10/12/2004 Entry: "The Magic of Halloween Specials."

Okay, so I had a total markout moment this morning.  As I'm walking to work, I notice people setting up a makeshift stage with banners for Duran Duran -- for Good Morning America or something, I think -- so I'm like, "oh shit, I'll be twenty feet away and still not able to see this."  But whatever, I go into my building, head up the escalator, and there they are.  Just said "good morning" to Simon not wanting to look like a total geek (and not wanting to bug the guys in the temporary sanctity of our building), but yeah, technically, I met Duran Duran this morning and I am tha-rilled. I'm allowed to be lame.

The entry for Tuesday, arriving very close to Wednesday, is my short tribute to magic of Halloween television specials. To appease the brevity haters, I've also included three commercial downloads -- two teasers for Charlie Brown and Garfield's respective Halloween specials, and the McDonald's McBoo ad that you might've noticed on the main page for a day or so a few weeks ago. Day or so few weeks ago. As one of the guys who played Blanche's father said, it has all the makings of a great country song. Before I go, has anyone picked up the Friday the 13th box set yet? I've got the Elm Street set and it's pretty amazing, but I've heard a lot of terrible things about Jason's version. Making matters worse is that I already own most of the F13 flicks on DVD, so without any good extras, I'm going to have a real hard time justifying the purchase unless the set includes free trading cards or a half-off coupon for waffles. Still, huge recommendation for the Elm Street collection if you haven't picked it up yet. The extras are incredible, running the gamut from commentaries to behind-the-scenes footage of Englund dressed as Freddy but just hanging around drinking coffee. And everyone involved with Elm Street 2 openly admitted how much it sucked, so you know the commentaries aren't fluff.

Chestnuts roasted by melonian @ 10/12/2004 09:56 PM EST

Bravo on the article Matt. It isn't really any holiday without some corny TV special. Garfield's specials(Halloween and Christmas) being two of my all time favorites. I haven't seen either on stations by me for several years now. I still have vivid memories of sitting down Halloween night after trick-or-treating to watch the Garfield special. At the time it was pretty scary stuff.

ps- so is X-E gonna have a costume contest?

Chestnuts roasted by Don't Touch, Willy. @ 10/12/2004 10:07 PM EST

"Port Wine nut-enhanced fucking cheese logs."

Blahahahahahaha, I've gone and soiled myself!!!!!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by Don't Touch, Willy. @ 10/12/2004 10:11 PM EST

I have never seen the Garfield special. Guess I missed out. Oh well, now we can look forward to Matt giving us new shit to read everyday during these holiday extravaganzas. That's close enough.

Chestnuts roasted by Jim Davis @ 10/12/2004 10:19 PM EST

I was trying to to load the Peanuts "It's the Great Pumpkin" commercial. But im always going to the home page and it won't load. Matt could you fix this problem i really want to see it. Plus, What's the deal with the Mcboo pails commercail. There's no sound! Make sure you fix that too.

Chestnuts roasted by Kevin @ 10/12/2004 10:19 PM EST

Great Pumpkin link fixed. McBoo'll have to wait till later. Silence is fun tho.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 10/12/2004 10:23 PM EST

How does it feel Matt, to know that your website has become just as much a holiday tradition to some of us as the cartoons you wrote about used to be? Keep up the great work!

Chestnuts roasted by bdsghost @ 10/12/2004 10:30 PM EST

I have a friend that insists Garfield is the most brilliant comic strip in the newspaper. We have Garfield vs. Dilbert debates. I know its pretty sad. Let the parade of people that hate either Garfiled/Dilbert begin.

Chestnuts roasted by Jason @ 10/12/2004 10:31 PM EST

Up next... A video from Los Lobos. Matt, I couldn't resist buying the new Friday Collection because I'm such a sucker for anything Jason. Its not that bad. Included with the extras are the great cut scenes from part VII which I've been wanting to see for a long time.

