Svengoolie Season 31, Episode 18: The Deadly Mantis (1957)

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)

Tonight on MeTV- we bring back a different take on a classic Robert Louis Stevenson horror novel – which boasts not only one of the greatest stars of Universal horror- but also the studio’s longtime top comedy team. It’s been a while since we’ve run this movie- so we are prescribing a new appointment for you with "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"- featuring Boris Karloff as the tormented doctor!

150 min

Dracula's Daughter (1936)

Tonight, on MeTV- we shake a sinister family tree to harvest an early Universal horror classic. considered to be the first sequel to the original Bela Lugosi “Dracula” film. We meet the previously unknown female child of the infamous count, who is set in her father’s ways, which she wants desperately to leave behind- yet is unable to drop her corpuscle addiction- and must deal with the irresistible thirst she has inherited by virtue of being- “Dracula’s Daughter”!

150 min

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)

Tonight on MeTV-we go from frightful fruit to nasty nightlife- as we present a favorite cult classic fresh from the ghastly garden, followed by two horror greats sharing sinister stories at a gathering place of supernatural creatures of various kinds! We begin with the 1978 fan favorite “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”

150 min

The Monster Club (1981)

Nostalgiaferatoo returns with the rest of our Sven squad, Gwengoolie and the Imp, to present the 1981 musical monster mash-up “The Monster Club”. This movie is loaded with rock and roll, as Vincent Price and John Carradine share supernatural stories in a special night club for creatures of the night. (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)

Tonight, on MeTV, we are very happy to again present the English-language version of the famed Toho Studios film that started the reign of the most famous Japanese kaiju (giant monster) in motion picture history! It’s a far cry from some of the later films, much more serious and tragic. Added for the American version, the future “Perry Mason” ( cue that theme music!) Raymond Burr became a part of movie history- as he witnesses the origin of "Godzilla- King of the Monsters"!

150 min

20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)

Tonight on MeTV- we go from last week’s huge scaly creature to another- whose origin is even more far out-created by the artistry of Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion magic! A spaceship returns from a mission to Venus, holding injured astronauts and a strange menace that gets bigger and more destructive after travelling “20 Million Miles to Earth”!

150 min

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

Tonight on MeTV, it’s some singular Hammer horror, featuring the famed studio’s only werewolf film of its classic era- in which a young Oliver Reed progresses from strange childhood maladies to an adulthood plagued by the "Curse of the Werewolf"!

150 min

Sssssss (1973)

Tonight on MeTV- it’s more two-for-one frightful fun as we present a double feature- starting off with some mysterious experiments that give a scholar scales. It’s “Sssssss”

150 min

Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)

and then- it’s adolescent aliens arriving on earth to either protect or destroy humanity- thanks to a scheme to raise giant lobster-like creatures as livestock! “Teenagers from Outer Space” (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

The War of the Gargantuas (1966)

Tonight on MeTV- it’s not a double feature, but it DOES feature double danger from a couple gigantic kaiju creatures- one originally raised by humanity, and the other raising its anger against humanity! Authorities refuse to believe that both of them are not out to cause destruction due to their differing origins, fearful that, unless they kill them both, mankind will be the loser in the “War of the Gargantuas”!

150 min

Dan Curtis' Dracula (1974)

Tonight on MeTV- you’ve thrilled to the amazing horrors brought to us by Dan Curtis, from “Trilogy of Terror” to “Dark Shadows” and ‘The Night Stalker”-and this time, we witness his take on the classic novel that began the tale of the most famous vampire of all- in “Dan Curtis’ ‘Dracula’!” Note: this 1974 made-for-TV production, starring Jack Palance, was originally called “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”

150 min

The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)

Tonight, on MeTV – if you toss a coin, we’re calling heads-because our menace- a disembodied head that has survived for centuries- is unearthed and uses its amazing mental powers to control others in order to conqueror the modern world- all orchestrated by " The Thing That Couldn’t Die”!

150 min

The Lost World (1960)

Tonight on MeTV- it’s a classic science fiction adventure, penned by the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle- in which an explorer, convinced there is an island where dinosaurs still exist, leads an expedition to a place where time has stood still- and his theory unfortunately is proven right- when Claude Rains enters the savage land of “The Lost World”!

150 min

Puppet Master (1989)

After being contacted by their mysterious former colleague, four psychics arrive at a secluded hotel where they are stalked by a group of murderous puppets. (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Tonight on MeTV- We travel to a place that legend says no man has ever returned from- and discover that the deadly species known as Gill Man is the reason why! It’s the classic original introduction to Universal Studios’ greatest monster of the 1950s, and a personal favorite of yours truly- the “Creature from the Black Lagoon”!

