Along with “Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark“, R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” books were the ultimate horror gateway for young kids looking to expand their minds into a dark, but fun world of the genre. So, it’s no surprise here that we, now adults, nostalgic-driven fans have been getting hot doses of our childhood in cool collabs such as Horror Vans and cookbooks featuring the Garbage Pail Kids. Add to that now New Balance along with a collab with NBA Superstar and Goosebumps superfan Kawhi Leonard with a sneakerhead drop of Monster Blood proportions- The Goosebumps New Balance Sneaker!
According to SportsKeeda.com, The Goosebumps sneaker is scheduled to drop this month on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 10.00 am EST on the New Balance site and Footlocker.
Decked out with spooky Stine details, the shoe is a fine way to help celebrate the Goosebumps line of literary gold, which actually turns the dirty 30 this year!
Welp, it’s Oscars season folks and you and I both know, for the most part, deserving horror films worthy of such an honor get the almighty snub. Albeit, the snooty Academy has thrown us horror fans a bone via recent years with at least acknowledging that the genre is more than blood and guts, there’s still no excuse to snub a perfectly deserving film to appease what Hollywood deems as true art. Given their stance on the subject, it’s even rarer when a horror movie sequel gets that kind of recognition. But, as a matter of fact, that did indeed happen 35 years ago at the 1987 Academy Awards when the horror genre, two of them a sequel and one a remake, were all competing forthe Best Visual Effects Oscar!
Although the visually terrifying film didn’t take home the win, it’s a bit of a breath of fresh air to know it was even considered, as this sequel to the Hooper/ Spielberg classic is gorgeously shot and beautifully terrorizes you in all the right places- mostly thanks to Julian Beck and his portrayal of the malevolent reverend, Henry Kane.
Alongside the Boss Film Corporation of effects team,(Richard Edlund John Bruno, Garry Waller, and Bill Neil) the Swiss magician of horror imagery H.R. Giger was the key designer for ‘The Great Beast’ version of Kane, and it most certainly stands out as an unholy bundle of nightmares from the film alongside the slithery worm that protrudes from Steven’s projectile vomit from the movie. Although it’s been noted in interviews that Giger was for the most, displeased with the end result of the monster creations, it just goes to show that even Giger’s less than impressive standards according to him, are still some of the best horror visual and practical effects that we’ve seen in the wonderful decade of ’80s monster magic. And hey, the Academy board thought so as well, so that’s something I guess.
Early design of The Great Beast by H.R. Giger
Little Shop of Horrors
Nominees Lyle Conway, Bran Ferren, Martin Gutteridge had some stiff competition up against not one, BUT TWO H.R. Giger-inspired designs in the effects department. However, the Audrey II mechanical puppet in itself is a monumental accomplishment more than worthy of being in said company and if anyone was gonna take that sort of threat on, it was going to be master muppet-men Jim Henson and Frank Oz.
The movie utilized multiple animatronic versions of Audrey II, ranging from a tiny bud to the enormous version for the climax. Though not an official Creature Shop production, many of the same designers and technicians worked with Oz on the film. As Jim Henson stated in a 1987 interview, he didn’t have a hand in the puppetry for Little Shop, but “I was very close to some of the people in that production.” These included Jim’s own children Heather Henson, in a bit part as a dental patient, and Brian Henson, who served as a principal puppeteer on Audrey II.
If anything Audrey II should have won an Oscar just for those one-liners.
AND THE WINNER IS…
ALIENS!
When someone like Stan Winston is involved in a H.R. Giger design, we may as well just hand that Oscar on a silver platter. Along with effects specialists John Richardson and Suzanne M. Benson, the trio took home the naked-man gold for their marvelous efforts on Ridley Scott’s Aliens.
Aliens featured extensive use of miniatures and puppeteering, redefining the whole aspect of special effects. Queen Mama Alien was incredibly complex, requiring anywhere between 12 to 14 different operators in order to get the puppet to function properly. It’s been stated by the crew in numerous reports that James Cameron’s ability to shoot the Queen without capturing all of the wire riggings that were present, is a testament to his directorial capabilities.
