F13:TS 25 - Tattoo

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Episode Recap #16: Tattoo

Original Airdate: March 12, 1988

Starring:
John D. LeMay as Ryan Dallion
Louise Robey as Micki Foster
Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak

Guest cast:
Keye Luke as Lum Chen
Leonard Chow as Tommy Chen
Mung-Ling Tsui (Meung Ling) as Linda Chen
Denis Akiyama (Dennis Akiyama) as Hai Kwan
Harvey Chow as Frankie Wong
Von Flores as A.J.

Written by Dan DiStefano, Stephen Katz
Directed by Lyndon Chubbock

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We open in the Chinatown part of the city, at a gambling facility where we see a young man named Tommy Chen, losing, again and again. As he leaves, he spots some men and runs. They pursue him and catch him. Seems Tommy owes the older man, Frankie, money and they are tired of waiting. Tommy promises to pay but the man demands his henchman cut off Tommy's thumb. Tommy begs for more time and Frankie relents, giving him 24 hours. Tommy flees.

As he makes his way through the back rooms of the building, he spies a woman tied up. A man is with her, drawing a tattoo on her leg. As Tommy listens in, the man tells the girl the tattoo needles he owns are magic. As he leaves, the tattoo of a scorpion comes to life and climbs up the helpless girl. Tommy watches. At the tables, the man is winning big. The scorpion bites the girl on her neck and she dies. Tommy can't believe what he has witnessed.

So creepy how she is all in white and then you see the white's of her eyes.

Upstairs, he finds the man at the tables and sees the pile of cash he has won. Later, as the man leaves, Tommy follows him. In an alley, the man stops for a smoke and Tommy jumps him and stabs him. When the man falls, Tommy searches his coat and finds the tattoo needles in their box. He takes them and runs.

Back at home, his grandfather, Lum Chen, scolds Tommy about where he has been and what he was doing. Tommy fights back, doesn't want to hear it. His grandfather tells him he has been acting shameful. Tommy tells him to wait and see, he will prove him wrong. Lum asks about the blood on his hand and Tommy lies. Tommy's sister, Linda, comes out and comforts her grandfather. He tells her Tommy has the same problem as his son, their father. He thinks the boy is headed for bad things.

Powerful set of needles.

Wonder if even the box is cursed?

In Tommy's room, the old man finds the tattoo needle box and examines it. He is disturbed by it, and turns it over in his hands. On the bottom is a sticker declaring the item came from Lewis Vendredi Antiques.

A "Vendredi" sticker!

Is the sticker cursed, too???

At Curious Goods, the group is doing inventory. Micki wants to stop, she's tired. The phone rings and Jack answers. Mr. Chen asks about Vendredi Antiques and mentions the tattoo needles. Micki and Ryan search the manifest. Jack says he will be happy to buy the needles back from him and takes down the man's address. Before he can ask more questions, the line goes dead.

Tommy has hung up the phone and tells his grandfather the needles are his. Lum tells the boy he must return them, they will only mean death. The two men struggle and Tommy strikes his grandfather, takes the needles and leaves. Linda comes to her grandfather's aid.

Always great seeing Keye Luke.

He was great in Gremlins!

I loved him in his stint on General Hospital, as well.

At an opium den, Tommy finds a woman barely conscious and proceeds to tattoo her leg.

Micki, Ryan and Jack arrive at Lum Chen's home. Linds tries to stop them, but Jack says Lum Chen invited them and enters. He asks the old man about the needles. Lum Chen lies and says a robber broke in and stole them. Linda tells them they must leave. Ryan says he sees no signs of a break in and wonders if Lum is protecting someone. They leave.

At the den, Tommy finishes a tattoo of a tarantula on the woman's leg and then leaves. At the gambling hall, he joins a game. The tarantula comes to life and climbs up the woman's chest. Tommy bets high and, as the spider attacks and kills the woman, he wins big. He hands bills out to the dealer and young woman. As he leaves, he comes across Frankie, who takes all the rest of Tommy's winnings.  Tommy tells the man he hopes to work for him someday. The man gives Tommy back ten dollars and tells him that should be enough, if Tommy is as lucky as he says he is.

The next day, in Chinatown, Ryan buys a box of crabs to get information about Lum Chen and his grandson. He says Tommy owes everyone some money. Jack tells Micki that maybe she can get some info from Linda. Ryan hands her the box of crabs to put in the back of the car as she winces.

The car must have stunk after that purchase!

Lum is in bed and Tommy apologizes for his actions the previous night and shows the man the cash he has won. The old man ignores him and throws the money back at the boy. He says he wants a grandson to be proud of, not cash. Tommy doesn't understand and Lum tells him to leave.

That night, Ryan recognizes Tommy from a picture of him and Linda he saw. Ryan follows Tommy through Chinatown. Micki and Jack head back inside to Lum Chen's home. At the gambling hall, Tommy tells his friend that he can't lose. He offers to show his friend how the tattoo needles work. Ryan follows at a distance.

