Good evening and welcome to Night's Gallery. Thank you, Rod, and I
want to welcome everyone to Midnight Viewing, where once a month we talk all
about your follow up to the Twilight Zone, Rod Serling's Night Gallery. They
say it's Rod through Ling's Night Gallery, and it isn't really Rod through Las
Night Gallery. It's somebody else's. Oh we know, we talk about it
a lot. Your curators at Midnight Viewing are the projection booths. Mike White,
What can happen to human beings when trust is wiped out by suspicion and
culture casts? Chris Stashue, small boy incased in the Crystal Ball, and
I'm father Malone, the kind of thing that usually infest nightmares, joined us
monthly at Midnight Viewing. The Night Gallery podcast at weird Ingwaymedia dot Com doesn't
remotely belong to me. I have no proprietary interest in that at all.
Weird Welcome to Dark Destinations, an ongoing investigation into the shadowy corners of the
Globe, where our haunted past meets our startling future. Episode six. Santa
Carlo m oh Yeah, spinner of Yarns, spinner of wax, Spin that
dial to me, sit back, and relax. You're listening to Johnny Corkscrew
here on k n LD, but they're not are they? Guess they need
a new intro hunt, Terry? Ay, are you waving me off?
You can talk? You know how about this? You're listening to k n
LD with a robot revolution has begun. Bow down to your pre programmed,
marketing tested overlords. Are you looking for a DJ to guide you musically and
directions you didn't even know you wanted? Tough titty From now on, you
swallow what corporate rock has decided you need to consume, right, Terry,
they leave me out of it. Sorry, man, I just don't know
what the hell they're thinking. Either fire me or let me out of my
contract. I can go find a station that needs on air talent, I
mean a field piece. I'm not a reporter, you know. I only
have a journalism degree because there wasn't a play records get famous and do blow
off a hot chick's course at sc What about you, Terry? You consider
yourself a journalist? Stop? I'm not on our talent joone quite Frankly,
I'm excited to be out of the engineering. How's the sound? Is it?
Okay? Considering we're flying up pch with a microphone clip to my visor.
Everything sounds good when I recorded, and it sounded better if he stopped
bitching and actually do the assignment. You know you were right. No one
wants to hear from you. You know I'm your producer, right, Starry,
Please, talent is talking now, Santa Carla Field piece, take one.
Listen up. It is September the fifteenth, nineteen seventy nine. I'm
Johnny Corkscrew. You're a newly minted or oving reporter. I'm driving the next
seven hours up the Pacific Coast Highway. It is a little after two am,
so no traffic, just moonlight on dampled ocean to my left, canyon
bluffs looming up to the right, and a ceaseless ribbon of twisting, curving
flattop ahead. And at its end, I'm going to be telling you about
a joyful spot that's soon to be a memory. Good to know I'm not
the only thing being left behind in the name of progress. Now I'm going
to be tuning my radio over to KDVL because they've always played better music than
us. Johnny, you can just cut that last part out, mister producer.
Join us and celebrating the coming day all season at all. When you
think back to childhood, it's usually the happy memories that spring to mind,
a mental and emotional kind of editing worthy of the reader's digest birthday parties,
endless summer days, first love. But if you were lucky enough to grow
up near an amusement park, I'm gonna guess that those are the images you
see when you close your eyes, prowling their grounds, hot dogs and cotton
candy, games of chance, and the rides thrilling, dizzying and at times
genuinely frightful. Now, these parks come in all shapes and sizes, water
parks, historical parks, theme parks, and they're each incredible in their own
ways. There's something special about a boardwalk. I mean, there's a reason
it's the top dog and monopoly, a terrific blend of all the man made
fun you can handle and all the genuine splendor that nature has to offer.
The Eastern Seaboard has scores up them up and down the coast, dating back
to the mid nineteenth century. In some places. Here in California, we've
only got a handful venice playland up in Frisco and the one I'm standing on
right now. The Santa Carlo Boardwalk has been in operation since nineteen oh six.
