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Remember when Halloween meant checking the TV listings, turning down the lights and waiting for something spooky to crawl across your television screen?
Welcome to Video Vengeance, Glamgoria’s home for forgotten frights, obscure delights and horror after dark! For our debut installment, horror author and VHS archaeologist JD Hill is taking us back to the days of made-for-TV horror movies and classic Halloween specials - when a creepy soundtrack and a shadow in the hallway could fuel a childhood’s worth of nightmares.
So settle in, keep the remote handy, and whatever you do… DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL!
If my horror palate was compared to food consumption, it would be like someone who could
eat a can of potted meat then turn around for the next meal and eat filet mignon…and be
perfectly content with both. I don’t care if it’s Terrifier 3 or Abbot and Costello Meet the Wolf
Man— I devour it all and enjoy it.
Somewhere in between the movies with visceral gore and old black and whites falls a
sometimes overlooked category: made for television and Halloween special horror. I
particularly love these types of movies for two main reasons. First (and I’m sure many of you
can identify with this one) these movies take me back to my childhood, to the time when I fell
in love with horror. Several of these films on my list carry with them deep seeded nostalgia.
Second, they hit differently. These movies can’t rely on shock value or gore. They lean
heavy on other aspects of visual story telling and force our brains to experience fear in a
different type of way. Much like old black and white films, they beckon us to use our
imaginations and conjure up the scares from the inside out.
In the lists below, I picked my top five made for television horror, followed by my top five
Halloween television specials. To be honest, it was hard narrowing this list down. So, at the
end of each list, I include more of my favorite films in these categories that didn’t make the
cut. Before we dive in, I want to make a disclaimer: the lists are subjective. These are MY
top five. This doesn’t mean they are the best, it just means these are the ones I enjoy the
most, and ones I highly recommend.
What happens when a meteorite crashes to earth and the evil force inside it comes in
contact with a bulldozer? You get Killdozer! The film aired first on February 2, 1974 as a
Saturday night ABC special. It was adapted from the novel Killdozer from 1944 by Theodore
Sturgen. In April of 1974 it was also adapted into a comic book story and featured in Marvel
Comics’ Worlds Unknown Issue #6.
The plot is simple. A meteor crashes to earth, landing on an island off the coast of Africa. Six
years later, a team of six construction workers are sent to the island to work on building an
airstrip. They uncover the meteor, and a bulldozer is used to try and move it. Blue light emits
from the rock and possesses the bulldozer. What ensues is mass destruction and chaos, as
the murderous bulldozer destroys their camp and kills the workers.
This movie is absolutely ridiculous and loads of fun. You can find it streaming on Plex and
YouTube.
If your idea of a good time is Royal Dano giving the stink eye to people in a werewolf movie
then look no further! Before Wolf of Snow Hollow and Werewolves Within, there was Moon of the Wolf— a cajun style “who done it” werewolf movie. Based on the novel of the same name by Leslie Whitten, it first aired on September 26, 1972 as an ABC Movie of the Week.
The film takes place in my home state of Louisiana, in the bayou town of Marsh Island. A
lady is murdered and Sheriff Aaron Whitaker (David Janssen) is left baffled by trying to piece
together the strange evidence. There’s several red herrings but the pieces slowly start to fall
into place, revealing the loup-garou (French word for werewolf).
If you go into this movie expecting any type of bloody werewolf kills, you’re going to be
disappointed. There is zero gore in this film. It’s much more akin to Universal’s The Wolf
Man, and relies on atmosphere and storytelling. And the werewolf design? It’s so bad it’s
good!
Moon of the Wolf is streaming free on Amazon Prime, Tubi, The Roku Channel, and
YouTube.
I hold Tobe Hooper partly responsible for scarring my childhood and creating in me a love for
horror films. Not only is Salem’s Lot one of the scariest made for television movies to date,
it’s also one of the best vampire movies of all time. Based on Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot,
the two part miniseries originally aired on November 17, 1979 and November 24, 1979 on
CBS.
Writer Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to his small Maine hometown, only to discover that a
sinister ancient vampire (Kurt Barlow) and his human assistant (James Mason) have moved
into the eerie Marsten House and begun turning the locals. This film is a slow-burn that
excels in creating a dread-soaked mood that sticks with you the entire ride, And I know I’m
not the only one who was freaked out by the floating vampire kid at the window! Buckle in for
the long haul with this one. The run time is over three hours but well worth the investment.
