So, "Halloweenies"; how'd that come about? This was a just a work of love that I pieced together from many sources, much like the Frankenstein monster. And I kinda came at it backwards. As you'll note on this blog, I have A LOT of Halloween/monster/horror sketches. I'm a comedy writer that writes what he knows; and what I know and love is Halloween. Any time a show did a Halloween episode, I got excited. It was pretty big of a TV deal back in the 1980s. Anyway, I had a bunch of homeless Halloween sketches. I wanted to use them somehow. I had written a film script called "Christmas Carol" about a family dealing with holiday projects. And there was a similar situation with Christmas--I had a ton of Christmas-themed skits. So what I did was worked some of my skits into the script, mostly as stuff they were watching on TV for one reason or another. I decided to take a similar tact with my Halloween material.
I wrote a story about a kid who is really into Halloween. And I drew on a lot of my memories of growing up on Staten Island: boat yards, scary old ladies in the neighborhood, trick-or-treating well after sunset. And always looking for the perfect costume. The sketches worked their way in as promos on TV for various movie releases and TV shows "coming soon" or being featured on a cable channels' "Fright Fest." It was really a cute story, with a lot of goofy, fun elements.
Then came the era of Amazon self-publishing. I started taking some of my scripts and adapting them into novellas. "Halloweenies" was one of them. Of course, changes were made. For one, I converted the family into the same family from my "Christmas Carol" script, figuring I'd create a book trilogy, since Amazon authors seem to like doing that so much. So, I reverse-engineered the story to be a prequel to my Christmas tale (thinking I'd adapt that later. Still waiting). I also changed the delivery method for the Halloween skits. I feel it's more organic to the story, plus it set up one of the characters for the next two stories (if there was a need for the next two stories). The whole thing came together pretty well, in my estimation. You can see for yourself by buying Halloweenies at Amazon.com. I've gotten very nice reactions to it.
As a sneak preview, I've come upon one of the sketches I had written that wound up in the book. I really liked this premise. It started as a radio bit. I thought I really nailed the voice of the movie. And it was done as a commercial parody because, again, I had to work within the 2 minute maximum limit. I loved the title mash-up with the Abbott & Costello movie. After radio passed on it, I redid it for a comedy troupe, but it didn't pass their muster, for stage or video. It was too tricky, choppy and short for stage and too costly for video. So, I bumped an older bit from the book to make room for our next presentation:
I wrote a story about a kid who is really into Halloween. And I drew on a lot of my memories of growing up on Staten Island: boat yards, scary old ladies in the neighborhood, trick-or-treating well after sunset. And always looking for the perfect costume. The sketches worked their way in as promos on TV for various movie releases and TV shows "coming soon" or being featured on a cable channels' "Fright Fest." It was really a cute story, with a lot of goofy, fun elements.
Then came the era of Amazon self-publishing. I started taking some of my scripts and adapting them into novellas. "Halloweenies" was one of them. Of course, changes were made. For one, I converted the family into the same family from my "Christmas Carol" script, figuring I'd create a book trilogy, since Amazon authors seem to like doing that so much. So, I reverse-engineered the story to be a prequel to my Christmas tale (thinking I'd adapt that later. Still waiting). I also changed the delivery method for the Halloween skits. I feel it's more organic to the story, plus it set up one of the characters for the next two stories (if there was a need for the next two stories). The whole thing came together pretty well, in my estimation. You can see for yourself by buying Halloweenies at Amazon.com. I've gotten very nice reactions to it.
As a sneak preview, I've come upon one of the sketches I had written that wound up in the book. I really liked this premise. It started as a radio bit. I thought I really nailed the voice of the movie. And it was done as a commercial parody because, again, I had to work within the 2 minute maximum limit. I loved the title mash-up with the Abbott & Costello movie. After radio passed on it, I redid it for a comedy troupe, but it didn't pass their muster, for stage or video. It was too tricky, choppy and short for stage and too costly for video. So, I bumped an older bit from the book to make room for our next presentation:
When Harry Met Frankenstein
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(SALLY and HARRY are driving.)
SALLY: I specifically told you to take Mockingbird Lane and not take the old county road.
HARRY: Where have I heard that before? Oh, right, five minutes ago the last time you said it.
SALLY: It’s still true.
HARRY: Look, the GPS said this was a short cut. There was no way to tell the bridge washed out. It’s a GPS, not an ESP. So sue me.
SALLY: Does the GPS say there are any lawyers nearby?
HARRY: Look, there’s a big mansion there, we’ll go there, call Triple A and be on our way.
(They get out and go to door and knock. The door opens. There is Frankenstein’s monster.)
MONSTER: Aaaaarrrrh!!!
(Horror sting.)
ANNOUNCER: Your favorite couple, Harry and Sally are back! Only now, instead of facing intimacy problems, they’re facing monsters in “When Harry Met Frankenstein.”
(The Monster is lying down as DRACULA and Sally talk.)
DRACULA: Yes, he’s a good monster, but his brain is evil. I need to replace it with a more pliant mind.
SALLY: Oh, I know what you mean, Count. Harry was that way, thought who he was, Mr. Big Macho Guy, but I finally got him to come around and realize who’s boss.
DRACULA: Really? Interesting.
(Horror sting.)
ANNOUNCER: What happens when best friends become lovers and then become victims?
(Sally sits and Harry paces back and forth.)
HARRY: He came after me with a knife, like a crazed moil!
SALLY: Where? I didn’t see him. You’re letting your imagination run away with you.
HARRY: I saw what I saw when I saw it!
ANNOUNCER: And you thought dating was scary! “When Harry Met Frankenstein” coming soon to a theater near you.
(Monster and Dracula come up behind Harry.)
HARRY: Hey, Sally!!!!
The End
SALLY: I specifically told you to take Mockingbird Lane and not take the old county road.
HARRY: Where have I heard that before? Oh, right, five minutes ago the last time you said it.
SALLY: It’s still true.
HARRY: Look, the GPS said this was a short cut. There was no way to tell the bridge washed out. It’s a GPS, not an ESP. So sue me.
SALLY: Does the GPS say there are any lawyers nearby?
HARRY: Look, there’s a big mansion there, we’ll go there, call Triple A and be on our way.
(They get out and go to door and knock. The door opens. There is Frankenstein’s monster.)
MONSTER: Aaaaarrrrh!!!
(Horror sting.)
ANNOUNCER: Your favorite couple, Harry and Sally are back! Only now, instead of facing intimacy problems, they’re facing monsters in “When Harry Met Frankenstein.”
(The Monster is lying down as DRACULA and Sally talk.)
DRACULA: Yes, he’s a good monster, but his brain is evil. I need to replace it with a more pliant mind.
SALLY: Oh, I know what you mean, Count. Harry was that way, thought who he was, Mr. Big Macho Guy, but I finally got him to come around and realize who’s boss.
DRACULA: Really? Interesting.
(Horror sting.)
ANNOUNCER: What happens when best friends become lovers and then become victims?
(Sally sits and Harry paces back and forth.)
HARRY: He came after me with a knife, like a crazed moil!
SALLY: Where? I didn’t see him. You’re letting your imagination run away with you.
HARRY: I saw what I saw when I saw it!
ANNOUNCER: And you thought dating was scary! “When Harry Met Frankenstein” coming soon to a theater near you.
(Monster and Dracula come up behind Harry.)
HARRY: Hey, Sally!!!!
The End
