Celebrate the Holidays - TV Movie Style!

Seriously, you can put a Santa cap on anything and make it fun. Granted, these were fun already, but let me offer the below as two examples.

And have a great holiday, everyone!

Must See Streaming TV: An American Christmas Carol (1979)

I love Henry Winkler. Truly. Arthur Fonzarelli is one of the most lovable and enduring characters from my childhood. And I’m always pleasantly amused when someone busts out with an “Ayyye!” And that happens more often than you'd think! Of course, we loved Fonzie because of Winkler’s wonderful performance that held just the right amounts of machismo, over the top humor, with a little pathos thrown in to keep us on our toes.

A newspaper promo for An American Christmas Carol

However, I would be lying if I said I had seen a lot of Winker's non-Happy Days work. Oh, certainly, I've gotten a taste of his range, in movies like Scream, and his fantastically sinister turn as an abuser in the 1993 TVM The Only Way Out (a movie I’ve been dying to revisit. I have very strong memories of watching it when it premiered), but I’ve missed out on his more famous work such as Heroes and Arrested Development. So, I was eager to expand on my knowledge of Winkler’s filmography when I sat down the other day with An American Christmas Carol. This film is an obvious rift on the Charles Dickens’ classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, only now we are in Depression-era America, and Scrooge is Slade, a sinister old man who finds pleasure in repossessing important items from struggling customers on Christmas Eve. Ack. However, he’s due for a visit from a few spirits who hope to show him the errors of his ways.

A few years ago, I was in a class that concentrated on film adaptations. I chose to make a presentation on A Christmas Carol because it gave me an excuse to re-watch A Muppet Christmas Carol, and because I had never actually read the book. I had to watch quite a few Carol movies and enjoyed them all. The story resonates to some extent with just about every era, because as much as we want to wax nostalgic about the past, there is always some kind of struggle with inequality and indifference. Dickens’ reminds us time and again that we should always remember that compassion is free, so give it away, dammit! OK, he doesn’t get all extreme on the reader or anything, but indeed, it is a great story that teaches us that good will isn't just a thrift store.

So, we get that I love the story and relate to it, but what is Winkler and company going to do with this version of it? Ah, the million dollar question! An American Christmas Carol is both a gorgeous success and a bit of a bore at the same time. It’s never terrible, not by a long shot, but at certain points, it’s slow and, gah, even a bit dull. The pacing in the second half is almost too meticulous, and I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. And that was a bummer. That said, An American Christmas Carol is still a beautiful trip back in time. The costumes and sets are splendid, and the crisp cinematography of Richard Ciupka is stunning (btw, Richard also did the cinematography for Ilsa Tigress of Sibera. I think I’m in love!). The visuals alone make this a film worth checking out.

As for Winkler, I’ve read some across-the-board reactions to his performance. Many felt that the odd old age makeup hampered his abilities to fully flex his actor muscles. With regards to the outlandish makeup, I have to agree. Thirty years later, and Hollywood still hasn't gotten old people makeup right, so imagine what audiences were thinking in 1979! Otherwise, I feel Winkler does a good job as the older Slade, and I enjoyed that vigorous step he gets from the joy of taking from the underprivileged because it is turned into a sprightly bounce after he develops a compassionate outlook on life. Joy to the world!

It would seem Winkler felt that giving Slade a spring in his step was all part of the process. In an interview, the actor said the filmmakers wanted to put weights on his feet as a way to keep him slow moving. But, Winkler said, “I realized that the elderly want to be younger and so I took off the weights immediately after the first day of shooting and made him more spry.” Winkler also confessed that he spent a total of 96 hours in the makeup chair during the seven-week shoot! In the end, the actor was very happy with the results, although he was initially hesitant to take on the role because he felt the media was set on pigeonholing him as The Fonz. However, the consummate Winkler decided his career was all about risks. This has obviously paid off, and while An American Christmas Carol is not a perfect film, it does hit the holiday spot and is definitely worth a watch.

You can either buy An American Christmas Carol on DVD or you can watch it on Amazon Instant Video!

You can read more about An American Christmas Carol at Christmas TV History!

