Beistle Resurgence

 EVERYONE WHO KNOWS VINTAGE HALLOWEEN, KNOWS BEISTLE.  When I was a kid back in the 70's, my Mom had a bunch of original Beistle Halloween decorations of which I've spoken on previous Halloween Countdowns. In recent years, Beistle has returned with new and reproductions of their old-time Halloween decorations.  I've just picked up a few of them for this Halloween; including the awesome Witch Goblin (the OG of which I still own . . . though it's just a head now and it's lower body has long since disappeared).  Who knows?  I might pick up some more of this stuff but right now, here's what I gotted:

OLD SCHOOL APRIL 2025 - Week One

 SO WEEK ONE WAS A BARN-BURNER!!! 

Yep, I came out of the gate with all guns blazing and did, I think, really well for my team The Scoobies.  All except the first Curve Ball; which I completely forgot to look at so I dint do dat one.  Of course, for week two's curve ball, I already have 2 of the 4 planned (both movie watches) -- I don't expect to get the book curve balls read, though.  Anywhoozis, below is everything I completed in week one; separated between books read, movies watched, TV shows watched & activities dooded.

BOOKS READ 

COLD FRONT by Barry Hammond - 

        This well-remembered and highly anticipated out-of-print horror novel from the 1970's was just now republished by Fathom Press and boy, was it ever a bonkers, trashy ride.  I loved it!  Fulfilled the prompts:  Retro, Time Warp, Teen Witch, The Young & the Restless, The Breakfast Club, Ferngully, I Know You Are But What Am I?, The Monster Squad, Freddie's Nightmares, and New Kids on the Block.  Total:  10 points.  

STAR TREK:  HOLO-WEEN by Chris Sequiera & Joe Eisma - 

        This graphic novel came to my attention watching one of Kelsi's SLIME AND SLASHERS yootuberz videos so I read the damn thing.  Halloween time on the Starship Enterprise and the Next Gen crew decide to celebrate it.  Sadly, Red Jack (from the OG series episode "WOLF IN THE FOLD" is back and causing havoc.  Can even the returning Montgomery Scott defeat the spirit of Jack the Ripper?!?!?  Fulfilled the following prompts:  Time Warp, Neon, The Fifth Element, Muppet Babies, Monster Squad, Halfway to Halloween & New Kids on the Block.  Total:  7 points. 

GOOSEBUMPS:  THE GIRL WHO CRIED MONSTER by R.L. Stine - 

        My first GOOSEBUMPS of the month but surely not the last!  This one was recommended to me by my co-worker Jezzer Okey-Dokey and it was pretty fun.  And now I get to watch the TV episode of it . . . which will earn me MORE points!  Fulfilled the following prompts:  Retro, Time Warp, Scary Spice, I Love Lucy, Beware...You're In For A Scare, The Sixth Sense, Monster Squad, The Goonies & My Girl.  Total:  9 points. 

WHAT IS THE STORY OF SCOOBY DOO? by M.D. Payne - 

        I first stumbled across these "WHO HQ" books last Old School April (or was it the year before???) and they're kind of addictive like candy.  I love the "big head" cover art.  I love the interior line drawings which are on nearly every page.  And I even learn some new things; case in point here.  I learned a lot about the development and production of SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? and all the other TV shows and movies that I actually didn't already know.  Not bad for a kids book.  Fulfilled the prompts:  Time Warp, Air Bud, Ferngully, Giallo, The Goonies and True Life.  Total: 6 points.  

THERE'S SOMETHING IN MY ATTIC by Mercer Mayer  

       I'm not sure but I think it was MimsBookShelves36 (fellow Scoobies team member) who posted she read this on the Discord and the cover looked so awesome, I got myself a copy and read it.  Hell, it was a picture book and I needed one of those to fulfill that prompt.  The art in this children's book was really beautiful and atmospheric.  Great one.  Fulfilled the prompts:  Retro, Scary Spice, I Love Lucy, Muppet Babies, Monster Squad and New Kids on the Block.  Total:  6 points.  

THE BOXCAR CHILDREN:  THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY by Gertrude Chandler Warner - 

        Several years ago on one of his LIBRARY MACABRE videos, Cameron Chaney talked about THE BOXCAR CHILDREN series and how they were comfy comfort reads for him.  I have since read several and agree.  This book is from much later in the series (#84) and seemed a little tired to me; not as magical as the earlier ones I've read.  Still good, though.  Fulfilled the prompts:  Retro, Time Warp, I Love Lucy, VHS, The Sixth Sense, Singing in the Rain, The Breakfast Club, Saved By the Bell, The Goonies, My Girl, Scooby Doo & Nirvana/Grunge.  Total:  12 points. 