Chestnuts roasted by bob genghis khan @ 10/12/2004 10:40 PM EST

Thanks for the clips Matt!
I loved that Garfield special... I still quote it to this day.
Garfield wanting all that "CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!"

Chestnuts roasted by Croww @ 10/12/2004 11:04 PM EST

When I was a kid I couldn't go through Halloween without watching the Garfield Halloween special. I learned how to read because of that great fat cat!

Chestnuts roasted by Mattallica @ 10/12/2004 11:31 PM EST

I don't own either, but Sunday I checked out both at [overpriced book chain] and on aesthetics alone, the Freddy set is a much better buy. (The Amazon reviews seem unimpressed with the extras on Jason, as well) I put a lot of importance on how that set's gonna look up on the shelf, especially if they've already suckered you into paying for a previous DVD version. Which is why I'm not shelling out for Kill Bill until they put out a box set.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 10/12/2004 11:41 PM EST

Aww great, now I can't get "The Reflex" outta my head, Matt! You lucky bum, you...

Chestnuts roasted by Ryane @ 10/12/2004 11:44 PM EST

The networks may have given up on the kiddies in regards to holiday specials (like they've done to Saturday mornings),but the cable kid networks like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network have picked up the slack. The latter has Scooby Doo marathons and such,but Nick has had special Halloween episodes of their shows that are pretty imaginative,like the Fairly Oddparents special where Timmy makes a wish that whatever you dress up as,you become that thing.

I loved the Charlie Brown and Garfield specials too ("I got a rock!".

Chestnuts roasted by Overlord @ 10/13/2004 12:11 AM EST

Just a friendly reminder, Garfield's Halloween Special--as well as his Thanksgiving and Christmas specials--are being released on a single DVD on Oct. 26th.

btw anybody remember the Halloween special "Raggedy Ann & Andy and the Pumpkin that Wouldn't Smile"? There was also a Raggedy Ann Christmas special where the villain was Wile E. Coyote. Seriously.

Chestnuts roasted by Luap @ 10/13/2004 12:25 AM EST

During the last couple network runs, CBS would show both Halloween specials on Halloween night, which is odd considering any kid that was home watching it at 8pm, probably hadn't been Trick or Treating. Once that DVD hits, I'm going to get it.

Chestnuts roasted by Dude McGuy @ 10/13/2004 12:36 AM EST

Does anyone know when Charlie Brown Halloween will be on this year?

Chestnuts roasted by Jeff Mack @ 10/13/2004 12:40 AM EST

Not only did I look forward to the Garfield special each year as a child but I also looked forward to CBS' percussion driven bumper that featured the word "special" spiralling towards you like you were having an acid flashback that came on right before the program began. That shit fuckin rocked!!!! I'm sure all of you know what I'm talking about...

Chestnuts roasted by phunqsauce @ 10/13/2004 01:41 AM EST

http://www.80stvthemes.com/promos/cbs.html

go here to see the what i was talking about above!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by phunqsauce @ 10/13/2004 02:05 AM EST

Yeah, the Halloween programming these days sucks. All we get are the same Scooby-Doo reruns that CN loves to push on us year-round, totally ignoring the fact that Scooby stopped being even mildly amusic a long time ago. At least we have Homestar and the gang to keep the tradition alive.

Chestnuts roasted by TB Tabby @ 10/13/2004 02:42 AM EST

Not only did I look forward to the Garfield special each year as a child but I also looked forward to CBS' percussion driven bumper that featured the word "special" spiralling towards you like you were having an acid flashback that came on right before the program began. That shit fuckin rocked!!!! I'm sure all of you know what I'm talking about...

Oh don't we all, and so does Matt. Look at last year's X-E Christmas Advent Calendar for a download of the spinny-thing.

You'd think with so many cable channels catering to extreme niches, at least one of them would be interested in airing numerous Halloween specials. I guess it doesn't matter because I don't get cable anyway, but still...bah.

