Monster Mash (1962)

"Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. This version is presented by the Groovie Goolies, and I'm not going to admit I watched that religiously every Saturday morning.

Bobby Pickett did several follow-up tunes to this, including (but not limited to) the Monster's Holiday.

The thing that really helps along the "Monster Mash" is Bobby's imitation of Boris Karloff. That's part of why this next track is so great.



That's Boris on an episode of Shindig, a dance show. Sadly, there's no video if it, but here he is doing the Peppermint Twist.



Yesterday, I was going to do a whole thing on the "Monster Mash", but I was distracted by Mad Monster Party. Here's why (poor video):



Finally, I leave you with this: Vincent Price in the difficult-to-watch Monster Club

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EDIT:

@tweetheart4711 reminds me: "The other great version was by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, fronted by the fabulous Viv Stanshall."



That man was the personification of dulcet.

Animated advertising of yesterday's past!

Things your grandparents probably saw on the big screen for commercials before the days of television!

More...

Mad Monster Party (1967)

This is the classic that Tim Burton keeps trying to re-make.

I'm just going to say I'm an absolute sucker when it comes to stop-action animation. You put on some Jan Svankmajer or Brothers Quay and I am going to be glued to the screen the entire time. It's from watching movies like Mad Monster Party (or the special effects of Ray Harryhausen or George Pal) that got me started.

I'm not going to post all of Mad Monster Party here, as it is available for rental (and instant view!), but I do have a making-of documentary here, with part two. If you want to know what it took to get a movie like this made, and its ties to Japan, you WILL watch this documentary. It is well worth it.

And I'll leave you with Ethel Ennis belting out a fine, fine song...

The Cat with Hands (2001)

Halloween is coming!

Last year, we did the "Tunes of Doom" counting down to that fateful and spooky day. We'll be doing similar this year, but we're going to mix it up with more videos, ghost stories, links to creeeeepy things. I meant to get this up yesterday, but a tree branch, a phone line, and the laws of gravity had decided otherwise.

Come back each day for more!

Anime Hell 2011 Opening