AAAaaawwoooo! I bid you welcome .... to issue #4 of Count Floyd's Movie News. The Count and Countess just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, where we stayed at the luxurious Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in the heart of downtown L.V. Downtown has changed tremendously in the last three years. Traffic has been blocked off on the street that runs between the casinos. Overhead is a canopy with thousands of little lights which are programmed to give off a light show every now and then. Water misters are in the trees to cool things down. It's nice not to have to worry about traffic while going from one casino to the next. Downtown is almost like being at one big casino. We visited two new casinos on the strip. The first stop was the Monte Carlo. The decor was very much like Caesar's Palace. Next door is New York, New York. The outside of the building resembles the New York skyline. Once you are inside you are swallowed up by its size. The inner walls of the casino are constructed to look like various famous New York landmarks. This casino is a must-see. They also have a scary looking rollercoaster but it was way too early in the a.m. for it to be operating. If you do visit The Strip I recommend you go there very early in the morning. We left our room at 4 a.m. and had the whole Strip to ourselves. At that time traffic is non-existent and the casinos are empty. The trip was very therapeutic but not very profitable. They don't call it Lost Wages for nothing. The next new hotel should be called "Count Floyd's Empty Walletland" I recommend it to everyone.
Jay M., a huge SCTV fan, wrote in to express a concern that I was taking the real Count Floyd's name in vain. I referred him to issue #1, which can be found in the Morgue section. I also recommend Issue #1 for our first time readers. This page is dedicated to bringing you news of movies which are in the planning stages or are already being filmed with the TV generation in mind, and who better to speak to the TV generation than my favorite SCTV character Count Floyd, played by the excellent Joe Flaherty. I have been spreading the word of Count Floyd since the early 80's. In fact, for the last 13 years or so my car has been sporting a license plate that every fan of SCTV would recognize,eh? And now without further ado let's take a look at the movie news.
In this issue I'd like to recommend a triple bill horror extravaganza for your scary scary needs. First up is the original A Nightmare On Elm Street. This 1984 release was deliciously directed by Wes Craven. It is the story of Freddy Krueger, who comes back from the dead to terrorize the local teen population through their dreams. The kids fight back as best as they can. The film stars Robert Englund, John Saxson and Heather Langenkamp.
Next up is Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham. This 1980 slasher film takes place at a summer camp that has just re-opened after being closed down for 20 years because of a horrible tragedy that took place there. Once the camp re-opens the horror begins. The special effects were done by Tom Savini who had a cameo in From Dusk Til Dawn. He played Sex Machine, the bearded biker with the whip who becomes a vampire later n the film. He also appeared in Knightriders as a bearded biker.
Finally, I'd like to recommend An American Werewolf In London. Directed by John Landis, this 1981 film is the story of an American student, played by David Naughton, who is bitten by a wolf with all the usual side effects. Rick Baker won an Academy Award for his groundbreaking man to wolf metamorphosis.
The early 1980's horror films sets the pace that continues to this day. Much has been written about hack and slash movies but I feel these particular films best represent what was happening in the horror flicks of the 80's. Watch them with a friend because they're very scary. AAAaawwooo!
Congratulations go to the new Triviameister of Mellonville, Gmp712, for being the first person to answer last issue's trivia question: Tim Burton made his directorial debut in what black and white short film? The answer is Frankenweenie, released in 1984. A thumbs up goes to these people for answering the trivia question correctly also: Doug Y, lobuddy,Parlor S.A.M., Lawrence R, Susan B, Bryan N. and David O. The new Triviameister asks: How was Harrison Ford employed when he landed the role of Han Solo in "Star Wars? AAAaaawwoooo! That's a scary scary question and it's a tough one at that. It stumped me. If no one gets the correct answer the Triviameister will be moi. To answer the question just click here.
Please answer the following survey question and see the results in the next issue. What entertainer (movies, TV or music) do you dislike the most? Everyone else seems to like this person but you just can't stand him or her. Personally, I can't stand Bea Arthur. She makes me retract like a ninja. What entertainer do you love to hate? To answer the survey question click here to send mail to Count Floyd. The results will be posted in the order they were received. You know this survey is scary because it has the word haunted in the title.
AAAaaawwoooo! Count Floyd will return in issue #5 titled "Goldfinger Sandwiches, Crunchy Yes, With Just a Hint of Metal" which should be released around 9-27-97.
