A Disney Halloween

I took the family to Disney World a few years ago and it happened to be in October and coincided with the Halloween theme at Disney.  It was fantastic experience, and one that I will treasure for many years.  For those of you that were still into cartoons in the 80's and even into the early or mid-90's, Disney's Halloween Treat first premiered on The Wonderful World of Disney back in 1982 with animated shorts and clips from feature films.  It ran every year up through the early to mid 1990's.  Check out the intro for Disney's Halloween Treat...

"Disney's Halloween Treat"
The Wonderful World of Disney episode
Produced by	William Robert Yates
Featured music	Gene de Paul Sammy Fain Don Raye Paul J. Smith
Original air date	October 30, 1982
Running time	47 minutes

All Our Times Have Come

Ok, so I'm dipping into the mid 70's today with a little Halloween-inspired music.  With Will Farrell on cowbell, (ok, maybe not in this version) it's the New York band Blue Oyster Cult.  From 1976, come on baby, "Don't Fear the Reaper"...




Lyrics | Blue Oyster Cult lyrics - (Don't Fear) The Reaper lyrics

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"
Single by Blue Öyster Cult
from the album Agents of Fortune
B-side	"Tattoo Vampire"
Released	July 1976
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	1976
Genre	Hard rock, psychedelic rock
Length	5:08 (Album version) 3:45 (Single/Radio edit)
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Buck Dharma
Producer	David Lucas, Murray Krugman,Sandy Pearlman

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #12

Costume Time

If you're still searching for that perfect 80's Halloween costume, then I hope this will at least help get the creative juices flowing...



And here's an actual how-to for being Teen Wolf, Marty McFly, the Goonies, Maverick, or Lloyd Dobbler...

It's Close To Midnight - Happy Halloween!

As I do every year on Halloween, I bring you the late, great Michael Jackson with his classic masterpiece of a video - "Thriller." Have a spooktacular Halloween everyone!




Lyrics | Michael Jackson lyrics - Thriller lyrics

80's Movie Weekend

In 1987, we were introduced to one scary figure in American horror, and he goes by the name "Pinhead." The movie spawned several sequels. Your 80's movie flashback for the weekend is considered one of the scarier movies from the 80's - "Hellraiser"...

the trailer...



here is Pinhead...



Hellraiser

Directed by Clive Barker
Produced by Christopher Figg
Written by Clive Barker
Starring Andrew Robinson
Clare Higgins
Ashley Laurence
Sean Chapman
Oliver Smith
Doug Bradley
Music by Christopher Young
Cinematography Robin Vidgeon
Editing by Richard Marden
Tony Randel
Studio Cinemarque Entertainment BV
Film Futures
Rivdel Films
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release date(s) September 11, 1987 (UK)
September 18, 1987 (US)
Running time 94 minutes
Country United Kingdom
United States
Language English
Box office $14,564,027[1]

80's Movie Weekend

OK, so I never saw this weekend's movie review at all. I never even heard of it. I saw it somewhere in some list about the top scary movies of the 80's. It's called Re-animator and it looks pretty... campy and gory, but not that scary. It's the first in a series of movies like it called "Re-Animator"

here's the trailer...



Re-Animator

Directed by Stuart Gordon
Produced by Brian Yuzna
Screenplay by Stuart Gordon
William J. Norris
Dennis Paoli
Based on Herbert West, Re-Animator by
H. P. Lovecraft
Starring Jeffrey Combs
Bruce Abbott
Barbara Crampton
David Gale
Music by Richard Band
Cinematography Mac Ahlberg
Editing by Lee Percy
Studio Re-Animator Productions
Distributed by Empire Pictures
Release date(s) October 18, 1985
Running time 95 minutes
86 minutes (Unrated cut)
Country United States
Language English
German
Budget $900,000[1]
Box office $2,023,414[1]

80's Halloween Costumes

Halloween and all the fun parties are approaching quickly and if you're still struggling with what to wear, here are some awesome 80's costume ideas if you just haven't found that perfect outfit yet!

80's Movie Weekend

Wow, Halloween is really sneaking up on me this year. It's just about two weeks away so it's time to start in with a few "scary" 80's movies for you to remember. Personally, I never saw today's 80's movie flashback, nor did I ever read the book. I'll just assume that it was pretty scary since it's a Stephen King story. It's some crazy, loony, killer dog they called "Cujo"...

the trailer...



