Advent Calendar House - TV Holiday & Christmas Specials
TV & Film:TV Reviews
It’s the 13th of July, so it’s time for the Advent Calendar House to unearth one of our favorite Halloween haunts, 1979’s “The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t,” starring an exceptionally great Judd Hirsch as Count Dracula.
On This EpisodeMike Westfall (@fallwestmike), Transylvanian mother who apparently needs two whole days apply my kids’ costume makeup.Tom Coombs (@ClassicTomedy), creature tap-dancing with someone else’s feet, from TPIF: Thank Pod It’s Funny.Topics and TangentsThis was renamed for its VHS release as “The Night Dracula Saved the World,” except no, he doesn’t.Lyndhurst Mansion plays the role of both Dracula’s castle and the Witch’s castle. It’s located in New York state, not far from Sleepy Hollow.The opening music, Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor,” was never in a Dracula movie. Its first uses in sound film were in 1931’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and 1934’s “The Black Cat,” starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.My association of the music to Dracula probably stems from its use on Castle Dracula, a haunted boat ride on the Wildwood, New Jersey boardwalk that burned down in 2002.Jack Riley (Warren the Werewolf) was also the voice of Stu Pickles on “Rugrats,” and did a bunch of Country Crock spread commercials.Either it’s a small film goof, or it takes Igor a good minute and a half to realize he’s holding the Witch’s broom.Do local Transylvania kids just know where this Witch lives, like a Hollywood celebrity homes tour?Judd Hirsch as Dracula exaggeratedly disco dancing in a white “Saturday Night Fever” jumpsuit is the greatest way to end anything ever.Previous Podcast Episodes MentionedWitch’s Night Out (Season 1, Bonus)The Star Wars Holiday Special (Season 2, Episode 2)Garfield’s Halloween Adventure (Season 2, Bonus)“The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t” © 1979 Concepts Unlimited.
Commercial Break: McDonald’s “Scared Silly” Halloween commercial, starring Ronald McDonald and the Chicken McNuggets.
The Advent Calendar House is on the web at adventcalendar.house, on Twitter @adventcalhouse, and part of the Christmas Podcast Network.
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