Trick & Treat for October 18th:

HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (1967; with Ferlin Husky, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr.; directed by Jean Yarbrough)

This is the film you’re looking for if you scare easily, but weren’t sufficiently scared-off (like you should have been) by this movie’s prequel, Las Vegas Hillbillies, for your pants to come off (as advertised). Why the producers spelled “Hillbillys” differently in this sequel we’re not sure. Then again, we’re not sure why the producers thought that a guy in an ape costume would frighten an audience, when they already had Ferlin Husky sans mask, singing cornball country tunes. Husky stretches his “acting” talents by playing, of all things, a country singer, Woody Weathrby. During a bad storm, he and his sidekick, Boots, take refuge in an old, dark house while on their way to a big concert in Nashville. Little do they know (which could be applied to just about anything these two encounter) that this creepy mansion is not occupied by C&W fans, but by atomic spies. These typecast characters include John Carradine and, in (unfortunately) his final film appearance, Basil Rathbone. Sad to say, not even Joi Lansing and a cornucopia of corn-pone crooners during the film’s concluding Jamboree can rehab this Horrible House of Goobers–a House we’d suggest not buying or even renting. 

Who wants to wait until the 31st to wallow in Halloween indulgences and scary movies?! Home Projectionist doesn’t! And so we’ll have pairings of 31 Frights and 31 Bites every one of October’s 31 nights: a scary, snack size movie “trick”, and a delicious “treat” to go along with it.