Chestnuts roasted by Mars @ 10/13/2004 02:48 AM EST

Speaking of Duran Duran, a local 80's radio station called them up for an interview today and mentioned the prize they were giving away: "a Pajama Party with Duran Duran," which was apparently something they were never told about themselves. "Oh, a pajama party, that...sounds good." The DJ woman asked them a couple more questions, then thanked them for their time and hung up. Actually, she pretended to hang up, and then broadcasted them talking to each other while thinking they were no longer on the radio.

"A pajama party?? Is she kidding or what?"
"I can't believe it."
"What, do they have to see our underwears?"
"Or worse. Doi-oi-oing."
"Oh man, I'm gonna bloody hate it."
"This better not be true."

Heh heh.

Chestnuts roasted by Mars @ 10/13/2004 02:54 AM EST

16 years and 2 days ago, I went to america for the very first time. One of the highlights of the holiday was being around for halloween and picking up 2 of the 3 mcpails. I had mcpumpkin & mcwitch, or whatever they call them. They've since been thrown away I hate to say. Thanks for the flashback mat, you truely are a king amongst men

Chestnuts roasted by gaz @ 10/13/2004 04:44 AM EST

I think in Russia they combine Halloween and Christmas, but without the religious shit.

Chestnuts roasted by gfhfhh @ 10/13/2004 08:03 AM EST

Yay! Matt met Duran Duran!!!
Do 'Union of the Snake'!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by AngeFaitore @ 10/13/2004 08:19 AM EST

I taped the Charlie Brown Halloween special a few years ago, and we watch it on the night before we go out trick or treating (since trick or treating isn't always on the 31st anymore, bah). It's almost like Hallowe'en We'en. Gets us in the spirit.

I found a use for the little plastic doodads they use to hold toys in their packages. They're good chewin'. Just make sure you don't accidentally pop a metal one in your mouth, esp if you have fillings. Ouchies.

Duran Duran, wow! That's cool. Do theys till have that floofy, feathered 80's hair and wear berets? Cuz that, would be awesome.

Does anyone remember which channel did those "live from the haunted house" specials a few years ago? I think Linda Blair hosted them. They had those chest cams like the ones they used in Halloween XX or whatever the new one is numbered. I loved watching those, esp the ones w/ people who were "skeptics" and then got the crap scared outta them in the house basement or whatever. Hee!

Chestnuts roasted by trajeal @ 10/13/2004 08:27 AM EST

I am SO excited to see this! This is my all time *favorite* holiday special of ALL TIME....It's Christmas Charlie Brown is second, but Garfield Halloween... Man. Thank you so much!

Chestnuts roasted by B-Dawg @ 10/13/2004 09:10 AM EST

Anybody remember the Looney Tunes Halloween special? Like all Looney Tunes' specials, it was just a bunch of old cartoon shorts linked together with a few new filler sequences, but it was still one of my favorites as a kid. Too bad the guy doing Porky Pig for the filler segments didn't sound ANYTHING like Mel Blanc's original version. He sounded more like a stuttering Bugs Bunny. That's really the only thing that took me out of the shows. "Dammit, what the fuck is wrong with Porky's voice? Why does it keep changing"

Her name is Rio, and she dances on the sand... Ah, dammit! There I go again. Good job, Matt. Review Mac and Me so I can get this song outta my head.

Chestnuts roasted by A-wel Cruiz @ 10/13/2004 09:35 AM EST

Steroid Tweety was great in that special.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 10/13/2004 09:37 AM EST

Jeff Mack, I found the answer.

The Great Pumpkin will be showing on ABC on Tuesday, October 26th (The same day the Garfield Halloween Special is released on DVD) at 8 pm. Holla!

Chestnuts roasted by Bryan @ 10/13/2004 09:59 AM EST

Good work, Bryan. Now, everyone WATCH!

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 10/13/2004 10:03 AM EST

It's nice to know I wasn't the only kid terrified of those pirate ghosts in the Garfield special. Damn things kept me awake at night -- but I loved the special anyway.

