09/22/2005 Entry: "Duracell + Dracula = Duracula!"

The reason I'm posting this later than usual goes a little something like this: I'm noticing it. I'm seeing it from the prison window of my long bus ride into work every morning, here and there, on walks, in cars, yadda. The Halloween season is here. It's really here. I felt like it was important to me as a person, and important to me as a person who has chosen to devote every night of his life from now until Halloween to writing about Halloween, to get out there and feel it. My definition of feeling it is going to a department store and blowing a lot of money on holiday-themed junk. Now me the person is satiated, and now me the person who has chosen to devote every night of his life from now until Halloween to writing about Halloween has enough ammunition to give you one hell of a Countdown week starting next Monday. Got some really great stuff. Alas, we've still got two more to go for this week, and Thursday's entry chooses to lure you in with a review and download of an old Duracell Halloween commercial, starring who else but...Duracula!

Chestnuts roasted by Mattman @ 09/22/2005 12:37 AM EST

Yeah, duracell still exists.

But I only buy generic batteries. Because I'm poor.

Sadly, generic batteries have never tantalized me with promises of vampires.

Chestnuts roasted by The Wukong Effect @ 09/22/2005 12:39 AM EST

So, does Duracula give the battery its power by sucking the blood (or electrons) from things, or is he actually powered by the battery? Or is it a symbiotic relationship?

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 09/22/2005 12:40 AM EST

I've always been an energizer man myself. I've seen the bunny on recent commercials but I can't recall any duracell commercials in some time.

Chestnuts roasted by Dohopoki @ 09/22/2005 12:41 AM EST

I vividly remember everything about that commercial except for the actual Duracell stuff, which I guess just proves Matt's point about the product not mattering much in one's mind when it comes to such things.

I'm glad the Halloween spirit exists somewhere at least. It was 100 degrees outside today, so it's still summer here.

Chestnuts roasted by Monte @ 09/22/2005 12:55 AM EST

Duracell gives the vampire power, obviously. Otherwise, what was the point of the commercial?

Chestnuts roasted by Brandon @ 09/22/2005 12:55 AM EST

My Halloweens are always hot. When I'm handing out candy to trick or treaters it's often 90 degrees or thereabouts, with mosquitos divebombing at any given moment.

Such is life in Louisiana.

But it really deprives children of a nice Halloweeen. Any face paint will be a sticky, gooey, melted mess by the end of the evening. Any costume worth it's salt will undoubtedly be a sweat generator the likes of which will destroy your mind, and a fair bit of your candy is melted by the time you get home.

FYI, our "fall" lasts for about a week and a half towards the end of November. And we've had 70 degree Christmases before, too. Not often, but some.

Chestnuts roasted by The Wukong Effect @ 09/22/2005 12:59 AM EST

Ease my troubles, that's what you do...

Chestnuts roasted by B-log @ 09/22/2005 01:06 AM EST

It's usually the exact opposite problem here. I don't start to like snow until November, but Mother Nature's weather schedule for Nebraska evidently does not reflect my tastes. Halloween was actually canceled in 1991 because of a massive blizzard. I'm still trying to figure out how a day can be canceled. It's like saying there won't be a Tuesday next week.

Chestnuts roasted by Monte @ 09/22/2005 01:08 AM EST

He looks to be The Count from Sesame Street's cousin.

Forty! Forty days until Halloween, mwa ah ah!

Chestnuts roasted by Julie @ 09/22/2005 01:08 AM EST

I looked in every toy store for Duracula as well. And every other "toy" that Duracell put in their ads. Chances are very good that I made up lies to my friends about having seen them.

Chestnuts roasted by B-log @ 09/22/2005 01:14 AM EST

Also Matt, thanks so much for keeping this up, it's awesome so far.