150 min

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965)

Tonight on MeTV- a hidden planet plans to recruit two of the Earth's mightiest players to team up against a deadly beast that's destroying their world! Toho Studios presents the final four- minus one- it’s Rodan and - "Godzilla VS Monster Zero"! Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)

150 min

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

Tonight on MeTV, we not only prove that the song was right- “Big Girls Don’t Cry”- but that one really big girl, in particular, could make people die! An unhappy wife of normal size has a close encounter of the alien kind- resulting in a transformation from being the object of the townspeople’s pity to becoming a big woman in town-literally! Beware the beautiful behemoth out for vengeance on her horrible hubby-it’s the “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman”!

150 min

It Came from Outer Space (1953)

Tonight on Me-TV, we have twice as many goodies to add to your pre-Easter basket- with this month’s double feature! Beware of the deceptive duplicates spawned when “It Came from Outer Space”

150 min

Munchies (1987)

...followed by the multiple monsters known as “Munchies”!! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

Willard (1971)

Tonight on MeTV- a young man who is tired of being under the thumb of a big cheese decides to fight back-with an army of rats! It’s vengeance in the form of vicious vermin lead by “Willard”!

150 min

Mysterious Island (1961)

During the Civil War a group of Union soldiers, a Confederate and a civilian escape the stockade using a hot-air balloon and end up on a strange Pacific island.

150 min

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

In rural Arizona, countless killer tarantulas are migrating through a farm town, killing every living thing in their path. The town's veterinarian will do everything in his power to survive the onslaught.

150 min

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

Tonight, on MeTV-it’s this month’s double feature- starting with yet another chapter in the classic Frankenstein saga- Meet the “Ghost of Frankenstein”

150 min

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

....followed by the Sven Squad on a haunting hunt that ends in disaster!... witness the “Blair Witch Project”! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

The Mummy (1959)

Tonight, on MeTV- Christopher Lee steps into the role of yet another classic creature- and Peter Cushing again is the man who must try to stop him! It’s Hammer Studios take on the familiar story of the search for the lost tomb of Princess Ananka- which leads to the resurrection of “The Mummy”!

150 min

The Haunted Strangler (1958)

Tonight on MeTV- it’s horror icon Boris Karloff taking on the task of proving the innocence of a man who was executed for murder. The search for answers becomes far too personal, bringing a devastating and frightening effect upon him-which leads to more murder and a tragic transformation when citizens must fear “The Haunted Strangler” !

150 min

Strait-Jacket (1964)

Tonight! is Joan Crawford a real swinger (with an axe) - once released from her "Strait-Jacket"?

150 min

Son of Dracula (1943)

Tonight on MeTV- before we celebrate Father’s Day, we take a moment to acknowledge a son- who doesn’t go OUT in the sun! He does, however, go America’s bayou country, where his plan is to inflict the curse of the undead first upon a member of an unsuspecting family- and then the nation! A young woman with a fascination for the dark side falls under his hypnotic spell, as Lon Chaney Jr. takes on the role of yet another famous horror name-as the “Son of Dracula”!

150 min

Village of the Damned (1960)

This famed 1960 movie, based on John Wyndham’s novel “The Midwich Cuckoos”, is truly frightening- and was so successful, it spawned a sequel-“Children of the Damned”.

150 min

Day of the Dead (1985)

Then, we turn it over to Gwengoolie, Imp, and Nostalgiaferatoo for a real shocker- the third entry in George Romero’s “Living Dead” series- “Day of the Dead”! This 1985 film picks up the story after the shopping mall zombie fest “Dawn of the Dead”-with survivors of the zombie apocalypse now holed up in an underground bunker-where scientists and the military are at odds over how to handle the zombies... (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965)

Tonight on MeTV- it’s monstermania- both domestic and interplanetary– as we are introduced to a different kind of Frankenstein. This Frankenstein, like the monster we are most familiar with, is indeed put together from human parts, but is quite different from Universal’s Monster- as you will see when “Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster”!

150 min

The Return of the Vampire (1943)

Tonight on MeTV, after the July 4th blasts, we get some very different blasts- that are responsible for the disinterment and restoration of a dangerous vampire thought to have been dealt with years ago! This is the movie that ostensibly returned the great Bela Lugosi to the familiar role of an undead caped menace the grave could not imprison. This time he is seeking revenge against the family that tried to end his practice of making unauthorized transfusions a generation ago in the 1943 chiller “Return of the Vampire”

150 min

Invaders from Mars (1953)

Keep your eyes on the skies-and on MeTV tonight-as we present a truly creepy science fiction classic from the ‘50s- in which a young boy sees that aliens are taking over earth people- but no one will believe him! It’s the eerie original 1953 version of “Invaders from Mars”!

