See How We FIRST Met Kolchak and Godzilla- It's a "Night Stalker"/ "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" Double Feature- Tonight!

Tonight on MeTV, our “Svengoolie’s Halloween BOO-nanza” doubles down on first encounters of the weird kind- with the showing- at last!- of the made-for-TV movie that introduced us to the beloved- and somewhat disheveled- reporter Carl Kolchak, who can’t avoid the supernatural- and the atomic-spawned kaiju that began a film legacy- it’s “The Night Stalker” followed by “Godzilla, King of the Monsters”!

The very first Kolchak story- which viewers have been asking to see for a long time- has the reporter covering the news in Las Vegas- when some mysterious deaths occur- in which the young female victims have been drained of their blood! Kolchak, called back from a vacation by irascible managing editor Tony Vincenzo, finds it suspicious that the local police authorities, the district attorney and even the FBI seem to be covering up facts on the bizarre story. When Kolchak reports that the killings are being done by a super powerful madman, Tony reads him the riot act!

Eyewitness reports finally reveal a description and a car-whose license plates reveal the owner used a false name and address. While Tony insists the story must be kept under wraps to avoid causing a panic among the populace, Kolchak keeps digging, sure that the killer is someone who THINKS he’s a vampire. His opinion changes drastically after a face-to-face run-in with the killer- but, again, the authorities want to keep things quiet, promising Carl that he will have exclusive rights to the story- IF he keeps the info to himself- but- will they honor that deal?

Things get intense when Kolchak finally discovers the lair of the blood-sucking suspect- and it becomes a deadly battle of man versus monster!

This 1972 Dan Curtis production sets the stage for the sequel ( which we will present next week!) and then the TV series starring Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland. We’ll introduce the rest of the cast- including Carol Lynley- and talk about the background of the movie and subsequent Kolchak appearances- bring you a song and some “Svensurround”- and- get a visit from our new frightful female friend, Gwengoolie!

Right after the first feature, we head to Japan- for the first appearance of “Godzilla- King of the Monsters”- in this 1956 film which has a decidedly more serious tone than many of the sequels.

We find reporter Steve Martin ( Raymond Burr-yes, “Perry Mason”-and, yes, it is ironic that the character is named Steve Martin, long before we all became aware of the banjo-playing comedian ) – hospitalized and in serious condition, having been brought to an over-crowded medical facility loaded with other victims of a horrible catastrophe. We learn what has happened via a flashback- with Martin arriving to investigate some strange unexplained naval disasters.

When a lone survivor of one of these mysterious events washes ashore at a small island, Martin joins military investigators to check out the island- and where natives believe in the existence of a legendary gigantic sea monster- and the investigation turns up traces of radioactivity- and- unbelievably gigantic footprints!

The origin of these is discovered when the mighty Godzilla actually appears! Dr. Yemane, a renowned expert, explain his theory that this gigantic creature has been awakened from ages of hibernation by man's atomic testing (a theme that will be reused in countless future movies). Martin seeks out the scientist pal he came to visit, Serizawa, who he thinks may have more insight, but is told that he is far too busy. Coincidentally, Dr. Yemane’s daughter is scheduled to marry Serizawa- but when she attempts to break up with Serizawa,she discovers a horrible discovery he is hiding from the world- for its own good!

Suddenly- in the first scene of its type, due to be echoed in many more films- Godzilla appears in Tokyo Bay and heads onshore to cause horrific destruction to the city! Any defensive system plans fail miserably- and Godzilla's rampage seems unstoppable! Martin does his best to provide live coverage of the damage being done- only to be injured as the devastation continues- and we are brought back to the present where the movie started.

Circumstances end up pointing towards one single dangerous way to end Godzilla’s attacks- involving the secret discovery of Serizawa’s. There is major disagreement about whether or not this should be utilized- but, at this point, can anything, known or unknown, provide even slim hope that the monstrous creature can be stopped- before it's too late?

We’ll have a lot of information for you- regarding the movie’s history, how Burr was inter-cut into the original all-Japanese cast, and we’ll pay our respects to the man who was inside the Godzilla suit. Plus- watch for our friend Jamie Farr- as well as a song, a guide to movie dubbing, a vintage promo for a dubbed game show that was a big hit on cable, and a memorable visit from years ago by two legendary women whose cartoon voices you know very well!

This double feature begins at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central time. During both movies, you are encouraged to live-Tweet on (where else?) Twitter- but make sure to use the hashtag #svengoolie. Be watching after tonight’s double feature for a brief trip to the “Twilight Zone”-followed by a marathon of -yes- Kolchak episodes! Locally this morning, our Chicago viewers get an encore of the ever-popular “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” at 11 am on CW26.

Tonight- if you are in the Chicago/Elgin area, I will again be a guest at the amazing zombie-infiltration street festival “Nightmare on Chicago Street” in Elgin, IL. Check for info under the “appearance” tab here on our website- and a word to the wise- please know that they have only scheduled a brief autograph signing/photo time for me- so check the time, and get in line early if you want to see me before I host the finals of the always-amazing costume contest!

We also want to thank our viewers for making the Sven inflatable lawn decoration a big success- after being put out for sale, they sold out in about seven hours! Be watching for more Sven-related merchandise coming soon!

For now, we have gotten a terrific response to our “BOO-nanza” double-features- so join us tonight for the next one, with two historic first appearances!