Chestnuts roasted by B-log @ 09/22/2005 01:19 AM EST

hell yea this site has been looking more like the old days much props 2 funkmasta matt

Chestnuts roasted by diamondzdigidul @ 09/22/2005 05:08 AM EST

Yeah, that was a good campaign. For those of you who missed it, click the name to see Matt's review of Ruldolph in a Duracell commercial (Duraolph? Rudacell?)
CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING WIKIPEDIA. Now you belong to the ages. I like the way they put Matt in quotes. Is it an alias? Does Matt stand for something? Man Adores Toys and Tacos? Merman And Tela Tussle?
Speaking of which, when will the ABOUT section be updated? The people want to see how the boy became the man-boy. I only ask since I know you aren't busy at all these days .
Finally, you guys would be happy to hear that today at school is Cartoon/Superhero Day and I was in charge of the music. Good stuff but I admit my HE-MAN intro is a tad self-indulgent.

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 09/22/2005 06:02 AM EST

My, how the mighty have fallen. Duracell used to have high-budget masterpieces filled with vaguely creepy actor-puppets. And one old battery-powered old lady who went memorably INSANE when juiced up with a new Duracell. Now all they have is some generic announcer talking in semi-interested tones about how they use Duracell in pace makers and defibrillators and really important flashlights and the like. Not only does it lack both vampires and inhuman golems, but it screams to be parodied. Plastique detonators and really vital vibrators are only a couple of the inappropriate topics you can mimic for the amusement of your drunken friends.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 09/22/2005 08:47 AM EST

Wukong,

What part of this corrupt state do you live in? I am in the Shreveport area myself and I remember many, many halloweens sweating and swatting while trying to get the "good" candies. Got to love it! Oh and Matt, thanks for all the great work to keep up the holiday spirit long before it arrives in stores and hopefully long after it goes by the wayside as X-mas starts.

Chestnuts roasted by Tigerfan @ 09/22/2005 09:28 AM EST

I hope I even get trick or treaters this year; they sadly taper off every year. Stupid lazy kids playing electronic games all the time. I'm tired of forcing my wife and dog to repeatedly come to the door in different costumes for two hours.

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo Berry the 70's Ghost @ 09/22/2005 09:49 AM EST

It seems like the commercial aired in 1999, since it's all three-year storage than it shows batteries that say Jan 02 on them. Just trying to pinpoint it.

Chestnuts roasted by Mr. Mr. Mr. @ 09/22/2005 10:25 AM EST

I believe the batteries say '92.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/22/2005 10:29 AM EST

I didn't remember this one at all until that money shot of Drac's battery belly.
I thought anyone could just add/edit Wikipedia entries? I may be completely wrong.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/22/2005 10:47 AM EST

40 days til halloween, halloween, halloween! 40 days til halloween..silver shamrock!

Chestnuts roasted by james anthony ktu @ 09/22/2005 11:23 AM EST

I couldn't help but notice the resemblance to Count (The Count?) myself. Especially in the second screen grab.

Oh, and just as I was wondering if Duracell was also responsible for the Puttermans [shudder], someone mentioned it. Thanks.

You know what, I'm going to go on a limb and say that the public schools are helping to kill Halloween. When I first started elementary school, Halloween meant class party. Chocolate cupcakes with orange icing (and some spooky-headed plastic toothpick thing), potato chips (inevitably also with orange icing), soda...it added to the anticipation. In fact, in my very early years, we were encouraged to dress up. By the time I graduated, we actually had administrators roaming the halls and looking in classrooms on holidays to make sure there were no parties. The official statement was that the parents sent us to school to learn, and we certainly couldn't do that if we were eating tasty snacks and listening to spooky music. This act alone can't hurt Christmas, which aside from the presents (which are superior to candy), is aided by the fact that it comes with an extended holiday, but I feel like it probably maims Halloween a bit. It turns Halloween from an all-day holiday into a two-hour holiday. Heck, for those of us who couldn't go trick or treating, the class parties were all we had. As someone who never really celebrated Halloween as a kid I may be way off base, but it's a theory.

