Jake’s Take’s Halloween Binge Watching Playlist

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

Happy Halloween, everyone!

If you do not have plans to go to elaborate costume parties, there are plenty of opportunities for you to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve using the Internet.  Jake’s Take has several suggestions for your Halloween binge watching that not only scare and thrill readers, but also reminisce and possibly laugh as well.

Abbott & Costello Meets Frankenstein (1948)

Legendary comedic team Bud Abbott and Lou Costello faced off against a classic trio of Universal Monsters—Frankenstein’s Monster (Glenn Strange), The Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.), and the legendary Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) in this iconic horror comedy. Abbott and Costello play security guards Chick Young and Wilbur Grey, who were assigned to bring the “remains” of Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster to the fictional McDougal’s House of Horrors.  However, Count Dracula had other plans and wanted to put Chick’s brain into the monster.  Abbott & Costello Meets Frankenstein made a significant impact on pop culture as the Library of Congress preserved the film into the National Film Registry in 2001 and the American Film Institute placed it in its 100 Funniest American Movies Of All Time.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Want to do “The Time Warp Again”? Cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show is based on the 1973 musical stage production The Rocky Horror Show. Director Jim Sharman brought Richard O’Brien’s spectacular to the big screen and introduced the world to the villainous and flamboyant Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry).  Just like Dr. Frankenstein, he created a muscular man for him to play with. The film also starred Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors), Susan Sarandon (Janet Weiss), Meat Loaf (Eddie), Nell Campbell (Columbia), Patrica Quinn (Magenta), and O’Brien himself (Riff Raff).  The film evolved into a cult-classic, and while it is always showcased every weekend, it is also the perfect Halloween film.

The Superfriends Meet Dracula & Frankenstein (1978 & 1979)

The Superfriends (Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the Wonder Twins) had the grave misfortune of meeting the two iconic monsters: Count Dracula in 1978’s “Attack of the Vampire” and Frankenstein’s Monster in 1979’s “The Superfriends Meet Frankenstein.” Both episodes brilliant blend horror and superhero action together that was classic considering 1970s animation.

“Michael Jackson’s Thriller” (1983)  

The King of Pop loved to scare his fans on Halloween. He created two pure horror related music videos that showcased how thrilling and entertaining dancing ghosts and zombies could entertain audiences. First, Jackson teamed up with legendary director John Landis to release the iconic “Thriller” music video in 1983. The music video featured the “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” singer-songwriter transform into a werecat and a zombie.  Michael Jackson’s Thriller went on to become one of the most excellent music videos of all-time as it won three MTV Video Music Awards and it became the first music video added into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985)

Jackson’s “Thriller” co-star, Vincent Price, played in a significant part in the scariest Scooby-Doo series of all-time.  Unlike earlier incarnations, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo highlighted everyone’s favorite mystery-solving dog, and his friends confront real monsters! Two ghosts, Bogel (voiced by Howard Morris) and Weerd (voiced by Arte Johnson) trick Scooby and Shaggy (voiced respectively by Don Messick and Casey Kasem) into opening the Chest of Demons, which contained “13 of the most terrifying ghosts upon the face of the world.” With the help of their mentor, Vincent van Ghoul (voiced by Price), the gang was able to capture the likes of Maldor the Malevolent, Zomba, Nekara, Time Slime, and Rankor. However, this series was the final first-run of the Scooby-Doo cartoon series that was started with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? In 1969.

 

Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue (1991 to Present)

Beetlejuice teamed up with the Universal Monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, and the Phantom of the Opera) to entertain countless Universal Studios theme park guests in three parks (Hollywood, Florida, and Japan). The Ghost with the Most transformed the iconic creatures into genuine rock stars as they performed a plethora of songs such as “Great Balls of Fire,” “Rock N Roll All Nite,” “Smooth,” “Hey Ya,” and “Day O (Banana Boat Song).” While both Universal Studios Hollywood and Florida discontinued the show, Universal Studios Japan continues to showcase the attraction under the Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show.  On October 30, 2015, YouTube user Crappo posted one of the Universal Studios Hollywood shows that was filmed on September 4, 1999.

