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40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"How About A Little Chamber Music?", November 13, 2007
This review is from: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (DVD)
This Halloween special aired once on television, on October 29, 1976. It is perhaps the most quintessential 1970's camp classic available on DVD. Starring Paul Lynde, with a bevy of guest stars such as Tim Conway, Billy Barty, Florence Henderson, Donny and Marie Osmond, KISS, and best of all, Margaret Hamilton and Billie Hayes, this show is only 50 minutes long, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in cheese.
It is essentially a sketch comedy show with the faintest of connective sinew: Paul Lynde and his housekeeper, Margaret Hamilton, visit Hamilton's sister, Billie Hayes at her castle. Obviously this is an excuse for Hamilton to reprise her role as the most famous witch in history, the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz," while Hayes dons her Witchiepoo outfit from "H. R. Pufnstuf." Along the way there are lots of lame jokes, skits, and music.
To capitalize on the then huge song "Convoy" and television show "Movin' On" there is a musical nightmare where Lynde (in a sequin jumpsuit with enormous lapels) and Conway play truckers dueling for the love of Pinky Tuscadero (Roz Kelly). Although that has nothing to do with Halloween and everything to do with the strangely popular CB radio boom, the setting quickly shifts for most of the balance of the show to Hayes' house. I especially enjoyed the interactions of Hayes and Hamilton in the castle where they introduce KISS (their first major television appearance) as chamber musicians who "make such very soothing, quiet dinner music."
There are other diversions, such as when Lynde becomes a sheik who kidnaps Florence Henderson (who he falls for after seeing her milk a cobra). He tries everything to win her heart, even sharing a decanter of hyena wine with her. In the end, she is won over by a gift of a cockatoo "once owned by Baretta," leading to the most unerotic kiss in screen history. She also gets a chance to sing "That Old Black Magic" with a disco arrangement. The entire disco scene, in fact, is surreal: the hair and costumes will haunt me for a long time, and everyone in the cast (except KISS, which looks on, mortified) dances to an excremental tutorial taught by Pinky Tuscadero titled "Disco Baby".
The show is very cheesy, as only a 1970's star-studded spectacular could be. If you want a good laugh (but not at the jokes) or a humorous reminiscence of those colorfully tacky days, this is absolutely not to be missed.
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great special finally on DVD, October 12, 2007
This review is from: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (DVD)
I remember watching this as a kid, but never being able to remember what it was. Watching it again brought back memories. Guest stars like Tim Conway, Florence Henderson, and of course, KISS make this a memorable show. It's definitely a slice of the 70's with Disco music and the variety show feel (skits, song-and-dance routines, occasional painfully unfunny jokes), and it's great. The only down side is the fact that it's not the best quality. It looks like an old VHS movie, but that can't be helped because it was thought lost forever and only ONE complete copy has ever been found. I wish they could have remastered it, but I'd rather have it this way than not at all.
The extras here include a "Match the Quote" game (get 30 of them right and there's a little surprise for you), Paul's Photo Album, and a few other notes. No deleted scenes or extra stuff like that, but again, at least we're getting the special out there.
Definitely worth the money!
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32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ultimate 1970's camp fest, finally on DVD!, October 14, 2007
This review is from: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (DVD)
If you are fan of 70's kitchsy camp, be sure to get a copy of "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special", released earlier this month on DVD. Originally (and only, never repeated) broadcast on October 29, 1976, the show was believed to have been lost for almost 31 years, until one of the writers recently uncovered a tape, from which the DVD has been produced (As the DVD packaging cautions, the quality and picture aren't perfect, but it was actually a lot better than I was expecting with that warning up front.)
The cast is like a wet dream of gay camp! Besides Paul (in full-out "bitchy" mode), there's Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West from "Wizard of Oz"), Billie Hayes (as Witchiepoo from "HR Pufnstuf"), Betty White, Billy Barty, Tim Conway, and would you believe Florence Henderson ... singing a DISCO verion of "That Old Black Magic"??? Musical guests are KISS, on their first network appearance. The entire cast joins in a disco salute as the finale (which is in itself worth the price to see KISS briefly singing DISCO!)
A friend ordered 30 copies for all his gay friends as Christmas presents! DVD extras include some lots of photos, exerpts from interviews with Paul Lynde, a multiple choice test on some of his "Hollywood Squares" responses, and an interview with that show's host, Peter Marshall, with remembrances of the late Mr. Lynde.
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