And if you want more holiday cheer check out:

Petticoat Junction: A Cannonball Christmas
Nestor, The Long Eared Donkey (written as a guest blogger on Christmas TV History)
Ebbie
The Gathering (written by guest blogger Joanna Wilson from Christmas TV History)
A Mouse, A Mystery and Me
Terror on the 40th Floor
Bernard and the Genie

Must See Streaming TV of the Week: The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid (1990)

Network: CBS
Original Air Date: September 20th, 1990

Life is funny sometimes. Back in my golden days, when I worked at a video store and the word VHS didn’t elicit the response, “Whoa, retro,” I couldn’t be bothered with romance movies. I was just discovering the fascinating world of cult films. And, while I still linger in that ether of all things dark and macabre, I also find that I like some things to be frilly and pink. Who knew, right? I’m not sure when the love bug hit me, but cupid’s arrow must have found its way to my heart during a viewing of something on Lifetime. It’s speculation now, all I can say is that I now hope every film seals itself with a kiss (romantic kiss or kiss of death, of course!). Still, while I possess no compunction towards the sentimental, I have also never really taken a shine to the big screen world of champagne wishes and caviar dreams. I’ll take the small screen schmaltz any day! And I say that without a hint of hipster irony, so please take that into consideration while I gush over The World’s Oldest Living Bridesmaid.

Apparently my gushing makes Donna uncomfortable

Donna Mills is Brenda Morgan, a high-powered attorney who may always win in the courtroom, but can’t seem to find as many victories in the bedroom. While she’s involved with a gorgeous dentist named Brian (Winston Reckert), any happiness she feels comes less from contentment and more from convenience. Things quickly go south when he wants her to give up her career for a life as his bride. Enter Alex Dante (Brian Wimmer with an oh-so-90s romantic hero ponytail). He is a sexy artist daylighting as a secretary to make ends meet. He becomes Brenda’s unlikely but strangely compatible lover. But of course, what good is a romance movie without a few wooing woes?

Is this a wooing Woe? Certainly not.

What I enjoyed most about Bridesmaid was that the film did not have a bad guy. While Brenda is definitely more on the serious side, she is a likable and even relatable character. Seriously, if there is a bad guy in this movie, it’s Wimmer’s ponytail, because it dampens the romance just a bit. The 90s was tough on all of us…

The scenario was a little too fastidious to say it was handled in any way that reflected realism, but the issues were very well handled and believable. Brenda does not want kids, and is old enough to know she made the right decision, but while Alex says he’s fine with that, he still has a few more years to change his mind. Don’t get me wrong, Bridesmaid is not weighed down by real-life problems. This is a romantic comedy, and it has a few stellar moments of farce, most notably delivered by Art Hindle, who plays Roger, Brenda’s “Perfect Man.” He is debonair and gorgeous, and about as interesting as a wet noodle. Granted, wet noodles are yummy and so is Art, so we’ve killed two birds with that platitude. Roger is perfectly vapid, and Hindle is absolutely wonderful in the part!

Enough about me, honey. What do you think of my hair?

Mills’ own production company, aptly named Donna Mills Productions, produced Bridesmaid. She first stepped behind the camera in 1986 because she wanted more say in the projects she was appearing in. In an interview Mills said, “I’m not just a producer in title. I really get in there and work with the editors and costume and set designers. I like the satisfaction of having the final product be what I want it to be. As an actress, you have no control over that.” And talk about sets and costumes. It’s all perfectly early 90s glamour, and it was nice to see Mills, who is best known as Queen Bitch Abby Cunningham on Knots Landing, play a softer character, and with humor. She’s the best. The best.

I was really excited to find The World’s Oldest Bridesmaid has been added to the Amazon Instant Video queue. It came in quite handy during finals week! 

Promotional Still for The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid

Live Tweetin' for the Holidays!

Oh my gosh, where did November go? I can't believe how long I've been away from my beloved blog. The good news is that I'm only a few weeks away from graduation (finally) and will have a little more free time. Of course, I'll need to find a job and plan for grad school, but after the last few years of college and moving and more college and more moving, I think I'm up to the task.

But enough about me. What do you think of my hair?

Anyway, despite all the craziness that occurs around the last few weeks of school, I have been able to keep up my tweet-alongs with Me-TV's Made for TV Movie Fridays, and I'm having lots of fun. The brain break is much needed. So, because I can't make the Friday movie on December 6th (more on that in a sec), and because my favorite channel is not airing a TV movie this Friday,  Joanna from Christmas TV History and I are joining forces for a different kind of Me-TV live-tweet party on the 29th.

