Halloween Interlude: "The Wolf Man" (1941)

"Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the autumn moon is bright"

 

Celebrating Halloween All Month Long

For the sixth consecutive year PopCultureGuy will be celebrating Halloween throughout the month of October. Expect Halloween themed posts on new movies, recently released books, television series, Blu-rays/DVDs, and classic horror movies. I also hope to have a surprise or two for my readers and fellow Halloween fanatics along the way (cue the maniacal laughter)!

Syfy's Sixth Annual "31 Days of Halloween" Scare-A-Thon Unleashes 600 Hours of Bloodcurdling Programming

Press Release:  NEW YORK – September 13, 2013 – Syfy’s sixth annual 31 Days of Halloween will unleash nearly 600 hours of bloodcurdling programming throughout the entire month of October, led by Halloween-themed episodes of Ghost Hunters (October 30) and Naked Vegas (October 29), a Scare Tactics marathon (October 28) and a trio of original horror movies including Zombie Night (October 26) starring Darryl Hannah, Anthony Michael Hall and “Mrs. Partridge,” Shirley Jones!

31 Days of Halloween will include the Syfy premieres of Psychosis (October 5) and Night of the Demons (October 10), an evening of Nicholas Cage flicks – Drive Angry and Ghost Rider (October 27) – as well as marathons of the series Being Human (October 18), Friday the 13^th: The Series (October 11), Ghost Whisperer (October 10) and Forever Knight (October 4).

Highlights of Syfy’s 31 Days of Halloween (all times ET/PT)

 
SCARECROW – Original Movie Airs Saturday, October 5 at 9PM – A group of teens and their teacher are stranded in the countryside when they discover that the local legend of a murderous scarecrow creature is real – and the creature’s after them. Scarecrow stars Robin Dunne (Sanctuary) and Lacey Chabert (Family Guy).
 
GRAVE HALLOWEEN – Original Movie Airs Saturday, October 19 at 9PM – An American college student studying in Japan risks her own life to save the spirit of her dead mother who killed herself in the notorious real-life Suicide Forest. Grave Halloween stars Cassie Thomson (Big Love) and Graham Wardle (Supernatural).
 
ZOMBIE NIGHT – Original Movie Airs Saturday, October 26 at 9PM – Two families in a small American town Face Off against zombies in a long night of horror, torn between helping each other and saving themselves. Zombie Night stars Darryl Hannah (Kill Bill), Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club) and Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family).
 
SCARE TACTICS – Original Series Airs Monday, October 28 from 8-11PM – Tracy Morgan hosts a special marathon of all-new episodes of Scare Tactics, the hidden camera show with a sci-fi twist that pulls outrageous pranks on unsuspecting friends and family. In these new episodes, our subjects will be subjected to post-Voodoo ceremony zombie attacks at a cemetery, a meat-eating fly experiment gone horribly wrong and a homicidal comedian at a comedy award show that Tracy “hosts.”
 
NAKED VEGAS – Original Series Airs Tuesday, October 29 at 10PM – Set amidst the fast-paced glitter of life on the Las Vegas Strip, Syfy will transport viewers inside the provocative and imaginative world of body painting art in this new six-part docuseries. Just in time for Halloween, the first episode follows the Naked Vegas Team as they plan an over-the-top zombie-themed wedding at Eli Roth’s Goretorium at Planet Hollywood. Not only does the wedding couple want to stagger down the aisle in zombie body paint, but they want the entire wedding party painted to match the theme! Can the Team pull off this challenging make-up assignment – and convince the wedding party to go naked?
 
GHOST HUNTERS – Original Series Airs Wednesday, October 30 at 9PM – To help put fans in the trick or treat mood, GHOST HUNTERS presents an especially spooky investigation the eve before All Hallows’ Eve. In the episode, titled “Hyde and Seek,” lead investigator Jason Hawes and the TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) team head to Cooperstown, New York, for their most anticipated investigation location of the season: Hyde Hall. They’re there to look into claims that the INFAMOUS mansion was cursed by its former owners during a family feud, and during the investigation, the team comes face-to-face with threatening paranormal activity. Throughout the episode, TAPS will also share personal Halloween messages with viewers at home.