 

Hocus Pocus (1993)

In many millennials’ eyes, Hocus Pocus is the ultimate Halloween film. Directed by Kenny Ortega (the Disney Descendants trilogy, the first three High School Musical films, and Michael Jackson’s This is It), Hocus Pocus centered on a trio of malevolent witches known as the Sanderson Sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker) who are accidentally resurrected on a Halloween night. The film featured several musical performances including Winnie Sanderson (Midler)’s hypnotizing cover of “I Put A Spell on You.”  Starting in 2015, Walt Disney World annually resurrected the Sanderson Sisters to headline the Hocus Pocus Spelltacular Show for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party that featured the sisters interacting with iconic Disney villains. Also, all three actresses participated in Freeform’s Hocus Pocus 25^th Anniversary Bash.

“Power Rangers” Halloween Specials (1993, 1996 & 1997)

Not even the Power Rangers were safe from Halloween. During the franchise’s first three series, our favorite technicolored warriors faced off against supernatural forces. In Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Season One’s “Life’s A Masquerade,” the Rangers faced off against Rita Repulsa’s Frankenstein’s Monster. Meanwhile, Adam (Johnny Yong Bosch) faced off against monstrous versions of his friends in Power Rangers Zeo’s “It Came from Angel Grove.” Finally, Divatox (Hillary Turner)’s Count Nocturne temporarily transformed Carlos (Roger Velasco) into a vampire in Power Rangers Turbo’s “Carlos And The Count.”

“Lamb Chop In The Haunted Studio” (1994)

The Public Broadcasting Service aired Shari Lewis’ Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio in 1994. The legendary puppeteer along with Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy were scheduled to tape a Halloween episode at the fictional Old Sunshine Studios, which was allegedly the old location where some classic horror movies were filmed. As Lewis tried to calm Lamb Chop’s nerves, the Phantom (Jan Rubes) plotted to uproot the special and trapped guest stars Alan Thicke and John Byner, who were scheduled to respectively portray Count Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein, in their dressing rooms.

“Michael Jackson’s Ghosts” (1996)

13 years after the King of Pop released the “Thriller” music video, he decided to revisit the horror music video genre.  The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter teamed up with Stan Winston (director, co-producer, and co-screenwriter), David Nicksay (co-producer), Mick Garris (co-screenwriter) and celebrated horror author Stephen King to tell the story of a mysterious Maestro (played by Jackson). The Maestro must summon his powers and “family” of ghouls to defend his home when the parents and Mayor (also played by Jackson) of Normal Valley confront him for scaring their children. The massive music video featured songs such as “2 Bad,” “Is It Scary,” & “Ghosts.” The film also starred Mos Def, Charlie E. Schmidt, Cris Judd, and Pat Dade. In 2002, the Guinness World Records organization recognized Michael Jackson’s Ghosts as the longest music video in history.

Hollywood Squares (2001 & 2002)

Did the Sanderson Sisters, Frankenstein’s Monsters, Count Draculas, and the King of Pop scare you? I recommend you end Halloween by watching two episodes from the Tom Bergeron era of Hollywood Squares to get a few laughs. During Whoopi Goldberg’s final year as the center square in 2001, the show invited Andrea Martin, Vivica A. Fox, Jeffrey Tambor, Gilbert Gottfried, and the late Doris Roberts for a week of “Hollywood Scares.”  The following Halloween, guest star Ellen DeGeneres (dressed up as the future The View moderator) briefly over the center square duties with a line-up that included Mama (Vicki Lawrence), Najimy, RuPaul, Hulk Hogan, and Romeo Miller.  Clue and Sabrina the Teenage Witch actor Martin Mull participated in both episodes.

I do not own any of the clips featured in this article; they belong to the following:

• The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (Hanna-Barbera Productions & Warner Bros. Television Distribution)
• Beetlejuice’s Rockin’ Graveyard Revue (Crappo)
• Hocus Pocus (Walt Disney Pictures & Buena Vista Pictures)
• Michael Jackson’s “Ghosts” (MJJ Productions, Kingdom Entertainment & Sony Music Entertainment)