Salem’s Lot is available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Apple TV.
If you’re in the mood for campy fun sprinkled with some creepy moments this Halloween,
you might want to check this one out. I first viewed this movie at the ripe old age of six, and it
was one of the two films responsible for making me fall in love with horror. The Midnight
Hour first aired on November 1, 1985 on ABC…and has an awesome sound track for a
made for television movie…just saying.
On Halloween night, in the small town of Pitchford Cove, Massachusetts, five high school
friends accidentally unleash the powers of hell. While stealing costumes from the local
witchcraft store, they stumble upon some old artifacts and a trunk. Inside the trunk they find
a paper scroll with an ancient curse written on it. And guess what? They take it to the
cemetery where the “sorceress” of the friend group reads it aloud. What happens next is a
mass unleashing of vampires, zombies, and ghouls from hell. Did I mention it has a really
cool werewolf?
I can’t say enough good things about this movie. Don’t take my word for it. Just watch it. You
can view it for free on YouTube.
Let me introduce to you the movie that scarred six-year-old me for life, gave me numerous
nightmares, and began my love for horror. 1984’s The Demon Murder Case. I have lots to
say about this film but I’ll be brief. Even though made for television, this is hands down one
of the scariest possession movies to date. Charles Field’s performance as the possessed
young Brian Frazier is down right unnerving. It first aired on NBC on March 6, 1983, and also
stars Kevin Bacon and Andy Griffith. It was based on the real life trial of Arne Johnson in
1981. If all this sounds familiar it's because this was the same case file of the Warrens The
Conjuring 3 was based on. Yes, the one where they tried to use demonic possession as a
defense in court. I’m exercising restraint in not writing about how I feel about the Warrens
and their legacy, but my personal feelings aside, this movie is well executed and scary.
Eleven-year-old Brain Frazier tells his mom he has seen a demonic beast. This beast then
begins to invade the Frazier home and eventually possesses Brian. Chaos ensues and
Kenny Miller (Kevin Bacon) has seen enough. He challenges the demon and tells it to come
into him. It eventually does and in a fit of possessed rage, Kenny kills Phillip Russo for
making moves on his girlfriend, Nancy Fraizer (Liane Langland). The demonologist, the
Harrises (portraying the Warrens), then argue Kenny shouldn’t be held responsible for the
murder since the devil made him do it.
Don’t be fooled by the IMDb rating. This movie is well executed and frightening. You can find
it streaming for free on YouTube.
Other Made for Television Movies I Love:
It (1990)
The Stand (1994)
Trilogy of Terror
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Ghostwatch
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
The Night Stalker
Midnight Offerings
Gargoyles
Alas, we now shift gears and move on to my top five made for television Halloween Specials.
Unlike the above list, each one that appears here was made specifically for Halloween.
It’s only fitting that the most legendary arcade and Atari game had a cartoon series. When I
think of 80s Hanna-Barbera cartoons that shaped my childhood, this is one of them. The
series was quite popular, so much so they aired a two episode Halloween special on
October 30, 1982 on ABC.
The first episode is entitled “Pacula”. Mezmaron (the evil mastermind behind the ghost
monsters) turns a bat into a vampire version of Pac-Man. This new Count Pacula is hellbent
on getting a map to the coveted Power Pellet Forrest. Pac-Man has to figure out a way to
end the chaos he is causing in Pac-Land and foil Mezmaron’s plan.
The second episode is called “Trick or Chomp”, and follows the Pac-Family for their first ever
Trick or Treat outing with Pac-Baby. Because the ghost monsters are evil and don’t want
anyone to have fun, they try to ruin family time with scary costumes and traps.
You can find both episodes streaming on Tubi.
This is the only film on the list to actually win an Emmy for Outstanding Individual
Achievement in the area of Children’s Program. It first premiered on ABC on October 28,
1979, and later received a VHS release retitled as The Night Dracula Saved the World.
Another interesting tidbit about the movie is that it was sponsored by the toy company,
Kenner and replayed numerous times on Disney from 1983-1996.