Cujo

Directed by Lewis Teague
Produced by Robert Singer
Daniel H. Blatt[1]
Written by Stephen King (novel)
Lauren Currier
Starring Dee Wallace
Danny Pintauro
Daniel Hugh-Kelly
Christopher Stone
Ed Lauter
Music by Charles Bernstein
Cinematography Jan de Bont
Editing by Neil Travis
Studio Taft Entertainment
Sunn Classic Pictures
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) August 12, 1983
Running time 91 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $5,000,000
Box office $21,200,000

It's Close to Midnight

As has become tradition here at The Excellent 80's, Halloween must officially mean one thing... the posting of Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Have a spooky good time today and enjoy the late, great MJ.




Lyrics | Michael Jackson lyrics - Thriller lyrics

80's Movie Weekend

As Halloween nears, who can forget the woman that defined cleavage in the 80's and introduced horrible late night scary movies... it's the one and only Mistress of the Dark, Elvira and her first feature film cleverly titled: "Mistress of the Dark, Elvira"


the trailer...




Here's Elvira from her Midnight Madness TV show introducing some lame movie...



and another intro to a movie...



Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

Directed by James Signorelli
Produced by Eric Gardner
Mark Pierson
Written by Cassandra Peterson
John Paragon
Sam Egan
Starring Cassandra Peterson
Music by James B. Campbell
Cinematography Hanania Bier
Editing by Battle Davis
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release date(s) September 30, 1988
Running time 96 min.
Country United States
Language English
Followed by Elvira's Haunted Hills

80's Halloween Costumes

So, if you're still wracking your brain for that last minute Halloween costume for tonight or tomorrow, here is a link to some classic 80's costumes to get your creative juices flowing.

Discos Don't Open Till After Dark

Today's rap jam is one of the best from the 80's and fitting as Halloween is just about here. The Brooklyn group known as Whodini had a big following back in the 80's and especially from all the freaks. So, here is vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, aka Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark); and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee with "Freaks Come Out at Night"... especially this time of year...




Lyrics | Whodini lyrics - Freaks Come Out At Night lyrics

"Freaks Come Out at Night"

by Whodini
from the album: Escape
released: 1986

Here is the audio version of their Halloween themed rap called "The Haunted House of Rock" from their 1983 self titled debut album "Whodini"...




Lyrics | Whodini lyrics - Haunted House Of Rock lyrics

Shadows On the Mountain and the Night Begins to Fall

Halloween is getting near and here's a long forgotten Halloween-themed song from 1986 from John Fogerty. Off his critically panned "Eye of the Zombie" album, here is the title track of the same name and the weird video that accompanied it from 1986...




Lyrics | John Fogerty lyrics - Eye Of The Zombie lyrics

"Eye of the Zombie"

by John Fogerty
from the album: "Eye of the Zombie"
released: 1986

Are You Ready for Freddy?

Anytime you can combine the rap group the Fat Boys with one of the all-time horror characters then it has to be an instant classic, right? Well, maybe not, but it's still pretty good and very fitting at this time of the year. Here are the Fat Boys from the "Nightmare on Elm Street 4 : The Dream Master" movie - "Are You Ready for Freddy?"




Lyrics | Fatboy Slim lyrics - Are You Ready For Freddy lyrics

"Are You Ready for Freddy"
Single by The Fat Boys
from the album Coming Back Hard Again
Released 1988
Genre Rap
Length 3:34
Label Rhino Entertainment

They're Out To Get You

As has become tradition here in The Excellent 80's over the years, Halloween brings us another look at the best song/video ever created for the holliday... of course, I am speaking of the late Michael Jackson and the masterpiece that cost about $1,000,000 and is largely considered the most successful music video ever... here is "Thriller"...

Happy Halloween!

Thriller - Music Video
Uploaded by dreadcentral. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

Lyrics | Michael Jackson lyrics - Thriller lyrics

"Thriller"

Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Thriller
B-side Can't Get Outta The Rain
Released January 23, 1984
Format 7", 12", CD single
Recorded 1982
Genre Dance-pop, funk
Length 5:57 (Album Version)
5:11 (Single Version)
3:56 (Original 7')
Label Epic Records
Writer(s) Rod Temperton
Producer Quincy Jones
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
(1983) "Thriller"
(1984) "Farewell My Summer Love"
(1984)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4