Countdown To Halloween, Day 31...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all my little boils and ghouls! Make sure to have Monster Spookshow Radio are your preferred choice for your spooky Halloween party music! And to make it easy for you, here is a collection of all my past Halloween Spooktacular Specials, all together in one happy post! Have a safe a very Happy Halloween!!! Happy Haunting!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 30: Trick 'R Treat

I know I posted about this movie last Halloween season, but I honestly can't get enough of it. It is now my second favorite Halloween-themed movie, second only to John Carpenter's Halloween of course! A great movie, featuring cleverly written stories that are woven together by our little friend Sam Hain. Starring Anna Paquin (Miss Sookie Stackhouse herself), Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, and Quinn Lord as little Sam. If you've never seen it, treat yourself to a great film,...if you have seen it, don't deny yourself the pleasure of watching it again!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 29: John Carpenter's Halloween

It wouldn't be a Halloween countdown without the listing of the one and only John Carpenter's Halloween. The film that started it all, and although there have been many sequels and even a remake, none will ever compare to the original. I am sure I don't have to tell all you fans of the Halloween season about this movie, and I am assuming you have all seen it....if not, shame on you!!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 28: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELSA LANCHESTER!

Elsa Sullivan Lanchester, was born October 28, 1902, and went on to become a very accomplished and successful actress of theatre, film and television. Her most popular and endearing character, The Bride Of Frankenstein, will live on forever in film and horror history, with the iconic image of the Bride with her hair standing on end and the white stripe on the sides, as well as the woman who created her, Mary Shelley (also portrayed by Elsa in the same film.). Elsa had a very long and diverse film career, starring in over 66 films. Elsa passed away on December 26, 1986 of pneumonia at the age of 84. Happy Birthday to the original Bride!

Check out this cool video of clips from The Bride Of Frankenstein, set to Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 27: The Mad Doctor (1933 - Disney)

Another Walt Disney gem, from 1933, featuring Mickey Mouse!

Countown To Halloween, Day 26: Trick Or Treat (Disney)

This classic Walt Disney cartoon features Donald Duck in his usual cranky mode, refusing to give treats to his nephews, instead playing tricks on them, until a friendly witch decides to show him a thing or two. One of my favorite Disney shorts. I hope you like it!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 25: The Headless Horseman of Halloween ( Scooby Doo)

2 of my favorites...The Headless Horseman and Scooby Doo! I love this cartoon, how can you go wrong with Scooby and Shaggy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 24: More Vintage Halloween Pin-Ups

Here are some great vintage Halloween Pin-Ups from days gone by! Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 23: Fat Albert's Halloween Special

When I was a kid, way back before the days of DVDs or even VHS tapes, we'd have to wait for certain times of the year to catch our favorite movies and shows. We'd have to wait for Christmas to watch the Grinch, and we'd have to wait for Halloween to watch "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", among many other Halloween favorites. One of my favorites was the Fat Albert Halloween Special. I grew up watching the Fat Albert cartoon series, and when they made a Halloween special, well, I was incredibly excited. I dunno, I just really liked it. It was definitely a silly cartoon, with some spooky moments, and as usual, a moral to the story in true Fat Albert fashion. If you've never watched it, give it a view and tell me what you think!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 22: Skeleton Frolic (1937)

The 1937 cartoon short, Skeleton Frolic, directer by Ub Iwerks and released by Colombia pictures, can be considered by most as a follow-up to Disney's famous Black and White cartoon short "The Skeleton Dance". As much as I love the original Disney cartoon, I have to admit I prefer Skeleton Frolic more, for several reasons. The obvious being the color. Secondly, the animation seems to be a bit better, the background images are wonderful, and it's just a better made cartoon all around, of course, in my opinion. Although both are incredibly similar in theme, and both featured the work of Ub Iwerks, Skeleton Frolic seems to have the upper hand.
Check out Skeleton Frolic, then compare it to Disney's Skeleton Dance (which I posted earlier this month) and tell me which one you prefer!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 21: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUX INTERIOR!

In honor of Lux Interior's birthday today (sadly Lux passed away on February 4, 2009 of aortic dissection), I am presenting to you a video of The Cramps performing "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" live in concert. Lux may be gone but his music will never die. Considered by many to be the forefather of Psychobilly music, Lux and The Cramps built themselves quite a fan base and have been associated with garage rock as well as horror since they first burst onto the music scene in 1976. I hope you enjoy this video!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 20: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELA LUGOSI!

a portrait of Bela, by the brilliant Basil Gogos


me with the Bela Lugosi as Dracula wax figure at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, NYC