Tommy is tattooing a clawed serpent hand on his friend's chest. Tommy lies and tells the man he will win big, as well, he just has to wait in the basement. Tommy goes back upstairs and joins a game.

Okay, Tommy is just sadistic!

With Lum Chen and Linda, Micki and Jack try to get information about Tommy's whereabouts  but Lum won't say anything and tells them good-night. As they leave, Linda asks Micki if Tommy is really in danger. When Micki says yes, Linda tells her where to find her brother.

Ryan finds the body of the young girl and jumps out. Tommy's friend thinks Ryan killed the girl and they fight. He raises a board to hit Ryan, but before he can, the tattooed hand comes to life and strangles him, killing him, as Ryan watches. Upstairs, Tommy is winning, again.

Micki and Jack leave Chen's and wonder why Lum is protecting Tommy if his injuries came from his grandson. They get in the car to head to the gambling hall.

At the hall, Ryan goes upstairs and sees Tommy winning. The owner of the establishment tells Tommy to leave, he believes the young man is cheating, as his streak of luck is too unusual. Tommy goes to leave and again encounters Frankie, who tells the boy he should be worried, if he can't get any more money. Tommy tells him he can't lose. Frankie leaves. Ryan follows Tommy, but loses him outside as Micki and Jack arrive. Ryan tells them about how the needles work. Jack says they need to find Tommy, he'll need money for his next game.

At home, Lum finds Tommy attempting to steal some Ming vases to sell for cash. They struggle and Tommy drops them, shattering them. He flees as his grandfather stares at the broken shards.

Later, Tommy is at a phone booth, begging the man on the other line to hook him up with some cash or a game. The man hangs up. Tommy calls Frankie and asks for more time, telling him he'll do anything. Frankie tells him to go home and wait for him, he'll be in touch. Frankie tells his henchman he has a player, so "the game" is on.

At home again, Tommy waits by the phone. Eventually, there is a knock at the door. Tommy answers and lets Frankie in. The man tells Tommy the game he has for him is the ultimate game of chance. Tommy takes the address, and Frankie tells him he must be precisely on time, not early or late. Frankie leaves and soon after, Tommy does. Linda sees the slip of paper with the address and grabs her coat to follow her brother.

Outside, Jack, Micki and Ryan attempt to follow Tommy, but they are stopped by Frankie and his goons, who won't let them follow the boy. He orders the three of them into his limo at gunpoint. Unseen by Frankie, Linda leaves, having found the address Tommy left behind.

Jack, Micki and Ryan are held by Frankie. When Jack protests and tells him this is kidnapping, he is stuck in the face. At home, Lum also spies the paper with the address written on it. When Lum calls to Tommy and Linda, he finds they are gone.

The group can't find a way out of the room Frankie locked them in. But Ryan does find a box of fireworks. They rig up the door and the fireworks blow it open. They flee as the rest of the fireworks go off. At Lum's, they ask where Tommy is. Lum tells them to mind their own business. Jack tells the old man Tommy is going to kill someone. Lum sighs.

They know how to make an escape!

At the gambling hall, Tommy attacks a waiter but Linda interrupts him and the man flees. She says she wants to help Tommy. He agrees, grabbing his sister and tying her hands and feet so she can't flee. He pulls out the tattoo needle.

Jack tells Lum that if Linda is with her brother, she could die. Lum gives Jack the slip of paper with the address and tells him there is a game there. he also gives Jack a needle that is from a monastery and it carries the mark of a healer. Jack thanks him and sends Micki to the address to watch for Tommy's arrival. Jack and Ryan head to the gambling hall to see if Tommy went there.

Tommy arrives at the address Frankie gave him and wonders what the game is. The man at the door says the game is life or death. Inside, Tommy is told to sit at a table across from another man. He is told the game is Russian Roulette.

Oh, Tommy. So confident and cocky.

At the gambling hall, Jack and Ryan find Linda tied up and a snake sliding over her body.

The gun is placed on a turntable and spun, to see who goes first. Tommy gets the first chance and picks up the gun. He cocks the weapon, places it to his forehead and fires. Nothing happens. He places it on the table and the other man takes a shot, which is also a dud.

Jack tells Ryan not to touch the snake, it is a coral snake and absolutely deadly.

At the game, both men take second shots that don't fire.

Jack loads the needle from Lum into a straw and takes aim at the snake.

Micki watches as Tommy raises the gun to his temple once more. He is confident he will survive, since he left his sister with the tattoo.

Jack blows into the straw and shoots the needle into the snake, killing it before it can kill Linda.

Micki watches as Tommy pulls the trigger and the gun goes off, killing him. As the people mill about, she slides up to Tommy and pulls the tattoo needles in their box from Tommy's jacket.