Chestnuts roasted by youjik33 @ 10/13/2004 10:18 AM EST

I was a certified Garfield NUT as a kid I had roughly 5489 books, including the book version of the Halloween special. I remember specifically scheduling trick-or-treating around the damn thing. Good times...

Chestnuts roasted by Carlos the Dwarf @ 10/13/2004 10:37 AM EST

Awwwww, cheer up Matt. The'res still Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon for Halloween specials. Quite personally, My favorite is the Billy and Mandy Special.
PS. I WANT THAT SUPER-NATURALS ARTICLE NOW!!

Chestnuts roasted by TOM @ 10/13/2004 10:42 AM EST

It's time to decorate here at work, so I'm getting antsy for TV specials. Not the Cable kind, but the network/local independant specials. Great Pumpkin is the king of them all, y'all. Holiday episodes are good, but actual specials are the heart and soul of the seasons. Only Simpsons successfully walk the fine line between Themed Episode and Seperate Special. I may have to go on a search for a sincere pumpkin patch.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/13/2004 11:48 AM EST

I miss the Peanuts Zingers commercials.

Chestnuts roasted by Dik Fishman @ 10/13/2004 12:01 PM EST

Matt are you going to post a Count Chocula Commercial? You know why you should because there was one theat scarred me so bad i coulden't blink for days. It was the one called "Mikey" It was where you see for the first time. A Live Action Count Chocula! He was ugly looking and his chin resembled Jay Leno! Anyway, It's where he check's on a boy in bed that turns out to be a Chocolate Monster. He Screams CHOCOLATE!!!! COUNT CHOCLUA!!!!!!!! CHOCOLATE!!!!!! while running down to the kitchen to find his Count Chocula. When he does he's turns back into a boy again. Post this commercial in a future countdown update this month. I want to see it again!!!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by Kevin @ 10/13/2004 12:30 PM EST

Yeah Mr. Fishman, I miss the days when Penuts specials were sponsered by Dolly Madison. To paraphrase MST3K: without the DM ads, the specials were only five minutes long. Beware the Zinger Zapper!

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/13/2004 01:38 PM EST

I always got the stupid pumpkin. I didn't want the pumpkin pail, I wanted the witch one or the McBoo one. But nooo...my stupid little McDonalds in my stupid little town only seemed to have the pumpkin. Bitter? No. Not me!

Chestnuts roasted by shelly @ 10/13/2004 01:47 PM EST

Did anyone notice that the dude wearing the "this is my costume" T-Shirt from the Hallmark add looks EXACTLY like the dude that played the weird kid that was into lizards in the movie JUST ONE OF THE GUYS?

Chestnuts roasted by Pedro @ 10/13/2004 02:00 PM EST

I just checked on Amazon...the Garfield holiday DVD collection is coming out October 26th. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas episodes.

Chestnuts roasted by Y2JB78 @ 10/13/2004 02:19 PM EST

there some problems with that Jason Boxset. I can't get part 8 to play for example. It's sounding like paramount scrwed the pooch when they were encoding from all the reports I've been hearing of video problems in the other movies too. The Extras were really niceI just want to watch some cheesy Jason Takes Manhatten goodness though.

Chestnuts roasted by mattevil @ 10/13/2004 03:44 PM EST

Hey! Mew reader here, I don't have a CLUE as to how people greet you in your blog and I don't intend to find out by going through the archives.

I'm Rodrigo and I'm from Uruguay, how many Uruguyans read your page eh? I DON'T THINK ANY DOES, but I might be wrong. In which case they don't count at all.

Since I'm new to the website and all that, how long until the regular Archive is up? (or, in other words, how long will I have to randomly change the number in the article and see what comes out?)

Thanks a lot!

Chestnuts roasted by Rodrigo @ 10/13/2004 04:27 PM EST

Yeah, I really miss those Halloween specials! I'll be grabbing them as soon as they're out on DVD! We've got some new "classics" at our house. The King of the Hill Halloween episode, South Park's "Pink Eye" episode for example. I'll be turning in nightly for AMC's Monsterfest. Plus, WTF is up with the Treehouse of Horror the last few years? Why does it come on AFTER Halloween?

