Who Spooked Rodney? A Review

 

I love a good vintage Halloween special, and as a Halloween enthusiast, I thought I was pretty familiar with the vast catalog of 70s, 80s, and 90s October offerings. But, today, YouTube suggested to me a little film called Who Spooked Rodney?

Who Spooked Rodney is a 1978 classic written, produced, and directed by Tom Robertson. It is a Multimedia Program Production starring Chris Dingwell as the titular Rodney, an extremely superstitious kid just trying to navigate life and the Halloween season with a severe case of OCD. 

Seriously. I don't say that in jest. This kid absolutely has a clinical case of OCD and is most likely on the spectrum. His superstitious nature extends way beyond his fear of black cats and broken mirrors---he has to do certain things in certain ways, much to the annoyance of his family, especially his sister. In fact, the story opens with her screeching at him before school because he's taken an extra 30 seconds in the bathroom to tie his shoes. He HAS to tie his shoes in the bathroom, which becomes a huge deal at breakfast with his mom also berating this 'weird' behavior. His father is blissfully ignorant of the whole ordeal and is probably who Rodney inherited his diagnosis from. 

The plot takes place over the course of Halloween day. At school, Rodney's class bobs for apples and their teacher tells them a little about the origins of Halloween. I love this scene because of the heavy Halloween visuals and nostalgia. There's a Jack-o-Lantern blow mold on the teacher's desk, and the whole classroom is decked out in colorful, festive die-cuts. Although this movie came out four years before I was born, it still reminded me of how MY elementary classrooms looked during the Halloween season. 

Rodney and his two close friends make plans to go trick-or-treating, but on the way home, they pass by a fortuneteller's shop. The superstitious Rodney has no qualms about getting his fortune told and plans to trick-or-treat at the shop later that night and ask the psychic to give him his fortune as his treat. 

In a call back to a bygone era, trick-or-treat begins AFTER dark. Rodney has a pretty awesome Dracula costume. One of his buddies is wearing a blue furry monster-type suit, and the other is wearing a homemade clown costume for the third year in a row. After Rodney refuses to take candy from a home with 13 in the address, his friends suggest he go visit the fortuneteller. Surprisingly, Rodney is the only one brave enough to actually go inside. The fortuneteller ends up telling him that the shadows will consume him before the stroke of midnight.

Spooked, but putting on a brave facade, Rodney then accompanies his friends to the local haunted house, which is full of classic haunted house staples, like floating body parts and grotesque monsters jumping out. Upon leaving, Rodney says he doesn't feel well and heads home alone. For a superstitious kid, Rodney is pretty fearless. He trick-or-treats at a fortuneteller, walks through a haunted house attraction, and then walks home ALONE DOWN A DARK AND DESERTED ALLEY. The fortuneteller's prediction is heavy on Rodney's mind, and he sort of just shuts down and sits paralyzed in this spooky, desolate alley all alone, awaiting the stroke of midnight.

As the bells toll 12am, a figure emerges from the fog. It's Rodney's father, who has been out looking for him for hours. The two have a touching, father-son talk about how most of what we are afraid of is just something we create ourselves in our own minds. Rodney shares how his obsessions didn't seem like a big deal at first, but they continued to worsen until he felt like he had no choice, no control over them. 

I'm not sure how seriously issues like OCD were taken in 1978, but this was a pretty profound dialogue. Rodney is describing what could be the makings of a serious mental health crisis, but luckily for him, and the sake of a happy ending, his dad's words are enough to snap him out of it. The next morning, Rodney is once again in the bathroom with his sister screeching at him, but he's not tying his shoes. Nor will he untie and tie them a second time after breakfast. No, he's just brushing his teeth....knock on wood. 

Overall, I enjoyed this Halloween special! Apparently, it was shown on Nickelodeon in 1984, but after that, was largely forgotten about until it was uploaded to YouTube by Erik Champney. The Halloween imagery was fun and nostalgic, and I think the film really captured the spirit of trick-or-treating and doing spooky things with your buddies, even when you're scared.  The acting wasn't great, though and Rodney's family were all just insufferable characters. It's no wonder that kid was messed up so bad. He was desperately trying to control some aspect of his life. 

