“Trilogy of Terror” Kicks off a Trilogy of Frightful Fun Tonight!

Yes, tonight we kick off a full month of trick-or-treats, all part of “Svengoolie’s Halloween BOO-nanza”- beginning with what has been called the most frightening made for TV movie of all time- “Trilogy of Terror”! This anxiety-filled anthology is just the start of a full night of fight and fun- followed by the new special “Svengoolie Uncrypted” and the return of Sventoonie!

We begin with the 1975 film based on three stories by the legendary Richard Matheson, with each tale starring Karen Black. The first “Julie” features Karen as a quiet and reserved English teacher who has Chad, one of her college students, obsessed with her. This is no healthy crush- Chad has nasty intentions that include spiking Julie’s drink at a drive-in- and blackmail. We learn there are some other sinister secrets involved!

The second story- “Millicent and Therese”- has Karen playing a dual role as two very different sisters-Millicent being the straight-laced, reserved one, while Therese is the flashy, somewhat immoral party girl. Each disapproves of the other, with Therese creating havoc, like trashing Millicent’s room and playing up seductively to Dr. Ramsey, the family therapist, that her sister has called in to try to talk some sense into her. The doctor will have no part of it- and Therese is furious that Millicent had called him in. Since she is into the occult and voodoo, it appears that may be the only way to end the conflict- with death!

The final story is the best known of the three, and the most unforgettable-“Amelia”-based on the Richard Matheson short story “Prey”. While someone adapted his first two stories for the movie, Matheson himself wrote the screenplay for this one. It really plays as a one woman tour de force- with Karen as the lone character Amelia, who is constantly being nagged by her mother. She calls dear old Mom to cancel that night’s get-together, claiming she has a date. Amelia has brought home a unique artifact- a small figure of an aboriginal warrior. According to the paperwork included with this hideous doll, it actually is imprisoning the spirit of a warrior known as “he who kills”- and that the chain that encircles its waist keeps the spirit confined inside the doll. Oops! What do you know- the chain falls off!

As Amelia is preparing her dinner with a large carving knife, she sets it down after hearing a noise in the other room. She is confused to find that the doll is not where she left it- and soon also realizes that- neither is her knife! She soon becomes painfully aware that the doll has come to life- and wants to end hers!

We do need to warn you- this film, even though made for TV, does include some adult situations and dialogue- and the final story with the nerve-wracking assault by the murderous doll may be far too intense for some viewers. PLEASE use caution and your jurisdiction regarding who should watch- and that includes you!

Also, please note that tonight’s show will start ONE HOUR EARLIER than usual- 7 pm eastern/pacific, 6 central- we don’t want you to miss any of this chiller!

For this movie, we try to lighten the mood a little, giving information about the film and its cast-and bringing back some classic Sven stuff, including beloved song viewers always ask to see again- and a segment about possible updates for the story when they made a sequel. Plus- we have one of the replicas of the Zuni warrior doll- hopefully we will keep the chain on it!

Then, you will see the reason for the early start of our movie- with the presentation of a new special- “Svengoolie Uncrypted”! This semi-documentary, created by Anomaly Productions, gives you a summary of my career- combined with my quest through various parts of Chicago to recover some Sven artifacts to bring to, of all places, BERWYN- for a special “Svengoolie Day” event! Be watching for some cameo appearances of film stars-they might surprise you! And- watch for an announcement of something very special that Sven fans might just want to get involved in!

And THEN- it’s the return of the Red Tuna of Terror, Sventoonie, in a special one hour edition of his show. So, we have this trilogy of entertainment to kick off “Svengoolie’s Halloween BOO-nanza”- in which, all through the month up to Halloween, I’ll be popping up in the MeTV schedule, to bring you spooky episodes of your favorite shows- including Sunday afternoon blocks of classic shows, including “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, “Kolchak: the Night Stalker”, and “The Twilight Zone”- along with collections of your favorite sitcoms that have scary themes! And, watch for some of the scary episodes of the various shows during the week in their normally scheduled time!

As mentioned “Trilogy of Terror” begins the fun and fright at 7 pm eastern/pacific, 6 central time, followed by “Svengoolie Uncrypted” at 9 e/p, 8 c- and the return of Sventoonie at 10 pm e/p, 9 c !

I also want to make sure to showcase the incredible new products premiering in the MeTV Store today! First, the final shirt of the 2022 Svengoolie Artist Collection has launched! Check out the incredible design by our friend Scott Shaw! "Welcome to the Sveniverse" is available right now in the, yes, Svengoolie Store (I have a Store?!). But that's not all! Looking for something a little classier to wear on your own adventure outside the crypt? How about this new Svengoolie print button-up shirt? It's sure to impress your mummy! This is limited-edition, and would make a great gift! These will sell out, so order one now! And, watch tonight in Svengoolie Uncrypted to see this shirt make its TV debut worn by a very noteworthy model. Another special product makes an appearance in the show tonight that'll have your head bobbling with excitement. Yes, our newest bobblehead launches today and this time I'm not alone. Kerwyn managed to convince someone he needed to be included. The Svengoolie® and Kerwyn™ Bobblehead is available to order right now! Wow, what a day for the store I didn't know I had!

And, make sure you check out the “appearances” tab on here our website- for our limited schedule of Halloween season appearances-like next weekend’s return to the New York Comic Con on Friday and Saturday! We look forward to meeting our east coast fans at the MeTV booth- and I will be doing a special panel on Friday!

But tonight- it’s an entertainment extravaganza- anchored by the most frightening movie ever made for TV! Be prepared!