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The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t!

It's October! Kind of feels like September flew by. I don't know if I'm ready for this. I often have trouble persuading myself to have fun, but this is the time to do it. I spent the morning scouring the web for semi-local pumpkin patches and hayride places, and even if I never make it to them, at least I got to see a ton of hijacked Halloween clipart, oftentimes animated with crude lightning bolts. Is it some sort of prerequisite for any pumpkin patch or hayride place with an Internet connection to make their homepage look like complete shit? I'm not complaining, though. It's part of their charm. Plus, I get paid a dollar every time I set eyes on the image below, and today, I saw it like 9,000 times:

Now, if only it wasn't still so damned hot outside. I haven't heard wind in the trees around here since 1957. I don't get it. It's sort of like how I can just never understand Christmas in Australia. October doesn't feel right unless I'm getting blown all over while clouds piss on me. Whatever, October 1st is an important day, as it marks the exact moment that we can openly gush about Halloweeny things without anyone yelling at us because "it's too early." Let us celebrate with this review of The Halloween That Almost Wasn't, later retitled, The Night That Dracula Saved The World. Originally airing in 1979 and starring Judd Hirsch as Dracula, it's a nice, quiet, fun little Halloween special that reminds us to love our mummies and witches just as much as all of the sleeker horror movie characters who stole their place later.

Also, I didn't touch on this in the article, but I need to get it off my chest. I have no idea why they renamed it The Night That Dracula Saved The World. Number one, the world is never in any danger and thus is not in any need of saving. There is no "world saving" to speak of within this special. Two, even if you had an argument against what I just wrote, it isn't Dracula who actually does the saving here, but rather THE WITCH! SO many things wrong with that title! Why did they change it?

Posted by Matt on 10/01/2007. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 166 comments

DJ D How you felt when you watched Taxi is how I felt when I watched the musical Tommy (the movie version) for the first time a few months ago.

I thought, OMG Tina Turner! OMG Elton John! OMG Jack Nicholson! OMG FREAKIN ERIC CLAPTON! All in one movie and then some!

Talk about being a geek I made a character myspace account for the adult Tommy. http://www.myspace.com/adulttommy to be precise. One of these days I want to make another one for when he was a little kid. I was just surprised there wasn’t one before! If anyone wants to be his friend go right ahead he only has me for a friend. He’s not only deaf dumb and blind he doesn’t have any myspace friends either! Augh! lol I crack myself up.

Chestnuts roasted by Goob @ 10/02/2007 5:58 AM

I honestly don’t remember the last time we had a fall-like Halloween in Louisiana. Every year when I’m at my parents house handing out candy to the kids I’m always sweating tons. It’s usually around 85 with, if you’re lucky, a low in the 70′s.

We’ve had cool Halloweens, they’re just massively outweighted by the staggeringly hot (for October, anyway) ones.

That said, the leaves are falling, there are pecans on the ground everywhere, I’m seeing pumpkins on storefronts, and the vague scent of decomposing leaves is starting to show up (maybe my favorite smell in the world, next to a Christmas Tree) and I’m getting in the Halloween mood. Actually, just ordered a couple of movies (Prom Night and The Funhouse) because I felt like it due to it being Oct. 1. I love horror. Even bad horror.

Chestnuts roasted by Wukong @ 10/02/2007 6:17 AM

I have noticed Wal-Mart and Target are pushing all the halloween candy. I have not yet picked the assortment I want. Last year I simply handed out handfuls of WARHEADS from this giant tub i got from COSTCO. I can’t decide what to give out this year. I have never given out a TRICK. But I have been tempted. As a child Halloween was unreal. It was total freedom. I’d throw on a black t-shirt and just go around collecting candy in an old pillowcase. Of course we’d have that one house of old people who’d give out PENNIES. WTF is that? That was always the house that got Toilet Papered later that night. We’d squirt Shaving cream at each other. Don’t forget to put a pin inside the nosle and then melt the opening so it shoots a nice fine jet of shaving cream lol. OH and finally, my first costume ever? YODA when I was 5 yrs old. The force was with me.