ABC Family's 15th Annual "13 Nights of Halloween" Begins October 19th

Yes, it is almost that time of year again. Next month, PopCultureGuy will be celebrating Halloween all month long for the sixth consecutive year, so expect a lot of fright filled fun. In the meantime, other media outlets are gearing up for All Hallows' Eve too, including ABC Family. Check out the press release below for their complete "13 Nights of Halloween" event.


Burbank, CA (September 13, 2013) - ABC Family scares up the 2013 13 NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN celebration, with programming filled with scares and frights as you countdown to Halloween. The popular programming event, now in its 15th year, starting Saturday, October 19th, and concludes on Thursday, October 31st, features a brand new episode of "Pretty Little Liars" and the highly anticipated premiere of spinoff series "Ravenswood." The stunt will also include the ABC Family feature film premiere of "Men in Black," the network premiere of "Disney·Pixar's Toy Story OF TERROR!," and a ghoulish mix of Halloween-themed programming airing for the 13 nights leading up to Halloween.

Following is a listing of chill-tastic programming taking place October 19th-31st during ABC

Family's 13 NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN.
Night One - Saturday, October 19th
The 15th annual 13 NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN launches an all day scarefest with a mini marathon of comedy series "The Middle," featuring all of the Heck family's Halloween hijinks (7:00 - 8:30 AM ET/PT). New York's only hope in the midst of a crime wave is the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (8:30 - 10:30 AM ET/PT). Gotham City is under attack by The Joker in "Batman" at 10:30 AM- 1:30 PM ET/PT, then "Batman Returns" (1:30 - 4:30 PM ET/PT) to thwart The Penguin's evil plans. "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" (4:30 - 6:25 PM ET/PT) kicks off a Tim Burton double feature, with "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" (6:25 - 8:00 PM ET/PT) doubling your frights. Catch the network premiere of "Disney·Pixar's Toy Story OF TERROR!" (8:00 - 8:30 PM ET/PT), where Buzz, Woody and all your favorite toys must work together to track down their missing friend. Then meet us down on the Scare Floor for "Disney·Pixar's Monsters, Inc." (8:30 - 10:30 PM ET/PT). We wrap up our night with how Batman came to be in "Batman Begins" at 10:30 PM - 12:30 AM ET/PT.

Night Two - Sunday, October 20th
Spend the day with the master of Halloween entertainment Tim Burton, starting with a trip down the rabbit hole with "Alice in Wonderland" (7:00 - 9:30 AM ET/PT), then collect your golden ticket to the world of Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (9:30 AM - 12:30 PM ET/PT). Then visit with "Coraline" (12:00 - 2:00 PM ET/PT), a little girl who realizes an idealized version of her unhappy home comes with its own secrets. Then it's back to Burton with "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" (2:00 - 3:55 PM ET/PT) and the creepiest wedding of the year, followed by a haunting holiday in "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" (3:55 - 5:30 PM ET/PT). Join Mike Wazowski and Sulley for some premium scares in "Disney·Pixar's Monsters, Inc." (5:30 - 7:30 PM ET/PT), then take another ride on "Disney·Pixar's Toy Story OF TERROR!" (7:30 - 8:00 PM ET/PT) if you dare. "The Addams Family" (8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT) invites you to spend the evening with them and learn some "Addams Family Values" (10:00 PM - 12:00 AM ET/PT).

Night Three - Monday, October 21st
Watch out for the Red Queen as you revisit the fantastical Wonderland in "Alice in Wonderland" (6:30 - 8:30 PM ET/PT), then it's the tale of immortal love in "Twilight" (8:30 - 11:00 PM ET/PT). Stay up late for extra chills with "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT), where someone is watching, and they know your secret!