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 09/22/2005 11:57 AM EST

I'm getting the itch to carve me a Jack O'Lantern. And the urge to throw batteries at vampires.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 09/22/2005 12:07 PM EST

Tigerfan,

I'm in Natchitoches, AKA the land that time forgot, AKA the armpit of the world, AKA Land of the Cows.

Actually, that last one is a lie. We're nowhere near that exciting.

Chestnuts roasted by The Wukong Effect @ 09/22/2005 12:23 PM EST

So, I have a query for all of you.

I've been arguing with my best friend/office mate/paramour about when it would be appropriate to get the Halloween decorations out. I say as soon as the candy hits the shelves, I ought to be able to start dusting off the props and getting them settled. He says to wait until two weeks before.

Matt (et al), would you please settle this? How soon is too soon?

Also and unrelatedly, does anyone know how I could get my hands on one of the Target Baby Werewolves? My area has the Baby Eyeballs, Baby Witches, and Baby Vampires...but no Baby Werewolves, other than one of the endcap decorations with the doorbell ("brush brush brush, up and down, side to side". And I really, really want a Baby Werewolf. If any of you work at a Target, I'd even take one of the soon-to-be-discarded doorbell displays.

I promise I'll raise him up right!

Chestnuts roasted by Lisa Marie @ 09/22/2005 12:49 PM EST

Say what you will about department stores, but.. around the holidays.. especially Christmas.. there's more place I'd rather be walking around aimlessly on a Friday night..

Chestnuts roasted by Review the World @ 09/22/2005 12:52 PM EST

The last line was supposed to say there's "no other" place I'd rather be..

I guess that's what I get for rushing out a quick comment when I have to be in Anthropology class in three minutes!

Chestnuts roasted by Review the World @ 09/22/2005 12:53 PM EST

Matt, I'm glad you're even more inspired by all the Halloween goodness that's evolving around town. I was just in Duane Reade and they already got a nice aisle dedicated to Halloween costumes, candy, and decorations. I couldn't help but stop and browse and smile while buying my shampoo and granola bars. Your countdown has inspired ME to start watching my Halloween related videos and DVDs.
And jumping ahead to Xmas for a second: two great specials are coming to DVD: The Chipmunks Christmas and the one time aired "lost" ZIGGY christmas special: ZIGGY'S GIFT!!!!

Chestnuts roasted by Melissa Y @ 09/22/2005 01:07 PM EST

If you listen closely you can hear in the background "Dura- Dura-Cell. Dura- Dura-Cell"
I know the guy whose voice that is. He was my music theory teacher in High School back in 1993-1994. I remember him telling the class that he did the background voice for this very commercial several years before he got a job teaching at my high school on Long Island New York. He performed it for the class as well as the laugh that you can hear at the end of the commercial.
His name was Mr. Fritz and he taught chorus as well as music theory.

Chestnuts roasted by Pete @ 09/22/2005 01:13 PM EST

Well, if the commercial is all about "3-year storage" and the date is 92 then the commercial probably came out in 89. Has anyone seen any Halloween commercials this year? I saw a pretty spooky Go-Gogurt ad.

Chestnuts roasted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 09/22/2005 01:25 PM EST

I know I sound like some New Age hippie, but you have a gift with writing. Seriously. "Look, forget the batteries. We're talking about ambiance." - fantastic.

I had a Mighty Men and Monsters Maker and my sister and I would decorate our house with our homemade monster pictures. Wish I still had that!

Chestnuts roasted by Frankie @ 09/22/2005 02:15 PM EST

I believe the commercial aired in the 1988 Halloween season... if it was in '89 than the "Jan 92" expiration would be barely more than two years, not the three years which was the intended point of the commercial.

Also, check this out: a different version of Duracula, made for a magazine ad:

http://www.willjackson.co.uk/props.htm

Chestnuts roasted by waj @ 09/22/2005 02:51 PM EST

The only batterie commercial I ever remember seeing was a Energizer one. It was on Cloud City and the bateries in Darth Vaders light saber ran out so he couldn't kill that damn rabbit. It probably came out around the time Lucas re-released the Original trilogy with added computer crap. On a halloween note I don't have any decorations outside my house but my room is plastered with all kinds of monsters and the like. Does anyone find that strange because I do.

