Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
... and welcome to 'Day Two' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" where I aim to bring you another creepy cartoon classic from the plethora of spooky animated short films that have been released throughout the course of animation history - any of which can be streamed on TV via the magic of Roku media players - so, let's dim down those lights... for more fun & frights! :-O ;-)
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - which I published two days ago, you'll know that I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every day. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my post from 'Day One' of this month-long blogathon, you might recall a brief reference to a vintage Hallowe'en cartoon classic by Walt Disney, called "Lonesome Ghosts" (1937), that provided some of the clips for the video I shared yesterday. Anyhow, by way of coincidence, it's going to be that particular spooky short which I'll be covering in this sophomore post from the series. Another strange coincidence, given this particular character starred in "Disney's Haunted Halloween" from my last post, is that 'Goofy' teams-up with his pals 'Mickey Mouse' and 'Donald Duck' to form the trio of ghost chasers - collectively known as the "Ajax Ghost Exterminators" - who are summoned by the titular "Lonesome Ghosts" to come and 'exterminate' their old haunted house! :-O ;-) :-D
Oddly enough, this cartoon was originally released closer to Christmas than Hallowe'en - arriving in movie theatres on 24th December 1937 - suggesting that, rather like Charles Dickens, Walt Disney enjoyed a good ghost story over the festive holiday period... and don't we all!?!! Anyway, the story revolves around a quartet of phantoms who find themselves sitting around the haunted house, from which they had (presumably) chased-away the former occupants, now thoroughly bored and in dire need of delivering a good scare. They soon come-up with the idea, having seen an ad in the paper, to invite some "ghostbusters" over to toy around with. As it happens, the trio of spirit chasers who come to investigate are Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck and, armed with a shotgun, a fishing net, plus a fire axe, they attempt to track down and get rid of the four "Lonesome Ghosts" whom they had been called-in to deal with. As you may expect, they barely get through the door when the phantoms begin their mischievous pranks with each of the exterminators getting their own "set piece" at the hands of the ghosts as they dish-out their ghoulish brand of torment. Be sure to watch out for the very memorable quote from 'Goofy' during this animated short which may well have inspired the writers of the 1980's movie "Ghostbusters" and provided the line "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" for the song by Ray Parker Jr. in 1984. It might not be Venkman, Stanz and Spengler... but Mickey, Goofy & Donald do (unwittingly) manage to scare-off their ghostly tormentors and, if you wish to know how they do it, you'll just have to sit back and watch the video, which I'm sharing here as part of today's post:-
Of course, in addition to watching this embedded version of the cartoon right here on this blog, you can also choose to stream it on your big screen television by using the "cast" function built-in to the 'YouTube' app(s) for mobile devices on both the iOS (Apple) plus Android platforms. For those who may have missed my special hallowe'en blogathon preview posted two days ago, to "cast" the video to your Roku player and/or NowTV device(s), you will first need to have the Roku channel (app) for 'YouTube' installed to act as a receiver for the stream you are casting. If you're not sure how to go about casting from your mobile device to your Roku there's a help article from 'Roku Support', which can be found on the official Roku website, that can walk you through the process step-by-step! ;-) :-D
YOUTUBE..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
Whichever platform you decide to watch this video on, watch-out for the scene in which 'Goofy' sees what he believes to be his own reflection in a mirror... but soon discovers something isn't quite right! The ghost mimicking his movements is brilliant and the whole scene likely takes it's inspiration from the old superstition that, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you will see the image of your future spouse reflected back at you. There are variations on this theme which require you to also be going downstairs and, in some case, doing-so backwards... but I don't advise trying this! :-O
Meanwhile, shown below are a couple of the posters which were used to promote this animated short film. Interestingly, Disney Studios briefly stopped producing one sheets for their shorts when 'Disney' signed with distributor 'RKO' in 1937... although they did start again in late 1938. The second of the two images is of the 'RKO Radio Pictures' silkscreen 30" x 40" poster, which is known to be very rare and highly sought after by collectors of such memorabilia. When the 'RKO' poster last went under the hammer at Heritage auctions it was believed to be the only known copy of the 30" X 40" poster for this short which pictures Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy:-
Anyhow, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for my next creepy cartoon recommendation from the archives of animated film history, when I will suggest another spooky short for 'Day Three' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" you can stream right here on this blog - as well as through the equivalent channel on your Roku player(s). Meanwhile... please be sure to visit the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" website & show your support for this annual online Hallowe'en extravaganza PLUS don't forget to use the links you find there and check out all the other 'Cryptkeepers' taking part this year. I know they'll appreciate it, if you visit their blogs and share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.
ONE LAST THING, BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness going on around these parts for the next month, you can also keep up with the UK Roku action (as it happens) by checking-out my regular 'Weekly RoundUp' posts each weekend where you will find up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related is posted on a weekly basis (well, almost).
Until the next time, then...
That's all folks !!