Night Four - Tuesday, October 22nd
Relive your favorite moments from this season's search for Red Coat in a "Pretty Little Liars" marathon (11:00 AM - 8:00 PM ET/PT), featuring 9 back to back episodes filled with creepy text messages and even creepier gifts from "A". Then break out your Halloween finery as the Liars attend a very unusual costume party on a special brand new Halloween episode of "Pretty Little Liars" at 8:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT. Watch "Pretty Little Liars" Caleb as he steps into a new town where things are stranger than even he's ever seen in the highly anticipated premiere of new series "Ravenswood" (9:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT). Additionally you can catch encores of the "Ravenswood" premiere at 10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT and 1:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT, with the "Pretty Little Liars" Halloween episode airing in between at 12:00 -1:00 AM ET/PT.

Night Five - Wednesday, October 23rd
Tag along with the "Pretty Little Liars" (5:30 - 6:30 PM ET/PT) as they search for the truth about Ali, in an encore of the Halloween special, followed by another visit to the Supernatural town of "Ravenswood" (6:30 - 7:30 PM ET/PT). Harry prepares for his final epic battle with He Who Must Not Be Named in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1" at 7:30 - 11:00 PM ET/PT. The night ends with another teen who discovers her magical powers in "Teen Witch" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT).

Night Six - Thursday, October 24th
Captain Jack Sparrow leads a quest to find the mystical Fountain of Youth in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" at 6:00 - 9:00 PM, ET/PT. Join the M.I.B. on the search for aliens in the ABC Family premiere of "Men in Black" (9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT). And end your night with Michael J. Fox's hairy high school adventures of "Teen Wolf" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT).

Night Seven - Friday, October 25th
Try not to be neutralized by the "Men in Black" (7:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT) on the search for aliens. Then watch out for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, "Beetlejuice" at 9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT. Wrap up with another chance to join Agent J and Agent K of the "Men in Black" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT).

Night Eight - Saturday, October 26th
It's back to back Supernatural high school hijinks starting with "Teen Wolf Too" (7:30 - 9:30 AM ET/PT), followed by "Teen Wolf" (9:30 - 11:30 AM ET/PT), "Teen Witch" (11:30 AM - 1:30 PM ET/PT), and "The Goonies" (1:30 - 3:30 PM ET/PT). Then it's another chance to partake in the wacky shenanigans of "Beetlejuice" (4:00 - 6:00 PM ET/PT), and spend some more time with the kookiest, ookiest family on the block in "The Addams Family" (6:00 - 8:00 PM ET/PT) and "Addams Family Values" (8:00 - 10:00 PM ET/PT). It becomes a witchy late night starting with the Sanderson sisters in "Hocus Pocus" (10:00 PM- 12:00 AM ET/PT), followed by four teenage witches in "The Craft" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT).

Night Nine - Sunday, October 27th
That Grinch doesn't like any holiday in the ABC Family premiere of "Dr. Seuss' Halloween is Grinch Night" at 7:00 -7:30 AM ET/PT. Join Gutsy Smurf on a trip to spooky Smurfy Hollow in the ABC Family premiere of "The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow" (7:30 - 8:00 AM ET/PT). Then grab the Scooby snacks for back to back airings of "Scooby Doo" (8:00 - 10:00 AM ET/PT) and "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET/PT). Trick-or-Treat at "Monster House" (12:00 - 2:00 PM ET/PT) if you dare, then visit with the most charming and magical "Matilda" (2:00 - 4:00 PM ET/PT). Spend some more time with the kookiest, ookiest family on the block in "The Addams Family" (4:00 - 6:00 PM ET/PT) and "Addams Family Values" (6:00 - 8:00 PM ET/PT). Don't drink these witches' brew as the Sanderson sisters wreak havoc in "Hocus Pocus" (8:00- 10:00 PM ET/PT)! Then it's another chance to uncover the mysteries in Rosewood in the "Pretty Little Liars" (10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT) Halloween special and the premiere episode of "Ravenswood" (11:00 PM - 12:00 AM ET/PT).

Night Ten - Monday, October 28th
It's back to the scariest house on the block, "Monster House" (5:30 - 7:30 PM ET/PT), followed by the creepiest wedding you've ever seen in "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" (7:30 - 9:25 PM ET/PT). Then join Jack Skellington in Halloweentown in "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas" (9:25 - 11:00 PM ET/PT). And finally, revisit "Coraline" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT), a little girl who discovers the world she thought she wanted is more sinister than she thought.

