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The Munsters Today - Still the Munsters After All These Years
pilot episode (unaired)
USA 1988
produced by Arthur L. Annecharico (executive), Lloyd J. Schwartz (executive) for The Arthur Company
directed by John Robins
starring John Schuck, Lee Meriwether, Jason Marsden, Howard Morton, Mary Ellen Dunbar, Dave Madden
written by Lloyd J. Schwartz, based on a format by Allan Burns, Chris Hayward, characters by Norm Liebmann, Ed Haas
TV-series The Munsters Today, The Munsters
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Back in 1966 (when the world's still black and white), Grandpa Munster
(Howard Morton) persuades his family - Herman (John Schuck), his wife Lily
(Lee Meriwether), their son Eddie (Jason Marsden) and cousin Marilyn (Mary
Ellen Dunbar) to try his sleeping machine. And against all expectations
the thing works and they've all had the best sleep ever - only they've
slept for 22 years (when everything's in colour), and they find out that in 1988 they owe the IRS
$50,000, including fines and interest. Money they don't have of course so
they decide to sell their spooky house on Mockingbird Lane - and find only
one bidder for it, developer Preston (Dave Madden) - but at the auction,
Herman outbids him on a whim, throwing them all back into financial
hardships ... that is until Eddie finds out that with interest
accumulating over 22 years, they now have over $50,000 in the bank, and
their troubles are over.
Frankly, the original The
Munsters were pretty perfect, but were also deeply rooted in
their time, so updating the concept to the late 1980s would need pretty
ingenious writing, directing and casting - unfortunately none of this is
on display here, the updating is done via a time machine plot device,
otherwise the key characters try to just imitate the cast of old without
achieving their brilliance or chemistry, the jokes are terribly flat and
seem to not understand the essence of the series, and the direction is
typical 1980s sitcom without the flair of the classic series or its many
nods to horror and monster cinema. In a darkly ironic twist though,
this series went on for three seasons and 73 episodes compared to the
original's 70 episodes spread over two seasons.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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