Question: I have a question about a horror movie I saw during the early 1990s that I think was geared to kids or family audiences.
A family moves into a haunted house, and I think they find some magic spell book. At the end, they vacuum up a boogeyman. I've been trying to track it down and keep coming across Saturday the 14th, but I don't think that's it and can't get a copy movie to check. Thanks for helping me out -- Evan
FlickChick: I'm pretty sure you're looking for Mr. Boogedy, a Disney Channel movie first broadcast in 1986. Novelty-shop entrepreneur Carlton Davis transplants his wife and three kids (Married With Children's David Faustino, Benji Gregory and original Buffy Kristy Swanson) to a small New England town -- portentously named Lucifer Falls -- where he'll be running "the only Gag City franchise for hundreds of miles" and can afford to install his family in their first house.
The kids aren't thrilled about the move, so when they start complaining about spooky sights and sounds he assumes they're just acting out. When he begins experiencing weird things, Carlton figures they're using the tricks of his trade against him -- clever!
Here's a sample of Boogedy antics:
But the house really is haunted by Mr. Boogedy, the unquiet ghost of a man who lived there centuries earlier; his signature scare phrase is "boogedy boogedy boo!" and they eventually "exorcise" him with a vacuum cleaner.
As you remember, Mr. Boogedy was geared for a family audience: The scares are gentle but apparently quite memorable. I've never seen it -- I had way aged out of the Disney demographic by the '80s -- but many of my readers remember it vividly. It was popular enough to spawn a sequel, Bride of Boogedy (1987), the following year.
Mr. Boogedy and Bride of Boogedy were both released on Walt Disney Home Video, but are long out of print -- used copies occasionally turn up for sale online. Neither has ever been commercially available on DVD, and given that there are clearly plenty of people who'd be delighted to buy it -- you have to figure there are hundreds of fans for every one who writes to me -- I couldn't begin to tell you why. No-one I've ever spoken to at Disney can give me an answer.
Question: I've been trying to track down the title of what I believe was a made-for-TV movie about werewolves.
Here's what I remember: The lead was a Barbara Stanwyck type and in one of the final scenes, the werewolf is chasing her through a big house; she closes expandable louvered doors as she leaves each room. I know it's not much to go on, but I'd appreciate your insight as to the title. -- Tim
FlickChick: This is more an educated guess than an insight, but here goes: I think you may be looking for Moon of the Wolf (1972), a made-for-TV werewolf tale based on the novel by Leslie H. Whitten and set in Marsh Island, Louisiana. It starred David Janssen (of The Fugitive fame) as the local sheriff and Barbara Rush (if not what I'd called a Barbara Stanwyck type per se, certainly an old-Hollywood veteran) as Louise Rodanthe, one of two descendents of the wealthy family who own half the town. She's just returned, somewhat mysteriously, from a stint in big bad New York City and moved back into the family mansion with her brother.
I saw Moon of the Wolf when it first aired and haven't seen it since; my memories are pretty hazy and mostly involve the steamy, backwater bayou atmosphere and the fact that it was the first place I encountered the term loup garou -- the French term for "werewolf." But the Rodanthes live in a mansion and I can easily imagine that the film's climax involves Louise being pursued through the Rodanthe mansion.
Question: I'm hoping you can help me track down a movie I saw on TV as a child in the 1980s; it may have been made for TV, but I'm not sure. It was about a boy who encounters the ghost of a girl and the only things I remember are a creepy scene where he sees a little glow in the barn's attic window and the climax, which takes place in a mausoleum.
The song "Frere Jacques" was played throughout the movie, I think sung by the little girl ghost(creepy!!). I loved this movie as a child and would love to see it again. Do you have any idea what it might be? -- Susan
FlickChick: I do: Child of Glass (1978). Coincidentally it, like Mr. Boogedy, was a Disney TV production.
