The Retroist

Saturday Frights: Night Gallery – “Cool Air/Camera Obscura” (1971)

Posted on May 25, 2013 by VicSage

Welcome back to all of you fans of fiendish film and TV! Those howls you hear from the creatures of the night need be no cause for alarm, you are safe down here with us in the Retroist vault! Us? Yeah, that’s the one and only Doug McCoy behind the concession stand and you can see the esteemed Daniel XII manning the projector!

This week we have two wonderful stories and a short from the classic Night Gallery series that originally aired on December 8th, 1971. The first story features a teleplay from Rod Serling (Twilight Zone) based on the short story by the legendary H.P. Lovecraft. It stars Barbara Rush (When Worlds Collide, It Came From Outer Space) and Henry Darrow (Zorro, The High Chaparral) in a story concerning Cool Air.

The second episode entitled “Camera Obscura” features another teleplay by Rod Serling based on the short story by Basil Copper and stars the late great Ross Martin (The Wild Wild West, The Great Race) and Rene Auberjonois (Benson, Deep Space Nine). The story involves a hard-hearted financier who visits an elderly shopkeeper to collect on a loan…and perhaps gets his deserved comeuppance thanks to a device called the Camera Obscura.

The short is entitled “Quoth The Raven” and is a humorous look at what Edgar Allan Poe (Marty Allen) had to overcome to write his stories.

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Jayce And The Wheeled Warriors By Hecmar Jayam

Posted on May 25, 2013 by VicSage

Image courtesy of Hecmar Jayam.

Along with the Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers one of the other animated cartoons I looked forward to watching every day was Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors. This wonderful fan art by Hecmar Jayam or NOENDER as he is known on his deviantART page captures the excitement and fun of the TV series!

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These 80s Alarm Clocks From The Sears Wishbook Are Awesome! (1984)

Posted on May 25, 2013 by VicSage

Only in the 1980s could a kid like myself sit in the middle of the living room floor taking just as much time looking at the selection of alarm clocks offered in the 1984 Sears Wishbook catalog as I did the toy section. In 1984 look at what might have have been on our bedside tables…the Smurfs, Sesame Street, R2 & C-3P0, Garfield, E.T., Gizmo from Gremlins, and all of the products shown were not just alarm clocks.

Personally I recall asking for the Star Wars and E.T. alarm clock, sadly I didn’t receive either but at least we have these awesome images to cherish.

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Zarzon (1981)

Posted on May 24, 2013 by VicSage

Images courtesy of the Arcade Flyer Archive.

Zarzon also known as Satan of Saturn is a 1981 SNK/Taito arcade game that I have not only never played before but never even knew of its existence. Thanks though to Mike Maginnis and Carrington Vanston of the very enjoyable No Quarter Podcast who reviewed said game with their last episode because I have now rectified that mistake.

I didn’t dislike the game as much as Mike and Carrington did but I admit this was an incredibly difficult game, very unforgiving, and to be honest it seems to be a variation of Space Invaders with maybe a dash of Galaga thrown in.

Have you perhaps been one of the “lucky” few to play this title?

[Via] MAME Player

Thanks as always to the Arcade Flyer Archive for the awesome flyers images you see above.

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The LED Light-Up Star Trek Jacket

Posted on May 24, 2013 by plcary

I found this advertisement in the back of an old Fangoria magazine and wanted to share. This is from 1980. Note the 9 volt battery pack to make the lights operate. Imagine walking into school with a flashing Star Trek jacket or shirt. You would have been the King of Cool! Those silver-colored jackets were popular back then. I had a silver Members Only jacket but would have loved one of these!

trek-led-jacket