Horror Host 2014 Retrospective: Commander USA

Commander USA

Real name: Jim Hendricks

Years active: 1985-1989, USA Network

Now here is someone that was rather close to my heart. Commander USA, host of Commander USA’s Groovie Movies, ran on the USA Network from 1985 to 1989. The twin hit of lacking cable and not being allowed to watch the kind of movies that typically aired on the show (when visiting relatives who had cable) meant I was tantalized by this strange red, white, and blue guy in a mask who oversaw monster and kung-fu movies.

Horror Host 2014 Retrospective: Grandpa

Horror host 2014: Grandpa

Real name: Al Lewis

Years active: 1987-1989, TBS

Continuing with our looking at the hosts of cable and syndication, we have none other Grandpa himself, Al Lewis. Hosting Super Scary Saturday on the Turner Broadcast System from 1987 to 1989, Lewis slipped into his old Munsters costume one more time and hammed it while overseeing films that Ted Turner owned. 

Unlike many other hosts, who had to make due with either public domain or whatever selection the station library had, Grandpa hosted classic horror films and even the Godzilla series. I never watched much of the show, as my family came a little late to the cable thing, but a best of DVD was recently released and can be found for fairly cheap.

 

Al Lewis passed away in 2003. 

Horror Host 2014 Retrospective: Joe Bob Briggs

Horror Host 2014: Joe Bob Briggs

Joe Bob Briggs

Real name: John Bloom

Years active: 1990-2000, The Movie Channel, TNT

This time out we take a look at the hosts who haunted the hallways of basic cable and syndication. The first one we look at Joe Bob Briggs, who went from the Movie Channel to TNT and dominated the field of horror through the 1990’s. 

Beware the Batman: Safe

“Safe”. Beware the Batman. Cartoon Network 3 August 2013.

Back again and live blogging a taped show.

-We open with Bruce Wayne talking about something called an ‘ion cortex’. It was invented by Dr. Jason Burr (more on him later)

-The press conference is attacked by ninjas. Wayne gets inside his car and Tatsu is ordered to take care of Burr. She actually does a pretty good job of fighting them, although Batman shows up to make sure she doesn’t kill any of them.

-He also lectures her that there is always a choice. “You can save lives or you can take them”. Because wounding doesn’t exist?

-Burr is a bit of a hugger.

-Silver Monkey (had to look him up) is now contracted to take care of Burr.

-For some reason, Wayne Manor now has a security team. I’m sure this will never come up again.

-Burr is playing with toys and hitting on Tatsu. She is making it pretty clear she wants none of that, although Burr just keeps on talking.

-Batman at Burr’s lab when ninjas attack.

-Tatsu: “If I told you about my past I would have to kill you.”

-Pretty decent chase scene, but I just find it odd how empty Gotham is

-It turns out the security team leader Reese is the Silver Monkey. Huge surprise, but now Burr is kidnapped.

-Or so we think, as it turns out the kidnapper is actually Tatsu

-Batman is still being cashed by ninjas. Wayne Manor is apparently 100 miles from Burr’s lab. And one of the ninjas is named Wilhelm.

-Silver Monkey and Tatsu know each other somehow and I’m betting this is going to be the overall plot arch of the show.

-“The ones that can dodge bullets are always a bother” Alfred with a shotgun should have been a bigger meme

-Tatsu is finally called Katana and it seems that green sword is called the Soul Taker. That can’t be good

-Silver Monkey escapes (pretty clever use of an explosive) and reports to Lady Shiva, who seems to run the League of Assassins.  

-Burr is…somewhat annoying and frankly his love-struck mooning over Tatsu is already growing old.

-a note on our two new characters: Jason Burr was the twin brother of the terrorist cult leader Kobra who felt a psychic connection to him. He’s been dead a few times. Silver Monkey was a Chuck Dixon marital artist from 1995 who got blown up in War Games.

-next time we see the debut of Humpty Dumpty

Beware the Batman: Tests

“Tests”. Beware the Batman. Cartoon Network. 27 July 2013.

And so we start with the third episode and here is where we try something different. It seems the kids today are all about live-blogging, so we’ll give this a shot.

Geek Theories: Why So Funky?

Geek Theories: Why So Funky?

Funky Winkerbean, noted foil of Comics Curmudgeon and Chris Sims, is a comic strip that asks the question-how depressing can one person’s life be? Is it creator Tom Batiuk’s attempt to inject drama into what was once a gag-a-day strip? In story, are the characters victims of an increasingly cruel god? Or is it the fault of one person? Here at Geekademia we ask and purpose the real reason Funky Winkerbean is a never ending hellscape.

Beware the Batman: Secrets

“Secrets”. Beware the Batman. Cartoon Network 20 July 2013.

So, second episode and how does it manage? We’ve already seen the main plots established, but both (Gordon’s dislike of Batman and Katana’s training) move at slower pace this time so as to focus on the villain of this episode…and it’s an interesting take on an obscure foe.