Night Eleven - Tuesday, October 29th
The night kicks off with a bonus airing of the special Halloween episode of "Pretty Little Liars" (6:00 - 7:00 PM ET/PT) and the "Ravenswood" (7:00 - 8:00 PM ET/PT) premiere episode that introduces the unexplained phenomena of this creepy town. "Ravenswood" (8:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT) makes its time period debut with a new episode that finds Caleb trying to explain the Supernatural happenings he's witnessed. Close out your night with the scares and thrills of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT), then be kept up at night by back to back airings of the first two episodes of chilling series "Ravenswood" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT).

Night Twelve - Wednesday, October 30th
A day of truly spine-tingling frights starts with Mikey, Chunk and the rest of "The Goonies" (11:00 AM - 1:30 PM ET/PT) where Goonies never say die! Make a deal with the devil in "Death Becomes Her" (1:30 - 3:30 PM ET/PT). Watch the witchy teens of "The Craft" (3:30 - 5:30 PM ET/PT), then the terrorized teens of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (5:30 - 7:30 PM ET/PT), and stay for the Supernatural teens of "Twilight" (7:30 - 10:00 PM ET/PT). And if you haven't gotten enough terrorizing teen moments, stick around for an encore of the second episode of "Ravenswood" at 10:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT. Your evening of thrills ends with an encore of "Death Becomes Her" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT)

Night Thirteen - Thursday, October 31st
All Hallows Eve is upon us and promises to bring with it a treat bag full of fun, starting with back to back doses of the mutant crime fighters "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (11:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET/PT), and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze" (1:00 - 3:00 PM ET/PT). Stay tuned for those meddling kids of "Scooby Doo" (3:00 - 5:00 PM ET/PT) and "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" (5:00 - 7:00 PM ET/PT) and watch the Scooby gang defeat evil doers' dastardly plans. It's your last chance to hang out with Gomez, Morticia and their kooky crew in "The Addams Family" (7:00 - 9:00 PM ET/PT) and learn some "Addams Family Values" (9:00 -11:00 PM ET/PT) of the frightening kind! The Halloween evening wraps up it's spooktacularness with the ABC Family premiere of "The Others" (12:00 - 2:00 AM ET/PT), where Nicole Kidman fears she is living with ghosts, and not the friendly kind.

HOWL-O-SCR​EAM at Busch Gardens Returns With A TERROR-IFF​IC Plot

WILLIAMSBURG (August 15, 2013) – With less than a month to go until Howl-O-Scream® begins another haunting season, Busch Gardens® is lifting the veil and revealing the frightening tricks and treats guests will experience if they’re brave enough to enter the park after dark.

Starting Friday the thirteenth of September, Busch Gardens’ charming European villages are transformed – taken over by demons and creatures of unspeakable horror – into four Terror-tories™. With the introduction of Terror-tories, transformed lands where spirits and fiends walk amongst the living, Busch Gardens has introduced a whole new immersive aspect to Howl-O-Scream. France, Italy, Germany and England will be transformed into an over-the-top thematic experience that transports guests to another time and place full of startles and frights.

Chart a course through the haunted waters in Italy, flee the flames of burning France, avoid becoming a vampire’s dinner in Germany or hunt for Jack the Ripper in London’s East End. In this immersive experience, guests are the main characters whose fates are linked to the creatures roaming through the dark side of the gardens. Pirates, demons, vampires and Jack the Ripper himself await, so beware or become their latest victim.

Keep a weather-eye open in Cut Throat Cove™, Howl-O-Scream’s newest haunted house where bone-chilling surprises lurk at every turn and mutiny is afoot in this pirate-themed attraction.

Looking for a little liquid courage? Stop by Demon Drinks, Pirate Baarrrrgh™, Open CASKet™ and the Inoculation Station for drinks that are frightfully good. Or reserve a spot at one of three immersive dining experiences at Blood Banquet™, Fright Feast™ and Buccaneer Galley. Then check out one of Howl-O-Scream’s signature shows. Night Beats™, Dig It Up! and Fiends are all returning to entertain and terrify audiences for the 2013 season.