The next day, at Curious Goods, Jack tells them the needles are locked safely in the vault. Lum and Linda arrive and he offers thanks to them for saving Linda. He gives his grandfather's needle to them as a gift, and Jack says they are honored. Lum says he was mistaken, he thought the world has lost the tradition of honor and tradition. But he sees that those values are still present, in the three of them. Jack says the values haven't been lost, they were just misplaced for a time. Lum asks if Jack is a healer. Jack says no, but he has been interested in the art.

Lum points out that our little Curious Goods family is a good one.

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My thoughts:

Great, different episode with a very cool cursed item!

The needles offer such a variety of possibilities  They bring luck to Tommy, but I would suppose they could offer a variety of things to whomever happened to be using them. And their tattoos themselves offer an endless array of ways for the victims to die. Creepy and unsettling, without a doubt.

I like how Lum is determined to stand by the honor of his grandson and family, constantly keeping mum to Jack about what is going on. Only until Linda is threatened does the old man finally back down.

Tommy is sad. You keep expecting him to show deep remorse, but his gambling addiction is so bad, he even uses his sister for a victim so he can win again. He is just too far gone.

Micki and Ryan are only slightly playful here, having small moments of humor. Things seem darker, more serious, and you can see it in the way the characters are. Slowly but surely losing their youthful innocence, thanks to Lewis and his damned curse.

The effects of the tattoos coming to life was nicely done, as well. Creepy, but effective.

Great episode!

Next week: "The Electrocutioner"

F13:TS 25 - Collage

For a bonus post for the anniversary celebration,

here is a collage I found on the tumblr blog fish out of water:

F13:TS 25 - Hellowe'en

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Episode Recap #5: Hellowe'en

Original Airdate: October 31, 1987

Starring:
John D. LeMay as Ryan Dallion
Louise Robey as Micki Foster
Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak

Guest cast:
R.G. Armstrong as Lewis Vendredi
Adrienne Pocock as Greta
Victoria Deslaurier as Evil Greta
David Matheson as Larry
Alan Watt as Howard

Written by Bill Taub
Directed by Timothy Bond

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We open on kids trick-or-treating, telling us it is Halloween!

Micki is in her room, putting the finishing touches on her amazing witch costume. We see someone is watching her. Micki hears a noise and moves the dressing screen to find a ghost-like creature sitting motionless. She touches the thing and it falls, freaking her out. Ryan rushes in and the creature laughs. He is a friend of Ryan's, helping him play a prank on Micki.

Micki is upset and still not thrilled with the idea of having a party at the store. Ryan, dressed as Robin Hood, I guess, believes it is a great idea and invited many people from the neighborhood to help the store's image. Seems everyone around was terrified of Lewis and what went on there in the past. Micki is worried about having strangers in the store. Ryan says he made a sign to keep people away from the vault.

Jack, dressed as Merlin, is having fun performing magic tricks for the guests. Ryan hopes the guest, and Micki, will be scared enough to let their hair down and just have fun. Larry and another guest slip downstairs. Seems Larry has always wanted to see what lay beneath the store. He ignores Ryan's "keep out" sign and soon enough they are close to the vault and Jack's assortment of occult items.

A guest is talking with Jack, saying how he saw things at the store that made him vow never to return. But he is impressed with how things have changed. Jack starts a Tarot card reading for the guests as Larry and his buddy continue to snoop around. Larry turns off the power to scare everyone, but when he goes to turn it back on, the fuses short out. Jack continues to calm the guests.

In the basement, Larry sees Jack's crystal ball glowing. Goofing around, he mockingly calls to the spirits of the night. The ball reacts to his words and they decide to leave just as Ryan comes down, scolding the pair for intruding. He gets the lights back on, then hears a noise in the basement. He sees the crystal ball glowing, now accompanied by and eerie mist and the sound of someone breathing. He rushes back upstairs.

Ryan tells Jack and Micki about the crystal ball right before a strange wind blows through the store. Part of the ceiling falls in and the wind grows more intense. Guests flee out the front door and Ryan locks it behind them. We hear the sound of galloping horses as the wind dies down. Jack tells Ryan to draw a pentagram and has Micki get his bag while he retrieves his crystal ball.

Jack says Ryan's friends accidentally threw out a psychic line and hooked something from beyond. He says Halloween is no kid's game, it is the one night of the year the spirits of the dead can roam the Earth with freedom. A Jack-o-Lantern on a shelf explodes as the eerie noise increases. Jack uses a spell to drive the spirit out fo the store and it appears to work. Ryan says they need a drink and Micki goes to help him.

Great costumes! Micki is no wart-wearing witch!

Jack hears a knock at the door and we see a black cat with a jewel-studded collar jump from a pumpkin out front. When Jack opens the door to investigate, he sees a little girl crying. She says she got seperated from her mother and is lost. Jack says he will see her home and they go off down the sidewalk.