Chestnuts roasted by Paper Pusher @ 10/02/2007 6:42 AM

Ok, K- ,so you’re not gonna chat with me, I get it. You’re a hard man to win favour with .
I don’t sound like such a pathetic butt-kisser in japanese, i swear .
My dignity was lost in translation.
Sorry if I was an annoyance for you, I won’t bother you again.
*bows deeply* Shitsureishimashita K-san.
Now, back to the Halloween conversation…I’ll just listen quietly, like I used to .
(Sorry to all those annoyed by my off-topicness)

Chestnuts roasted by diamonds @ 10/02/2007 8:27 AM

Not to brag, but it’s PERFECT Halloween weather here in Nebraska. It’s been cloudy/gloomy for a while now, it’s crisp and cool outside, with a slight breeze, the leaves are starting to turn color… Today it’s raining, which somehow just adds to the ambience. If anyone needs to get into the spirit, come spend a day here! :)
Matt, not sure if you’re interested in this or not, but there are models online to make the Disney Haunted Mansions out of paper, all you have to do is print, cut, and assemble. If you (or anyone else for that matter) are interested, hop over to http://haunteddimensions.raykeim.com and check it out. If you’re curious, click my name to see the one I’m building, I’ve been taking photos the whole way through. Oh yeah, and sorry, I kinda stole your “foul talking action figures” idea, but it’s so much fun, hope you don’t mind… :)

Chestnuts roasted by Dr Sketch @ 10/02/2007 9:22 AM

Even though its spring here, I’m getting a nice collection of falling leaves as well(although I think thats due to the trees dying…). I’ve always been jealous watching US tv shows of all the leaf piles people jumped into during autumn…so if any of you actually do that…uh, can you jump in one for me?

Chestnuts roasted by Jasmine @ 10/02/2007 9:25 AM

So am I the only one who associates autumn with board games? It probably has something to do with the terrible selection of television channels I grew up with, but once it starts getting too cool to comfortably play outside in short sleeves, my dice hand starts getting itchy.

I wonder how successful I would be at luring strangers at coffee shops into pickup games of Solarquest and Risk 2210.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 10/02/2007 9:28 AM

Paper Pusher: Wow, how uncanny! My first Halloween costume was Yoda too! Yeah, also at the age of 5. I remember wearing it to Kindergarten. It had the big plastic wrap around thing that never fit right and the mask you just about suffocated in. Has anyone else noticed that Halloween costumes are made so much better these days? They sure do put a lot more work into them that those shitty oversized one we had back in the day. I have to take issue with one thing though. Warheads? I so would have tp’d your house.

Jedoc: Risk is the shit. Some of my fondest memories of high school were summers when my 3 best friends would get together for massive Risk tournaments that would last for hours. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that you pretty much have to settle down and make a night of it. I remember when I first started playing I thought Europe would be a good place to hunker down. It’s small, easy to conquer up front. Oh, but no. Go ahead. Try to hang on to Europe. That would be folly, my friend. Folly. I discovered it’s all about Australia, Africa, and to some extent the Americas. THAT’s where you want to have your stronghold. I’ve never played any version other than the classic Risk, but a 2210 sounds interesting. There’s also a Lord of the Rings one which would be totally wild. The thing about those is that if the map is different you don’t have the experience at first of knowing which places are the best to settle down. I mean, you can kind of tell just from looking at it, but it would be weird getting used to a different board at first.

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 10/02/2007 10:05 AM

Haha, I just got a copy of this on DVD a few weeks ago. I didn’t know anyone else even knew it existed.

Chestnuts roasted by David @ 10/02/2007 10:33 AM

Wow, I really need to edit that article. Apparently I still was feeling the effects of being sick. It reads like it’s been translated from another language.

I love October. I’m at work now but I have a neat article planned for tonight.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 10/02/2007 10:41 AM

DJ D: No way, man. I was all about the Fortress Europe strategy. Only four border countries to fortify, coupled with the ability to easily attack North America or Africa in order to deny your opponents their troop bonuses. Australia can be good as a colony, but you’ve got nowhere to go from there but Asia, which is suicidal at best.

If you’re into Risk, I can recommend 2210 with no reservations. It’s a solid upgrade, and honestly my friends and I don’t play classic Risk at all anymore unless we’re introducing somebody to the game. The Star Wars and LoTR versions can be good for shaking things up and avoiding monotony, but the game balance and rules just don’t seem as polished.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 10/02/2007 10:44 AM

I found an awesome Risk game from 1963 at a “friends of the library” sale. I haven’t even played it yet, but I love looking at it.