Parents and guardians of young children should heed this warning. At the stroke of 6 p.m., the ghouls and haunts come out to play and Busch Gardens becomes a seriously scary place. Guests are advised to consider the park’s elevated scare factor when deciding to visit Busch Gardens with young children during Howl-O-Scream.

Howl-O-Scream begins Sept. 13 and continues to terrify weekends through Oct. 27. For more information and a complete operating schedule, visit www.howloscream.com/va or call (800) 343-7946.



Howl-O-Scream® is an immersive experience that transforms Busch Gardens® into a much darker place. The descriptions below provide additional insight into Howl-O-Scream’s new immersive Terror-tories™, thematic shows, dining experiences and haunted houses.

NEW Terror-tories™

·         Ripper Row® (England): Things are looking a bit unsettling in England; a murderer is on the loose plucking unsuspecting victims from the city streets to satisfy his grizzly curiosity. No one knows what Jack the Ripper looks like or who he will strike next. Authorities hunt furiously among the crowds in search of the killer nabbing anyone who looks at all suspicious. Keep your head down and your wits about you or you might not make it out alive.
 
·         Vampire Point™ (Germany): Even vampires need a vacation once in a while and Vampire Point™ is the perfect destination for bloodsuckers. Watch your step and your neck or you might end up the main course. Dawn is hours away, your last salvation lies in escaping the vampire village before the inhabitants sink their fangs into you.

 

·         Demon Street™ (France): Paris is burning. Can you escape before the city is engulfed in flame? Let the smoldering ruins light your way, but beware, fiery fiends lurk around every corner ready to put you on the coals. The smell of a burning inferno fills the air and rumor has it unsuspecting souls will be roasted on a spit. It’s about to get very hot in Paris, stay cool or you may find yourself going up in smoke.

 

·         Ports of Skull™ (Italy): The Jolly Roger has risen over a ship graveyard filled with lost souls doomed to haunt the vessels they once sailed. Chart your course through Cut Throat Cove™ or cozy up to the Pirate Baarrrgh™ for a swill ‘o the grog, but keep a weather eye open or you may find yourself keel-hauled by cut-throat buccaneers.

 

Haunted Houses

·         NEW Cut Throat Cove™: Heed the warning: Abandon hope all ye who enter. Cut Throat Cove™ is the haven for bloodthirsty, dangerous rogues – where the scurvy dogs, buccaneers and scoundrels go for shelter. Proceed with caution. Alas, something has gone terribly wrong. Within this macabre market, the pirates have been slaughtered and mutiny is afoot. The way out lies with the buried treasure and the blood-curdling screams you hear just might be your own.
 

·         Catacombs: Through a ruined cemetery filled with statues lies a tunnel that leads to an underground city. Its history is more terrifying than that of France’s worst revolutions. Deep within these tunnels lie mile after mile of bones—the final resting place for those who are buried here. But all is not as quiet as it appears. As guests venture forth into the dank, dripping corridors of rat infested remains, the voices of the dead begin to speak, and some have taken shape.

·         Bitten: Suspicion, darkness and mind-numbing fear surround the “Bitten” house which is set in Eastern Europe in the late 1800s. Full of legends and lore of vampires and the undead that preyed on the innocent, this manor sits by the road upon which all travelers must pass but few return.

 

·         13: Your Number’s Up: For 13 long years, the dark tower was locked away from the world—existing only in the nightmares of those who had dared to experience Howl-O-Scream’s first and most terrifying maze. But now the seal has been broken. The tower is open once more and on the 13th floor, your darkest phobias and fears lurk in the shadows. Are you brave enough to face them or is your number up?

 

·         Dead Line: Deep underground, construction of the newest line of the Pompeii Metro was moving smoothly until an ancient pipe was accidentally struck. At first, it seemed like steam. Then the mist became thicker, more sinister. Now the strange gas is leaking quickly, and everyone trapped inside is infected. The difficult decision was made to cut off all communication to the outside world. The Dead Line is off the grid.

