is one of Wes Craven’s earlier and lesser known works. Robert Urich and Joanna Cassidy star as the parents moving their kids (Barret Oliver and Soleil Moon Frye) to a new town after Matt (Urich) accepts a new job with a new company that represents a major step up.
“The change seems ideal at first as the family settles into their new community, which is composed mostly of other employees of the same company. But as Matt starts noticing troubling changes in his family’s personalities, he suspects that the nefarious Steaming Springs Country Club run by the devilish Jessica Jones (played by Susan Lucci) — which counts most of the company’s employees as members — may be more than it seems.
“This is one of the most ‘80s movies I’ve ever seen. You’ll know by the end of the first minute if this is your kind of movie. The climax of the film is a special effects-laden spectacle featuring Matt infiltrating the country club in disguise during a conveniently- timed Halloween party to initiate a final showdown with Jessica Jones. But somehow the most memorable scene for me is Punky Brewster disemboweling a stuffed rabbit with a crowbar.”
Okay, so possibly barring that promised Punky/rabbit scene, this seems way up my alley. I’m also tickled that the quality of the YouTube video is so good.
Watch if you have time, but this is also a Generalized Halloween Party Thread (working title), so talk about whatever else, too!
Side note: I am absolutely loving Dino Drac After Dark this season. The threads have been so much fun!
Friday the 13th Soundtrack!
Happy Friday the 13th! Hopefully you’re killing a bottle of wine while watching Jason kill camp counselors. If not, there’s this:
It’s the complete score to the original Friday the 13th, which I think you’ll enjoy even if you’re not big on the films. Some of the tracks are surprisingly understated, and the album on the whole works well as spooky background noise. Pair it with a scented candle and you’re all set.
Guys, it’s a Friday the 13th during the Halloween season, so make sure you do SOMETHING cool tonight. And “cool” doesn’t necessarily mean “go out,” either. Just stay up late and have a party-for-one, if that’s what it takes. Throw that giant frozen pizza in the oven, hang up some string lights and bust out the big blankets. And, of course, hang out on Dino Drac After Dark!
MOTU Toy Commercials!
This’ll sound like a weird thing to run during the Halloween Countdown, but hear me out…
Here’s an immense playlist of vintage Masters of the Universe toy commercials, because sooo many of those ads were 100% SPOOKY. Between the fog, the scary voice-over and all of those terrible monsters, they could feel almost like miniature horror movies. As a kid, this wasn’t lost on me. The commercials were fifty times more intense than the cartoon ever was. Enjoy!
Ghostbusters Music Video!
Today was A DAY, in all caps. If it could go wrong, it was gonna go wrong. I need a pick-me-up, and I’m gonna assume you do, too:
So here’s the official music video for Ray Parker Jr.’s smash hit, Ghostbusters. You may be surprised at how unfamiliar it seems. I mean, I’ve heard the song ten billion times, and I’m still convinced that I never saw the official video until 10 minutes ago. It’s very cool, and so uplifting. I feel better already.