Chestnuts roasted by Celtic Gwen @ 10/13/2004 04:42 PM EST

The Peanuts were great and all, but I remembering the Garfield special truly scaring the bejesus out of me when I was a kid

Chestnuts roasted by Rosella @ 10/13/2004 05:02 PM EST

Holy crap Duran Duran. that is indeed awesome

Chestnuts roasted by Thejyav @ 10/13/2004 05:15 PM EST

Celtic Gwen,it's becuase of the World Series.

Chestnuts roasted by Overlord @ 10/13/2004 07:02 PM EST

One of the better things to have come out of my relationship with my now-ex-boyfriend was his bequeathing his entire collection of Garfield comic books to me about a year before we broke up, including the book version of the Halloween special. Until that DVD box set IS released (and it will be on my Christmas list), it will do. The Garfield Halloween special is great fun, and unlike the Peanuts' bittersweet romp in the pumpkin patch, genuinely scary. The damn ghosts are even scary in the BOOK! It's a shame none of the Garfield specials turn up on TV or even ABC Family or Cartoon Network anymore. The last time I saw a Garfield special on a network was 1997, when I taped "Garfield's Christmas Special" back-to-back with "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Those were the good times.

Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 10/13/2004 08:56 PM EST

Hey Matt, I don't know if you know this, or even if you have Jack in the Box up north, but Jack in the box is trying to capitalize on McDonalds, and have made their own haloween pails. One of them even glows in the dark, just thought I'd pass that along

Chestnuts roasted by JayNSilentBob79 @ 10/13/2004 10:23 PM EST

Thanks for making me sad! That article tugged at my heartstrings, making me long for those long-past specials! You bitch!

Chestnuts roasted by Sara @ 10/13/2004 10:25 PM EST

I know, I miss the holiday specials on TV myself a lot. It's just that the networks don't advertise them that much like they used to. Actually, ABC nows holds the broadcast rights to the Peanuts specials, not CBS which ran them for years.

Garfield's Halloween Adventure was fun, but I think that the Peanuts one was much better. I still feel sorry for Charlie Brown. Why the hell did those people give him rocks? Was this payback for Charlie Brown doing something to them? (Maybe a bad lawnmower job?) Did you know that the first year this aired, so many people felt sorry for the round-headed kid that they sent bags of candy to Charles Schultz for him to "give" to Charlie Brown? Now that's fandom!

Chestnuts roasted by Bert Raccoon @ 10/13/2004 11:35 PM EST

It is reviews of things like these beloved Halloween specials that make me love X-E as much as I do (and I love it a friggin' LOT!) Thanks, Matt!

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 10/13/2004 11:50 PM EST

Rodrigo, if you're looking for past articles, trying searching the site for phrases, like TMNT, MOTU, cheese, Nathan Bitner or whatever else strikes your fancy. The Spooky Archive has some great articles highlighted, too.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 10/14/2004 12:12 AM EST

Wow, by randomly choosing to search for "cheese" I managed to come across an article I can't recall ever seeing! Whatta find!

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 10/14/2004 12:16 AM EST

Matt,
The Friday box set actually has more to offer as far as extras. The Nightmare boxset is generally considered better because they are better films. The Friday box has 4 commentaries, while Nightmare only has 2. Plus Friday's set has alot more deleted scenes. Both sets are good. Friday fanboys hate the set because the films are the same R-rated cuts from the DVDs you already own. Sell you old DVDs on Ebay or to a pawn shop and get the set.

Chestnuts roasted by JAY @ 10/14/2004 12:17 AM EST

Gwen brought up a good point. The Simpsons Treehouse of horror special now comes on in November, and that stinks. Why did they have to add divisional playoffs to baseball? It just drags things out longer than it should.

When I was a kid, we had the NLCS, The ALCS, the World Series, and that was it! God, I hate baseball today.

