Monster of Frankenstein!
I wanted something to complement today’s article about those Frank ‘N Stuff hot dogs, and this sure fits the bill:
Here’s Monster of Frankenstein — aka Kyōfu Densetsu Kaiki! Frankenstein — a Japanese animated film from 1981. Ashamed to admit that I’ve never heard of this one before today, but it sounds like a winner.
Synopsis, cribbed from Wikipedia: “Based on Mary Shelley’s novel and the Marvel comic book Monster of Frankenstein. In this 98-minute violent, adult-oriented film, the creature was portrayed as a misunderstood monster, who only wanted to be loved. The film was dubbed and released in the U.S in 1984.”
Might be a little heavy for a Monday night, but if you’re in the position to watch YouTube vids at bedtime, go for it!
Halloween 1980 in San Diego!
Tonight’s video was suggested by… me!
Here’s a pair of clips that CBS 8 San Diego dug out of their archives late last year, covering the in-and-outs of Halloween 1980!
Such a neat find. The first clip tackles the hottest costumes of the year, from Darth Vader to Richard Nixon. The second clip (it’ll autoplay, so don’t stop the video) focuses on various San Diego activities on Halloween night. Keep your eyes peeled for that one kid’s Incredible Hulk costume!
Even if Halloween 1980 is before your time — and it’s kinda before mine, TBH — this will still fill you with warm fuzzies. Enjoy!
In other news, I spent part of the weekend searching for spooky goodies. My general read is that it’s a strong-enough year on the decorations front, but not such a hot year — yet — on the food front. One issue is that the coolest stuff was announced super early, but it’s also plain to see that the seasonal food aisles are mostly stuffed with repeats from previous years. There are some “sleeper” hits that I’m still searching for, though, and I still think we’ll be seeing some surprises in the weeks to come.
(I’m not too rocked, either way. Been saying for years that relying too heavily on what the department stores deliver is a recipe for a disappointing season. Grab what ya can, but make your own fun, too!)
A new week of main page Halloween content starts tomorrow, with an article about something I’ve covered here-and-there that really deserved a standalone tribute. There will also be a new video near the middle of the week. At some point we’re recording the next Purple Stuff episode, too. Things to look forward to, I hope!
1980s Commercials, Halloween Edition.
It’s the first super official SPOOKY SATURDAY NIGHT of the season. I suggest you make the most of it, as I’m already feeling like September is moving too fast!
Here’s a wonderful suggestion by our own Rabbi Himself, who is also the video’s curator and uploader. Enjoy his Classic Commercials Block: Halloween 1980s Edition, featuring a metric ton of old commercials, with just enough Halloween sightings to make it feel right for the season.
Rabbi adds: “Over a half hour of vintage ads caught between airings of three different Disney Halloween specials, with all of the accompanying bumpers. There’s the Big Red gum jingle, Jamesway Department Store celebrating their 26th anniversary, and also a deliciously spooky Bar None candy commercial.”
Such a great dose of nostalgia!
Rankin Bass Jack O’Lantern Special!
I wanted something extra Halloweeny for tonight, now that we’re getting deeper into September and the weather is finally cooling down. I think this fits the bill:
Suggested by Ryan, here’s the Rankin Bass Jack O’Lantern special, from 1972. This originally aired as an episode of the Festival of Family Classics TV series, but would later be used more as a “proper” TV special — albeit one that was barely a blip on the radar even by the time I was a kid.
Ryan actually sent me a 1992 broadcast of this special last year. It’s very Rankin Bassy, if that makes sense, and watching it will certainly make you feel like you did something “seasonal” this weekend!
