Halloween haunts the grave of Toys “R” Us!
Every Halloween season has that one thing that separates it from all other Halloween seasons. Something that makes it uniquely special, whether it’s a Fruity Yummy Mummy revival or a black-bunned Whopper.
This year, that “one thing” seems easy to identify. A new Halloween movie starring Jamie Lee Freakin’ Curtis is objectively unbeatable, and if anyone wants to call it this year’s special thing, I ain’t gonna argue.
But it isn’t my pick.
Nope, for me, the 2018 Halloween season will be forever remembered as the one when spooky stores took over the scattered corpses of Toys “R” Us. Yes, I think it’s that big.
This “movement” is mostly thanks to Spirit Halloween and Halloween City, though I’m sure it isn’t limited to those chains.
That Halloween pop-up shops would take root in shuttered Toys “R” Us stores was no surprise, but I don’t think any of us predicted the sheer volume. I’ve seen more photos of Spirit banners over faded Toys “R” Us signs than I can remember, and it’s barely the middle of September. Read More…
Drunk Driving “Skeletons” PSA from ’84!
Remember that absurdly frightening drunk driving PSA from the ‘80s? The one with the skeletons?
The 1984 TV spot was pretty famous in its time, partly for its use of Michael Jackson’s Beat It, but mostly because the PSA was so shocking in its execution.
After four friends agree to let the drunkest among them drive, the shit hits the fan. As soon as the driver puts his key in the ignition, all four instantly morph into skeletons. (The idea was that the very act of getting in a car with a drunk driver was tantamount to signing your own death warrant.)
I would’ve been around five years old when this PSA began airing, and it destroyed me. I’d eventually see public service announcements that were arguably edgier, but to this day, I don’t know if I’ve seen one that matched this spot’s eeriness.
Between the skeletons, the sound design and the fake fog, it had such an ‘80s horror movie vibe. (Course, back then, *I* didn’t know that. This vibe was new to me, and I sure as hell wasn’t ready to deal with it while watching cartoon reruns on WPIX.) Read More…
Reese’s Puffs BATS Cereal: Video Review!
If you follow me on social media, you know that I’ve been going nuts trying to find that new bat-shaped version of Reese’s Puffs cereal. I love a happy ending:
Yep, I finally found it! (I say “finally” as if finding a Halloween cereal during the first week of September is somehow on the late side.)
Something about Reese’s Bats grabbed me in a big way. I talk about my wild search in the video, and it’s no joke: I went to dozens of stores looking for this stuff, knowing that I’d never really be at peace until I knew what it was like to eat bat-shaped Reese’s Puffs.
And what was it like? Find out in tonight’s video:
I normally wouldn’t do two cereal videos in a row, but I needed to get this Reese’s Bats thing out of my system. I just love it so much. Of all the new spooky foods I’ve seen or heard about, this is by far my favorite.
Thanks as always for watching the vid. Without you, I wouldn’t have had a reason to work on a four-minute cereal review for 12 straight hours. (Wait, should I be thanking you for that?) Read More…
Old Halloween Newspaper Ads, #5!
Time to dust off another recurring feature from Halloween Countdowns past. Get set for a new edition of ‘80s and ‘90s Halloween Newspaper Ads! (I promise, it’s more exciting than it sounds.)
With this series, my goal is to hit upon some of the less-celebrated aspects of yesteryear’s spooky seasons. Stuff you never knew, or forgot you did. “Deep cuts,” as the kids say.
Freddy’s Revenge Sneak Preview!
(October 1985)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 premiered on November 1st, 1985. October 31st sure would’ve been a cooler release date, but alas, in 1985, it fell on a Thursday.
Still, some lucky fans did get to see the film on Halloween night, as part of a special screening in NYC. The first 100 arrivals also received free Elm Street posters, and the whole thing was apparently hosted by Freddy Krueger himself!
Guarantee you that anyone who attended this screening still remembers it. (Assuming they’re, you know, still alive.)
My guess is that New Line wanted to produce some post-release TV spots with glowing praise from fans, and a quick YouTube search confirms that they did exactly that. I’m such a little detective! Read More…