Inside, Micki and Ryan come down with Halloween punch but can't find Jack. He is still walking with the girl, however he thinks they have gone too far. She insists her home is close by and pulls him along. Micki goes through Jack's bag, looking for ways to help in case the strange, supernatural wind returns. Ryan scoffs at her, but soon enough they hear it return, along with a strange, breathing sound.

Jack thinks the girl is playing a Halloween prank on him, but she pulls him along, further away from the store.

Micki and Ryan are frightened by the noise when a mist appears, quickly forming the ghostly form of their dead Uncle Lewis. The pair back away from the spectre, scared. He says he isn't their to harm them, he can't even touch them. Ryan says Lewis has done enough damage, not only tonight, but also since his actions have them chasing down cursed antiques from now until doomsday. Lewis says he is sorry and that he wants to pay for his sins. He says tonight, he has a chance to make ammend, that he has come back to undo the curse. Ryan and Micki look at him, skeptical.

The young girl leads Jack into an alley where he suddenly trapped by iron bars. The girl transforms into a little person whom Jack seems to recognize as someone connected to Lewis.

No treat here, Lewis is back to his old tricks!

Micki and Ryan are wary of their uncle, since they thought curses were forever. He says no, he can undo, but he has only until dawn. He needs their help though, and wants to start with his greatest sin: the murder of his wife. He waves a hand and a wall of shelves in the store moves to reveal a secret room.

Trapped in the alley, Jack searches for a way out.

In the secret room, Micki and Ryan find a fire burning in the fireplace and a woman laying on a bed, dead. Lewis says she is Grace, his wife. He says he killed her, not with his hands, but with his ambition and greed. He tells them he needs something from the vault to free her soul, the Amulet of Zohar. Ryan is reluctant to bring him anything from the one place the items are safe. Lewis begs them, for Grace's sake. If they help him, he will end the curse.  Micki and Ryan decide, for Grace's sake, to get the Amulet.

Jack berates himself for being a fool when two young guys drive up, looking for some Halloween fun.

Micki, holding the Amulet from the vault, says she is surprised Lewis isn't a monster. Ryan thinks Jack would say to give Lewis the Amulet, believing they have nothing to lose since Lewis can't even touch them.

Back in the secret room, Lewis tells Micki to hold the Amulet next to Grace. But it suddenly glows and Lewis is transformed into a flesh-and-blood human again. He grabs the Amulet and rushes out of the room, waving his hand to lock Micki and Ryan inside. He says he has something to attend to and meets Greta, the little person who tricked Jack, in the garage. They get in the car and leave the store.

At the alley, the men continue to mock Jack, who begins goading the pair. They want to hit him, but can't reach him, so they decide to get chains from their truck.

Micki continues screaming for help, but Ryan tells her to knock it off, since no one is out there. They hate that they fell for Lewis' scam. They look for a way out of the secret room.

The men use their chain and truck to bend the bars of the alley cage. Jack slips out of the opening but before the men can beat him up, he uses his magic to vanish.

Micki and Ryan find a vent to crawl through, escaping the room. Back in the store, they realize Lewis has left and Micki goes to one of Jack's books to look up the Amulet of Zohar. She tries to translate and it seems that the Amulet can help Lewis transfer his spirit into a recently dead body. Ryan finds a list of mortuaries in the phone book and runs to get the car, but finds Lewis took it. Micki leaves a note for Jack as the pair head out to find their uncle.

Greta is a creepy demon. Hope the gang put her necklace in the vault.

At the mortuary, Lewis and Greta view the bodies in the freezer, finding they have all died violent deaths and are therefore unsuitable for Lewis' plan.

Rushing back to the store, Jack manages to evade a persistant group of trick-or-treaters. Micki and Ryan make their way to the mortuary and spot their car out front. Just then, a hearse arrives with a new body. Lewis and Greta come out and greet the driver, smashing him over the head with a wooden crate when he questions what they are doing. They bring the fresh corpse inside. Micki and Ryan break into the mortuary and search for Lewis.

Jack arrives home and finds the note. He gathers up some of his supernatural items and heads out after the group.

Back at the mortuary, Micki and Ryan watch as Lewis and Greta begin some occult ceremony, having placed the body in the middle of pentagram with candles lit around the circle. They formulate a plan to stop Lewis. Micki goes and distracts Greta, causing the small demon to chase her through the building. Ryan uses the diversion to slip in and try and get the amulet from Lewis. Micki is caught by the demon Greta and put under a spell, levitating in the air and into a wooden coffin. Ryan attempts to tackle Lewis, but the man merely tosses his nephew away. Ryan runs out and is caught by Greta, put under a spell and into a coffin, like Micki.

Jack continues to rush to the mortuary.

Greta locks the pair in the wooden coffins and send them down the conveyor belt to the crematorium furnace. Lewis continues his ritual with the Amulet.