MOVIES WATCHED 

GHOSTBUSTERS - 

    I decided to kick off OSA this year by watching the OG 2 Ghostbusters movies.  I had seen the original a thousand times but had never seen the sequel.  The first movie fulfilled the following prompts:  Made before 2006, a family friendly film, Red on the poster & a comedy film.  Total:  4 points

GHOSTBUSTERS 2 -

        The OG sequel which, as I said, I'd never seen before.  Yeah . . . not so hot. Fulfilled the prompts:  A sequel, Made before 2006, family friendly film, Red on the poster & a comedy.  Total: 5 points.

ONCE A THIEF - 

        A John Woo action film starring Chow Yun Fat which is NOT either THE KILLER or A BETTER TOMORROW!  Fulfilled the following prompts: A Host Rec, Film from a country outside my own, Made before 2006, An action film, Red on the poster & a comedy (it's an action/comedy.  Total:  6 points.

ACE VENTURA:  WHEN NATURE CALLS - 

        Another sequel that I had never seen before.  One of Kelsi's faves so I had to watch it!  Fulfilled the following prompts: A film with animals, a sequel, Made before 2006, Red and/or Blue on the poster & a comedy.  Total:  5 points. 

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN - 

        Haven't seen this one in donkey's years.  Fulfilled the following prompts:  Directed by a woman, Featuring a sport, Made before 2006, Family friendly, Red on the poster, a comedy & a Host Rec.  Total:  7 points. 

DEMONIC TOYS - 

        Talk about nostalgic.  Back to the early 1990's when Cheeks & I would road trip on Friday nights and, at some point, end up at Blockbuster to see what was on the shelf.  One or the other of us would spot a new Full Moon VHS tape release and we'd go back to his apartment and watch it.  And it was even cooler when nobody knew there was a Video Zone after the end credits finished; an early easter egg that wasn't mentioned at all on the case (and those of us who knew relished that secret!).  Love those days!  Fulfilled the following prompts:  Featuring a woman lead protagonist, a "weird" film, Made before 2006, Red on the poster, a movie that might cause you nightmares and a Host Rec.  Total:  6 points.

DUEL FOR GOLD - 

        In the newest Shaw Brothers box set released by Shout Factory, I watched this 1970's Kung Fu classics that I had just read about in THE MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES ALMANAC - 1971.  It sounded really interesting and good described in that book and, lo and behold, a week later when I received my Shaw Bros. box set, there it was among the other movies inside.  This is the first film Chor Yuen directed for the Shaw Bros and it was like a 70's cross between THE USUAL SUSPECTS and a wuxia film.  Absolutely fantastic.  Fulfilled the following prompts:  Features a sport or physical activity, From a country outside your own, made before 2006, an action film, Features a colour in the title & from the 1970's.  Total:  6 points.  

TV SHOWS WATCHED

 

PERRY MASON  -

        My Dad loves PERRY MASON.  I had never seen a single episode until last year but now I love it too.  Every night I get home from work about 3 minutes before Perry comes on MeTV and we watch it together.  watched 5 episodes = 5 points.  

THE TWILIGHT ZONE -     

        After Perry on MeTV weeknights, THE TWILIGHT ZONE follows.  Long a favourite, I've seen all the episodes multiple times so I don't always watch - but week one I did watch 4 episodes = 4 points. 

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - 

        I have all the seasons of this show on DVD box sets; however I have definitely NOT seen them all.  This follows the TWILIGHT ZONE on MeTV nightly but I usually go up to bed to read a while so I don't always watch.  Watched 3 episodes = 3 points. 

SEINFELD - 

        I have every episode of SEINFELD on DVD as well but this time, I ended up watching a couple eps while visiting Sweet Cheeks & Dee Dee DeLite.  Watched 2 episodes = 2 points. 

THE OFFICE - 

        I never watched the OG British version OR the US version of this show.  The only eps of the US version I've ever seen is when I'm at Cheeks & Denise's and they have it on.  That's what happened again so I watched 2 episodes = 2 points.  

ACTIVITIES DOODED 

Attended a Sprint on 4/1  -  

        I attended the first Sprint of the month.  This was the "unhinged" one.  Total:  1 point. 

DO A CRAFT - Bujo'd -    

        I bujo'd practically every day but I'm only counting this as 1 point.  

MAKE A NOSTALGIC RECIPE - 

        Corned Beef & Cabbage.  Missed making this for St. Patrick's Day but this was a meal my mother made ever since I was a lil leprechaun.  Total:  1 point. 

Attended a Sprint on 4/4 - 

        This sprint was known as the "hinged" one because host Kelsi and many of us were low energy, melancholic or just plain sick with the Lurgi (not me, thankfully!!!!).  Total:  1 point.  

