Friday Frights, the (1989-91)

TV2 decided viewers needed a good scare to start the weekend.

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of a fellow archival TV researcher we have the list of movies they screened.

1990

Straight from the horror chamber 

By TRACY TAYLOR in The New Zealand Herald (2/11/1989) Pg 1

Sir Robert Muldoon will rise from the shadows of the back benches this month to undergo a ghoulish transformation from politician to vampire. The former Prime Minster will become the black-cloaked, pale-faced, red-eyed Count Robula when he begins fronting the Friday Frights late-night horror movie slot on TVNZ's Channel Two from November 17. And he admits he Is not a pretty sight. "I look awful — you won't be able to look at me. I am really very nice looking, but this is awful," he said yesterday. Sir Robert is not exactly, sure why TVNZ chose him to front the 13-movie horror series, but has his own theory on the motives behind his selection. "They thought I was the most horrible creature in Parliament ... ," he said. 

'Classics' The movies to be screened were described by Sir Robert as "classics," but he admitted he is not a horror fan despite being no stranger to it. In 1986 he starred In the Rocky Horror Show stage musical playing the role of narrator and finds himself facing horror regularly in the political arena. "I get enough horror in the chamber in Parliament. Nothing in the movies is as awful as the people I see across the floor of the House," he said. Mr Neil Roberts, of Cornmunicado, came up with the idea of casting Sir Robert as Count Robula to give the Friday Frights a theme.

`Alarming' In his Dracula garb Count Robula looks "quite alarming," but, according to Mr Roberts, it is Sir Robert's trademark chuckle which steals the show. As he closes the movie slot, Count Robula bids fare-well to viewers inviting them to Join him the follow lag Friday night and then subsides into his distinctive laugh. "So join me then for a frightfully good time. Sweel dreams. Heh, heh. heh." 

Cartoon from the NZ Herald (18/11/1989)

Count Robula's a Friday fright

From The Evening Post (17/11 1989)

The former Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, makes his entrance in yet another television role tonight (11.35) as Count Robula, presenter of The Friday Frights movie on Channel 2.

Sir Robert has recorded 13 opening and closing sequences for The Friday Frights. As Count Robula he introduces each film while seated at an old wooden desk covered with cobwebs.

Positioned around him are a skull, a skeleton and an old candelabra: He gives some thoughts on the film and will give an insight into the moral of the story.. After introducing the movie for the coming week he will close with: So join me then for a frightfully good time. Sweet dreams. Heh, heh, heh, heh.

Sir Robert was first associated with horror productions when he took to the stage as the narrator in The Rocky Horror Show. He says he doesn't look out for horror roles but they can be a bit of fun when they come along. Nor is he fazed by the prospect of being typecast In horror roles. A lot of people do that to me already as a politician, he said. Sir Robert said he enjoyed acting as it was a bit of fun and was also a change from Parliament. I get sick and tired of sitting In the House these days. It is not the same place it used to be. There are a bunch of Idiots in Government and Parliament. The whole thing has been a bit of a farce for several years now.

Sir Robert said he saw more horrible things in Parliament than he ever would in The Friday Frights. He described The Friday Frights as old classic horror movies which were quite different from the types of things you get today. They shouldn't upset anyone or turn anyone into delinquents.

Sir Robert is no stranger to television acting having performed in the children's drama series, Terry and the Gun-runners and in commercials for Countrywide Bank.

Neil Roberts, of Communicado, which filmed The Friday Frights presentations, said Sir Robert was the ideal person for the job. Sir Robert is a bit of a showman and is one of the most experienced tele-vision performers in the country.

He said Sir Robert had a distinctive appearance suitable for such a role. We would have gone over the top with fangs and such like but it was not necessary.

Roberts said it was certainly unusual for a former prime minister who was also a knight to be presenting horror movies, but he thought it was great. A lot of politicians end up being pompous stuffed shirts, Roberts said. I think it is great that we have a former Prime Minister who enjoys a bit of show business fun.