There will be no turkey here, no siree. This Friday, we're going to be watching some very special holiday episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show (10 PM EST) and Twilight Zone (11 PM EST). So, all you need to do is stop by twitter, and "follow" @madefortvmayhem and @TisTheSeasonTV and get your Christmas started a little early (early by my watch, I've been seeing holiday decorations at the store for awhile now! Geesh).

Also, I made a date with the Italian progressive rock band Goblin for the night of December 6th. I tried to get them to move the concert, but they had other commitments. So lame, right? I'm so sad I'm missing this particular Me-TV Made for TV Movie because they are airing the 1973 TVM A Dream for Christmas. However, Joanna will be stepping in, and she's simply the most perfect person to handle this job, since she's, like, the Christmas TV expert. True story.

Join us!

Movies About Ghouls Spookatcular!

Hey everyone, I just took part in the Movies About Girls Halloween Spooktacular! Hosted by MAG regular, Kent Shelton, this offers good times galore! I throw in a couple of scary TV movie recommendations, and some of the other MAGcasters reminisce about Bit-o-Honey!

You can listen to the podcast here. Also, this is not for the faint of heart, expect cursing and other objectionable material. OK, probably just some cursing.

Oh, and enjoy!

Hammer House of Horror: The House that Bled to Death (1980)

This post is part of the Hammer Halloween Blogathon hosted by the Classic Film & TV Café. Click here to view the complete blogathon schedule.

Network: ITV
Original Air Date: October 11th, 1980

Hammer is synonymous with horror. Ain’t no two ways about it! Sure they got their feet wet in 1934 with the comedy The Public Life of Henry the Ninth, but that only goes to show what a long and incredible history Hammer Films has enjoyed. They found their true mojo in horror films and produced their most memorable content in the 1960s and 70s. Great actors, tight bodices and gothic chills ensured that their output would be loved then and loved now. But like all good things, Hammer theatrical films came to an end in 1976 after their release of To the Devil a Daughter. And like all incredible things, as of late they’ve enjoyed a bit of resurgence.

Woman in Black, anyone?

In between Daughter and Woman (now there's a metaphorical transition), Hammer Films produced two television series, Hammer House of Horror (1980) and Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense (1984). I am most familiar with the latter production because the Mystery and Suspense episodes were feature length and some ran in America in the 90s under the moniker Fox Mystery Theater. However, unbeknownst to me, I was actually somewhat familiar with House of Horror, because many of the episodes found their way onto VHS under the heading of Thriller Video, and they featured bumpers hosted by none other than Elvira.

 
I worked at a video store in the early 1990s and the Thriller Videos were fairly popular rentals, probably because of Elvira and the short running lengths of the films (what’s to lose, right). I did not rent them at the time because I was Miss Dark and Mysterious (I am Amanda By Night you know), and I spent most of my time renting crazy flicks like Make Them Die Slowly (and regretting it!). As an aside, Thriller Video also released Slowly, but Elvira didn’t want to be associated with it, so she was excused from hosting duties on that video. I can’t say I blame her. But I digress… I remember that I was a bit obsessed with the Thriller Video box for Carpathian Eagle because it looked so deliciously groovy. Regrettably, I still have not seen it, but now I know I married my husband for a reason. He has several of these videos and we’ve been digging them out of our boxes of VHS (of which we have many).

He actually had just stumbled across his copy of The House that Bled to Death when I asked to be a part of this blogathon. It was all kinds of kismet and stuff. I was really excited to finally sit down with one of these Hammer TV episodes to see what all the fuss was about.

 
OK, OK, fuss may be a bit of an overstatement. Both series have always garnered mixed reviews and even the fabulous tome A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer said this of both shows:

The premier incarnation of Hammer House thrashed about in the treacherous waters of an ITV network slot that seemed to come and go with an unnerving suddenness. With its faddish affection for punning titles, the series veered between a committee concept of classic Hammer Horror – Guardian of the Abyss, Children of the Full Moon – and a hodgepodge of derivative shockers that ere more akin to reject episodes from an Amicus portmanteau production – Silent Scream, A Visitor From the Grave (from a script by John Elder), Rude Awakening. Two of them were genuinely frightening; the rest were frightful. Style and content were overhauled during shooting when it was realized that a problem would arise with the American networks over the explicit nudity and the less-than-explicit gore, and the watering down that resulted diluted the second batch of shows to such an extent that they became indistinguishable from any other TV Mystery Movie of the Week.