 

·         Root of All Evil™: The seeds of evil have been sown. Venture if you dare into a decrepit greenhouse. Experiments here have not gone as planned and evil has taken control. Botanists, landscapers and staff all poisoned by the very plants they created. In this maze of foliage, you are ripe for the pickings.

 

Dines

·         NEW Blood Banquet™: Visit Count Vlad’s hotel and meet a variety of paranormal characters for an all-new interactive dining experience. This one-of-a-kind spooky atmosphere paired with unexpected twists and turns offers guests the chance to sink their teeth into a whole new way of dining. With an eclectic menu, haunting music and an atmosphere to die for, Blood Banquet™ is otherworldly.

·         NEW Fright Feast™: The laboratory lights are on and the electricity is crackling. Dine with the surgeon, his assistant and their kooky monster at Freakenstonia Castle. The slab is just as hot as the food and the drinks are flowing faster than an I.V. drip in this riveting, entertaining and live-action experience.

 

·         NEW Buccaneer Galley: Arrgh matey!  The galley cooks have prepared a buffet fit for a buccaneer. Join the lovely hostess as she and her cutthroat crew serves up a captain's feast – pirate buffet-style.

 

Bars

·         NEW Demon Drinks: On Demon Street™, everything is sizzling. Join the club, beat the heat and throw back a cold one. The Demon Drinks’ DJ and his too-hot-to-handle hosts are happy to serve guests as they fan the flames of fun.

 

·         NEW Pirate Baarrrgh™: Ahoy scallywags, when the gale winds blow through the creaking yardarm, it's time for dead men to tell tall tales at Pirate Baarrrgh™. Grab a swill o’ the grog stolen from Davy Jones’ locker and mingle with the likes of Peg Leg Pete, Billy Bones and Blackbeard.
 
·         Inoculation Station: No appointments necessary for the shot of a lifetime with your favorite fiends in pink. Get your prescription filled – the famous test tube shot and photo op are always in stock.

 

·         Open CASKet™: The dead are alive and so is the fun at the Open CASKet™ bar. Hang around, watch your neck and toss back a specialty libation served by the coolest vampires this side of the Rhine River.
 

Shows

·         Dig It Up!: Relics long forgotten and buried in the vaults of the Museo di San Marco have recently been dug up, dusted off and brought to life through song. Cavemen, Egyptians, Romans, and even an alien encounter make their musical debut in this eclectic energy packed anything goes at Halloween show
 
·         Fiends: The wacky doctor and his manic nurses are creating the ultimate Fiend, and there’s not a bad seat in the lab. The voltage is high, and so is the fun as they sing, dance and bring you along on the operation of a lifetime.

 

·         Night Beats™: Things that go bump in the night sing, dance and transport you on a musical journey. From the devilish sounds of the roaring '20s to vamping it up with the music of today, this show is filled with dazzling dance numbers, sizzling singers and a barely live band that will leave your heart … beating.

Happy Halloween!

I would like to wish all of my readers a very happy and safe Halloween!

"Roseanne - Tricks & Treats" DVD Showcases the Series' Annual Halloween Episodes

The long running comedy series Roseanne served up annual Halloween themed episodes featuring dark humor and the hilarious passive aggressive nature of Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Dan (John Goodman), who loved the hi-jinks more than their children. Eight Halloween centric episodes are included on Roseanne - Tricks & Treats, from "Boo!," which features Roseanne and Dan trying to out scare each other, to "Satan, Darling," which is a spoof of the classic horror film Rosemary's Baby, complete with a variety of guest stars, including Marlo Thomas and Arianna Huffington.