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - which I published two days ago, you'll know that I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every day. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my post from 'Day One' of this month-long blogathon, you might recall a brief reference to a vintage Hallowe'en cartoon classic by Walt Disney, called "Lonesome Ghosts" (1937), that provided some of the clips for the video I shared yesterday. Anyhow, by way of coincidence, it's going to be that particular spooky short which I'll be covering in this sophomore post from the series. Another strange coincidence, given this particular character starred in "Disney's Haunted Halloween" from my last post, is that 'Goofy' teams-up with his pals 'Mickey Mouse' and 'Donald Duck' to form the trio of ghost chasers - collectively known as the "Ajax Ghost Exterminators" - who are summoned by the titular "Lonesome Ghosts" to come and 'exterminate' their old haunted house! :-O ;-) :-D
Oddly enough, this cartoon was originally released closer to Christmas than Hallowe'en - arriving in movie theatres on 24th December 1937 - suggesting that, rather like Charles Dickens, Walt Disney enjoyed a good ghost story over the festive holiday period... and don't we all!?!! Anyway, the story revolves around a quartet of phantoms who find themselves sitting around the haunted house, from which they had (presumably) chased-away the former occupants, now thoroughly bored and in dire need of delivering a good scare. They soon come-up with the idea, having seen an ad in the paper, to invite some "ghostbusters" over to toy around with. As it happens, the trio of spirit chasers who come to investigate are Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck and, armed with a shotgun, a fishing net, plus a fire axe, they attempt to track down and get rid of the four "Lonesome Ghosts" whom they had been called-in to deal with. As you may expect, they barely get through the door when the phantoms begin their mischievous pranks with each of the exterminators getting their own "set piece" at the hands of the ghosts as they dish-out their ghoulish brand of torment. Be sure to watch out for the very memorable quote from 'Goofy' during this animated short which may well have inspired the writers of the 1980's movie "Ghostbusters" and provided the line "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!" for the song by Ray Parker Jr. in 1984. It might not be Venkman, Stanz and Spengler... but Mickey, Goofy & Donald do (unwittingly) manage to scare-off their ghostly tormentors and, if you wish to know how they do it, you'll just have to sit back and watch the video, which I'm sharing here as part of today's post:-
Of course, in addition to watching this embedded version of the cartoon right here on this blog, you can also choose to stream it on your big screen television by using the "cast" function built-in to the 'YouTube' app(s) for mobile devices on both the iOS (Apple) plus Android platforms. For those who may have missed my special hallowe'en blogathon preview posted two days ago, to "cast" the video to your Roku player and/or NowTV device(s), you will first need to have the Roku channel (app) for 'YouTube' installed to act as a receiver for the stream you are casting. If you're not sure how to go about casting from your mobile device to your Roku there's a help article from 'Roku Support', which can be found on the official Roku website, that can walk you through the process step-by-step! ;-) :-D
YOUTUBE..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
Whichever platform you decide to watch this video on, watch-out for the scene in which 'Goofy' sees what he believes to be his own reflection in a mirror... but soon discovers something isn't quite right! The ghost mimicking his movements is brilliant and the whole scene likely takes it's inspiration from the old superstition that, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you will see the image of your future spouse reflected back at you. There are variations on this theme which require you to also be going downstairs and, in some case, doing-so backwards... but I don't advise trying this! :-O
HINT: Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!
Meanwhile, shown below are a couple of the posters which were used to promote this animated short film. Interestingly, Disney Studios briefly stopped producing one sheets for their shorts when 'Disney' signed with distributor 'RKO' in 1937... although they did start again in late 1938. The second of the two images is of the 'RKO Radio Pictures' silkscreen 30" x 40" poster, which is known to be very rare and highly sought after by collectors of such memorabilia. When the 'RKO' poster last went under the hammer at Heritage auctions it was believed to be the only known copy of the 30" X 40" poster for this short which pictures Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy:-
ABOVE:- Movie Poster for "Lonesome Ghosts" (1937)
BELOW:- RKO Radio Pictures Poster for "Lonesome Ghosts" (1937)
AS BEFORE: Please CLICK on the above images TO ENLARGE THEM for easier viewing !!
*********************************************
Anyhow, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for my next creepy cartoon recommendation from the archives of animated film history, when I will suggest another spooky short for 'Day Three' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" you can stream right here on this blog - as well as through the equivalent channel on your Roku player(s). Meanwhile... please be sure to visit the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" website & show your support for this annual online Hallowe'en extravaganza PLUS don't forget to use the links you find there and check out all the other 'Cryptkeepers' taking part this year. I know they'll appreciate it, if you visit their blogs and share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.
*********************************************
ONE LAST THING, BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness going on around these parts for the next month, you can also keep up with the UK Roku action (as it happens) by checking-out my regular 'Weekly RoundUp' posts each weekend where you will find up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related is posted on a weekly basis (well, almost).
Until the next time, then...
That's all folks !!
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