The storyline begins with Count Dracula hearing a news broadcast that says Halloween is
going to end and it’s all his fault. Dracula thinks the problem is that the monsters have
become too campy and are no longer scary. He summons Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s
monster, Zabaar the Zombie, The Mummy of Egypt, and The Witch, to make them all
terrifying again. Things unfold and Dracula finds out The Witch is behind the entire plot to
ruin Halloween. The movie ends with a grand conflict between The Witch and Dracula over
her new demands about Halloween.
The movie is extremely campy and cheesy, so if that’s your thing, you should check it out. It
can be streamed for free on YouTube.
This second Hanna-Barbera cartoon to make the list was based on Ray Bradbury’s 1972
novel of the same name. It first aired on October 2, 1993, and Bradbury himself served as
the narrator in the cartoon. It also features the voice of Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Moundshroud,
the children’s guide.
The story follows a group of trick or treaters whose friend is wisped away by mysterious
forces. Through the ordeal the kids learn about the origins of Halloween and its influences.
It all starts with the children going to their friend Pip’s house on Halloween and seeing him
being carted off in an ambulance. Not wanting to start Halloween without him, they cut
through the woods to go to the hospital. On their way they see a translucent version of Pip
running through a ravine and meet Mr. Moundshroud. I don’t want to give away too much
more, but it is at this point where their journey through time begins.
I adore this cartoon, and I think you will too! You can find it streaming for free on YouTube.
This film first premiered on October 17, 1998 on the Disney Channel. The movie was
followed by three sequels. Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001), Halloween Town
High (2004), and Return to Halloweentown (2006). While the sequels are good, nothing
beats the original.
On her 13th birthday, Marnie is taken to Halloween town. While there, she discovers she
comes from an entire family line of witches…and that she herself is a witch. The town
happens to be the only place where ghosts, ghouls, witches, and werewolves can live a
normal life apart from humans. Yet amidst the happiness and safety, the evil demon Kalabar
seeks to enact a more sinister plan for the inhabitants of Halloweentown.
This film is an absolute blast and so much fun. It has it all: witches, warlocks, demons,
werewolves, and a talisman. This is one you don’t want to miss. You can find it streaming on
Hulu and Disney+. It’s also available to rent on Amazon, YouTube.
Welcome to the Disney Halloween special that was so scary for children, it had to be pulled.
That’s right, this movie terrified children so much, parents complained and Disney shelved it.
It’s also hard for most us in this day and age to imagine there was a controversy with Disney
producers over including an interracial kiss in the climax…but there was. I’m glad most of us
in this society have moved on from such racism… but I digress. The film first previewed on
October 9, 1999 on the Disney Channel, and as mentioned above, scared the crap out of
children everywhere.
Teenager Frances Bacon finds herself blamed when strange things begin happening around
her town, including objects mysteriously disappearing and the appearance of a terrifying
boogeyman. With the help of Larry Houdini, an eccentric imaginary friend who emerges from
under her bed, Frances discovers that her fear and growing up may have unintentionally
caused the Boogeyman to become real. As the supernatural chaos escalates, Frances must
confront her childhood fears, repair her relationship with her younger brother, and find a way
to stop the Boogeyman before he takes over their world.
I can’t say enough good things about this movie. It’s fun, scary, and well done. For me, it
stands head and shoulders above the other Halloween specials on this list. You can find it
streaming on Hulu and Disney+. It’s also available to rent on Amazon and YouTube.
Other Halloween Specials I love:
Fat Albert Halloween Special 1977
Casper the Friendly Ghost 1979
Elvira’s Halloween Special 1986
Mad Monster Party 1967
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown 1966
Halloween is Grinch Night 1977
Twitches 2005
Double, Double Toil and Trouble 1993
JD Hill is a horror author and VHS archaeologist with a love for the strange, the obscure and the terrifying. A champion of creature features, practical effects, drive-in oddities and the glorious weirdness of 70s and 80s horror, JD digs deep into horror history, unearthing the forgotten monsters, midnight movies and video nasties that raised a generation of horror fans.
In Video Vengeance, he’s your guide to the weird, wonderful, and wonderfully horrific corners of the genre. So grab a tape, dim the lights, and stay tuned for more forgotten frights!