But, I'm glad it ended on a happy note, and Who Spooked Rodney will definitely be added to my playlist of Halloween favorites.  You can watch it too at the links below:

Erik Champney YouTube

Story of Terror YouTube

Halloween 2018 Family Activities

Halloween is my favorite time of the year!  Here are just a few photos from 2018 featuring my son, Luke!  Luke doesn't share my passion with Halloween, but he does respect the holiday and enjoys it as much as any kid his age. I'm hoping to make each Halloween as special and as fun as possible for him, so that maybe when he's an adult, he'll look back and realize why Mom loved Halloween so much!

Luke and Aaron work on their jack-o-lantern at Hurricane City Park.  We're so lucky that our town offers this fun activity every Halloween!  Usually the Sunday before Halloween, the mayor (Scott Edward) and various city businesses come together to host this free, family-friendly event!  FREE pumpkins are given out to anyone who wants to carve one, and carving tools and patterns are available for anyone who needs them.  Everyone sits on a large tarp in the middle of Hurricane City Park and creates their masterpieces for the contest!  There are various age categories, but we never get to see the winners because Luke has this weird, adverse thing to being judged, and refused to enter the contest, lol.  So, we carve our pumpkin, eat our free chocolate chip cookies and drink our free hot chocolate, provided by Sheetz.

Trick-or-treat time!  Luke and Brooke tend to choose matching or complementary costumes.  This year, he went with the inflatable dinosaur, and she chose an inflatable unicorn.  That costume ATE batteries, so luckily we packed plenty of extras, and he was able to make it around the subdivision without deflating.  Brooke's lil' brother made an adorable Buzz LightYear, and Emmalin from across the street had a beautiful witchy costume.  

Since it was going to be pretty impossible for Luke to wear this dinosaur costume to his school Halloween party, he went with a backup costume for that occasion.  This pirate costume was $5 at Walmart! For $5, I thought that was a pretty awesome deal, and honestly, it didn't look any cheaper than the more expensive costumes.  We bought him an added sword (which he wasn't able to take to school) and a hook hand. 

Luke and I channeled our inner Pinterest goddess/god and made these Nutter Butter cookies dipped in white chocolate.  Some were ghosts, some were mummies, and the rest were monsters.  The two I made are at the bottom of this picture.  We had a really fun time doing this, and it was so easy to do.  And, they were quite tasty! 

3-D Monster Pops

Holy Halloween!  I just got a huge kick of nostalgia, right in the feels this evening!  I was just scrolling through Facebook, minding my own business, when an article posted to Haunter's Hangout caught my eye.  A member of the group shared this post about zombie popsicle molds.  Normally, a zombie popsicle mold wouldn't necessarily catch my attention; while I do love frozen treats, I'm not a huge zombie fan.  But, as soon as my eye skimmed the accompanying photo, it was like a part of me automatically zoomed back to my childhood as I remembered eating monster popsicles.  Looking at the photo, I could literally feel that awesome sensation of my tongue going over all the little nooks and crannies offered by the unique designs, including Dracula, a mummy, Frankenstein's Monster, and possibly a skeleton.

The photo that sparked the memory. Source

Before that moment, I had completely forgotten these popsicles even existed. I hadn't thought about them for years, and now all of a sudden, I'm flooded with memories.  Memories are now a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure the only times I actually ate these were at my grandparents' house in Beckley, WV.  I grew up near Charleston, and I don't remember eating them at home, but I'm not sure if that's because we couldn't find them here...or my mom wouldn't buy them for me.

I'm also not 100% sure the time frame that I had these.  I remember eating them at my grandparents' old house, and I'm pretty sure it was before I was 10, so sometime probably between 1985 and 1992. I also don't think these were limited to just Halloween---I'm pretty sure they were available year round.  Anyway, like I'm apt to do, I went to Google to see if I could find anything out about my beloved childhood treat.

