It’s time for our annual Vincent Price pick!
I love Vincent Price-that voice, he’s amazing.
And today is the 26th anniversary of his death-I didn’t plan to post this day it just happened.
So this year I was having a hard time trying to pick a film or TV show he was in. Which ones could I get my hands on to view, which one to do…
Hmm…
Then my niece and I went to Redbox, I only ever go when I have my niece as she just loves picking out the movies. It reminds me how excited I used to get over Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.
There we were looking through the movies and I saw Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Ghost.
We checked it out and it got all my nostalgia going! So that answered the question of what to review this year:
To All the Ghouls I’ve Loved Before
So as I have said before I have always been a gigantic Scooby-Doo fan. I used to watch Scooby-Doo Where Are You?, 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, The New Scooby-Doo Movies (in which Scooby-Doo meets the Harlarm Globetrotters, Cher, Sonny Bono, Batman, Robin, Josie & the Pussycats, etc.), The New Scooby-Doo, & What’s New Scooby-Doo.
I had four birthday parties be Scooby-Doo themed, a huge collection of Scooby-Doo toys, from my own mystery machine and multiple Scooby-Doos; to a clock, clothes, books, and almost anything else you can think of.
So I loved this show because of Scooby-Doo and Vincent Price. Yes, I was watching classics even back as a little kid. There is one thing I always thought was weird, whatever happened to Fred and Velma? How come they didn’t join the group on their adventures? They never said in the show (that I can remember) although they did answer in the new film.
Hmmm…
Anyways, let’s get started with the first episode: To All the Ghouls I’ve Loved Before.
So we start the episode off with Vincent Price as Vincent Van Ghoul, mystic, who narrates.
I remember this used to get me so jazzed on Saturdays! It has been a long time since I’ve watched this though, especially the first episode-I don’t remember what it is about. Oh well, I will be pleasantly surprised!
So we start off in the Himalayan Mountains and enter an old spooky temple that is haunted by two ghosts. One ghost is taking a bath.
Why do ghosts need to take baths?
So these ghosts aren’t scary, but goofy like the ones in Casper or the Boo Brothers. They have awoken because the 13 ghosts in the chest are awake and have been acting up. The two want to sent them free, but can’t open the chests as it can only be done by the living.The chests glows red which means living people are on their way.
We cut away to the flying Mystery Machine where Shaggy and Scooby are flying Daphne and Scrappy-Doo to Hawaii. They end up over the Himalayas as they were looking at the wrong map.
Well Daphne its your own fault, you should have flown.
Seriously
The ghosts perform some magic to release the fuel and stop the plane. Gee, you think you could have come up with a better plan, ghouls? Like you do want them to be living, right?
They grab parachutes and jump out in comedic ways, you know Scooby and Shaggy. Daphne, however, takes over the plane and tries to land it.
Meanwhile, little boy and conman Flim-Flam has found himself in some serious trouble. He’s been hocking a “miracle” elixir, and the townspeople want him out of town. He’s a bit of a charmer and tries to calm the crowd down but they aren’t buying it. But right when things get really bad the mystery machine comes through and he hitches a ride on Scooby’s parachute.
But they don’t escape for long as an officer arrests them and they go to court.
Like I don’t remember this first episode at all. They get thrown into court and sentenced to leave by sunset or else-plane or no plane.
When they get finished they can’t find their plane anywhere but tracks that lead to a temple. The ghosts have done it to trick them into opening the chest, but one of the ghosts locked it so they can’t get in after all.
These ghosts
Flim-Flam tells them not to worry as he will take them to his mystic friend who can help them. They go to a pub and find Vincent Van Ghoul.
I fangirled as a kid and still do as a adult watching this.
Vincent pulls out his crystal ball and gazes into it. He finds their plane but warns them the plane is in the temple but they must under no circumstances go in. The temple holds evil, evil which cursed the town Each night when the moon rises the people turn into werewolves.
The townspeople overhear them, and now that they know-they cannot leave.
The townspeople swarm around them and make them sit and watch have them sit and get comfortable watching Ghoulio the Vampire perform. Daphne is drinking beer? Never mind, freshly squeezed wolfsbane. Scrappy says it turns people into werewolves, but it is supposed to protect you.
Daphne shrugs it off but then they hear a werewolf howl. They try to escape, but can’t and see all the townspeople turn into werewolves, including Daphne.
Shaggy and Scooby go running but find themselves in more trouble-you know those twos. They manage to escape with Flim-Flam and Scrappy down a sewer and Flim-Flam sprays Daphne with one of his magical elixirs and she’s back to normal. Shaggy and Daphne hug for a looooong time…are they together? But what about Daphne and Fred!
Anyways, the ghosts have drilled a hole and Daphne wants to go in the temple and get the plane. Scooby and Shaggy are actually the logical ones, not wanting to go in as they were warned, but the werewolves attack and they head into the temple to protect themselves.
Werewolves break in and chase them, but the ghosts help out Shaggy and Scooby to get them to the chests. Meanwhile, Flim-Flam saves people by spraying them with his bottles.
The Burgermeister shares the story of the 13th ghosts and how they caught them and imprisoned them in a chest , but before they sealed it the ghosts cursed them. This having to catch them all kinda makes me think of Danny Phantom.
Anyways, Scooby and Shaggy are trying to find a way out where they run into the two ghosts from earlier who have set up a fake TV show, Let’s Make ‘Em Squeal. Really guys? Really. How can you believe this? I mean this is a whole ‘nother level for you guys.
Although in their defense they did crash land and were just attacked by werewolves-this isn’t the strangest thing they have had to encounter.
They are given the choice of choosing between the plane or a doggy house.-but then they throw in option three-the box with amazing things inside…
Meanwhile, Flim-Flam, Daphne, and Scrappy are trying to find their plane. They are lost, but call on Vincent Van Ghoul who comes and warms them that a pair of ghosts stole it and are trying to trick them into opening the chest.
Of course when we switch to Scooby and Shaggy, they have been convinced to take the box, oh my gosh you guys.
They rest of the gang com running (minus Velma and Fred-ya still not over that), but are too late. They have released the 13 ghosts.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
The ghosts fly off into the world and now Shaggy ad Scooby must hunt after each ghost and trap the in the box. Vincent gives them a crustal ball, and Flim-Flam joins them as they set off around the world!
I have to say I really like Daphne’s outfit in this. It is very April O’Neil, even her haircut.
So what did I think? Well looking back It wasn’t the best of the episodes, it definitely was missing the fun chase scenes and Shaggy and Scooby dressing up in some ridiculous charade. But it was the pilot and does what is supposed to do. It sets up the series and I remember as a kid being hooked. I could not wait to watch it every Saturday and I remember hoping for the next episode waiting to see what happened. Did they catch them all? I have to admit, even as an adult it does hook you. It makes me want to finish watching the rest of the series.
To start Horrorfest VIII from the beginning, go to Count Dracula the Propagator of This Unspeakable Evil Has Disappeared. He Must Be Found and Destroyed!: Horror of Dracula (1958)
For more Vincent Price, go to Basil of Baker Street: The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
For more Scooby-Doo, go to Nowhere to Hyde: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? (1970)
For more ghosts, go to They Look Like Regular People, So No One Except Us Knows They’re Monsters Inside.: R.I.P.D. (2013)
For more werewolves, go to Women are Like Werewolves
janeaustenrunsmylife 