Born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882, Bela Lugosi went on to become one of the most famous horror film actors in history. Bursting onto the screen as Dracula, Bela was an immediate star. Starring in over 100+ films, Bela has left a legacy behind for future generations to enjoy! As a treat I am posting a very nice fan-made tribute to Bela Lugosi. Happy Birthday Bela!!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 19: Grim Grinning Ghosts by The Family Ghouls

Here is a video by The Family Ghouls doing a rendition of Grim Grinning Ghosts from Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction. Using footage from several Disney cartoons and random other Haunted Mansion footage, it's a fun little video for a fun little song. (P.S., The Family Ghouls is actually just me, it's my solo musical project where I perform all the instruments as well as sing!) Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 18: Samhain - Archangel

For those Misfits and Danzig fans out there, here is a video of Samhain, Glenn Danzig's musical project the spanned the time between The Misfits and Danzig. Filmed live at the Stardust Ballroom, it shows how chaotic this shows were back then. Still, a great song from an amazing band, enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 17: Betty Boop, Hallowe'en Party

This animated short was released in 1933, and is considered one of the Max Fleisher banned cartoons, although for what reason I have no idea. Another classic vintage cartoon for the Halloween season!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 16: This Is Halloween decorations

Ok, so I'm all for Halloween decorations, and this is pretty impressive, but how much must this guy's neighbors hate him? I'll give it to them though, this is pretty awesome. Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 15: Vintage Halloween Pin-Ups!

Here are some more vintage Halloween pin-ups for you!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 14: The Three Stooges, The Ghost Talks

Moe, Larry and Shemp are moving men assigned to the haunted Smorgasbord Castle. All goes well until a clanking suit of armor inhabited by the ghost of Peeping Tom (voiced by Phil Arnold) instructs the Stooges to leave him be. Shemp, Larry and Moe all take turns trying to move Tom but he spooks the Stooges away. After finally gaining their trust, Tom tells the trio the story of how he is waiting for Lady Godiva. Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 13: The Ghastly Ones, Haulin Hearse

One of my favorite surf bands, merging the surf sounds with spooky images, The Ghastly Ones have definitely made an impact on the horror rock community, as well as the surf music scene. Here is the music video for their song "Haulin' Hearse", featured on their debut album "A Haunting We Will Go-Go".

Countdown To Halloween, Day 12: Halloween by Kay Lande and Wade Denning

This is a very cool stop-motion animation, created by Jason Willis using his iPhone and accompanied by the Halloween classic tunes "Halloween" by Wade Denning and Kay Lande. I've always loved this song, ever since I was a little boy, and this animated short is perfect for it, well done Jason!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 11: Season's Greetings

Here is a short animated film by Michael Dougherty, the man who eventually made the instant Halloween classic Trick 'R Treat. Here is the short film that inspired not only the film, but it's main central character, Sam. Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 10: The Making Of The Haunted Mansion

If you love Halloween, then you have to love Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction. I am definitely a fan...no, a fanatic! Treat yourself to a couple of really cool videos describing the creation of the famous attraction!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 9: Horror is Universal

Here is a nice little fan video honoring the classic monsters of Universal Studios..definitely my favorite films of all time!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 8: Halloween Safety video, 1985

Dig the awesome disco music! This is a great Halloween safety video filmed in 1985. I love the old costumes and cheesy soundtrack!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 7: Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend Starts Today!

That's right kids, today kicks off the first day of the GREATEST weekend event ever!! SPOOKY EMPIRE'S ULTIMATE HORROR WEEKEND!





If you've ever been, then you know what I'm talking about, if you've never been, then you are missing out!!!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 6: Stephen Lynch "Halloween"

You GOTTA love Stephen Lynch! a very funny song by a very funny man! Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 5: Lonesome Ghosts (1937)

When there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?....MICKEY MOUSE! This wonderful animated short released in 1937 is the undisputed original Ghostbusters! Check out Mickey, Donald and Goofy as they investigate an old haunted mansion for ghosts! Truly a classic!! (p.s. check out the shot of the interior of the haunted house...for those Haunted Mansion attraction fans out there, you'll catch it right away!)

Countdown To Halloween, Day 4: Scrappy's Ghost Story (1935)

Scrappy was a cartoon character created by Dick Huemer for Charles Mintz's Krazy Kat Studio. A little round-headed boy, Scrappy often found himself involved in off-beat neighborhood adventures. One of all-time favorite cartoons, "Scrappy's Ghost Story" was released May 24, 1935. Scrappy was a very popular cartoon character during the 1930's, spawning many animated shorts.

I hope you enjoy "Scrappy's Ghost Story" as much as I do!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 3: United Monster Talent Agency

Imagine if you will, a world where the classic Universal Monsters actually existed...now imagine Greg Nictotero, genius make-up artist behind some of Hollywood's biggest films, taking that idea and making it reality....and so the United Monster Talent Agency was created! Kudos to Greg for coming up with this wonderful tribute to the classic monsters of yesteryear. I had the good fortune of sitting down with Greg last May and interviewing him regarding his career, and I am happy to say that Greg was one of the nicest, funniest guys I've ever met!