Chestnuts roasted by Darth Poop @ 09/22/2005 02:59 PM EST

Oh, that ad was cool. I remember those old ads where the V/O says "Duracell," and the copper top attaches to the black part of the battery with that sound effect. Wa-wa-wa or whatever--I can't decipher what it sounds like. I want that Dracula!

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 09/22/2005 03:14 PM EST

Julie, maybe Dracula IS the Count's cousin...

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 09/22/2005 03:17 PM EST

I actually remember the ad with the Grandma robot and the song going "AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Duracell isn't trying anymore. It's a shame...

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 09/22/2005 03:19 PM EST

Lisa Marie, my Halloween decor has been up for 2 weeks, I couldn't resist any longer and last year I put up the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving but that's how I roll. I'd say the entire month of October is universally acceptable though, at least 4 weeks for every holiday is not odd by any stretch of the imagination. 2 weeks is the Halloween version of Bah Humbug I say.

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo Berry the 70's Ghost @ 09/22/2005 03:20 PM EST

I mean its been up 1 week not 2, I'm not insane. And to Frankie I state again Mighty Men Monster Maker is the shit, especially the textured back, what a quality toy.

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo @ 09/22/2005 03:22 PM EST

Sorry Matt. But I'd have to disagree with you regarding "Duracula" downing the Bunny. The Bunny would most definetly open a can of whoop A** on him.

Chestnuts roasted by Texican @ 09/22/2005 03:29 PM EST

Yayayay!

I'm thinking this weekend might herald the taping/stapling/nailing of decor, both in and out.

And I'm so very jonesing for the scent and feel of pumpkin guts.

Allison -- I always sang the Duracell sound effect as "Wa-hoo-wa." Duracell. The copper-top battery. Heh. Now I've got a case of the gigglesnitz.

Chestnuts roasted by Lisa Marie @ 09/22/2005 03:48 PM EST

this is completely off topic, but i just spent 7 hours reading the entire Photog thread. so my mind is in bitner mode.

being born in 85, i was too young to remember the MoTU create a character contest, but it reminded me of a contest i definitely did remember and entered.

nintendo power ran a contest in the early 90's for the release of Zelda: Link To The Past. you entered the contest and if you won, you got to be in the game in some form. the kid that won was chris houlihan. i am pretty sure the entire world forgot about him and the contest though when the game finally hit shelves.

unlike mattell, nintendo actually followed through with their promise and he is actually in the game. at least, his name is. but its nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find. it wasnt until the advent of emulators and such that people actually started to find out about this thing.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/sxeddie/chrishoulihanroom.jpg

theres a link to a screenshot of the room.

anyway, this has gotten really longwinded. but i was wondering if anybody remembers that contest or had found the room as well?

Chestnuts roasted by eddie mercury @ 09/22/2005 03:54 PM EST

I've already decorated my house for Halloween a few days ago. Nobody cared, and where I live nobody really cares even when it's deep into October. Regardless, if stores can start stocking Christmas stuff immediately after Halloween (or even before it, which is a pet peeve of mine), I can hang up jack-o'-lantern lights in the middle of September.

Chestnuts roasted by Monte @ 09/22/2005 04:41 PM EST

I hated this commercial because he looked like the Count from Sesame Street. I had a healthy fear of the count as a young child which brings back horrible memories of my older brothers tormenting me with a platic Count Halloween mask. They would find good hiding spots and jump out and scaring the ever living shit out of me. Not very effective for a young child trying to overcome his fear of a fucking muppet!