150 min

The Black Cat (1934)

Tonight on MeTV- we bring back an early and eerie Universal offering that has two of horror’s greatest stars-Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff facing off in a complicated story of post-war pain, lost love, and even devil worship- with an innocent young couple caught up in the proceedings as victims- in 1934's “The Black Cat”!

150 min

Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

Tonight on MeTV- instead of their usual second half of a double feature status- I’ll be stepping aside so that the Sven Squad can hit prime time for a very special screening of an ‘80s sci-fi comedy with big name stars and even musical numbers! Based on a song by comedienne (not Downtown) Julie Brown, it’s the story of a trio of fuzzy aliens who are attracted to the earth after seeing our planet’s women- and crash land their spaceship into the pool of a young woman who’s just suffered heartbreak! The aliens become her house guests and attempt to blend in with human society- as they get the idea that “Earth Girls are Easy”! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

The Black Scorpion (1957)

Tonight on MeTV, when we say we’re serving up a stinger- it’s not that cocktail drink! It’s a stop-motion menace whose creation was supervised by the man who brought us “King Kong”, taking us south of the border- and below its surface- where lurks the massive menace of the “Black Scorpion”!

150 min

Werewolf of London (1935)

Tonight, on MeTV we present the very first Universal Studios’ wolf man- who imports terror to England via Tibet- as the victim of a bizarre attack that triggers a hideous transformation when he is exposed to moonlight- transforming him into the "Werewolf of London"!

150 min

Horror of Dracula (1958)

Tonight, on MeTV- it’s an iconic take on the beginnings of the king of the vampires- as portrayed for the very first time by the great Christopher Lee! Witness his first face off against his archenemy Van Helsing (played by the other half of Hammer’s dynamic duo- Peter Cushing!) in the full-color tale of the “Horror of Dracula”!

150 min

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Tonight on MeTV- it’s the monster-creating baron-and the evil imp from Erin- as we first bring you the Hammer version of the classic horror tale in which a brilliant scientist is obsessed with creating life in “Curse of Frankenstein”!

150 min

Leprechaun (1992)

and then the Sven Squad wishes you the luck o’ the squeamish as they present the cult classic “Leprechaun”! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

Dead of Night (1977)

Tonight on MeTV- we add some chills to your Labor Day weekend with the product of the labors of renowned director/producer Dan Curtis- and writer Richard Matheson. It’s a triple-dip into fantasy and horror, with the feel of both “The Twilight Zone” and “Trilogy of Terror”- with stories that build tension well into the “Dead of Night”!

150 min

The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

Tonight on MeTV- we kick off September with a film we haven’t run in a while-the final part of the Universal Gill Man trilogy! This conclusion to the saga of the strange amphibian missing link takes him several steps further up the evolutionary scale- as the aquatic terror unwillingly becomes an air-breathing denizen, dwelling on land, in "The Creature Walks Among Us"!

150 min

The Bad Seed (1956)

Make sure you tune in to MeTV tonight one hour earlier than usual when we present one of Warner Bros. Studios’ biggest hits of 1956- and an iconic film which had several Academy Awards nominations. It’s the story of a young girl who is all sweetness and curtsies but is revealed to be a dangerous psychopath- who falls under the category of being “The Bad Seed”!

150 min

Tarantula (1955)

Tonight on MeTV- we have another creature spawned by atomic science- escaping into the hot climate of a small desert town-where a monstrous mélange of deformed mutants and mutilated cattle are the first signs of the sinister existence of one giant-sized hairy horror -beware of the "Tarantula"!

150 min

The Night Strangler (1973)

Twas the week before the BOO-Nanza- and all through tonight- that darn Carl Kolchak has found a new fright! Yes, for those of you who have been missing Kolchak’s adventures during his hiatus from “Super Sci Fi Saturday Nights” here on MeTV, we’ve got an extra helping of our hapless hero in another creepy classic from TV horror legend, producer/director Dan Curtis –1973’s “The Night Strangler”!

150 min

Amityville 3-D (1983)

Then, our Sven Squad hosts a chilling house party with “Amityville 3-D!” (No special glasses are necessary- it will be presented in regular 2-D!) (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

120 min

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)

Let the creepy celebration of Halloween month begin- as we kick off the third annual “Svengoolie’s BOO-nanza” with the first of the weekly double features featuring the Sven Squad and yours truly! Yes, every Saturday this month- we’ll have two terrifying films, including some MeTV premieres- starting off tonight with the ever-popular “Ghost and Mr. Chicken”

150 min

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

followed by the Sven Squad baby-sitting “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”? (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

Them! (1954)

Tonight on MeTV- the “Svengoolie’s BOO-nanza” double features two creepy crawly classics to infest your TV- first, the 1954 giant insect thriller “THEM!”