The Armsworth family moves into a Louisiana mansion (another coincidence -- bayou creepiness a laMoon of the Wolf) and young Alex (future Knots Landing regular Steve Shaw) begins seeing the ghost of a young creole girl named Inez (Olivia Barash), who sings "Frere Jacques" and is looking for her "child of glass."
Here's a Child of Glass clip featuring Inez singing "Frere Jacques:"
Alex and local girl Blossom Culp discover that Inez was murdered by pirates and cursed to remain trapped at the place of her death; Alex and Blossom race to figure out how to free her spirit, which involves, among other things, finding the child of glass -- Inez's beloved doll.
Based on young-adult novel The Ghost Belonged to Me -- first in a series featuring Blossom Culp -- by Newbery Medal-winner Richard Peck, Child of Glass made a lasting impression on a generation of Disney-raised kids. Like the Boogedy movies, it came out on VHS from Walt Disney Home Video and is out of print (it was issued in 1987!), but has never been on DVD.
Question: I watched a movie a couple of weeks ago and can't remember the title or figure out what channel I saw it on.
It was about a supermodel who meets a taxi driver and ends up having an affair with him. That's the best I can do -- I don't even remember the names of the actors. Can you help me? Thank you for your time -- Rick
FlickChick: That sounds to me like Fall (1997), written, directed by and starring Eric Schaeffer -- he played the cab driver, Michael. Supermodel Sarah is UK-born Amanda De Cadenet, best known for marrying Duran Duran bass player John Taylor and hanging around with Courtney Love.
The complication is that Sarah is already married to hunky fellow model Phillipe (Rudolf Martin, probably best know for playing Dracula on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who's in Madrid for a couple of months. Will Sarah choose the schlubby but soulful cabbie or her smoking-hot hubbie?
I've never heard of any of the movies mentioned. We didn't have cable when I was little so I didn't even see the disney channel until I was in college.
Anyway, the reason I was replying was to say that I really didn't like that Dracula episode of buffy very much. I think I've only seen it once though. But I definitely remember the guy from it.
I remember Mr. Boogedy--I watched it with my sons, who are now in their 20s. John Astin played the title role, if I remember correctly. I can't remember who played his bride in the second movie, though.
I never saw any of the rest, although when you mentioned Blossom Culp, I realized that Richard Peck's novels must be involved somehow.
Now I would love to see the Boogedy movies and Child of Glass.
Now that I've checked IMDb, I see that John Astin was in the movie, but he wasn't Mr. Boogedy. I think he was the real estate agent who sold them the house.
I actually remember "Child of Glass"! It was one of the last things (or maybe the last thing) that I saw on "The Wonderful World of Disney" on NBC just before the network cancelled it in 1981 after airing continuously there for 20 years (It resurfaced on CBS the following season as simply "Walt Disney" on Saturday nights). The part I remember the most was when that ghostly girl briefly became human again and danced with the boy who was helping her. And now since they have it in parts on YouTube, I just subscribed to the person who put it there so when I want to, I'll relieve the memory. I've been on a nostalgic kick lately...
ahh, mr. boogety. i remember that movie. i love when i can read the questions and know the answers before reading the answers since it happens rather infrequently. who knew there was a sequel. i might have to see if i can find a copy somewhere. wow, talk about childhood memories.
Right now, both Boogedy movies are being auctioned on eBay, with the last bid at $16.00 for the both; if interested, hurry! There's less than 3 days left.
DISCLAIMER: I have nothing to do with any of the entities involved in the production, marketing, distribution, selling or re-selling of these items: I'm just bringing them to your attention.
I totally agree with you about Child of Glass. It's pretty good, though it takes some changing of the original source material. But, it's one of my favs and I caught it in the 80s and I taped a copy of it off tv. from the Late NIght Movie on the local ABC affiliate. And I can't get rid of it yet.
I think Disney should make Mr. Boogedy on DVD. I think Disney would be surprised how many DVD's would be sold. I hope Disney will make the effort to put Mr. Boogedy on DVD.