The Monster Pops from my childhood. Dracula was my favorite! Source

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find out much, but I was thrilled to find a photo at least proving that I wasn't totally crazy; these things actually existed.  The picture above comes from the Gone But Not Forgotten Groceries Blog, which notes that they don't own the photo and aren't sure who does. The blog and its comments offered some good insight, though.  Turns out these 3-D Monster Pops were manufactured by the Good Humor and came in boxes of 12. When the author of the blog reached out to Good Humor, they couldn't provide any information.  Flavors included grape, orange, and cherry.  Like me, a lot of people commenting on the post remember eating these in the mid to late 1980's, but they could have been around as early as the 1970's and some people reported finding them in their local store as late as the latter half of the 1990's. It also seems like from the comments that these were marketed largely to the southern states; one person was even located in my general area of southern West Virginia.

I'm absolutely craving one of these 3-D Monster Pops now, so maybe I'll have to buy those zombie molds, if anything, in an attempt to recreate that unique sensation of a 3-D popsicle on my tongue. And, obviously, I'd love to know more about these!  If you know anything about these frozen delights, or have any memories of eating them yourself, please let me know in the comments below.

The Master of Horror Wishes You a Merry Christmas!

Master of Horror, Vincent Price, is far more commonly associated with Halloween than he is Christmas.  But, the Yule season is actually a pretty spooky one, filled with witches, ghost stories, monsters, and plenty of supernatural superstitions. With that in mind, Vincent Price posing beside a Christmas tree seems a little more...normal?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Witching You a Very Merry Christmas!

It's time for a Witchy Wednesday: Christmas Edition.  Now THIS is the kind of Christmas greeting card I would have loved to receive! Around the Victorian era through the early 1900's, holiday greeting cards were a lot more hard core, and sometimes, downright WEIRD.  This example isn't too far out there, but it certainly doesn't scream CHRISTMAS, at least by modern standards.  Don't quote me on this, but I BELIEVE this particular holiday postcard was put out by De La Rue. De La Rue was an English company dating back to around 1813.  They made Christmas cards (and some of their work is REALLY odd!) from about 1872 to 1885. 

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Witches!

Want MORE creepy, crazy Victorian Christmas cards? Bored Panda has collected at least 57 examples of dead birds, devils, and lots and lots of frogs, all wishing YOU a very merry holiday season!

Happy Independence Day!

It may only be July 4th, but that's no reason to forget Halloween!  Happy Independence Day, everyone...Halloween is just around the corner!

Happy Pi Day!

Happy Halloween!  Uh, I mean, Happy Pi Day! Celebrate this March 14th with a big slice of pumpkin pie---Donald Duck approved. 

Harvey Harmer and His Pumpkins

Harvey Harmer is serious about his pumpkins!  The Clarksburg, West Virginia man is show here proudly showing off his 1914 crop of gourds.  All four pumpkins, ranging from 38 lbs. to 104 lbs., came from a single vine.  That's pretty darn impressive! 

This wonderful old image was found on the WV History on View website, which notes that Harvey Walker Harmer was born in 1865 and died in 1961.  In addition to his farming accomplishments, Harmer was a lawyer, local historian/author, and a state senator representing Harrison County.  Here's a fascinating article on Harmer's integral role in the controversial 'American Constitutional Association' and his role of chairman for the America First Day celebration.

Halloween 1987?

Happy Throwback Thursday!  I'm that cute lil' princess, and that's my older sister as a gypsy.  I'm not entirely sure what year this picture was taken, but I'm guessing it was sometime between 1986 and 1988.  I still remember that crown as being not only a beloved Halloween costume component, but also a favorite everyday dress up item!  In fact, I'm pretty sure a year or two before THIS photo was taken, my sister wore that same crown as part of her Beauty Pageant Queen costume.

