Terror Is Loose In the City! My Summer of 1982!


Revenge of The Creature
1955 | B&W 3D | 82 Minutes | 2.00:1 | NR | Horror | Mono | Universal

Director: Jack Arnold

Writers: Martin Berkeley

Stars: 
John Agar
Lori Nelson
John Bromfield


Plot:
The Creature from the Black Lagoon is back! This time he's captured by scientists and transported to an aquarium in south Florida. Naturally, he's attracted to the lovely female scientist and manages to escape and kidnap her, heading to Jacksonville, presumably to catch a Jaguars game.


I don't think I will ever forget the summer of 1982 and how it will live on through stories that I can't wait to tell my grandkids someday. All though just like my girls they won't care but for me it was a life-changing summer. We had Mrs. Pac-Man, Jack and Diane, Pudding Pop's, and the introduction to Skittles.

It was also the start to my infatuation with Universal Monsters. So a little background, my mom would watch Yellow Screaming Theatre and Svengoolie I was quickly turned on to Horror Host's and their groovy black and white scares! So when the Son of Svengoolie was promoting (very heavily mind you) The Revenge of the Creature in **Gasp** 3D!! I knew it was going to be a family affair. It was all I could talk about it's all I could think about! Well, that and the Chicago White Sox were winning ugly as well that summer.

Now, there was a small catch this was sponsored by 7-11 and that is where you had to go to pick up the magic 3D glasses.  But for me living in a small rural town 2 hours south of the windy city that was to be a huge problem. At the age of 11 there was no way of driving myself.

Somehow though my father and grandmother had to make a business trip to the city and bless their hearts went out of the way to find a 7-11 just to please a son. Yep, my mom is the reason for my love of Svengoolie. Some of my favorite memories were watching his show on those hot summer afternoons.


Well, that glorious night finally arrived and we all gathered around the warm glow of the 19" television. I could hardly sit still long enough to eat popcorn and drink my RC Cola (a staple during our family movie nights).

Ah, the Goolie has arrived and so has the Creature in all his 3D coolness. Well sort of, see I guess the 3D gag did not really work and what was to be one of the biggest nights in TV with Host's all over America beaming us the magic that was to be well...it flopped. I guess it was kind of an embarrassment something the Rich Koz (Svengoolie) jokes about still to this day.


I would not have know that it was not working that night I too busy having my eyes glued to the screen. I'm pretty sure my dad gave up and went upstairs to watch the ball game but mom and sat watching with those great Red and Blue glasses on. I knew who the Gil-Man was in fact I knew all about the Universal Monsters just never saw them in 3D so the thought of the Creature jumping off of the screen was a thrill.

Sure the movie itself was mediocre at best and something I only need to revisit every few years or so. But that summer was magic I never missed Svengoolie for years to come even when he moved to a later timeslot on a Saturday night, my friends new they had to wait or join me.

Thanks to VHS and video rental stores being so close the Summer of 1982 was the year I became a Monster Kid! Nothing was better browsing those isles looking for the coolest cover art not caring what it was.  It was also the summer that I watch one of the greatest movies of all time Night of The Living Dead. And I have my mom and Svengoolie to thank. Do you think Koz would mind if I just call him dad?

May you find your great summer moment!

As for The Revenge of the Creature in 3D, I still give you...

3 Bloody Brians




I know this was to be about Cabin Fever: Patient Zero but I have been feeling under the weather all weekend and was never up to watching it. Inspiration struck on my way home about that wonderful summer of 1982! Make sure you are checking out some of the other bloggers during The Beach Party Blogathon.

4 comments:

  1. That is an awesome story about you as a kid and your 3D glasses from 7-11. Too bad the movie didn't pan out as planned, but it doesn't sound like it made much of a difference. Can you imagine seeing the Gillman on the big screen in 3D? That would be SO MUCH FUN!

    Thanks for bringing some 3D technology to the Beach Party Blogathon! :)

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    1. Not to one-up anybody, but I actually have seen the original "Creature from the Black Lagoon" in a theater, in 3D. It came to Portland, OR, in...I guess it was 1996 or so. It was brilliant. I've also seen "It Came from Outer Space" and "Robot Monster" in 3D at theaters (Not to mention "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone").
      I also experienced the 1982 "Revenge of the Creature" flop in New York. It was especially disappointing because a few months earlier a New York station had aired "The Mask" (1961) with a similar marketing tie-in, and it worked great! I was hooked on 3D from that day forward.

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    2. GET OUT!! You SAW it? In a theatre and in 3D!? You are my new hero.

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    3. That is cool! I had the chance to see Revenge in 3D at the theatre with Sven introducing the movie.

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