MAKE A PIZZA - 

        Yep.  After coming home from work one night this week, my Dad & I made a pizza. And yes . . . it happened to be a box of Ellio's Pizza.  Making this fulfill TWO prompts.  The first is just the "make a pizza" prompt but the second is a nostalgic meal prompt.  When I was a tiny tot still living in Maple Surple, every now and again my grammar school Steinhauer would give us a "treat" by gathering the class together and making us all Ellio's pizza.  Now, I'm not talking this was a school lunch.  No, this was later towards the end of the day (and probably before a holiday or towards the end of the school year).  Weird but true.  And oh yeah, Ellio's is NOT as good as it used to be.  The 1970's cheapness and non-melting plastic cheese has been replaced by a perhaps more edible but less nostalgic version.  It's boring now.  Like Hydrox cookies.  Which I used to love but now just taste like a bland Oreo wannabe.  As I always say, just because time passes doesn't mean we progress.   Total:  2 points. 

MY LEGENDARY MEETING WITH MOE . . . AND SOME BLATANT NOSTALGIA!

 I KNEW I DIDN'T DREAM IT!!!! 

Back in 2006, I wrote this post about the old Walt Whitman Theater in Pennsauken NJ which my great grandfather built.  I also recalled dimly seeing Moe Howard (of the Three Stooges, natch) at a personal appearance there.  Well, the interwebs came through with an actual newspaper ad for the event I went to when I was 7 years old!!! 

As previously noted, I used to stay at my grandparents house on Westfield Avenue back in the 1970's.  My grandmother and I would frequently walk the length of Westfield Avenue all the way to Thor's Drug Store and the Walt Whitman Theater was about midway between their house and Thor's. 

My great-grandfather was an architect and built many things in the area; not only the Walt Whitman Theater but also the cabins at Medford Lakes as well as the Maple Shade Custard Stand (the latter two of which still exist today!). 

The Maple Shade Custard Stand

The Walt Whitman sadly was torn down I think back in the 1980's but by that time my grandparents had moved away from Pennsauken closer to my parents and I.  But this old newspaper ad is so awesome to finally find as confirmation of Moe's appearance there on April 28th & 29th, 1973 and the time I actually got to meet him.  Sadly, I can't remember if he called me 'porcupine' or not but I can dream, can't I?

Now I'm in such a nostalgic mood, I'll post a bunch of old 1970's stuff that I remember vividly from my childhood in the 1970's.

The little bridge & pond that used to be in the Moorestown Mall

The huge birdcage that used to be in the Moorestown Mall

Sound Odyssey record store that used to be in Cherry Hill Mall - I remember the purply/maroon shag carpeting that used to be on the floors AND the walls!!!

The Pennsauken Mart used to have a Listening Booth record store in it.

Wow! A Pennsauken Mart ad from before EVEN I was born!!!!

An exterior of the Pennsauken Mart in its final days.

An interior of the Pennsauken Mart after it closed down

The iconic pretzel sign from the Pennsauken Mart

An S&H Green Stamps store used to be on Main Street on the way from Maple Shade to Moorestown.  I got my red King Tut T-shirt there - I still own it but it's too small for me to wear now!!!

Grant's Department Store had a "restaurant" in it called the Bradford House

Bradford House delectables from their menu.

Hey!  Grant's is having a steak dinner special in this newspaper ad!

There used to be a Richman's in the Cherry Hill Mall in the late 70's/early 80's (for all I know it might still BE there!!!) which not only had the best barbecue beef sandwich (my mother and I loved them) but also my mother's (and my) favourite flavour ice cream:  Black Raspberry!!!

Steinhauer Elementary School in Maple Shade.  Other than that goofy yellow and blue thing, this facade looks exactly the same as when I went there in the 1970s.

On Main Street going in the 'other' direction from Maple Shade towards Merchantville & Pennsauken (on the drive to my grandparents' house) was Peaches Records & Tapes!  Wish I had some of those Peaches wooden crates to keep my vinyl in these days.

1973: SOME FAVOURITE FILMS FROM 50 YEARS AGO

 IT'S BEEN AWHILE.  I used to do this every year but fell off the earth the last several years.  And I'm back to let you know I can really shake 'em down.  No wait, that's a song.  Anyways, these are my top 10 favourite movies from 50 years ago in 1973 (in ascending order):

10.    THEATRE OF BLOOD

9.    THE LAST OF SHEILA

8.    THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE

7.    THE EXORCIST

6.    CHARLEY VARRICK

5.    PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID

4.    JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

3.    THE WICKER MAN

2.    THE LONG GOODBYE

1.    F FOR FAKE