Chestnuts roasted by phunqsauce @ 09/22/2005 08:06 PM EST

I don't know, I think he looks more like Greg the Bunny's Count Blah even though this was made 10 years earlier

Chestnuts roasted by JLAJRC @ 09/22/2005 09:20 PM EST

BTW eddie mercury-- I have read about this room as well. Supposedly if your cartridge makes an error entering a cave or building you will be taken to the room but the chances are as good as winning the lottery. Go here for methods to reach the room.

Chestnuts roasted by phunqsauce @ 09/22/2005 09:26 PM EST

Monte- I HATE when stores start bringing out the christmas stuff before halloween too! They seem to do it earlier and earlier every year, but when they do it, it's like saying that halloween isn't important enough...give the holiday some space...but anyways

Lisa Marie- I used to work at a Target and usually they don't let us give away the props and decorations cause they suck...something to do with giving them back to the companies that make them...I don't know it always sounded lame to me...

Chestnuts roasted by Karrie @ 09/22/2005 09:27 PM EST

The Christmas-Before-Halloween thing depressed the heck out of me last year. It's almost as bad as Eliminating-Christmas-Before-Christmas in late December.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/22/2005 09:29 PM EST

Hey Matt, have you seen the Jones Soda Halloween flavors? They're apparently Target exclusives. The flavors are Scary Berry Lemonade (boring but tasty), Strawberry S'Lime (ditto), Caramel Apple (yummy!), and Candy Corn (disturbingly good). They come in 8 oz. cans, 4 cans per pack (all the same flavor), $1.50 per pack. Someone may have mentioned this already, but I haven't been keeping up with the blog comments as much as I used to.

Chestnuts roasted by Scott @ 09/22/2005 10:53 PM EST

Last night I was driving through the country. There's no street lights and few houses out there so it's extremely dark. The only light in a sea of pitch black was way off in the distance, a blazing orange glow that looked like a fire to me. So I sped up, worried I'd have to call 911 when I got there. Finally I drove close enough to see what was really going on.... someone had completely covered the front of their farm in orange Halloween lights. Too funny, I was tricked by trick or treat themed lights. Kickass display, just wish I had my camera with me.

Chestnuts roasted by Carri @ 09/22/2005 11:36 PM EST

Scott, I have mentioned it to Matt about 7 threads ago, but I have not yet had a chance to pick them up myself.

Update: Still haven't found Frankenberry or Boo Berry here on Long Island yet. I've been told some sure picks, but I'm not willing to drive that far. Any new info would be awesome.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 09/23/2005 12:41 AM EST

Just in from Target where I saw the cutie little Jones sodas, but I didn't pick any up. I was shocked to see all the Xmas cards already out...Santa in September is a little much.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/23/2005 12:51 AM EST

Man, I'd be really mad if I actually won a contest and then it turned out that they crammed my sad little sprite in a glitched room somewhere. If I'm gonna be in a Zelda game, I want it so that after you kill Ganon you find me and Zelda playing Pocket Tanks, and her informing Link that she's dumping his fae butt for me. I mean, c'mon. How many other contests is this kid going to win in his life? Don't make it suck for him.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 09/23/2005 09:03 AM EST

I picked up the Jones sodas too and was pretty psyched. I'm keeping my comments to myself for now in case they end up with a spot on the countdown. Otherwise, I'll just come out with it on November 1st I guess.

You know, it's retail's job to be ridiculously early with everything. I remember running out of sunblock around the end of July, and when we got to the store it was all marked down for clearance. I remember deciding I needed a new swimsuit for July 4th last year and found the same situation. Admittedly, they did seem a little slow with Halloween this year, though I needed a wig for something in the middle of last month and was lucky enough to find a store with its costumes on display already. That's just the way retail is. Unfortunately, it means that you have to know that you're going to need something before you actually do, because by then it'll be too late. It's like finding out the hard way that the stores quit stocking pool chemicals by August, the hottest month of the year. Who's deciding this?