Kind of a bummer of a year. What would the earthquake up in
San Francisco that shook so hard here? It knocked down nearly every chimney in
town and demolished a courthouse and the opulent summer destination for the rich, the
Atlantis Hotel over on Hudson's Bluff. The courthouse is recovered, the Atlantis swallowed
up by the rocky coastline not so much. But aside of some cosmetic damage,
the boardwalk persisted, not only survived, but thrived, and for the
next sixty years it would delight generations of Californians seeking solace from the summer heat
and distraction from tumultuous reality. But like everything in these dwindling days of the
twentieth century, everywhere, the demand for such novelty is fires as surely as
the sun will dip and fade behind the ocean that fronts the boardwalk, dragging
down night Perhaps forever had to blast of wind there at the end. Yeah,
and some lunatic was yelling about vampires. Sound good otherwise, surprisingly good.
You think I might have a future in radio? Don't hand sign me?
Terry? Where do you want me to start? From? The earthquake
radio men from Mars? That's us? How are you all? The timer?
Old Martians are rude, honesty above feeling. That's the Martian code of
Grahamson piss and we should interview him. No, yeah, you should interview
me. I think we've got enough interviews for the day. Sorry, man,
you understand I want knocked Mickey Rooney flat on his ass right over there.
Of course we still have a bit of tape, right Terry? Okay?
Boardwalk Interview September fifteenth, nineteen seventy nine. Johnny Corkscrew and what's your
name? Most people around town just call me Pops. Groovy Pop's Interview,
Take one. So are you a Santa Carlo resident? Born and raised,
lived my whole life here, raised up a family in my own here too.
I'm assuming you came to the Boardwalk a lot, did lots of good
memories of the place. So are you signed to hear that this might be
the last season? Not at all glad to see it go? What about
all those memories? Still got them? And I prefer to keep them unsullied,
which is a mighty chore these days. There's a bad element taking root
here and nobody gives a damn. Those hippie kids are terrible. Are you
ridiculing me? Son? I don't want to have any issue with them flower
kids. My own daughter was one of them. Hippie kids won't beat you
up and leave you half dead just for the fun of it. Is that
what makee Verney did to you? That was off the boardwalk years ago over
at the Amphitheater. And no, he never laid a hand on me.
He was gruffed to my girl, and I laid him out flat. That's
the whole story. And if you're gonna be flipped, I guess I don't
have much else to say to you. That was flipped. I apologize.
So no other matinee idols taking up residence and are causing trouble here in the
boardwalk, dick powelas and chaking down kids behind the tilted world. I swear
I saw George rafffull a switchblade on a tourist from fres Now. To hell
with you. You'll be laughing out of the other side of your face when
you realize just how close. You are already good luck with your radio piece,
Martian. Make sure you hang around till sundown, won't you? Only
if you'll be here, I'll be safe at home. Laughing at you hang
around here, I'm a fool, clearly I am. Wow. Let's interview.
Yeah, what a great suggestion. Keep them commentary. Okay, how
about you behave like a professional? It all makes sense now, management taking
you off the air? Was that an insult? It's as stupid as your
instincts. If they had a problem with me interacting with others, why on
God's green earth would they pull me out of a solitary situation and send me
out in the field are to talk to people. This is going to sound
like I'm goofing on you, but I assure you I am not. You
are going to go very far in this industry. Could be they sent you
away because you're dragged to have around. It's another deep observation. Thanks,
What time is it looking at three seventeen? No, it is not.
Surveys at time. I'm not falling for that again, surveys at time.
We're in Santa Carla. Do you have any idea per capita how many burned
out hippies and druggies there are in this town. Throw a rock and you'll
hit one. If anything, it's philocybin time here in Santa Carla. That
would be an excellent piece, You and me tripping so hard we leave our
bodies as they're hurtling around on the roller coaster. Absolutely not, Well,
a beer doesn't sound quite so awful, now, does it? Come on?
I saw a bar over near the merry around. Ah, you'll see,
it'll all just disappear. I don't view the world as apocalyptically as you.
That's because you're like ten years old. Life is a never ending adventure
for you. You've never once even contemplated riding off into the sunset because you're
too busy galloping away from the sunrise. No tomorrow Land, that's where you
live. But I'm here to tell you everything fades, especially if it's cool.
When I was a kid, do a beatnix Man, shadowy, mysterious,
speaking a new language. Where'd they go? Bulldozed over? Like all
the other big city beautiful bits of architecture, And what do we replace?