Before moving to Winfield, my trick-or-treating didn't take place around my neighborhood.  We lived in a rather smallish trailer park, so each year, my parents would take me and my sister to the mall in Kanawha City.  Back then, the mall was a bustling shopping center, and every store gave out candy to the trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.  But, before we collected our sugar haul, my mom would drag us into the mall's photo studio for our annual Halloween portrait! I'm sure back then I thought it was a huge drag to have to sit for a formal photo when all I wanted to do was eat candy, but I'm so glad my mom made us take the time to get them done.  I LOVE Halloween and now I have a beautiful photograph of my sister and myself to remind me of how we celebrated my favorite time of year as a child. This costume, like most of mine before the age of 10, was a simple one...a lacy, pink party dress paired with cheap sequined tiara headband...but I remember feeling just like a princess in it!

What was YOUR favorite Halloween costume as a kid? Let me know in the comments below, or join me over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page and share your own photos!  Happy Halloween 365, everyone!

Let Me Sing You The Halloween Song of My People!

Aww...I just love this vintage Halloween image!  From the wistful look in that jack-o-lantern's eyes to that apathetic crescent moon in the background....there's just a lot of cool Halloween imagery to see!  I'd love to hear the song that cat is singing as a serenade to his Halloween Gourd Friend.  

Government Shut Down

Hahaha!  As of this writing (January 2nd, 2019) the government shut down is still in place, and this couldn't be a more accurate graphic.  Here in my city, we don't have Spirit.  Instead, we have a Halloween City that takes over the old Teays Valley Big Bear grocery store in Liberty Square each year.  The higher-ups apparently refuse to get the A/C turned on for the month they're open, so its always sweltering hot.  Animatronic merchandise is always broken and the costumes are always outdated.  Staff is generally nice, but most are under-trained and don't want to be there.  So yeah, I can definitely see some similarities with the government shut down, lol.

But, to be fair...there IS a Spirit store about 25 minutes away.  It is much better stocked and maintained, but instead of taking over a vacant building, its always housed in a tent, located in the mall parking lot.  The temperature may fluctuate between the Arctic Circle and the 3rd level of Hell, but at least you can breathe.  Unfortunately, the open air trade off is that while you can breathe, if it rains, you have to stand in 3 inches of water while you shop. 

Seriously, though...although both stores could be greatly improved, my heart always skips a beat when I see them setting up for another year.  We have enough vacant buildings here in Putnam County that I'm sure we could accommodate a Halloween store operating year round.  I know I would be a frequent shopper...what about you?

Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols

I've started 2019 on the right foot...a spooky, Halloween-inspired foot!  Early on January 1st, I fought back the effects of a minor hangover, and read my new book, Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts:  The Story of the Halloween Symbols!

How I acquired this vintage treasure is a strange little bit of serendipity.  On New Year's Eve, the family and I headed into Charleston for our last lunch outing of 2018.  We wanted to try Tricky Fish, a popular eatery on the East End...which was excellent, by the way!  And, since we were in town, I wanted to stop by Taylor Books on Capitol Street to peruse the used book section.  I had some Christmas money that was burning a hole in my pocket, and the last time I had been there, I had a major score with some vintage paranormal non-fiction paperbacks.

I had found quite a few books to purchase, including a stack of Goldenseal Magazines, and even Luke had found a couple of books he wanted to read.  We were on our way to the register to check out, when I decided to take one last peek at the Young Adult shelf.  My back was hurting a bit, so I had put my hands out on the shelf, took a step back to stretch, and as I looked down, this glowing orangish-yellow book caught my eye.  I saw what it was and had to have it!

This past year, I've been really into collecting vintage Halloween children's books, and this example, published in 1972 by The Seabury Press was an awesome find! I wasn't around in the 1970's, but everything about this book just screams that decade to me! 

Written by Edna Barth, this is an informational text about the history of Halloween and why many of the symbols we associate with Halloween today have come to symbolize the holiday.  Although I had a few doubts that the information was 100% historically accurate, its actually a really neat, fact-packed non-fiction read.  Added to the text are the classically 70's illustrations by Ursula Arndt.  Done in black and orange, the simple drawings reek of nostalgia and are arguably the best part of this book.  It's just such a treasure trove of vintage Halloween imagery and I wish I could display every single page at once.  I've added just a few photographs to pique your interest, but if you'd like to see more, a re-issue of the book can be found on Amazon, as well as the 1972 edition.

Book Bonus:  Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts was challenged in 1992 by a parent of a Gilbert, Arizona elementary student.  The parent wanted the book banned because it 'promoted Satanism and occult.' In the end, the parent lost out.  You can read more about that case HERE. From the markings found inside my personal copy, it was once part of the Dunbar Public Library's collection, and was discarded around 1995, I think.  I wonder if anyone in West Virginia ever had a problem with its subject matter?

Anyway, let me know what YOUR favorite vintage Halloween book is and why! You can comment down below or join me over at my paranormal blog's (Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State) Facebook page for more discussion on Halloween, ghosts, and all things spooky in West Virginia and beyond! I'm hoping to really revive Theresa's Halloween Wonderland blog in 2019, so let me know what else you'd like to see here.  Happy Haunting, ya'll!

Halloween is Over for Another Year

I always feel melancholy after Halloween.  Every year, I can't get over the feeling that I didn't make the most of the Halloween season.  I didn't do enough Halloween crafts.  I didn't go to as many haunted attractions/festivals.  I didn't watch as many scary movies.  It seems like I spend two whole months leading up to the big day, and then it comes and bam; its all over.  Anyway, I hope YOU had a wonderful Halloween season!  I'll be turning to this blog at lot more in the coming year, so hopefully that will keep me going until next Halloween! 

Money Can't Buy Happiness...Can It?

I've already spent so much money this season...and I'd probably spend a whole lot more if store shelves weren't already picked over, consolidated, or downright bare!  Has anyone else noticed this?  Stores put out their Halloween decorations pretty early this year (which I'm not complaining about!) but it was...anticlimactic.  It seems as if by mid to late September, the trucks just stopped and Halloween merchandise was never replenished. 

Halloween Comes to the WV School for the Deaf

Today's Throwback Thursday photograph was found at the West Virginia State Archives website as part of its Picture of the Week feature!  According to the description given, this festively dressed group is celebrating a Halloween party at the West Virginia School for the Deaf, some time during the 1960's.

The WV Schools for the Deaf and Blind are still in existence today and are located on a historic campus in Romney, Hampshire County. Dating back to 1870, the first class consisted of 25 deaf and 5 blind students.  And, I'm pleased to report that 50+ years later, the schools are still embracing the fun and whimsy of Halloween!  The photo below is of Ms. Emerick-Engle's 2016-2017 5th grade class at the WV School for the Blind!

Looking for MORE historic West Virginia Halloween photographs?  Check out my post, HALLOWEEN IN WEST VIRGINIA! 

Football Season? Nah!

Football season unfortunately officially started in my house last weekend when my boyfriend's Fantasy Football League had its draft day.  Luckily, Halloween season is year round here, and spooky, autumnal activities trump sports every time! 

Vintage Kool-Aid Halloween Advertisement

Oh yeah!  I miss the flavor of 'homemade' Kool-Aid.  It seemed like no matter how much sugar I put into my mix, it still never had that too-sweet taste that today's Kool-Aid coolers/juice boxes have.  And, back when my hair was much lighter, a package of Kool-Aid made a quick, cheap dye!  The date I found for this advertisement was 1964 and multiple uploads of it can be found on Pinterest and other spots around the web. 

Kermit the Frog, Vampire

Although it was filmed October 19-21, 1976, Episode 119 of the Muppet Show didn't actually air until January 31, 1977.  However, with Vincent Price as their guest star, the show definitely took the opportunity to spook things up with thematic sketches throughout the show featuring monsters, ghosts, and of course...vampires!

According to the Muppet Wikipedia page for this Season One episode, not only was it the first episode to feature a common theme throughout the sketches, but it was also the first episode of the season to be released on DVD. Although the whole episode is awesome, there's no denying that the master of horror himself, Vincent Price, really made this an episode to remember.  Check out the clip below of the Talk Spot segment in which Kermit interviews Price, and then shows off his own skills!

* Want MORE Vincent Price goodies from Theresa's Halloween Wonderland?  Check out this photo of Vincent with a Black Cat! *

When's Halloween?

I may be at the beach this week, but my mind is still on Halloween! Luke starts back to school on the 17th, so summer is on its way out, finally....and I'm not the least bit sad!  On another note, does anyone know where I can pick up a bathing suit like Wednesday's? 

Killer Clown Movie Marathon

As I said in a previous post, I am not-so-patiently waiting for the Halloween season to officially begin.  To tide myself over, I've been watching a LOT of horror movies, which led to a mini marathon dedicated to KILLER CLOWNS!  If you suffer from coulrophobia, you might want to stay away from these three picks.  None of these movies are really what I would call GOOD, but I enjoyed watching them.  If you're not afraid of spoilers, check below to see a brief summary and where you can find these little gems.

SPOILER ALERT!!

1. Clown (2014)---When the clown hired for Kent's son's birthday party cancels, the family momentarily panics.  Luckily, Kent, a real estate agent, is at one of his recently foreclosed properties when his wife calls with the news.  He just happens to find a clown costume in an old trunk, puts it on, and saves the party.  But, when the costume refuses to come off, Kent and his wife get stuck in a race to save his life...and his humanity.  Because, as you'll find out, the suit isn't a costume at all!  As of right now, Clown is available on Netflix streaming, so definitely check it out if you're a subscriber.  While the movie wasn't spectacular...it was interesting.  The story behind the movie is pretty cool---a couple of guys made a fake movie trailer, slapped Eli Roth's name on it as a joke, and put it up on YouTube.  Eventually, Eli Roth saw the trailer, liked it, and reached out to the guys to actually get the movie made!  It is a little gory, and if you're flat-out adverse to children being killed in horror flicks, you might want to stay away from this one.  However, its worth the watch if you just want something a little non-traditional to watch.  I'm NOT a fan of gore, but I do love when movies create a mythology and/or back story to explain the monster, and Clown does this very well.

2. Stitches (2012)---Since I watched Clown, Netflix suggested that I give Stitches a shot...and I'm glad I took the suggestion.  This is another film that is nowhere near an award-winning cinema experience, but it was a fun ride.  When the world's crassest clown performs at a birthday party for the world's brattiest, most foul-mouthed kids in the world, things end poorly.  The clown ends up dead, and the kids traumatized.  Flash-forward to six years later.  The kids, now teens, decide to throw a party for the previous birthday boy, which brings back the spirit of the clown.  Stitches, now risen from the grave, goes on a killing spree to take out each kid who was at the original party.  This is another movie where there's an interesting smattering of mythology involved to explain (and defeat) the monster. Again, not the world's greatest film, but it was pretty darn funny in places.  It was definitely...creative.

3. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)---I wrapped up my mini marathon with a classic. When I was about 8 or 9, this movie came on HBO, I believe.  I thought it was the greatest thing I had ever seen at the time. I think a big part of it was that I felt like I was sneaking around, watching a 'grown up' film and not even being scared.  Re-watching it as an adult, however, well, lol.  It's still a really fun, cheesy movie to watch, with one of the greatest title songs in film history.  It all starts when a mysterious 'asteroid' crashes to earth.  When a young couple (and previously, an old man and his dog) go looking for it, they don't find an asteroid.  Instead, they find a circus tent filled with killer klowns from outer space, of course.  The clowns invade the town, turning the citizens into cotton candy pods and generally pissing off a grumpy veteran cop. Hilarity ensues, until the heroes save the girl, stab the head clown in the nose, and blow up the circus tent spaceship.  I found this one on Hulu, and recommend it if you need a good, 80s cheese-fest.