Paranormal Exterminators Took Pop Culture by Storm, Mischievous Creatures Ran Amok, and Satan Had Another Kid!
This week in horror history, June 8-14
Salutations Sinister Fabulous Fiends! Welcome to another Freaky Friday at Misty Oracle Grove. I hope your week has been an interesting one. Some days, I regret opting for the flesh and long for the Shadow Realm. I can’t wait for our weekly excursion to begin.
Movies in the material world are such a great escape—don’t you think? Horror movies especially are an intriguing diversion—the magic, the mystery, the suspense. Losing myself in the plot of a novel or film is a most welcome distraction. When our own lives become too crazy, why not lose ourselves in the topsy-turvy life of a fictitious character—and be glad we’re not them? But, enough negativity. Let us move on to what brings us here, to Misty Oracle Grove, our refuge between the worlds—horror history.
Leave your troubles at the door and I’ll shove mine in the closet. Follow me to the Hall of Fear where our precious portal awaits. The crimson mist swirls, beckoning us to fantastic landscapes. The kettle is on for blood orange tea and the dark roast coffee is brewing. Perhaps, you want something stronger. Feel free to mix yourself a Bloody Mary.
Let us commence this week in horror history…
June 8:
Ghostbusters (1984)
On this day, we were introduced to the iconic paranormal exterminators, the titular titans of this iconic film! As an interdimensional entity, should I be frightened? None of you possesses a proton pack, do you? I jest! Alas, the Ghostbusters do not exist and if they did they would have nothing to fear from this paranormal being. I’m certainly nothing like Gozer—there are bad apples in every bunch!
Anyway, this film became a pop cultural phenomenon upon its release. The refrain from the catchy theme song was on everyone’s lips. Merch bearing the ghost trapped in the “no” symbol appeared everywhere and on everything.
Dan Aykroyd conceived the story from his own family’s history with ghosts and spiritualism. Aykroyd began writing a much different script that evolved into the iconic story that became an instant hit. With a stellar cast and original story, a unique blend of sci-fi, horror, and comedy, it’s no wonder why. Written by Aykroyd, Ivan Reitman, and Harold Ramis, the film stars Aykroyd, Ramis, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, and Sigourney Weaver.
Ghostbusters grossed $282.2 million, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1984 in the United States and Canada. Notably, it held the top spot in theaters for seven consecutive weeks and was one of only four films to surpass $100 million in earnings that year. Subsequent re-releases further boosted its total gross to approximately $295.2 million, solidifying its status as one of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s. In 2015, the Library of Congress recognized its cultural significance by preserving it in the National Film Registry. Additionally, the film’s theme song, Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr., topped the charts as a number-one hit!
Gremlins (1984)
Another iconic film released the same day in horror history! This American horror comedy introduced the mogwai in the cute and cuddly character Gizmo (voiced by Howie Mandel). The story was inspired by folklore popular with the British Royal Air Force during World War II. Gremlins were mischievous creatures that caused the machinery to malfunction.
In case you’ve been living in a cave for many years and don’t know, this film is about a young man named Billy (Zach Galligan) who receives a mogwai as a Christmas gift from his father. When caring for a mogwai, there are strict rules to follow. However, mogwai are clever creatures besides being mischievous and transform into Gremlins who proceed to wreak havoc on a small American town.
Gremlins was a critical and commercial success. It was followed up with a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).
June 12:
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
We have more Satanically flavored horror with this psychological thriller, based on a 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin (who also wrote The Stepford Wives). Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse (Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes) are an upwardly mobile young couple who move into an upscale building with a sinister past. They soon become besties with their neighbors, an elderly couple, Minnie and Roman Castevet (Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer). The Castevets seem like any other elderly couple; however, they harbor a dark secret. The movie’s plot alludes to many topical issues such as feminism, paranoia, conspiracies, and religion.
Upon its release, Rosemary’s Baby was a critical and commercial success, garnering multiple Golden Globe nominations and two Academy Award nominations. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Considered one of the greatest horror films of all time, the Library of Congress selected the film in 2014 for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film also spawned a made-for-TV sequel in 1976 and a TV series adaptation. There is also mention of an upcoming streaming exclusive prequel this year.
Here’s Some Terrorific Facts for you:
Let’s dive into the bizarre minutiae behind these fantastical films:
Ghostbusters:
Winston Zeddemore’s (Ernie Hudson) role was diminished in the film. Originally, Zeddemore was supposed to play a larger role complete with a back story.
Slimer the iconic ghost who must have enjoyed food greatly in life, for he chows down every chance he can get in death, was originally called “Onionhead” due to the puppet’s unpleasant odor. The name was changed since the audience wouldn’t understand the reference.
Gremlins:
Writer Chris Columbus didn’t undertake Gremlins as a serious project. He wrote it just as a sample script—a spec script. It just so happened that Steven Spielberg came across it, read it, and praised it as “one of the most original things” he’d read in years. They say that a writer should never discount any idea. No matter how silly, trivial, or strange they may seem.
Around the time when Gremlin’s producers were looking for a director, a filmmaker by the name of Tim Burton created a buzz with his short film Frankenweenie. At this time, Burton hadn’t directed a feature-length film yet, so Spielberg decided to pass on this Burton fellow in favor of Joe Dante. Burton released his first feature-length film, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure one year later.
Rosemary’s Baby
Master of Marketing William Castle produced the film. Castle was the director of campy horror classics known for their gimmicks such as The Tingler and House on Haunted Hill. Castle managed to lay eyes on Levin’s manuscript, through a literary agent, before the novel was published. He acquired the rights before Levin’s book was published.
The coveted apartment the Woodhouses move into in the film is located in the trendy, upscale, and fictitious Bramford. The famous Dakota in New York was used for exterior shots of “The Bram.” Legendary musician John Lennon lived at The Dakota and was unfortunately murdered outside. The Bramford was given a dark backstory as the home of sinister magician Adrian Marcato and a pair of cannibal sisters who reportedly ate children.
That concludes another week of horror history, Strangelings! What an interesting trip it was to lose ourselves in the stories of paranormal exterminators, mogwai and gremlins, and more devilish offspring. Does anyone ever tire of Satanic horror? I think it’s quite fun honestly.
With that, I bid you a good week. Life is full of interesting diversions when you need them—books of all genres, films, creative endeavors, and even cat videos on YouTube. When we find ourselves getting down about things, we should take advantage of them. Make your week an interesting one!
Resources:
Movie blurbs are based on facts from the films’ Wikipedia pages. Our fantastic fun facts originated from the following articles:
10 Things You Didn't Know About the Ghostbusters (expandedramblings.com)
20 Facts About Gremlins | Mental Floss
13 Days of Horror: 5 Freaky Facts About "Rosemary's Baby" (toofab.com)