Treat yourself to The United Monster Talent Agency, and if you love the short film, make sure you buy the dvd (if you can find it online for sale), it's chocked full of extras!! (p.s. don't miss the end credits, there are some very funny outtakes!)


THE UNITED MONSTER TALENT AGENCY - Greg Nicotero by davehouseofhorrors

MONSTER SPOOKSHOW RADIO No.37, HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR 2011! Countdown To Halloween, day 2!

Hell-o there boils and ghouls!

Welcome to the

MONSTER SPOOKSHOW RADIO HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR 2011!

That's right kiddies, it's that time of year again, when we don't dust off the cobwebs,
we pull out all the creepy, crawly things and get ready for the greatest of holidays...HALLOWEEN!
Make sure you check all your candy, and make sure you visit all the great blogs participating
in this year's Countdown To Halloween! In the meantime, crank up your stereo with MSR's latest
HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR!

This Month's Trick or' Terrific Tunes are:

HALLOWEEN NIGHT - Ragdolls
MONSTER MASH - Bobby "Boris" Pickett
HALLOWEEN THEME - Zombie Zombie
THE HALLOWEEN SONG - Al Dana
IT'S HALLOWEEN AT THE HOUSE OF SPOOKS - Shiny Toy Guns
BALLAD OF THE ZOMBIE PUMPKIN - Dark Asylum
HALLOWE'EN, HALLOWE'EN - Oscar Brand
HALLOWEEN - The Family Ghouls
MR. GHOST GOES TO TOWN - Louis Prima
THE COOL GOOL - Sharkey Todd and his Monsters
TRICK OR TREAT - Elvira
THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN - Kay Starr
HALLOWEEN TOWN - The Dead Vampires
HALLOWEEN - Wade Denning and Kay Lande
EVERYDAY IS HALLOWEEN - Ministry
HALLOWEEN PARTY - Jack Starr
TRICKERTREAT - Lenkei
HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN - The Wonderland Singers
EVERYDAY WITH YOU IS HALLOWEEN - October Rising
HAUNTED HOUSE BLUES - Happy Wilson
HALLOWEEN - Sacred Trash
A MERRY, SHHH, CREEPY HALLOWEEN - The Addams Family
THE ROCKIN' GHOST - The Modernaires
THIS IS HALLOWEEN - Panic! At The Disco
HAPPY HALLOWEEN - John Zacherle


Just click on the image above to get the latest installment of

MONSTER SPOOKSHOW RADIO HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR 2011!

Enjoy......Happy Haunting....and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

George Van Orsdel

OCTOBER IS HERE...LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN! COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN, DAY 1!

Hell-o Boils and Ghouls, welcome to the Countdown To Halloween! Thanks to the gang over at Countdown To Halloween for organizing a spooky list for your trick or treat delights! Everything you'll need for your Halloween season can be found over at the Countdown To Halloween blog! Just click the badge below and all your Halloween nightmares will come true!

In the meantime, here's my little treat for all the kiddies on this, the first day of the Countdown To Halloween! A neat little video featuring the Groovie Goolies, set to the music of Bobby "Boris" Pickett's classic Halloween tune, The Monster Mash! Enjoy!

SPOOKY EMPIRE'S ULTIMATE HORROR WEEKEND!

Howdy folks, do you like blood, violence, monsters, horror and TONS of fun? Well then, you CANNOT miss SPOOKY EMPIRE'S ULTIMATE HORROR WEEKEND, October 7-9, 2011, at the Wyndham Resort in Orlando, FL.!



This year brings some amazing guests and events, too many for me to list, so just stop by and visit their website for all the details!! DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT!

COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN!

That's right kiddies, it's that time again! I know I haven't had much time to focus on my blog, but how can I neglect Halloween! Thanks to John for organizing his yearly Countdown To Halloween! Here is the official link!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACHERLE!

ZACHERLE, Born John Zacherle on September 26, 1918 (also known as Zacherley), is probably one of the best known Horror Hosts in television history, right next to Vampira and Elvira. His horror host career started in 1957, when he created the character of "Roland" for Philadelphia's SHOCK THEATER. He eventually became "Zacherle" in 1959, then started hosting CHILLER THEATRE in New York a few years later. With the release of several horror novelty records, his hosting of several horror movie shows and even an American Bandstand-style dance music show called Disc-o-Teen, Zacherle remains one of the most recognized figures in the horror host community, and will always be the Godfather of Horror Hosts! Happy Birthday to the Coolest Ghoul ever!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIRA!

Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark (born Cassandra Peterson on September 17, 1951) is undoubtedly the undisputed Queen of Halloween, ever since rising to fame in the early 80's while hosting Elvira's Movie Macabre. Since then, Elvira has gone on to become one of contemporary horror's most famous icons, starring on TV, motion pictures and even music videos. We look forward to seeing, ahem, more of Elvira! Happy Birthday to the Mistress Of The Dark!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREDRIC MARCH!

Fredric March, born August 31, 1897, may not have had a career in horror, but he does have the distinction of winning the very first Academy Award for Best Actor in a horror role, that of the title character in MGM's 1931 classic, DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, an honor that wouldn't come to another actor for another 60 years, when Anthony Hopkins won his Oscar for THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Fredric did manage to win yet another Oscar for Leading Male Actor in 1946 for THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES. Fredric's roles were mostly always in dramatic films, but he did manage to play "Death" in DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY in 1934. fredric had a very long and successful career in films, spanning 6 decades. Happy Birthday Fredric!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVELYN ANKERS!

(pictured with Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi)

Evelyn Ankers, born August 17, 1918, is definitely a familiar face to the classic horror fans. Known as "the Queen of Screamers", Evelyn starred in many classiC horror films throughout the 1930s-40s, such as THE WOLFMAN, THE MAD GHOUL, THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, SON OF DRACULA and many others. Usually playing the love interest/damsel in distress, Evelyn had a very long career in film and television, starring in horror classics, as well as dramas and comedies. Evelyn sadly passed away on August 29, 1985, from ovarian cancer, but her roles will never be forgotten. Happy Birthday to one of Hollywood's original Scream Queens!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLENN STRANGE!

(pictured here with Lenore Aubert and Bela Lugosi)



Glenn Strange, born August 16, 1899, was one of Hollywood's hardest working character actors, yet many people will always remember him as the man who filled the Frankenstein monster's shoes after Boris Karloff. Although Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. both had their opportunities at portraying the Frankenstein monster after Boris Karloff originated the role, no other actor had the success or recognition than Glenn Strange, who went on to portray the monster in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF DRACULA, and the wildly popular and hysterical ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. The bulk of Glenn's career consisted of roles in many Hollywood westerns, always portraying henchmen, gun-slingers and thugs. He mostly played ominous characters, due to his lumbering height of 6'5". He eventually went on to achieve television success on the popluar TV western GUNSMOKE, which starred another Hollywood horror alumni, James Arness. Glenn unfortunately passed away from lung cancer on September 20th, 1973. Of his many roles in Hollywood, Glenn will always be loved by horror fans as the Frankenstein Monster! Happy Birthday Glenn!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALFRED HITCHCOCK!

Born on August 13, 1899, Alfred Hitchcock went on to become one of Hollywood's greatest directors, earning the title of "Master of Suspense". With such classics as "NORTH BY NORTHWEST", "The BIRDS", "STRANGERS ON A TRAIN" and of course my all-time favorite Hitchcock film "PSYCHO", his films went on to become some of Hollywood's best-loved and highly regarded films. Check out Hitchcock's filmography, as well as his very popular "Alfred Hitchcock Presents..." TV show (all available on DVD). Hitchcock sadly passed away April 29th, 1980, but his film legacy will live on forever! Happy Birthday to the Master Of Suspense!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN LANDIS!

JOHN LANDIS, born August 3, 1950, may be well-known as a director of famous Hollywood comedies such as ANIMAL HOUSE and TRADING PLACES, but to me he will always be the director of my all-time favorite werewolf movie, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. John has had his share of horror in his career, starting with the low-budget horror satire SCHLOCK, then of course with An American Werewolf In London. John also delved into the music video business by creating possibly one of the best music videos in history, Michael Jackson's THRILLER! John Landis later went on to direct the horror/comedy INNOCENT BLOOD, and let's not forget his entries into the Masters Of Horror series, DEER WOMAN and FAMILY. John is currently filming BURKE AND HARE, a film about the 2 most famous body snatchers in history. John has an incredible knack for mixing horror with comedy, something many have attempted but have failed miserably at. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with John Landis last year and Spooky Empire's Weekend Of Horror in Orlando, Florida. He was an absolute riot! He was incredibly friendly and funny, and was definitely a high point for me. In fact, he saw my son Zachary and absolutely fell in love with him, snatched him from me and wouldn't give him back! (check out the pics below, also pictured with Paul Davis, director of the amazing AWIL documentary BEWARE THE MOON). Happy Birthday to one of Hollywood's best, John Landis!


(here I am pictured with John Landis and Paul Davis)


(Here's John threatening to keep Zachary)


(John cooing over Zachary)


(John finally hands Zachary back over to me!)