Wolfman Mac’s Chiller Drive-In…
– – It’s cheesy, and proud of it…Wolfman Mac’s Chiller Drive-In, that is! Many of us when young grew up with regional variations of the “Chiller Theater” concept, a show usually on Saturday night which presented horror or science fiction films from the 1950’s or 1960’s, such “The Crawling Eye” or “Attack of the 50-Foot Woman.” Armed with a freshly-made batch of Jiffy Pop popcorn, I’d settle down before the tube for two hours of kiddie bliss. Horror and sci fi films of that era weren’t terribly graphic and the special effects were laughable by today’s standards, but they were great stuff to a ten-year-old! Some of those shows included hosts, such as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Wolfman Mac is cut from the same cloth as such hosts, but he’s lower budget still. He’s a werewolf who runs a dilapidated drive-in located in the fictional town of Hauntington Heights that shows B-grade horror movies you’ll marvel were ever made. The Wolfman’s sidekick is an wisecracking, extremely fake-looking plastic skeleton called Boney Bob. There are over a dozen cast members that include TORG the robot, a guy in a cardboard box costume; and the nutty Professor M. Balmer. During breaks from the movie, they perform skits that mirror or parody the action from the flick. It’s not Shakespeare, but is great late-night fun!
Wolfman Mac is in real life Mac Kelly, who as a kid loved old horror films, werewolves, and all things Halloween. Originally a local show, it’s now carried nationally by the Retro Television Network, but has retained all of its high camp charm…
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March 21, 2013 at 1:09 am
The only version of Chiller Theater I got (via WPIX Channel 11), back in the late 1970’s, merely had a six-fingered hand come out of a bed of pink quicksand! Either, to deposit the letters of the show’s title (circa midnight). Or, remove them (circa 1:30 AM). The animation employed at that time was kind of similar to the type used for the characters on SOUTH PARK.
But, as you so rightly pointed out, it was great kiddie-fun! 🙂
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March 21, 2013 at 4:05 am
I had that as well! Ahh, the memories of those hours planted before the tube, getting my formative brain molded!
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