Tag Archives: Fred Gwynne

The Return of Hallowe’en Horror Fest

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Another October, another Hallowe’en Horror Fest!  As per last year, the Virtual Hot Tub will become a horror themed heaven – or hell – right on through to Hallowe’en.

Here’s this years first horror film mini review…

Pet Sematary (1989)

A family move to a new house, by a busy road, which is also near to the Pet Sematary of the title.  It is here that the local kids bury their beloved, sadly departed pets.  Cursed ground nearby, however, can revive the dead; though the dead come back not as they once were…  Inevitably the busy road takes it’s toll, and the struggle with grief leads to unnatural choices. Pet_sematary_poster

I had seen this adaptation of the Stephen King novel many years ago.  First time around I wasn’t massively impressed, but the film did entertain.  Watching Pet Sematary again after two decades, I was far more enthralled.  I now found some of the tale quite uncomfortable, as a parent.  Though that’s where King excels, taking our everyday fears and exploiting them, creating something quite unnerving.  This movie version manages to retain that dread and convey it well to the audience.

Pet Sematary is slightly dated, and the course of events slightly obvious, but there’s enough chilling imagery to make this film worth watching.

Plus this film picks up bonus points for two things:

  1. It features the late, great Fred Gwynne in a non-Herman Munster role
  2. It also features two Ramones songs (“Sheena is a Punk Rocker” and the title track) in a rare, early example of that fine band invading popular culture.  King is, of course, a big fan.

8/10

The Munsters

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It’s that old question: what’s the best – The Munsters or The Addams Family?  I love both programmes and have watched them since as far back as I can remember.  My favourite, though, is The Munsters.  I guess because they’re a family of actual monsters, whereas the Addams family are just, well… weird.  No disrespect to the Addams family, that’s a great show too, but the residents of 1313 Mockingbird Lane are my personal choice. 2991642-munsters

Herman (Fred Gwynne)  is the father, a Frankenstein’s monster whose bumbling antics create a great deal of the plot in their misadventures.  Yvonne De Carlo plays his wife, Lily – a vampire keeping the family on track.  Her father, Grandpa (Al Lewis) is Count Dracula, with a nice sideline in magic and mad science, in his laboratory basement.  Young Eddie (Butch Patrick) is the son, who’s also a werewolf.  Cousin Marilyn (Pat Priest) is the black sheep of the family, as she’s the only one that looks normal.  All of them are bemused why the world is so surprised at their appearance.

The Munsters is a classic TV show.  Though some of the gags and plots are a little dated now, this series oozes charm.  It reminds me of my Halloween celebrations many years ago, also evoking an innocent American age of the early 60’s (whether that’s real or imaginary).  No, it’s not scary, but it is enormous family fun.

And yes, I always had a crush on Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster…