Tonight, from 1976, we have The Paul Lynde Halloween Special.
In this special, actor and comedian Paul Lynde celebrates Halloween with Betty White, KISS, Donny and Marie Osmond, Florence Henderson, Billy Barty, Margaret Hamilton (the original Wicked Witch of the West), and I’m going to guess a mountain of cocaine that was probably sitting backstage.
This special is definitely a product of a very certain era in America’s cultural history.
Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986! The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!
And love won’t hurt anymore …. unless your nickname is Gopher.
Episode 8.18 “Love on the Line/Don’t Call Me Gopher/Her Honor, the Mayor”
(Dir by Richard A. Wells, originally aired on January 26th, 1985)
Poor Gopher.
All he wants is for the crew to not call him by his nickname for one cruise. His friend Janet (Katherine Moffat) is going to be on the boat and she only knows him as Burl. Burl, to put it simply, wants to get laid. He suspects that he’ll have a better chance of getting laid if Janet doesn’t know that his nickname is Gopher. He’s probably correct about that, though Burl isn’t much of an improvement.
For some reason, the crew takes it personally. They act as if Burl is being arrogant by not wanting to be called by a nickname that brings to mind a hairy and destructive rodent. Eventually, Janet does discover that “Gopher” is Burl’s nickname and, just as Burl suspected, she finds it impossible to kiss him without laughing.
And yet, somehow, Burl is the one who ends up apologizing to the crew and accepting that he will always be known as Gopher. Listen, if the guy wants to be known by his actual legal name, that’s his right. Of course, Gopher does get laid after he accepts his nickname so maybe the crew had a point. Who knows?
Meanwhile, newly-elected Mayor Frances Hardy (Shelley Fabares) boards the boat with her campaign manager, Barry Singer (David Hedison). Barry is in love with Frances and wants to marry her. However, Frances ends up falling in love with the man she defeated in the election, Phil Haines (Robert Fuller). It’s nice to see that political differences don’t have to stand in the way of love. Imagine how different the country would be today if Hillary and Donald would just admit that they’re in love with each other.
Finally, businessman John Stockton (Cesar Romero) meets a mysterious woman named Marcy (Jane Wyatt). Mary encourages John to shake off his old routine and learn to love life. How will John react when he discovers that Marcy actually works in his office? If you guessed that John will fall in love with her, you’re right. This is the Love Boat!
This wasn’t a bad episode. The guest stars were likable. The stories were pleasant in that way that the Love Boat usually is. That said, I do feel bad for Gopher. All he wanted was a better nickname.
Oh, hi, Indy. You’re back! I really enjoyed rewatching and reviewing Raiders of the Lost Ark at the start of October. Let’s take a look at Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!
Hey, there you are, played by Harrison Ford! And let’s see, that title card says that this film is taking place a year before Raiders, so I already know you’re going to survive whatever trouble life throws at you. Wow, Kate Capshaw sure is overacting as that blonde singer. I hope she’s just going to be here for the opening of the film. I mean, seriously, Indy, everyone knows that you love Marion Ravenwood. Oh look, you’ve got a kid assistant! His name is Short Round and he is played by Ke Huy Quan, who years later is going to give one of the best Oscar acceptance speeches of all time. Okay, that shootout at the start of the movie went on a little bit too long and apparently Kate Capshaw is going to be in the entire film, but still, there was some fun action. Harrison Ford is one of those actors who can make just about anything enjoyable… or, at least, he was. He seems really grouchy nowadays. The plane crash was nicely handled. Where is this taking place, Indy? I guess you’re in India now? And your mission is to recover a sacred stone and free a bunch of kidnapped children from a nearby mine? That’s not bad! I like the fact that Indiana seems to really care about helping out the villagers. The stakes aren’t quite as high as with Raiders, but you really can’t get much higher than finding the Lost Ark of the Covenant. This should be a good, old-fashioned adventure movie and…
OH MY GOD, HE JUST RIPPED THAT GUY’S HEART OUT OF HIS CHEST!
Listen, I’m not here to make the argument that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a horror film. It’s not. It’s an adventure film, a thrill-ride with big sets and that classic Indiana Jones music and an extended chase sequence that feels like it was conceived specifically so it could be adapted into a hundred theme park roller coasters. Even more so than Raiders of the Lost Ark, it’s a throwback to the serials of the past, with Indiana, Short Round, and Willie (that’s Kate Capshaw’s character) running into another cliffhanger every fifteen minutes or so. It’s a fun adventure movie, made when Harrison Ford was at the peak of his abilities. If the story doesn’t resonate quite as strongly as either Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Last Crusade, it’s still far more memorable than those bland siblings known as Crystal Skull and Dial of Destiny.
That said, I would argue that the film is definitely horror-adjacent. This is a film that features Amrish Puri as a Thuggee priest who reaches into a man’s chest and removes his still-beating heart. In loving close-up, the heart continues to beat in the priest’s hands while the man squirms behind him. This is a film in which even Indiana is briefly possessed by otherworldly magic. Indy gets into a fight on a conveyor belt and not only does he have to avoid his opponent’s fists, but he also has to deal with terrible back pain because a little brat is poking a voodoo doll. I always used to blame my back pain on my boobs, but now I’m at least 65% convinced that the true culprit is someone with a magic Lisa doll.
Of course, the thing that really keeps this from being a horror film is that it’s a prequel. It takes place before Raiders of the Lost Ark, so we all know that Indy is going to make it out of the Thuggee mines and he’s not going to get his heart ripped out. For true horror to work, you have to feel like anyone could fall victim to whatever the story’s threat may be. We know Indiana’s going to be safe because he has to save the world from the Nazis in a year. We know Short Round’s safe because he’s a kid. And we really don’t care whether or not Willie’s safe.
Apparently, that heart removal sequence was so controversial that it led to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Without that rating, the original Red Dawn would have been rated R and a lot of teenagers would not have gotten a chance to cheer the destruction of the communists. As a country, we owe a lot to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Ever since the birth of film, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been a popular subject for adaptation. Not only does the classic story of a good doctor who unleashes his evil instinct via potion serve as a potent metaphor for everything from sexual repression to drug addiction, but the dual role of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has provides an excellent opportunity for an actor to show off.
The first film adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is believed to have been made in 1908. Two more version followed in 1912 and 1913 and then, suddenly, 1920 saw three different film versions.
The best known of the 1920 version is our film for today. This version is best remembered for John Barrymore’s powerful performance in the title role but it also holds up remarkably well as a work of cinematic horror.
A serial killer known as “The Avenger” is murdering blonde women in London (which, once again, proves that its better to be a redhead). And while nobody knows the identity of the Avenger, they do know that the enigmatic stranger (Ivor Novello), who has just recently rented a room at boarding house, happens to fit his description. They also know that the lodger’s landlord’s daughter happens to be a blonde…
Released in 1927, the silent The Lodger was Alfred Hitchcock’s third film but, according to the director, this was the first true “Hitchcock film.” Certainly it shows that even at the start of his career, Hitchcock’s famous obsessions were already present — the stranger accused of a crime, the blonde victims, and the link between sex and violence.
Also of note, the credited assistant director — Alma Reville — would become Alma Hitchcock shortly before The Lodger was released.
I just saw the news that the British director Peter Medak has passed away at the age of 88. While he wasn’t a household name, Medak has a very interesting filmography. He directed Peter O’Toole to an Oscar nomination in 1972’s The Ruling Class. He directed one of the better films about the Kray Brothers, The Krays. He worked in television and did a few episodes of Homicide.
He also directed one of my favorite horror films, 1980’s The Changeling. The Changeling features one the best seance scenes that I’ve ever seen. Here it is:
Peter Medak, RIP.
Today’s song of the day comes from Dario Argento’s massively underrated vampire film, Dracula 3D.
Even in the year 1972, Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) could not escape Prof. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing). Of course, the Van Helsing here was a descendant of the Van Helsing who gave Dracula such a hard time in the 19th century but still, Dracula was not thrilled to see him.
This scene is from Hammer’s Dracula A.D. 1972. It’s not generally considered to be one of the better Dracula films but I enjoy any chance to see Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (who were the closest of friends off-screen) acting opposite each other.
4 or more Shots from 4 or more Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots from 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
4 Shots From 4 Horror Films
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957, dir by Terence Fisher, DP: Jack Asher)
Horror of Dracula (1958, dir by Terence Fisher, DP: Jack Asher)
The Skull (1965, dir by Freddie Francis, DP: John Wilcox)
Shock Waves (1977, dir by Ken Wiederhorn, DP: Ruben Trane)
Don’t be alarmed but the first of the precursor award nominations were announced yesterday. The Gothams aren’t exactly the most reliable of the Oscar precursors and a lot of the potential Oscar nominees aren’t even eligible for a Gotham but, if you’re a low-budget indie film looking to score a Best Picture nomination, winning a Gotham is a nice way to start Awards Season.
(Winning seems to be the key here. As James Gray can attest, just getting a nomination doesn’t do much.)
Here are the 36th Annual Gotham Nominations.
Best Feature
Clarissa
Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri, directors; Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri, Theresa Park, Nicholas Weinstock, producers (NEON)
Club Kid
Jordan Firstman, director; Michael Bloom, Alex Coco, Galen Core, Ryan Heller, producers (A24)
The Debut
Jesse Eisenberg, director; Jesse Eisenberg, Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, producers (A24)
Dreams in Nightmares
Shatara Michelle Ford, director; Naima Abed, Shatara Michelle Ford, Pin-Chun Liu, producers (Lunette Films)
The Invite
Olivia Wilde, director; Ben Browning, Megan Ellison, David Permut, producers (A24)
Josephine
Beth de Araújo, director; Beth de Araújo, Josh Beirne-Golden, Gemma Chan, David Kaplan, Josh Peters, Jordan Rapaport, Mark H. Rapaport, Robina Riccitiello, Marina Stabile, Channing Tatum, Crystine Zhang, producers (Sumerian Pictures)
Mouse
Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson, directors; Bonnie Comley, Pierce Cravens, Steven A. Jones, Ian Keiser, Chelsea Krant, Stewart F. Lane, Abigail Rose Solomon, Alex Thompson, Alex Wilson, producers (Independent Film Company)
Paper Tiger
James Gray, director; Andrea Bucko, Leonardo Maria del Vecchio, Gary Farkas, James Gray, Anthony Katagas, Andrea Leone, Raffaella Leone, Marco Perego, Carlo Salem, Rodrigo Teixeira, producers (NEON)
Primetime
Lance Oppenheim, director; Ari Aster, Fred Berger, William Iannaccone, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Lars Knudsen, Brighton McCloskey, Robert Pattinson, producers (A24)
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Jane Schoenbrun, director; Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, producers (MUBI)
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother
Bassam Tariq, director; Babak Anvari, Bassam Tariq, Lucan Toh, producers (Amazon MGM Studios)
Best International Feature
All of A Sudden
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, director; Julien Deris, David Gauquié, Kosuke Oshida, Yuji Sadai, producers (NEON)
Ben’Imana
Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, director; Samantha Biffot, Pierre-Adrien Ceccaldi, Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, Marie Epiphanie Uwayezu, producers (Alexander)
Blue Heron
Sophy Romvari, director; Ryan Bobkin, Sara Wylie, Sophy Romvari, Gábor Osváth, producers (Janus Films)
Everytime
Sandra Wollner, director; David Bohun, Lixi Frank, Viktoria Stolpe, producers (1-2 Special)
Fatherland
Pawel Pawlikowski, director; Edward Berger, Lorenzo Gangarossa, Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Mieli, Ewa Puszczynska, Dimitri Rassam, Jeanne Tremsal, producers (MUBI)
Filipiñana
Rafael Manuel, director; Bianca Balbuena, Jeremy Chua, Omar El Kadi, Bradley Liew, Rafael Manuel, Alex Polunin, Nadia Turincev, producers (Kino Lorber)
La Gradiva
Marine Atlan, director; Inès Daïen Dasi, producer (1-2 Special)
Minotaur
Andrey Zvyagintsev, director; Charles Gillibert, Nathanaël Karmitz, Marco Perego, Andrey Zvyagintsev, producers (MUBI)
Possible Love
Lee Chang-dong, director; Lee Joon-dong, Lee Chang-dong, David Levine, Chadwick Prichard, producers (Netflix)
Tender Loving Care
Mike Leigh, director; Georgina Lowe, producer (Bleecker Street)
Best Documentary Feature
Closure
Michal Marczak, director; Monika Braid, Rémi Grellety, Karolina Marczak, Michal Marczak, Katarzyna Szczerba, producers (1-2 Special)