The alien facehugger samples, which the marines find suspended in glass tubes early in the film, were also brought to life through puppetry. Interesting to note, A Spydor vehicle, which was part of the He-Man toy line, was purchased and used as a model to serve as a visual example of how the facehuggers should walk.
So, can we get an Oscar nod for the Masters of the Universe toyline?
For the most part, I hate the Oscars. But every season when it comes snaking it’s Hollywood ass around the corner, I like to remember that in one point in time, the horror genre absolutly destroyed the special effects category.
The Nickelodeon block in the early 90s’ was something really special folks and nestled right in-between Hey Dude and Are You Afraid of the Dark on a typical Saturday afternoon, was Salute Your Shorts; the light-hearted show about a group of kids spending their Summer at Camp Anawanna. We held it in our hearts, and when I think about it, it definitely doesn’t make me want to fart. That is reserved for the Zeke the Plumber episode where we not only farted but shit our pants entirely.
The episode entitled “The Ghost Story”, came out swinging as the second interlude in season one, and goddamn that shit should have had a warning label put on it! The campers channel their inner Midnight Society and try to scare each other with PG tales of terror until good ol’ Budnick (Danny Cooksey), the camp douchebag, breaks off this Freddy Krueger like-story about Camp Anawanna’s former toilet cleaner that lost his sense of smell because of an angry parrot in the Philippines, (I have since looked at said beautiful birds with a watchful eye now). The story goes, according to Budnick, Zeke was digging a hole and hit a gas line. With no sense of smell, the poor custodian couldn’t detect the gas leak and for some reason lit a match, causing an explosion. Or by Budnick’s own colorful description, becomes a “human party popper”. His body was never found, but his plunger remained among the ruins and the only remnant of a sad toilet cleaner’s life. The legend states, anyone who finds and touches the plunger is cursed with nightmares of Zeke.
If this isn’t a pre-curser gateway tosome of the greatest slasher films of our generation, then I don’t know what is. Camper Z.Z. (Megan Berwick) even states, “What is this guy, the Freddy Krueger of custodians?” Yes dear, Z.Z. You are correct.
Michael (Erik MacArthur) and Telly (Venus DeMilo Thomas) both have an unpleasant night full of Zeke nightmares where they are threatened with murder. MURDER FOLKS. In a daytime kids program, that’s pretty traumatizing to the right age crowd. For the younger generation of the 90s’, Zeke the Plumber was the stuff of nightmares and quite literally, a true gateway to the world of the horror genre. Played by Kirk Baily (Ug), who sadly passed away at 59 due to lung cancer recently, I felt there was no better way to honor a Gateway Horror Icon of our childhoods than to give the guy credit where it’s due.
Zeke the Plumber is a combination of the holy trinity of horror icons Freddy, Michael, and Jason. Zeke died in a fire and is badly burned; also haunts your dreams, (Freddy). He then hides his face with a stiff as hell human mask that is probably more terrifying than what’s hidden underneath, (Myers). And of course, he terrorizes campers, (Jason). To be quite frank, Zeke was way scarier than he rightfully should have been. That mask was nightmare fuel for many years and traumatized the shit out of an entire generation. Much more so than the network’s actual “somewhat scary” program, Are You Afraid Of The Dark? In all honestly, Zeebo the Clown didn’t have shit on Zeke.
There truly is no better introduction to the slasher genre than Zeke the Plumber to a group of young, curious kids. And if you’re in the mood, the entire episode is available here via Halloweengoodies and Dailymotion!
RIP Kirk, aka Zeke. Thanks for all the nightmares including a fear of parrots and plungers.
![[Watch] Remembering An Icon Of Gateway Horror: Zeke The Plumber](https://nightmarenostalgia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/zeke-the-plumber-nn.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