Not every episode was scary or sinister. For instance, "Trick or Treat" tackles gender issues, as DJ (Michael Fishman) wants to dress up as a witch for Halloween, much to the dismay of Dan. Meanwhile, Roseanne dresses as a man and gets into trouble, as usual, at the Lobo Lounge. Similar themes arise in "Skeleton in the Closet," when Roseanne's boss, Leon (Martin Mull), suggests that Jackie's boyfriend, Fred (Michael O'Keefe), is gay. Of course, it is Halloween after all, but Roseanne does not suspect that this may a prank, until the unforgettable final scene. Roseanne's mom, Bev (Estelle Parsons), is especially funny in this episode. The best Halloween episode, in my opinion, is "Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down." Roseanne and Dan may have gone too far when they play a nasty prank on their neighbor, Kathy, who appears genuinely upset. Roseanne then spends the rest of the night worried about payback from Kathy.

The costumes in many episodes were inspired. For instance, Dan dressing up as The Three Stooges, DJ playing Hannibal Lecter, Dan and Roseanne spoofing Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, and when Bev scares everyone with her "wig," which prompts an unexpected scene featuring many of the cast members, who try once again to outdo the crafty Roseanne. I also enjoyed the plethora of Halloween decorations that could be seen in any given episode, whether at the Connor house, the lodge, or at the restaurant. That attention to detail made the episodes even more entertaining.

Roseanne - Tricks & Treats (Mill Creek) features eight episodes from the series, as well as commentary by Roseanne herself on the classic "Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down." The DVD is perfect for those viewers who like Halloween, but do not enjoy being scared. Of course, you may laugh until you scream, so be prepared anyway.

Celebrating Halloween All Month Long......Again!

Time really does fly! For the fifth consecutive year, PopCultureGuy will be celebrating Halloween all month long. Look for many Halloween related posts over the next 31 days that I hope will encourage readers to get into the spirit of the season, which marks the beginning of my favorite time of the year. Expect posts on current movies, books, DVDs, television series and a few special entries. I hope you enjoy reading the posts as much as I enjoy writing them.

DVD Spotlight: "Tom and Jerry: Tricks & Treats"

 

Believe it or not, it is almost time for Halloween again! If you are like me and cannot get enough of the spooky holiday, then start your celebration early with the recently released "Tom and Jerry: Tricks & Treats" DVD from Warner Home Video. The DVD contains 20 Halloween related animated shorts, as well as two bonus shorts. Tom and Jerry encounter aliens, an enchanted forest, vampires, witches, ghosts, magicians, dragons, mummies and werewolves in various adventures. They also explore a fun house, haunted houses, cemeteries and even dress up as Robin Hood and Musketeers. In other words, they are definitely in the Halloween spirit.

 

The twenty plus shorts are a mixture of older and newer Tom and Jerry cartoons, with the more contemporary entries outnumbering their older counterparts. Among the older efforts, "The Flying Sorceress" is the best of the bunch. After Tom tires of being berated by his owner, he decides to answer a job ad, complete with a new home. However, the person who placed the ad is a witch who lives in a haunted house and flies on a broomstick. Tom is reluctant to stay, especially since he must sleep in a small, coffin shaped bed, but he also sees an opportunity to learn to fly on a broomstick, which has its advantages.

 

The stand out among the newer entries is "Bats What I Like About The South," which finds the duo in a southern Gothic plantation style home that may be haunted. Tom and Jerry fight as usual, but Jerry has a secret weapon - a bat who looks just like him. Of course, Jerry is nothing if not resourceful. When he needs assistance, he calls upon family members, including his cousin Muscles, in "Jerry's Cousin," for help in dealing with the pesky Tom. In addition, Jerry receives help from a doppelganger in "Haunted Mouse," who also happens to be a magician, complete with a hat, cloak and a cane, which can wield magic, causing Tom a great deal of grief.  While I am usually partial to the older Tom and Jerry cartoons, there are a few stand outs among the newer offerings, including "Invasion of the Body Slammers" and the aforementioned "Bats What I Like About the South."

 

One of the great things about watching Tom and Jerry is that they are familiar to multiple generations and can be enjoyed by older and younger viewers alike. They also have the ability to bring back memories or create new ones, depending on the individual. For those who enjoy Tom and Jerry and Halloween, this DVD is a great way to celebrate your love of both.

 

"Tom and Jerry: Tricks & Treats" was released on September 4 and is now available.

 

Watch a clip below.