A Fox Under a Pink Moon
Soraya Akhlaghi, Mehrdad Oskouei, directors; Siavash Jamali, Mehrdad Oskouei, producers (Kino Lorber)
NAZA
Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, directors; Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton, James Wilson, producers (NEON)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
David Greaves, director; Anne de Mare, Liani Greaves, producers (NEON)
You Can See Everything
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, directors; Maggie Ambrose, Tatiana Bears, Jack Davis, Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, producers (A24)
Best Director
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, All of a Sudden (NEON)
Sandra Wollner, Everytime (1-2 Special)
Andrey Zvyagintsev, Minotaur (MUBI)
Jane Schoenbrun, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (MUBI)
Mike Leigh, Tender Loving Care (Bleecker Street)
Breakthrough Director
Sophy Romvari, Blue Heron (Janus Films)
Jordan Firstman, Club Kid (A24)
Aleshea Harris, Is God Is (Amazon MGM Studios)
Marine Atlan, La Gradiva (1-2 Special)
Joel Alfonso Vargas, Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
John Early, Maddie’s Secret (Magnolia Pictures)
Best Original Screenplay
Everytime, Sandra Wollner (1-2 Special)
La Gradiva, Marine Atlan, Anne Brouillet (1-2 Special)
Possible Love, Lee Chang-dong, Oh Jung-mi (Netflix)
Tender Loving Care, Mike Leigh (Bleecker Street)
Wild Horse Nine, Martin McDonagh (Searchlight Pictures)
Best Adapted Screenplay
All of a Sudden, Ryusuke Hamaguchi (NEON)
Clarissa, Chuko Esiri (NEON)
The Invite, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack (A24)
Minotaur, Simon Lyashenko, Andrey Zvyagintsev (MUBI)
Primetime, Ajon Singh (A24)
Outstanding Lead Performance
Mahershala Ali, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (Amazon MGM Studios)
Gillian Anderson, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (MUBI)
Jeon Do-yeon, Possible Love (Netflix)
John Early, Maddie’s Secret (Magnolia Pictures)
John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine (Searchlight Pictures)
Ian McKellen, The Christophers (NEON)
Julianne Moore, The Debut (A24)
Sophie Okonedo, Clarissa (NEON)
Andrew Scott, Elsinore (Focus Features)
John Turturro, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York (Sony Pictures Classics)
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Tom Courtenay, Queen at Sea (Greenwich Entertainment)
Esmé Creed-Miles, Sense and Sensibility (Focus Features)
Penélope Cruz, The Invite (A24)
Adam Driver, Paper Tiger (NEON)
Andrew Garfield, Artificial (NEON)
Skyler Gisondo, Primetime (A24)
Sandra Hüller, Fatherland (MUBI)
Kate O’Flynn, Tender Loving Care (Bleecker Street)
Tao Okamoto, All of a Sudden (NEON)
Channing Tatum, Josephine (Sumerian Pictures)
Breakthrough Performer
Adia, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother (Amazon MGM Studios)
India Amarteifio, Clarissa (NEON)
Guitarricadelafuente, La Bola Negra (Netflix)
Colas Quignard, La Gradiva (1-2 Special)
Mason Reeves, Josephine (Sumerian Pictures)
Gotham Audience Award
Backrooms
Kane Parsons, director; Kori Adelson, Michael Clear, Dan Cohen, Chris Ferguson, Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, Roberto Patino, Osgood Perkins, Jenno Topping, James Wan, producers (A24)
La Bola Negra
Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo, directors; Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo, producers (Netflix)
The Drama
Kristoffer Borgli, director; Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Tyler Campellone, producers (A24)
The Invite
Olivia Wilde, director; Ben Browning, Megan Ellison, David Permut, producers (A24)
Michael
Antoine Fuqua, director; John Branca, John McClain, Graham King, producers (Lionsgate)
Obsession
Curry Barker, director; James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, Roman Viaris, producers (Focus Features)
Project Hail Mary
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, directors; Ryan Gosling, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Rachel O’Connor, Amy Pascal, Aditya Sood, Andy Weir, producers (Amazon MGM Studios)
You Can See Everything
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, directors; Maggie Ambrose, Tatiana Bears, Jack Davis, Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, producers (A24)
The winners will be revealed on November 30th, 2026.
