Category Archives: childhood myths and obsessions

Thoughts on Disney becoming the master of jedis

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So you might have heard this a few days ago, but Disney – home in recent years to Pixar and Marvel – bought Luscasfilm. For a cool $4.05 billion.

Setting aside that staggering figure for a moment – hella big even though the price tag was probably a bargain – the announcement made the Internet freak out and produced wonderful memes like the one above by Geek Girl Diva.

It also left us wondering what happens next. Well, some of that we already know. Disney immediately announced it would make three more “Star Wars” films, with the first coming out in 2015 (the summer of the “Avengers” sequel). The films would be episodes 7, 8 and 9, the long-rumored continuation of the story that left off with “Return of the Jedi.” Will we see aging Han Solo? Luke leading a rebuilding of the Jedi order?

There was some degree of fanboy moaning about the news, but probably less than there might have been if “Star Wars” creator George Lucas hadn’t made so many mis-steps with the prequel trilogy beginning in 1999.

A lot of people – and I think I count myself in this crowd – think that it’s perfectly fine for somebody other than Lucas to oversee the fate of his creations, for a couple of reasons:

Lucas has been pretty tone-deaf about what’s wrong with the (particularly later) movies.

A billionaire many times over, he’s shown little inclination to make new “Star Wars” movies (maybe that’s not a bad thing considering the prequels).

I will say, however, that Lucas and his people made a very good decision regarding the “Clone Wars” animated series on Cartoon Network. The series has been far more adult, far more diverse and far more interesting than the prequel movies.

Most importantly, although 30- and 40- and 50-something fans don’t like to admit it, the “Clone Wars” series reached a whole new generation of fans.

I just asked my son if, when he thought of “Star Wars,” he thought of the movies or “Clone Wars.” He answered, “Clone Wars.” He’s seen the live-action movies on DVD but that didn’t have the impact on him that seeing the original trilogy had on me, as a teenager and young adult.

“Clone Wars” has kept “Star Wars” alive and relevant for a new generation.

Although a lot of people have complained about changes Lucas made to the original movies – the Han Solo/Greedo shootout comes to mind, of course – for subsequent re-releases, he has, at least, kept them in the public eye and at the top of fanboy discussions. When was the last time somebody had an Internet meltdown about “The Last Starfighter?”

Beyond the new trilogy, what are we likely to see?

More merchandising, of course. Not that there wasn’t plenty of that anyway.

Regular theatrical movies and new TV series and releases of original content on disc.

Someday, in the future, dramatic mashups and re-imaginings of the existing movies and characters. Disney based “Pirates of the Caribbean” on a Disney park ride, after all, so there’s a willingness to try new things if audiences will respond. Who’s to say we won’t see feature films or series based on minor characters and events from the familiar stories, ala “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead?”

And that’s a good thing. There’s always been debate about whether “Star Wars” was for kids or for the general moviegoing audience or for the fans who’ve kept it alive and relevant and in the public eye for decades, even during some pretty lean times.

I think the answer is that “Star Wars” has been for all of those audiences. And Disney has the power to reach all them.

Today in Halloween: ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’

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My lifelong love of all things Halloween is no doubt based, to a great extent, on the Charlie Brown Halloween experience.

I’m not sure I saw “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” when it first aired in 1966. Even if I saw it the following year, it quickly became part of my Halloween ritual, skipped only when – gasp – it conflicted with actual trick-or-treating.

But what a sublime show.

The TV take on Halloween (and fall) storylines from Charles M. Schulz’ classic “Peanuts” comic strip, written by Schulz, directed by Bill Melendez and featuring another classic “Peanuts” score by Vince Guaraldi, “Great Pumpkin” became the embodiment of Halloween for many of us:

The opening sequence, as Lucy and Linus pick out a pumpkin to carve, much to Linus’ horror.

Linus’ letter to the Great Pumpkin and the seduction of the innocent, Sally.

Trick-or-treating after Charlie Brown has some trouble with the scissors and gets more than his share of rocks.

The Halloween party.

Snoopy – or the World War I flying ace – making his way across a scarred landscape, in a series of shots so moody and somber they would never see air in a new special today.

The disappointment in the pumpkin patch.

ABC is showing “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” at 8 on Halloween night. Beware half-hour TV timeslots, because the show has been edited over the years. Better to enjoy the full special on disc.

 

 

Today in Halloween: ‘Chilling, Thrilling Sounds …’

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If you grew up in the 1960s, the Disney record “Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House” was the soundtrack to every Halloween party ever.

Released in 1964 on the Disneyland label, the vinyl LP featured a mix of spooky sounds and narration, but the Disney sound effects – whistling wind, driving rain, ghostly moans and horrible screams, not to mention creaking doors – was perfect for mood-setting background “music” for Halloween parties.

Bits and pieces of the album are all over the Internet. Here’s a taste.

Happy Halloween party!

Today in Halloween: Princess of Pumpkinland

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Here’s another look at vintage Halloween pictures from the world wild web.