Jack finally arrives and slips inside the building. He looks around and finds Lewis and Greta working their spell with the dead body. Unnoticed, he slips out to find the others. Just in time, he finds the room with the furnace and pushes the coffin off the belt. Micki stumbles out, still in a trance. He slaps her, waking her finally. Ryan yells from the other coffin and the get him out, as well. Jack says they can't stop Lewis, but they can slow him down enough to make it to sunrise before he finishes.

Ryan and Micki cause a commotion to get Greta away from Lewis, which works. She runs after the pair.

Jack slips into the room and Lewis says he has been waiting for him to arrive. Jack tells Lewis it is too late, he has made his bed and no he has to lie in it. Lewis says Hell is horrible, he dies there, over and over, and he won't go back. Jack isn't frightened by his old friend and begins his own incantations as Lewis tries to continue his spell to transfer his soul into the dead body.

Micki and Ryan continue to try and escape the demon, running around the mortuary as she tries to attack them, tossing items about. A chair smashes into the electrical panel and Greta trips and falls, impaling herself on a sharp piece of the broken chair. She gasps and then vanishes, leaving behind just the jeweled necklace.

They rush back to Jack and Lewis and find Jack is exhausted almost all his strength keeping Lewis at bay. Lewis thinks he has beat them, and Jack says it is too late, the sunrise is coming. Lewis says there is still two minutes on the clock. But Micki opens the window, telling Lewis the clock has stopped. Micki pushes the shutters open, letting the sunlight in. Lewis screams as he slowly vanishes away into nothing. Jack says Lewis certainly can make an exit.

As the clean up the store later that day, Jack says he is amazed he never knew there was a secret room there. Micki asks how much of Lewis' story was true. Jack says some of it. Lewis was married to a woman named Grace, but she was never in that room. Grace died and was buried and he lost a good friend, that she was a wonderful woman. He reminices and describes Grace's beauty. When he sees them watching him, he stops. They ask how well he knew her and he says better than he ought to have, but not as much as he wished.

Ryan says he just wants to rest and is glad Halloween only comes once a year. But Jack reminds them that in two weeks it will be Friday the 13th!

Wonderfully framed shot of our trio at the store!

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My thoughts:

A great Halloween episode for a great horror show!

First off, I love that we get Lewis back for the Halloween episode - just perfect! We also get trick-or-treaters, costumes, Halloween decor, a party, a demon, dead bodies, spells - what more can you ask for!

I love the scene when they first meet Lewis and Ryan berates the old man for the fact that they now have to spend their lives getting back all the antiques he cursed. Damn right, Ryan - I'd be angry, too! But when their uncle offers them a way to undo the curse, adding the bonus of helping poor Grace's soul, they can resist. It would make their lives so much better if it was all just undone in one fell swoop. Naive? Yes, but remember, this is still fairly early on in their time at the store. After tonight, they learn just how much they can trust Lewis. As in, not at all.

Also like how Jack is willing to help the girl get home, but grows more and more suspicious the further they get.

Having the black cat become the girl and then transforming into Greta was great yet subtle. And it makes sense that someone like Lewis, so involved in the occult, would have a familiar. Love when Jack recognizes her, too. Some back story there we don't get to learn!

When Lewis and Greta are searching the morgue and finding all the bodies that met violent deaths, I had to wonder just how many were there because of some other antique Lewis let loose on the world.

Oh, and after the Halloween party gone horrible awry, will anyone from the neighborhood ever go into Curious Goods again?

The backstory of Lewis' wife Grace, and how Jack seems to have been quite close with her, begs to be shows as a prequel episode, to when Jack and Lewis were younger. We never get that, but it is quite intriguing.

Love the bit at the end, where Jack says Friday the 13th is in two weeks! He almost smiles at the camera!

The Obscure Hollow did a post on this episode. Check it out for many more pics!

Next week: "The Great Montarro"

F13:TS 25 - The Show Intro

As a bonus entry in the anniversary celebration, here is the intro for the first two seasons of the show.

Great opening! Not only do we get a recap of the basic premise of the show, we get to see the characters and some scenes. Then we jump to a slow trip through a pseudo-Curious Goods, the camera slowly panning over various odd and bizarre antique items. Did you notice the floating skull in the mirror? Finally, we land on a shimmering glass item that bursts into the camera, leaving us with the title of the show. I love it.

And I need to mention the theme music! It is an amazing instrumental piece done by the great Fred Mollin. He not only did the theme music, he did the music for the entire run of the series. Love the classic, yet eerie, style he gives to the theme. Just awesome. The music he did for the show varied from intense and dramatic to melancholy and downright sad! One of the very few merchandise tie-in items to this show was the soundtrack CD, released in the early 90s. It features the opening and closing themes, as well as a bunch of the music used throughout the series. I have owned and loved it for years!