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 09/23/2005 10:32 AM EST

The Jones Soda Halloween cans will debut on the site next week.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/23/2005 10:34 AM EST

Has anyone ever seen the Rankin and Bass "Mad Monster Party"? Its craptastic Halloween fun! The acting is terrible of course, but the puppets are colorful and fun to watch.

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo Berry the 70's Ghost @ 09/23/2005 11:17 AM EST

After reading about the Chris Houlihan room, I looked up more info on it at a few other cheat sites. As soon as I got home, I put in my cart and turned it on, and got to the room three times in a row! I decided to start my run from the village. Anybody ever ask Houlihan if the company told him how to get to the room, and if there is a sure-fire way to get there every single time? And why does the name Houlihan remind me of Dennis Leary's "Stereotypical Irish Folk Song?" The is no Houlihan mentioned in there.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 09/23/2005 11:42 AM EST

Funky Boo Berry - I found "Mad Monster Party" a few weeks ago. From the same people that made the Rudolph special we've all grown up on. I wonder why I've never seen it televised?

Chestnuts roasted by Carri @ 09/23/2005 12:21 PM EST

Shopping List for this weekend --

Jones Soda tops the list. Even if it's craptacular, I must have some Candy Corn Soda.

Last weekend was all about the Pumpkin Beer (brewed in O'Fallon, MO) -- which was surprisingly good. I'm going to have to stock up.

Chestnuts roasted by Lisa Marie @ 09/23/2005 12:59 PM EST

once you get to the room once, its fairly easy to get there again (unless you found it by complete mistake, in which case youre just blown away). the easiest way i found was starting from the sancutary.

trick is, you cant get hit at all. if you take damage, you wont beat the clock.

i have never read any sort of interviews with houlihan or anything, so i dunno if he was even told about it. id like to know though.

the houlihan room is one of the best kept secrets in video game history. in my opinion, it is the best. the only thing that could top it so far is something that nobody has discovered yet.

my video game geek mind salivates at the thought.

Chestnuts roasted by eddie mercury @ 09/23/2005 01:37 PM EST

I started from the village and got bonked a couple times, but got the room anyway. Even had time to stab a few guards along the way. Don't mind the time limit, just get there. Toob ad it's removed from the later GBA version.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 09/23/2005 02:38 PM EST

ive been gone for a while. but now im back. Matt, you are just as awesome as ever!

Chestnuts roasted by snailshell @ 09/23/2005 02:43 PM EST

oh, i was under the impression you couldnt take damage. at least, i had never gotten to the room if i took damage. thats awesome that it can be done though.

and yeah, i dunno why the hell they removed the grestest easter egg in VG history from the GBA remake.

poor chris houlihan. all growed up and thought he would live in infamy in not only the console, but handheld world. alas, it wasnt meant to be.

Chestnuts roasted by eddie mercury @ 09/23/2005 03:24 PM EST

I Can't stand it any longer. Tonight, I'm making a trip to Target to hunt down some Jones' candy soda goodness and hopefully score some decorations too. MMMMMMMMMM.... Images of carbonated candy corn dance in my head...

Chestnuts roasted by D-Roc @ 09/23/2005 03:52 PM EST

On a similar video game easter egg theme, my favorite was playing Sonic 3 in debug mode and all of a sudden discovering the "secret" Knuckles-only rooms/levels that would only become available with the Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 3 lock-on thingy. I felt like Christopher Columbus!

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 09/23/2005 04:08 PM EST

All these easter egg comments remind me of the NBA Jam cheerleader code. In one interview long ago in some now defunct gaming magazine, Mark Turmell (one of the games designers) said that the code DOES exist in early versions of the game, but the code was intentionally made to be VERY difficult because the NBA didn't really like the idea. Odd, since in NBA Jam TE they ended up being playable in the game anyway with the normal code process......I still wonder about that code to this day.....

Chestnuts roasted by Loneman1 @ 09/23/2005 06:38 PM EST

Great ad and an eve better article. Keep it up!

Chestnuts roasted by Posted by Posted by Posted by @ 09/24/2005 04:38 PM EST