Urban dreadway, suburban outrage, hippies, terry by the thousands, dirty and
aimless, but you know what, still cool, still fun. Since then,
it's been a cultural free for all. But now in just a few
months, this whole cool crazy decade ends, and I guarantee you cool is
going down with it. Believe me, Everything dies and resurrection is a fairy
tale. Pardon me if we're botching it. But that's a very glib attitude
to my friend Glib. That's me. I'm buried glib. Perhaps you're familiar
with the musical stylings of my group, the Bleegs. You'll have to excuse
him. He's drunk, drunk, we're drinking beer. It's like having sex
and a dinging fucking close to water. That's funny. You should be on
the radio. There's a thought. I'm Johnny. The feet is paying the
tab is terry? You want something nice to meet? You can, No,
I'm not. It's a work expenditure. We're working. I'm working.
It's nearly dusk. I'm gonna have a look around out there. How about
this be the last round? And there he went, running hard, trying
to beat the sunrise. And you are Erneto Guancho proford ooh a prof At
the risk of offending Rannesto, I shouldn't confess I was never won much for
academia. Oh that's astonishing. Oh he's a sharp prof You must be a
magnet for all the co eds. I'm sure it would be if I ever
saw the insight of a classroom. Deadly boring stuff. Teaching analysis has its
merit, but it's limited. I've river to work in the field. A
field you teach soccer or something. Lacrosse coach. I travel the country seeking
out that which never dies, myth and legend. How does that pay well
enough to retain an assistant? That's him over there, looking kid? Kind
of square he is, But I can afford him full time because I have
grants from half a dozen universities here and abroad. So you and Dave,
You and Dave just tool around and talk to the locals about like the Permuter
triangle and the Locknets monster. If we were in Scotland or ben Mulla,
we would. My focus is more purely on American folklore, even if it
is derived in other countries. We are currently researching the Windigo. It's a
Native American hunger demon. That sounds incredibly boring. I'm just goofing. Sounds
cool, Johnny, You should get out here, his master's voice. Be
right there. I'm sure this is going to be spectacular. You and Dave
card to join us. Professor there might be here, of course, tell
me you didn't just want to watch the sunset together? What look over there?
All I see is ocean. I think he means they're standing over on
the bluff. Exactly who are you, Terry Dave? Dave? Terry Dave
works with the Professor here? Well, Dave's right, look over on that
bluff. See them. There's half a dozen people all in black with big
black hats. How can you miss them? I see them? So what?
Maybe Alice Cooper is playing this weekend? Actually I think the Doobie Brothers
are playing. Okay, so it's a bunch of depressed Doobie Brothers fans.
Maybe the Living Theater opened up a West Coast branch. What do I care?
Because I was looking directly at that spot. One second it was empty,
and the next day were there like they just appeared? Was it as
soon as the sun jeeped below the horizon? Yeah? Those Villantes oscuros?
So what dark watchers never heard of them? A supernatural phenomenon unique to the
West Coast spectral figures who stand silent witness. They've been seen for centuries,
first by the Chumas tribe, then Spanish settlers. I'm looking at ghosts.
Possibly, no one knows for sure. My point is, do you think
those Halloween freaks are real or not real? Sunbeck wrote about them. Legend
has it they appear at times a great turmoid. If I had to guess,
something very bad is about to occur in Santa Goda, You guys are
too much. That's a bunch of frant brothers who want to freak out the
tourists. Whoa wa, did you see that? Where the hell did they
go? Are they supposed to do that? Professor Oscuros, my friend,
dark times are coming. Are you seriously not going to talk about what we
just saw? I'm not not talking about it, and no, I'm not
talking about not good to keep frightening feelings all corked up inside? Is this
my friend Terry talking or is it producer Terry. I didn't think we were
friends, and I don't think you're considering how cool those dark Watchers could be
for the piece, Producer Terry. And we're not give me the money we're
recording yep and three two. Hey, gang, Johnny Corkscrew will go to
any lengths to bring his loyal listeners to where the action is at. Right
now, I am seated comfortably aboard the Jewel in the Santa Carla boardwalk crowd.
The gold Rush. It's a roller coaster that opened way back in nineteen
twenty four and hasn't lost a bit of its luster. That clanking and rattling
you. Here is me being towed up the lift hill headed for the first
big drop, Which is as good a time as any to discuss death.
Yeah, that's right. With this beautiful monument to terror facing its imminent demise,
let's talk about the times it helped its riders into the great beyond.
First one was opening day, It was the last ride of the night.