Wait, did I just see a diss on the Movie of the Week? Tsk, tsk.

Granted, with the exception of the current batch of basic and pay cable programming, which has the ease of lax FCC rules, television will always play second fiddle to theatrical releases with regards to sex and violence. Don’t get me wrong, I dig both, but I also love being creeped out, and sometimes it’s OK to fade out before a love scene. It’s worth noting that some of the most popular American horror films at the moment are ghost stories that actually avoid excessive violence and are practically absent of sexy sex (you can read about how TV movies influenced Insidious here), so maybe it’s time to reassess the Hammer shows?

Despite some critical disdain, The Hammer House of Horror episode The House That Bled to Death has attained a cult status, thanks to the infamous party scene featuring a pipe that spews blood (thinking back, this may have been the inspiration for the blood shower scene in This House Possessed). Although toned down for the small screen, the scene is still quite bloody and definitely disturbed. And the story itself is pretty dark stuff. In short, I loved it.

The premise is simple and sweet: A charming young family moves into a ramshackle house with a morbid history. The last tenant took a small sword to his wife and did away with her but good. Now it seems the ghosts of the past are still lingering around the Peters family, slowly driving them insane. After a dead cat, randomly freaky appearances of knitting needles, body parts in the fridge and the aforementioned bloody, er, birthday party, a convoluted but clever twist occurs and, on top of that, one more twist brings the film to a close.

 
It’s almost impossible to say anything else about this movie since it would seem everything is either haunted house – which has already been discussed – or a twist, which should not be discussed so you can either be pleased or miffed by the end results. Although I thought the twist was interesting and unique it did not make the film for me. What works best about The House That Bled to Death is the buildup, which is done rather well, and left me wanting more.

Honestly, that's the sign of good TV. The House that Bled to Death would have been pretty fantastic at a TV movie running length. The dilapidated house and all of its contents have the makings for a creepy good time!

As of this writing, the mister has located our copy of Carpathian Eagle, so guess what’s just hit the top of my To Watch pile?

A couple of years ago I reviewed the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense episode titled Mark of the Devil with the scrumptious Dirk Benedict. You can read my review here.

Vega$ Pilot airing on Me-TV!

If you ever visit this blog, you can probably guess hearing that my favorite network Me-TV is airing the Vega$ pilot TV movie this week just about shot me through the roof (and back)! Not only do I love retro TV and Robert Urich, but Vegas is where I grew up and I have many fond memories of the stories from my excited friends who would catch Dan Tana roaming around our hood. Urich was a legend in our town. We loved him. I'm sure we still do. I know I do!


Anyway, I'll be live-tweeting the momentous event this Friday at 8 PM EST. Again, you can find me @madefortvmayhem. 

Does it get more awesome than this?

This is going to be fun, fun, fun! And perhaps this is an omen that Me TV is going to air the entire run of one of my favorite shows from the 70s? Fingers crossed!

Pensive machismo. **swoon**

Oh yeah, and look out for the 1979 TVM Return of the Mod Squad on November 1st! Seriously, not sure I can take much more of this!

Update Part Deux

Criminy, this semester has really taken me away from all the fun stuff! If I was the Incredible Hulk, I'd start turning green and throwing chairs. Alas, I'm just a undergrad student trying to finish up her last semester. Not as dramatic, but it's all I've got to work with, guys!

I've managed to keep the facebook page hopping. If you aren't over there yet, please stop by because we're doing a Halloween Countdown and looking back at the list I made in 2010. I'm also posting old Halloweeen-centric TV Guide ads when I come across them, TV spots and other retro-tastic small screen treats. I also might have one or two reviews popping up here soon, but for now the life of the party is on facebook.

Oh, and twitter. I'm still live-tweeting along with Me-TV Network's Friday Night Movie of the Week. A couple of people have even stopped by to say hi, making my party of one a bit more fun! Thank you!

You won't like me when I can't blog

But for now, it's really all about how other people are celebrating the small screen! There's lots of fun to be had, so let's get started.