Chestnuts roasted by Tommy @ 10/02/2007 10:53 AM

Diamonds, I haven’t been back here since I last posted. I don’t hover over the blog 24/7 :P

So, if I don’t respond to you immediately, don’t be offended. If I don’t respond to you in the next post I make, then feel free to read something into it.

So, am I proud of you? I guess so. You were clearly more diplomatic about it than me.

Chestnuts roasted by Knegative @ 10/02/2007 11:18 AM

Ooh, you speak Japanese, Diamonds? Do you live in Japan?

Ahem…sorry. I’m a big time Japan-o-phile. My fiance speaks good Japanese and has been there before. My Japanese is terrible, but I’m working on it…

Anyway, DJ D, my fiance had a job where he was on the phone a lot too, and he also said that people from that general area were pretty friendly. I live in Oklahoma, and even though they say people from this part of the country are friendly, I don’t think that’s true anymore. I hardly ever come across “friendly” people!

Chestnuts roasted by Annette @ 10/02/2007 11:46 AM

Large Marge sent me.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/02/2007 12:04 PM

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/halloween

There was an article in today’s paper here on various ways to carve a pumpkin and even provided a template. If you go to the above address, you’ll find even more, including templates to carve a presidential candidate on your pumpkin.

All this talk of Judd Hirsh, yet no one has talked about his current role on “Numbers?” Granted, it’s nothing more than “supportive dad”, but he still gets acting gigs.

Chestnuts roasted by JLAJRC @ 10/02/2007 12:17 PM

DJ D, pleeeease don’t take Newark as all of Jersey. Hit up Point Plesant Beach and go down the shore.

Sincerly, a former jersey girl.

Chestnuts roasted by Ann @ 10/02/2007 12:30 PM

OK, fill in the blank:
“If I were a ghost, I would be the kind that goes _____________.”

1. Boo!
-or-
2. Ooooh Ooooh Ooooooooooooooh!
-or-
3. some other haunting sound

Chestnuts roasted by Nizz @ 10/02/2007 12:44 PM

Matt, BLESS YOU for doing a review on this special. I taped it when it first aired, and like an ass taped over it only a few years back to make room for something dumb (I don’t even remember what it was for). Thank goodness for You Tube. I wish they’d put this out on DVD. My sister and I think this is the hokiest Halloween special we’ve ever seen, she loves the mummy falling down, we quote it all the time, and the best part is, when Mariette Hartley came up to my job a few years back, she recited the whole “I’ll show YOU tap dancing” bit right in front of me!!!
The disco dancing sequence at the end is still my favorite ;) I love that friggin’ song..

Chestnuts roasted by Melissa Y @ 10/02/2007 12:45 PM

This is good, but I won’t be happy untill I see The Worst Witch on HBO. That was another Halloween only staple back in the day.

Chestnuts roasted by Toxikfoxx @ 10/02/2007 12:55 PM

Nizz: 3. I want to be a ghost like the Maitlands.

Chestnuts roasted by Special K @ 10/02/2007 2:13 PM

I somehow remember this movie! There is another Halloweeny movie that I am dying to see again but I forget the name of it. I remember it was probably kids movie and it had a ghost that was haunting the house they move into. And no it’s not The Canterville Ghost. This has been racking my brain for months!

Chestnuts roasted by Aj @ 10/02/2007 2:45 PM

Dear Matt…

IRL Cubone here: http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9736/135311xdfcwue0.jpg

That’s all.

Chestnuts roasted by Trike @ 10/02/2007 2:53 PM

That special definitely looks worth checking out…just out of curiosity, has anyone else ever seen The Midnight Hour? I remember seeing it when I was about 4 or 5 years old. It was pretty cheesy but it scared the crap out of me…and LeVar Burton was it in!!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by FeedMyFrankenstein @ 10/02/2007 3:07 PM

This is a special message to WuKong….I’m from Baton Rouge. Yes, it seems that everyone gets that FALL LIKE feeling in October. But it’s not true. I now live in Blacksburg Va…In the mountains no less. It is hot. (For October) Even here. Just give it another week. Even Matt said in N.J. that it really doesn’t feel right. We are all with you, the weather will change!
Even if it doesn’t though…. you can’t stop All Hallows Eve.

Chestnuts roasted by RhubarbVelociraptor @ 10/02/2007 3:41 PM

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