In more ways than one, some clown decided to stand up at the moment
the cars went back under the superstructure, sending his head down onto the unsuspecting
crowd below. That's a way better prize than a stumped animal from the ring
toss game. Since then, twenty seven others have met their maker on this
beauty. They say it's perfectly safe now, though we'll see I am truly
sorry about your shoes and your pants. Oh man, I got your shirt
too. Stop talking about it. As long as the equipment is vomit free,
we want to pack it in maybe start fresh tomorrow, of course I
do. But we haven't gotten one clip if anyone who works here yet,
it's just you yammering on about ancient history. I'm sensing you're absent, so
let's go get some recording done. How about the merry go round operator.
You know what's called a carousel terry? My parents were carnies. I know
what the goddamn spinning horse ride is called. That explains a lot. But
no, they've got that music blaring NonStop. The interview would be useless till
tow all same problem as it is. I doubt any of the roller coaster
stuff is going to be salvageable games it is interview me. No, I
don't think kind of allowed to talk to anyone. Sorry, good luck,
I've never been on the radio. Great, you'll do it. I don't
think that's a good idea. Come on, why not? I don't think
anyone else is going to think so either. It's closing time for games.
You might want to get off the boardwalk. Does that mean everything is closing?
Some of the rides stay openly, but I gotta go one. It's
nicely Okay. I'm done with crazy old men and ghosts and everything else for
today. I will soldier on in your absence. Seriously, I'm gonna keep
going the report. How are you going to puke on? Not a drug?
Trust me. I think you're right about the dark Watchers angle maybe some
other locals from seeing them. There you go. See, I'm not just
an engineer. I have good producing ideas. That being said, please don't
record near the carousel. All the tape will be worthless. Gotcha, carousel
is off limits. A gang Johnny Corkus grew again. I survived the Gold
Russian Mountain, taking it a bit slower here at the Santa Carla Carousel.
Odd that the rane most associated with the children is the one that closes last
on the board walk. But here we are. The Ryan operator is as
uncooperative as all the games people. So I'm going to try and talk to
some of my fellow equestrian enthusiasts. There's way more people here than you'd expect.
Just the same, I think I'm gonna skip talking to the group of
punkers in the corner two scary. There are a couple of biker mamas on
horse back currently, but I got to look at their old men when I
came in here, and I like my face arranged the way it is currently.
If that leaves the dreaded task of talking to that pretty young lady who's
chosen to ride the stationary stallion side sat him if I can get her attention,
excuse me? I mind if I join you? The field's wide open.
Anybody's race mount take a horse, take one. I can't not much
of a strap hanger. What it's what you're not? So? Are you
a local? You've raved cross seat a field of galloping horses to ask me
that I wanted to know if I could interview you, that explains how you're
half machine. You're a recorder, so you're press. How exciting I'm taking
that? Is it? Yes? You want to know something strange? I
despise human interaction. This carousel is as close as I usually get to human
beings. Something about to night, that's a yes? Do you mind?
If we do it outside the music way too loud? The table will be
unlistenable. It's not going to make a difference. But I'm bored with this
ride. Follow me right on? Whoa girl? WHOA? How far are
we going? So you're a reporter, huh the unwilling kind. From the
look of you, I'll guess it's not television. No, I got a
face made for radio. I adore wireless. Do you work for KAB It's
all I listened to. They start broadcasting at sunset. Now I'm based out
of La. I'm a disc jockey. Horses discs, no endo your jockey
abilities, Yeah, but I'm a failure at both well not veil just replaced
my station's automating. Who needs that human touch when a robot jock can play
everything they want you to buy? And now they have you gad flying about
pestering the masses. Yeah, with a nostalgia piece Death of the Boardwalk at
the fun to Drag. Not being in the studio, but I'm warming up
a little bit. It allows me to talk to some interesting and beautiful people.
Flatterer, you know, you're both And as my grandfather used to say,
most modesty is the same as pride. Johnny Corkscrew Santa Carla Interview.
What's your name, Lily? Santa Carla interview, Lily, So, what's
your story? How much tape do you have? Miles? Not nearly enough?
Santa Carla is a weird town, Lily, but you have to be
the weirdest inhabitant. I know, I am, But why do you say
that? You look like you're twenty one tops, But the way you talk
reminds me of my grandma. I keep expecting you to start belting out a
big band tune that was a fine era hopeful. See everything that comes out
of your mouth. That generation are children to me? God, you just
don't stop. I like it, I mean commit So you never answered me
back? There? Are you a Santa Carlo resident? I've spent every summer
here in Santa Carlo for seventy three years. Now, before that, a
few decades in a town called Slaughter Beyond that was the geometric beauty of Chicago
for nearly half a century. I knew it. You're on acid. I've
heard they still have a supply of owlsley and liquid form up here. How
many drops did you swallow? And more importantly, do you have any more?