TV Confidential has done a great job paying tribute to some of the best people who made the best television. They have a couple of podcasts I strongly suggest you check out:

I think you all know how much I adore and admire William Link, the co-creator behind Columbo and one of the greatest talents the entertainment world ever saw. I was so excited to see he did this interview and then followed it up with this one.

Rita Lakin is an amazing television writer who worked on everything from Peyton Place to The Rookies to Flamingo Road to Dynasty. She's also a novelist and an overall fascinating woman. Check out her website for more info.

The above podcasts cost 99 cents, and are worth every penny. You can also listen to a gaggle of TV Confidential's other podcasts for free as well. Sample, taste and indulge!

No, no, no. Not when Michael Douglas calls. Just Michael.

And, on October 12th, the Spectacle Theater in Brooklyn is screening When Michael Calls in 16mm. Holy cow, yes, yes and YES! If you can get there, tell 'em Amanda By Night sent ya! Read my review of Michael here. Thank you David from Cinema Duh for letting me in on this event!

And finally, I read that Remington Steele is getting a new life as a half-hour comedy on NBC. This series will be a sequel to the original hour long drama/comedy/romance series and it will revolve around Laura and Remmy's daughter! Craziness.

Update

Me after mid-terms

There's so much going on here at Casa By Night that the entire month of September has passed me by and I haven't had a chance to write about, much less watch any, TV movies... Sad face. OK, that's kind of a lie, but more on that later.

Luckily, there are lots of outlets to share your TV movie love. Here are some links to the awesomeness that is upon us:

Cinefile, which is a totally cool video store in Los Angeles, is hosting what they call Made for TV Mondays. They are screening some of the best, weirdest and most memorable made for TV films of all time. And it's free! Check out their Facebook page and join the party!

Also, Exhumed Films and Cinedelphia have teamed up for an incredible made for TV movie festival from October 9th - 13th! I so wished I lived closer to Philly. Their lineup is absolutely drool worthy. If you go to Tele-Terror Fest 2013 you simply have to report back. Please, let me live through you!

And thank you Cinema du Meep for sending the Tele-Terror info my way! 

The Maestro

So you know that part, about seven or eight sentences before this one, where I said I wasn't watching any TV movies? Not true. I've been live-tweeting the Perry Mason movies that Me-TV has been airing every Friday. So far, it's a live tweet party of one, but I'm having fun. Next week is the 1968 Columbo pilot Prescription: Murder, so join me at 8 PM EST for all the fun!

And finally, I was super duper happy to see that the great Marc Edward Heuck, the man behind the incredible The Projector Has Been Drinking picked me for a blogger honor called The Sunshine Award. I am supposed to fill out a questionnaire and spread the blog love, but I haven't had one second to sit down and finish my post, so I just want to send you over to the Projector for the time being. Good times will be had.

Hopefully things will calm down soon and I can post something meatier for you retro TV nuts. For now, just stop by my life tweets or come by the facebook page. See you soon!

Scream Factory Getting Into TV Terrors!

I was ridiculously excited when I saw the news yesterday that Scream Factory is releasing The Initiation of Sarah and Are You in the House Alone on a DVD two pack!

This is some kind of awesome double feature, and just in time for Christmas! I'll just re-post what they said on the facebook page, and I expect to see everyone with a copy by the end of the year!

From Scream Factory: Scream Factory "TV TERRORS" are coming to your tube soon! Two made-for-TV horror films (both from 1978) will be coming to DVD for the first time at a low-price on 12/10. 

THE INITIATION OF SARAH - Starring Key Lenz (House), Morgan Fairchild (The Seduction), Shelly Winters (The Poseidon Adventure), Morgan Brittany (Dallas), Robert Hays (Airplane!) and Tisa Farrow (Zombie). 

ARE YOU IN THE HOUSE ALONE? - Starring Kathleen Beller (Dynasty), Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents), Ellen Travolta (Human Experiments) and Dennis Quaid (Jaws 3-D) 

As we mentioned earlier when we announced this release at Comic Con, made-for-TV films typically have had a history of not selling well (aside from some notable exceptions out there that have huge fan bases) so we are testing the waters here to see what happens. If this performs well, we would love to tap into some other great televised favorites and bring to you a "Volume 2" in the future.