I automatically feel nostalgic when I see this intro. I remember those long-ago late, late nights in the late 80s, laying in bed and watching this show on my little, black and white television set. I truly looked forward to watching this series each Saturday night, a bright spot in my week. Good times.

By the way, does anyone know what that glass jar thing is at the end, the item that breaks? Looks to me like a container of some sort, but I have no idea.

F13:TS 25 - The Inheritance

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Episode Recap #1: The Inheritance

Original Airdate: October 3, 1987

Starring:

John D. LeMay as Ryan Dallion

Louise Robey as Micki Foster

Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak

Guest cast:

R.G. Armstrong as Lewis Vendredi

Sarah Polley as Mary Simms

Kynne Cormack as Mrs. Irene Simms

Michael Fletcher as Mr. Simms

Esther Hockin as the Babysitter

Written by Bill Taub

Directed by William Fruet

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The show opens on a rainy night, a small family, the Simms,  huddled under an umbrella outside a shop called "Vendredi Antiques". The family enters the store, seeking shelter from the storm. The owner, Lewis Vendredi - a crusty, agitated old man - tells them to leave, but they persuade him to let them wait out the rain.

The little girl, Mary, starts touching things and gets scolded by her step-mother. The old man heads upstairs, the couple move off to look at antiques and Mary spies an old porcelain doll. Grabbing the doll, Mary heads outside into the rain. The doll speaks to Mary, telling the girl her name is Vita. A couple of guys in the alley approach, concerned about the little girl. Vita lashes out at them, cutting the throat of one of them.

Mary rushes back into the store. Her parents again scold her and Lewis grabs the doll away, shooing the family out of his store. He then grabs a bunch of antiques while grumbling that he "won't do your bidding no more". In the basement, he opens a vault and stows the items inside. Meanwhile, the windows of the shop have blown open and chaos ensues.

On the basement stairs, Lewis watches as cloven hoofprints are burned into each step. Laughter fills the air from someone - something - unseen. The vault bursts open and the ghost-like spirits of the antiques fly about, tormenting the old man. Suddenly, a crucifix appears floating before him. "Merciful God." Lewis says, and reaches out and grabs the cross. It burns his palm, scarring the flesh. 

Lewis backs into the freight elevator and the door slams shut behind him. A satanic symbol is burned into the floor and Lewis struggles to escape. But the floor vanishes and the old man drops down, falling into the depths of Hell.

Sometime later, we see a young, Yuppie couple arguing about her trip to deal with her inheritance from an Uncle Lewis she has never met. The young woman, red-headed beauty Micki Foster quells the annoyance of her fiance, a lawyer who thinks they should sue the cousin she hasn't met but with whom she now shares this antique shop.

Once Micki arrives at the store, we see it is now closed, items covered by sheets. The place is even gloomier than before, if possible. As she looks about, she is startled when a man in a strange mask jumps up from behind the counter. Micki smashes a vase on his head.

The young man turns out to be her cousin, Ryan Dallion, who was expecting his cousin to be a man.  The two get off to a rocky start. Micki is creeped out by the shop and its inventory, while Ryan thinks everything is fascinating and cool.

In the garage, they find that their uncle has also left them an old car. Briefly, the two enjoy a moment of fancy, Ryan acting as a limo driver for the lady. A black cat jumps into the car and scares Micki, who runs out and off to the basement, determined to get to work appraising and selling off the store. Ryan wants to explore and finds a way to open the vault.

Ryan props open the door and they proceed inside. Micki feels like something isn't right about this place. A noise causes Ryan to go investigate and Micki is locked in the vault. She looks about and sees the doll, Vita, sit up and turn toward her, seemingly alive. Stumbling about, Micki is nearly killed by a falling scythe. Ryan finds the secret brick to open the doors and Micki rushes out and up the stairs.

Back in the shop, she trips and grabs a spindle for support, the wood turns in her hand and a secret grate on the celiing opens, a thick old book dropping out. Micki and Ryan continue to disagree about what they want to do with the store. Ryan pleads his case for reopening the place and running it themselves.

We then cut to a going-out-of-business sale. Ryan has apparently come around to Micki's way of thinking. People mill about the shop, including Mr. Simms. He is back to find the doll he knew his daughter loved. Ryan finds it, but Micki doesn't want to sell it, remembering the way the doll moved in the vault. Ryan says no go, she wanted to sell it all, that includes the doll. Vita is purchased by Mary's father.

Late that night, as the cousins gather more antiques to sell, they hear a noise in the shop. Someone is prowling about. A man pulls a sword on the duo, introducing himself as Jack Marshak, a supplier of antiques to the shop. He has come to collect money from Lewis. They tell the intruder that Lewis was their uncle and he is dead. Jack is shocked.