I cannot die, Johnny, Uh huh, You're immortal, gotcha,
and you're just now choosing to reveal yourself to the world. Now, answer
a question for me. Is this your calling radio? Yeah, this tonight.
You're on a beach interviewing me. This is what you're meant for.
No. I ought to be spinning fat stacks of wax and drinking top shelf
Margarita's with rock stars. But you've been forced from that path before you'd even
reached your destination. That breaks my heart. I have seen and done,
and felt and experienced every facet of this life that even vaguely interested me,
and with all the time to ponder, I've learned a valuable truth. There's
never enough time, never enough life that is perfect. That's going to cut
into the story Like Gangbusters, I guess you'd say, Boy, this story
just keeps on changing. At first, I thought it was going to be
some heartwarm and hanky fest, you know, sounds of rides and cotton candy.
And then Terry had this crankpot notion that we should focus on the Dark
Watchers, which is a dead end. But now I'm thinking this could be
deep, like Award Dark Watchers. Yeah, it's dumb. We saw a
bunch of freaks out on the bluff earlier. Black cloaks, wide rim hats,
staring silently. Yeah, some professor told us about them. I'm sure
you've seen them. Do you have any idea who those jokers are? Alien?
What? What the where were you hiding? Yes, princess, princess?
Where are the others? I haven't a clue where pork is. But
Yadweka and Dante had an altercation with our new friends. They're back at the
Atlantis, the old hotel. What I do my research? Have you chosen
a new familiar? Maybe ignore him? The Atlantis is compromised. I would
strongly urge once again that we vacate for something safer. We have bigger problems
than annihilation. Last v Atlantis Oscaros here. We're too far south this very
afternoon here. I'll see you around, Johnny, but if you're smart,
you'll leave immediately. What you're going? Wait? What? Why did he
call you? Princess? Let me pull him apart? Slow down, big
man, for now, Johnny Keith vigilant. There's more than the end of
fun at play here in Santa Carlo. You're sure you don't want me to
follow you. I would enjoy watching you try. What the hell is happening?
Is everyone here tripping on hallucinogens, including me. Okay, I'll see
you around. I'll be at the bar. Santa Carla man Rakis said,
call you a capras. Smells like it's gonna rain. Nah, it's walkable.
Thanks for putting up with me past last call me. Let me give
you a ride. Not necessary bar. Keep as to yourself. Just walk
fast, okay. If anyone says anything you had Norman, keep walking,
gotcha? No chit chat, just pitter pat good man. I don't know
about that. Oh, come on, don't rain bad enough. Everything east
of the boardwalk is uphill. Now let's make it all slick. Hello,
anyone there, We need to get jumpy. Just a few more blocks.
Hello, glad you're having fun? Punk Joe, I'm a priest to see
you know, wouldn't hurt a man of the cloth, now, would you?
Was your color priest back at the hotel. I'm just gonna run along
and grab it or not, I don't need it needs. Everyone's so obsessed
with their needs. Take heart and knowledge that soon you'll never want for anything
ever again. Your eyes? The hell are you? Oh Lily, Lily,
she must be one of you, you know her? Lily and uh
Callian, they're they're friends of mine, No, friends of mine. You
don't have to do this. You're right, I need to go back night
creature. He's no priest, Mattiah. You don't what to use that.
Look at the cross, see your holiness Drasa back, Johnny, get behind
me, oh man, little cross? Why are close now? Priest?
But I can hear you and I'll find you, you and your useless cross,
and I get my hands on you. You slow, Yes, follow
my voice, Santa Maria, what do you? Marta Dominostrin hold Apronobi's bacta
torribuson and it's a most vampires. Yes? What did he do to him?
He was covered in rainwater? I blessed it? Are we safe?
Moment? Jeremy good, I'm I'm gonna pass out. This episode of Dark
Destinations was written and produced by Father Malone and featured performances by Antonio Lapour,
Harris Porter, Dakota Sky, Matt Shaffrey Rudden, Chris Stashie, Andrew Bedio.
Music by HP Music. Until next time, May all your journeys lead
to Dark Destinations