Kind of an offshoot of my Mexican Wrestler movie thread…
Anybody from the SF Bay Area remember “Chiller Theater”? It was on KTVU Channel 2 Friday and Saturday nights in the late 70’s/early 80’s and was hosted by some guy who wore a lame superhero costume and helmet made with aluminum foil (and no, it wasn’t Pat McCormic).
Hmmm, not in the SF area. In the NY area, or was at the time, but I vaguely remember what I think was called Chiller Theater. I have this vision of the end of it closing with a green monster like hand sinking into a puddle of muck as the word “Chiiiiillleeerrrrr” is said in a low monster type voice. I think the hand may have grabbed something upon its decent. Yes? No? If not, what the hell am I remembering??
I will not torment the emotionally frail.
I remember Chiller Theater and the monster hand, and I too am from New York… don’t remember the foil helmet guy though. If I recall correctly this was on either WWOR Channel 9 or WPIX 11.
Gamera is really neat, he is full of turtle meat, we’ve been eating Gam-er-aaaa…
I remember “Creature Features” (I can’t think of the guy’s name that was the host. Bob-something. Maybe Bob Wilkins?) being on KTVU. What you’re describing sounds more like “Captain Cosmic” (superhero costume, cheesey foil helmet). That was Pat McCormick, but it wasn’t on at night and it had nothing to do with scary movies. Sorry, I’m no help here. And I even grew up in SF in the 70’s and 80’s.
I’d like to cut your head off so I can weigh it. What do you say?
I think Chiller Thriller was on WWOR here in NY. I used to love it! Was that Vincent Price’s voice saying “chiiillleeerrr”?
Creature Feature was good too, also WWOR if I remember right; “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” was a regular flick.
A quick search through Google turned this up:
http://www.magma.ca/~ddhodge/programs/monster.htm
Actually Devil, your probably in the right. I was all of eight years old in 1980, so my memory is a bit off. was Captain Cosmic before “T.V. Pow!”?
Creature Feature sounds pretty familiar as well.
[waxing nostalgic]
“TV Pow”!!! God, I forgot all about that. I don’t think there was ever a stupider, lamer game played on or off television in the history of, well, anything. That was the one with that stupid “animated” host whose movements were caused by some guy behind the scenes moving and wrinkling the piece of plastic with the host’s drawing on it (I know there’s a name for this knid of animation, but I can’t think of it). KTVU had an early video game system (about the time of “Pong”, although I think this game was more along the lines of a very early Space Invaders) that they would show live on the TV screen. Then some kid would call up and would get a chance to play. When something went across the screen, the kid would say “Pow”, and some loser in the studio would push the “fire” button and see if the shot hit the target. Of course, the dealy between when the kid said “Pow” and when the drunken tech actually pushed the button was incredible. Yeah, I watched that show religiously! I think it was part of the Captain Cosmic “Afternoon Delight”, or whatever the hell they called there mid-afternoon kid’s programming. I did have a Captain Cosmic decoder disc, though. Man I thought I was hot shit! Hell, to my friends, I was hot shit. Unfortunately, the messages were never any better than the classic one in “A Christmas Story.” But what did I care, I was in fifth grade.
[/waxing nostalgic]
Oh wow, WPIX in New York had the same thing! I haven’t thought about it in years… they ran some contest where they’d get a kid on the phone and he or she would have to say “PIX! PIX!” to fire. Never saw anyone win, and the rotten WPIX people never called me.
Gamera is really neat, he is full of turtle meat, we’ve been eating Gam-er-aaaa…
I don’t know if it was the same show, but I remember one along a similar vein that started the show panning out on a red lightbulb swinging to and fro. On second thought, I think it was called “The Darkroom” or something like that. They had a great flick once called Squirm about flesh eating worms! It was great! I still have nightmares about that damn show.
Whether you’re fat or slim bubble your ting.
Fellas if you need help, use ginseng.
–Wyclef Jean
In the bay area on Channel 2 it was Creature Feature:
http://www.planetxmagazine.com/cfm.html
Rosebud, I remember the PIX game, I used to sit there yelling PIX! at the TV to fire, getting so mad at the kid playing.
Now, when I watch my kids play video games that shoot like that I yell PIX PIX. My own personal inside joke. I’m sure they think I’m nuts. Smart kids.
I will not torment the emotionally frail.
Wow Devil, you remember T.V. Pow AND the Barney show! For that you win the grand prize, two tickets to Frontier Village and a Space Pen (The pen that went to the moon!).
Incidently, between TV Pow, Dialing for dollars, those Charley and Humphrey puppet PSA’s and the weather report, did Pat McCormic ever get to go home?
Oooo! Lookit’ what Truckshow Bob just E-mailed me!
http://www.tvparty.com/lostSF.html