Chestnuts roasted by Number 5 @ 10/14/2004 08:05 AM EST

You know what will be stuck in my head until the end of time? Garfield singing in that Halloween special,

"Or I could put on some black pajamas. And go as a Great Big Halloween Cat."

Chestnuts roasted by Gordon @ 10/14/2004 12:10 PM EST

I don't know if I've ever seen teh Garfield special but I do remember getting freaked out as a kid to Disney's 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' with the headless horseman. Does anyone remember that one?

Chestnuts roasted by Jen @ 10/14/2004 04:49 PM EST

Speaking of Simpsons, I heard that the last season will be in 2009. How depressing is that? I mean, yeah, now the movies will come out sooner, but still...I can't remember a time without them.

Chestnuts roasted by Sara @ 10/14/2004 07:41 PM EST

one year i made it my goal to collect ALL of the halloween mcnugget toys and i did just that. i had all 57 of them and they lived on top of my VCR. they stayed on that VCR for a few years collecting dust and cigarette smoke stains until one fateful day that VCR caught fire and burned to the ground (read: endtable surface) taking all 89 mcnugget figures with it. it was a sad day when i came to discover my VCR crispified with 176 little crunchy solidified plastic puddles baked into it's soot encrusted surface, a single blackened mcnugget eyeball staring up at me from amidst the rubble.

aside from the eye chunk, the only thing that survived the great table fire was half of my natural born killers director's cut VHS. you'd think the only thing that could play melted video tapes would be scorched VCRs...

Chestnuts roasted by eric-the-ded @ 10/14/2004 07:49 PM EST

You are SO RIGHT! BRING BACK THE SPECIALS! I'm suprised that at least Cartoon Network or something doesn't play these.

Chestnuts roasted by The Dragonrider @ 10/14/2004 08:02 PM EST

Oh man, I'm so jealous Matt. Those guys are my heroes, next to The Cure. I wouldn't have my ears pierced if not for Duran Duran. I wouldn't be begging anyone and everyone for an Armani suit if not for those guys. I wouldn't be in a band anymore if not for them...My old band covered "The Chauffeur" and from that moment on, I knew it was something I had to do for the rest of my life.
Cheers to you friend...cheers to you.

Chestnuts roasted by Myke @ 10/15/2004 12:04 PM EST

Thanks for the heads-up on the GARFIELD DVD. I never thought I would see that scary old man and pirate ghost again. I have the Garfield Christmas taped from T.V. circa '92 with the Claymation Christmas. Still waiting on that one......

Chestnuts roasted by manimal789 @ 10/15/2004 06:45 PM EST

hey, i'm new here and after reading ur article i wanted to ask u if u'd marry me! Finally, someone who feels the same way i do about holidays specials and the like! Thank you!

Chestnuts roasted by Maria @ 10/16/2004 12:41 AM EST

OMG, you met Duran Duran? *goes all 80's fangirl*

Chestnuts roasted by Syntania @ 10/18/2004 07:15 PM EST

JUST as classic as garfield and charlie browns specials is the cbs teaser right befor each one!!!! also not an official thanksgiving classic but it originally aired on the 24th of november 1989 "garfields nine lives" my thanksgiving classic!! seen it matt?.......god i cry like tammy fay evry time i watch life number 5 or six? titled dianas piano!! grab a hankie and watch all the testosterone flow out of your eyes!! i dare ya! and go find mad monster party!

Chestnuts roasted by JAY B! @ 10/20/2004 04:34 AM EST

Now, when you say "special"......

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/23/2004 03:49 PM EST

Major markout moment: when Garfield goes to his first house on Halloween night, and when it's answered, he of course says..."GIMME!" And then threatening to cut up the lady's curtains with his broadsword :-)

Chestnuts roasted by James Fabiano @ 11/06/2004 09:14 AM EST

One more note...how about the Beavis and Butt-head Halloween? Memorable mostly for Beavis/Cornholio yelling, "Trick or treat, son of a bitch!"

Chestnuts roasted by James Fabiano @ 11/06/2004 09:15 AM EST