I’m not sure what to make of the creepy, rough-hewn masks of yesterday we’ve seen in a lot of these old snapshots. Were mask-making skills so rudimentary more than a half-century ago? Or was a lot of detail lost in these photos? Was it possible to tell, face to face, the character or person the mask was based on?

In this one, a girl cradles a pumpkin while she sits among other pumpkins.

Her mask is a puzzler. The arched brows, full but frozen lips …. who knew there had ever been a market for Tallulah Bankhead masks?

Today in Halloween: Don Post masks

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If, like me, you grew up reading Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, you remember ads featuring Don Post Studios masks.

Post, who died in 1979, was famous for creating deluxe, top of the line Halloween masks. Before Halloween was the industry that it is today, Post’s masks were the stuff of legend, the go-to masks for Halloween parties and trick-or-treating.

Post’s masks were not your typical dime-store stuff. Looking at vintage ads now, I’m surprised that some of them sold for nearly $10. That was a lot of money for kids in the 1960s but these were beautiful, full over-the-head latex creations.

Post’s masks have taken on a life of their own that has continued through the decades. Some of us fondly remember the masks Post created for the ersatz “Silver Shamrock” company for “Halloween III: Season of the Witch.”

His William Shatner mask was, famously, used as Michael Myers’ mask in the first “Halloween” movie.

Of old-school Post masks, I will always think of his Tor Johnson mask, based on the 1950s wrestler/actor in classics like “Plan 9 From Outer Space.” It’s the scary fellow at the top of this item.

Here’s to Don Post and his masks, Halloween fixtures.

By the way, there’s a blog out there with everything you could possibly want to know about monster masks. It is http://monstermasks.blogspot.com/

 

Today in Halloween: The return of Count Chocula

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It’s that time of year again. Time for the return of the ultimate trio of monster cereals.

Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry, of course.

I was at Target today and snapped the picture above of a Count Chocula box. It was part of a display, near the checkout, of the three General Mills monster cereals.

Talk about your impulse buy aimed at 30-, 40- and 50-somethings.

Although there are plenty of indications General Mills makes the three cereals year-round, they seem to show up on store shelves every fall.

General Mills’ own website makes the connection to the fall release of the cereals:

Remember the excitement of autumn back in your childhood years?

Fall brought pumpkins, falling leaves, and a fun holiday when you could morph into anything you desired. With a mental image of the character selected, you devised a brilliant Halloween costume idea. There were parties, caramel apples, and chewy peanut butter kisses, and breakfast.

Monster breakfasts.

Count Chocula and Franken Berry were introduced not for Halloween, though, but in March 1971. Boo Berry, a ghostly figure, came along in December 1972.

General Mills doesn’t say so, but the cereals were almost certainly intended to capitalize on the rebirth of interest, beginning in the late 1950s and continuing into the 1970s, of the classic Universal Studios monsters like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy.

That interest had been kicked off by the release to television of the “Shock Theater” package of 30s and 40s Universal horror classics.

While I was fond of the cereals, I don’t remember some of the spin-offs and freebies. Like a record, “Monster Adventures in Outer Space,” that must have been included in cereal boxes.

Anyone else remember the two discontinued monster cereals? I can’t say that I remember either Fruit Brute or  Fruity Yummy Mummy.

They were introduced at a later date and didn’t have a long shelf life. Pun intended.

The monster images changed somewhat over the years. Above is an earlier Count Chocula image.

One thing that hasn’t changed? The monster cereals are “part of this nutritious breakfast!”

 

Today in Halloween: Who’s a cute little Frankenstein?

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Could. Not. Be. Any. Cuter.

Seriously, our latest dip into vintage Halloween costumes is probably the cutest picture yet.

The devil on the left is pretty doggone cute.

But the Frankenstein on the right? Wow.

Maybe it’s the cute grimace in the mask. Or the cheesy tunic.

But I personally think it’s the upraised hands, fingers curled in monster-ific fashion.

Awwww!

Bonus points if anybody can identify the costumes. I did Google image searches to see if the costumes were from Collegeville or Ben Cooper, big makers of kids costumes in the 1950s and beyond, and didn’t come across them.

Today in Halloween: Scared people in Canadian haunted house

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I might as well link to this since everyone else is.

Here’s a link to one of many, many places online where you can find pictures taken inside the Nightmare Fear Factory, a haunted house on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

The haunted house’s owners put still and video cameras at strategic scary parts of the haunted house. The resulting photos are hilarious.

Enjoy.

Today in Halloween: Clowns and Indians?

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Here’s another of our looks back at old-timey Halloween costumes, pulled from the vast array somebody plunked down on the Internet.

Your guess is as good as mine – likely better – on a time frame for this snapshot. The boots on the kid in the middle are interesting and make me guess early first half of the 20th century.

As for the costumes?

The fringe on the kids on the outside makes me think they’re western getups, maybe Indian costumes.

And while I can’t quite figure out the mask on the kid in the middle, that outfit sure looks like one worn by a clown or jester.

More next time.