In the kitchen, he tells them about the uncle they never knew and how he taught Lewis about the supernatural world. He explains that Lewis wanted to avoid death and be rich and that obsession drove the man to delve into the dark, demonic side of the other world. He recalls that Lewis had a plan to make a pact with Satan for immortality and immense wealth. But since Lewis is dead, Jack assumes the plan must not have worked. The cousins tell him about the book they found, which Jack says is Lewis' manifest for all the antiques he sold.

Our heroic trio sit down for their very first chat. 

Jack recalls another secret compartment, this one filled with news articles about suspicious deaths people have suffered with various arcane objects. They are able to match these objects to ones sold and listed in the manifest. Ryan and Jack realize Lewis did make his pact with Satan, cursing the items he sold and released into the world, while Micki is less impressed. Jack says Lewis must have tried to break the pact, but Satan took his life, instead. When Micki remembers the doll in the vault, she begins to wonder if the curse is real.

We then see Mary receiving the gift of the doll from her father. She is thrilled to have Vita back, but her dad asks her not to mention it to her step-mother. Vita tells Mary that, together, they can do anything they want.

The Simms argue about him giving the girl the doll. The step-mother doesn't think Mary deserves it and is determined to get it away from her.

Micki and Ryan search for the receipt for Vita and find the Simms' address. They decide to head out to retrieve the doll, while Jack says he is going to consult a friend of his, a medium, about the curse on Lewis' antiques. He also tells them that they could just forget about it all and go back to their lives, but Micki speaks for them all when she says they have to get the doll back before thinking about resuming their lives.

Mary and Vita are having a tea party, with the doll slowly pushing Mary into dark thoughts about her step-mother. Mary is reluctant at first, but is easly swayed by the manipulative doll. Her step-mother arrives and lectures the girl, taking Vita away from her until the girl can learn to behave. She hides the doll, but Mary secretly watches.

Micki and Ryan are searching a map to find the Simms' home. Ryan asks if Micki is sure she knows what she is doing. She says no. He responds, "At least we have one thing in common."

Mary retrives Vita but is caught by her step-mother. Vita looks at Mary and then psychically moves a roller skate to the top of the stares. The stare from Vita causes Mrs. Simms to back up and then Vita hisses at her, causing the woman to tumble back and fall down the staircase.

As Mrs. Simms is being put into the ambulance, Micki and Ryan finally arrive. A neighbor tells them what happened and they see Mary with Vita. They approach and are startled when Mary snaps at them and Vita hisses. The girl and doll are loaded into the ambulance by her father, and the Simms head off to the hospital.

Mr. Simms tells his wife she is in the hospital and goes off to find a doctor, leaving the woman alone with Mary and Vita. The girl brings the doll up to her step-mother's bed, lifting her over the woman. Vita attacks, scaring Mrs. Simms to death. Mary's father comes back in and finds his wife dead, but is unaware of Mary's role.

Micki and Ryan approach some nurses, telling them they are the injured woman's niece and nephew. They are informed of her death. Unsure what to do next, they head off.

Mary's dad leaves her with a neighbor as he goes off to make funeral plans. The old woman watches as the girl plays with Vita and her other toys. Mary doesn't seem very upset about recent events, snapping at the old woman when she won't give her more cookies. When the woman pushes Mary to rest, the girl snaps and Vita helps her attack with the toys in her room, eventually causing a book case to topple over on the old lady.

Micki and Ryan arrive then and hear the commotion in the house. Ryan gets the door open and they rush in, finding the neighbor lady unconcious on the floor, the toys all having magically gone back where they belong. Ryan calls 911 as Micki spies Mary and Vita outside at the nearby playground. She rushes out after them.

Micki tries to talk to Mary, telling her she doesn't want to take Vita away, but she has no choice. Mary declines and uses Vita to torment Micki with the playground equipment. Micki is shocked that the doll can actually do these supernatural things, but she persists, leaping onto the merry-go-round when Mary won't let Vita go. The two are spun around, faster and faster, as the wind picks up and the sky darkens. Soon, Ryan jumps on and wrestles with Mary for the doll. As he pulls it free, Mary is thrown off. The sky clears.

Vita would be a match even for Chucky!

Mary is alive, but injured. Micki takes her back to the house, but not before reminding Ryan that, while they got this doll back, there are many other cursed antiques still out there.

Jack puts the doll into the vault, locking the doors behind him. He tells the cousins that since they objects were cursed they cannot be destroyed, so the only safe place for them is in the vault, in the basement of the store. Micki then calls her fiancee and tells him she is going to be staying at the store longer than she thought. He hangs up on her.

Ryan says they should change the name of the shop and Jack suggests "Curious Goods". Micki points out that they need to get back everything Lewis sold, plus everything they unwittingly sold, as well. Where do they begin? she asks, as Jack gasps at an article in the newspaper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My thoughts:

For a pilot, this is a damn good episode! It presents the characters, the setting, the ongoing plot for the series and even their first adventure in recovering the cursed antiques!