150 min

Arachnophobia (1990)

followed by the spider-filled 1990 horror comedy “Arachnophobia”! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

Young Frankenstein (1974)

I’ll start off the evening with an expanded show-our premiere of a film for which we have gotten many requests- Mel Brooks’ 1974 homage to the classic Universal films- “Young Frankenstein”!

150 min

Frankenstein (1931)

the Sven Squad go back to the beginning of a horror franchise- as they present the first Universal “Frankenstein” film! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

The Fly (1958)

Tonight, on MeTV- the “Svengoolie’s BOO-nanza” double feature requires a No-Pest strip of film- as the Sven Squad and I proudly present another 1950s legendary classic and its sequel- with Vincent Price taking on the transformative terror of “The Fly” and the “Return of the Fly”!

150 min

Return of the Fly (1959)

the Sven Squad wings in to present the sequel to our movie- 1959’s “Return of the Fly”! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Tonight on MeTV- it’s the one you’ve been clamoring for- as the perfect follow-up to our month-long “BOO-nanza”- Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man- we also get Glenn Strange as the Monster- set against the legendary comedy duo for creepy encounter “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”!

150 min

The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

Tonight on MeTV, for the first time, we bring you the final dinosaur film from the great master of stop motion animation, Ray Harryhausen- that combines early 20th century Mexico with- dinosaurs?! It’s the amazing tale of a forgotten valley where prehistoric creatures dwell- which is invaded by rodeo people looking for a new main attraction- and end up finding much more in the “Valley of Gwangi”!

150 min

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)

Tonight on MeTV-the Hammer saga of the vampire count continues- as Sir Christopher Lee once again puts on the fangs to create the revival of his classic character- out to get vengeance against those who have tried to seal his demise- as a freak accident provides the reason that “Dracula Has Risen From the Grave”!

150 min

Curse of the Undead (1959)

Tonight on MeTV- we head out west- where ranchers are busy with more than cattle- as they battle a local bully and his cronies, out to take over what belongs to others- and the added threat of a newly arrived gunslinger who’s quick on the draw- and quick to draw blood! The wild west gets wilder thanks to the "Curse of the Undead"!

150 min

Devil Doll (1964)

Tonight on MeTV- take a break from those leftovers and football-and watch as a sinister hypnotist/ventriloquist puts a beautiful young woman under his spell- with nefarious purposes- while his wooden wing man, a bizarre living dummy, carries out his master’s schemes!

150 min

A Very Brady Christmas (1988)

Then, kick off your holiday season with the Sven Squad with the story…of a lovely yuletide. It’s the double feature on nobody’s wish list of the “Devil Doll” and “A Very Brady Christmas” (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

The Mummy's Tomb (1942)

Tonight on MeTV- with the holidays coming up, we get into wrapping early- when we pay rapt attention to a well-wrapped Egyptian in this continuation of the series from Universal's original classic period- as a thought-to-be dead menace is exported to the U.S. to get revenge on those who defiled his beloved's burial crypt. As is often the case online- a foreign pyramid scheme causes major problems in this country- now emanating from "The Mummy's Tomb"!

150 min

Duel (1971)

Tonight on MeTV- when many people are preparing for a holiday road trip- we bring you one that is definitely not over the river and through the woods, but set on a dangerous desert highway, where a traveling salesman finds himself tailed by a tanker truck. This mysterious semi seemingly targets his vehicle and aims to end his road trip permanently-as this bumper-bashing behemoth takes on Dennis Weaver in a pedal-to-the-metal one-sided demolition derby- in a deadly “Duel”!

150 min

The Brides of Dracula (1960)

Tonight, on MeTV- we come bearing twice the gifts in a special double feature-first, a Hammer Studios production that unleashes a vampire descendant to prey on young women-only to run into some strong opposition from the great vampire hunter Van Helsing in "Brides of Dracula"

150 min

Sharktopus (2010)

Gwengoolie, Malvolio Ignatus Prankenstein, and Nostalgiaferatoo deck the halls- and your screen and the ocean- with a later Roger Corman creature creation- the “Sharktopus”! It’s – unbelievably-an intelligent shark with the tentacles of an octopus which the military has created as a weapon. Unfortunately, as many a caustic creature does, it breaks away from Naval control to go into attack mode when it makes its way to Mexico! (a House of Svengoolie presentation hosted by the Sven Squad)

150 min

The Creation of the Humanoids (1962)

Tonight on MeTV- direct from the top-secret Sven Cave-we look towards the future (no, not the new year that is coming up in mere days- but even further)! We wind up our Sven calendar year with a visit to a post- apocalyptic world where robots have been designed to resemble people (well, to a certain extent) in order to serve the real humans- some of whom are suspicious that the androids want to conquer mankind! We will witness the history- and consequences- of “The Creation of the Humanoids”!

150 min

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)

150 min