We are given accurate glimpes into the personalities of all the main characters here. Micki is shown as a modern beauty who stands her ground, but with class and a good heart. Ryan is spirited and goofy, but brave as well. Jack is mysterious and worldly, but willing to stop all that to help undo something he feels partially responsible for. In fact, all three of the characters put their lives on hold, knowing that they have to get these items back because if they don't, who will?

The store itself is a character here, not only the place where it all begins and a good part of the action happens, but also where the items need to be stored for the safety of the world, and where dark forces are held at bay. It is a great, creepy set, with multiple levels and dark corners.

I know I am biased, since I love this show, but for me this episode just hits all the right notes. Upon original viewing, I am sure a lot of people we sitting asking where the hell Jason Voorhees was. But for me, but the time the credits rolled, I didn't care that Jason wasn't here. In fact, I was glad! This was a different world and I wanted to get to know it and these characters. For three years, we had that opportunity and to this day, I, for one, still miss this show, and these characters.

So, I hope you enjoyed this laid back walk down memory lane. Whether anyone reads or comments, I intend to do all 72 episodes.

This is my tribute to my favorite show.

Next week: "The Poison Pen"

Friday the 13th: The Series 25th Anniversary

This Fall marks the 25th Anniversary of the airing

of the first season of my all-time favorite TV show,

Friday the 13th: The Series!

The summer of 1987 saw this brief commercial

airing on television stations across the country:

When I saw this, I was beyond excited.
There was no information given, other than the name
and the fact that a show was coming in the Fall.
Of course, many fans assumed Jason Voorhees was somehow
going to be dispatching campers weekly on our small screens.

But, as we all know now, that was not the case.

Jason was nowhere to be found.

In fact, this show shared its name and some
behind the scenes personnel only with the horror films,
due to producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. changing the name from
The 13th Hour to Friday the 13th: The Series in hopes
that name recognition would help draw in fans.
Did his plan work? I am sure it did, initially.

However, some casual viewers, upon realizing
there was no Crystal Lake connection, tuned out.
But, if you gave this show time to shine on its own, it did - and how! 

I was one of those Jason fans who tuned in to see what was going on,

but I was hooked from episode one by this show, all on its own merits.

The premise: Lewis Vendredi, owner of an antique shop, has decided to back out of his deal with Satan. See, Lewis is selling antiques that are cursed.
But Satan is not one to trifle with.

He sends Lewis straight to Hell.

Months later, Lewis' nephew and niece descend on the store, their inheritance. Ryan Dallion wants to reopen the unique place and sell the antiques. His cousin-by-marriage, Micki Foster, has other ideas. She wants to sell everything, including the store, and get back to her life. Eventually, she wins out and the duo has a "going out of business sale," sending even more of Lewis' cursed items out into the world.

Late one night, they are surprised by an intruder in the shop.

He turns out to be an associate of their uncle, a man named Jack Marshak.

A Renaissance man, Jack has supplied Lewis
with antiques from around the world for years.

He is devastated when he realizes what Lewis has done with those items,

and the cousins are confused and shocked, as well.

Soon, they are on their first mission, to get a cursed doll away from a little girl.

The trio realize they alone have the responsibility
to get all these cursed antiques

back and locked safely in the vault under the store.

Their lives will never be the same again!

The show ran for three seasons
in syndication before meeting an untimely end.
Why did it end?

There are conflicting reports. It did well in the ratings -
heck, in its first season, the show was second in ratings to
the hit Star Trek: The Next Generation!

Not shabby at all!

But cast changes, supposed pressure from morals groups and other factors
led the producers and Paramount to pull the plug on the show in 1990.

We never got to see the group collect the final antique.

We never had any resolution for the characters or premise, at all.

Yet, it still endures, with fans around the world thrilled
when the three seasons were finally

released on DVD these last few years.

I want to celebrate the show's anniversary.

Starting next Friday, I am going to do a weekly review
of each episode here on my blog.

There are 72 episodes, so this will be well over a year long celebration.
I hope you enjoy the reviews.
I know I will enjoy rewatching the episodes again!

A big THANK YOU to Rob Kelly for the 25th Anniversary banners!
Much appreciated!

Friday the 13th: The Series' R.G. Armstrong dies

Friday the 13th: The Series is my all-time favorite show, so it is with sadness that I read about the death of actor R.G. Armstrong, who played Uncle Lewis Vendredi on the show.

Uncle Lewis was the reason for all the trouble Micki, Ryan and Jack faced, since he was the one who originally owned the store and cursed and sold all the antiques the trio then had to hunt down and store in the vault.

Armstrong had a prolific career, his IMDb page lists 181 credits, dating back to 1954. He was a character actor who appeared in many TV series guest spots, including many westerns.

Here is a link to an article on his death.