To kick off Halloween Week on Tool Time, Tim and Al will be racing pumpkins. Yes, that's right. Racing pumpkins. While Al's was built according to the rules and powered entirely by gravity, Tim has once again gone the complete opposite route and powered his by a chainsaw motor. I think you can all guess what's going to happen. Let's just say that after the race, Tim's pumpkin will make a nice pie. At home, Tim and Jill grow concerned for Mark, who seems to have been moping around the house for days, and Brad and Randy refused to take him along to their Halloween parties. All may not be lost, because Mark and his new Goth pal Ronnie are planning to make their own horror movie. He even casts the family in it. They're more than happy to oblige. It starts out innocent enough: Tim and Jill play Jim and Lil, a typical 1950s Suburban couple, along with picture-perfect kids Chad and Andy, played by Brad and Randy. They're all sickeningly, syrupy sweet, there has got to be a catch. As a matter of fact, and as shocking as it may seem, there is, and it's one the family never would have anticipated.
One night, as Tim tries to repair what's left of his pumpkin racer, he and Jill decide to peruse some old Tool Time tapes. In the process, they come upon a rough cut of Mark's movie. Reluctantly, they decide to view it and see if young Mr. Spielberg is on the right track. They see the family shot from earlier. You know, the one right out of Leave it to Beaver. Turns out, there's a missing element: the "forgotten" son, Clark, played by Mark, who has something nefarious in mind for getting back at his family for ignoring him. Tim and Jill are at a loss for words. So Clark visits the resident mad scientist, Dr. Wilsonstein, and his assistant, Algore, for their help in transforming his family into zombies. But that's not all, as the film ends with Clark saying his zombified relations must be dealt with. Well, Tim thinks the movie is great fun, but Jill, ever the amateur psychologist thinks it's a cry for help and a celluloid depiction of how Mark views his family. Yeah, Jill actually believes her own son wants to kill her... not that I'd blame him. Anyway, on to the next scene: the decapitation. Mark's got the backyard all decked out with candles, creepy black backdrops, and family pictures covered in blood. Tim is excited, but Jill still isn't so sure. First up on the chopping block, literally, is Tim. Things get a little too real when it's revealed that Mark was using a real blade! Fearing her son was making a snuff film, Jill calls cut...the other kind, and forces Mark to come inside with them for a family talk. They all share their feelings and come to a mutual agreement: they'll do the scene if Mark uses the hard-rubber blade instead. So from here on out, it looks as though everything will work out fine. Tim and Jill do the scene, get their heads chopped off, and it's a fun time had by all.
Another classic Home Improvement Halloween. It's really funny, and even genuinely terrifying at times. The scene at the beginning when Al reminds Tim of the race regulations would only be the start of rules trying to put a damper on Tim's holiday fun, because at Christmas, they'll put a wattage limit on his lights, but that's another story. A Night to Dismember also addresses Mark's sudden conversion to Goth, wearing all black, complete with nail polish. It was a fad in the '90s and early '00s. If the show were made today, Mark would be a brooding emo. There's nothing wrong with expressing your feelings, but when you shout it out by changing your appearance and lifestyle, it tends to freak people out, as demonstrated in this episode. Thankfully Mark abandons the trend in Season 8. So if you know somebody who's gone full on Goth, or you like independent horror movies and you want something to watch this Halloween, add this episode to your watchlist. Horror with more power!
One night, as Tim tries to repair what's left of his pumpkin racer, he and Jill decide to peruse some old Tool Time tapes. In the process, they come upon a rough cut of Mark's movie. Reluctantly, they decide to view it and see if young Mr. Spielberg is on the right track. They see the family shot from earlier. You know, the one right out of Leave it to Beaver. Turns out, there's a missing element: the "forgotten" son, Clark, played by Mark, who has something nefarious in mind for getting back at his family for ignoring him. Tim and Jill are at a loss for words. So Clark visits the resident mad scientist, Dr. Wilsonstein, and his assistant, Algore, for their help in transforming his family into zombies. But that's not all, as the film ends with Clark saying his zombified relations must be dealt with. Well, Tim thinks the movie is great fun, but Jill, ever the amateur psychologist thinks it's a cry for help and a celluloid depiction of how Mark views his family. Yeah, Jill actually believes her own son wants to kill her... not that I'd blame him. Anyway, on to the next scene: the decapitation. Mark's got the backyard all decked out with candles, creepy black backdrops, and family pictures covered in blood. Tim is excited, but Jill still isn't so sure. First up on the chopping block, literally, is Tim. Things get a little too real when it's revealed that Mark was using a real blade! Fearing her son was making a snuff film, Jill calls cut...the other kind, and forces Mark to come inside with them for a family talk. They all share their feelings and come to a mutual agreement: they'll do the scene if Mark uses the hard-rubber blade instead. So from here on out, it looks as though everything will work out fine. Tim and Jill do the scene, get their heads chopped off, and it's a fun time had by all.
Another classic Home Improvement Halloween. It's really funny, and even genuinely terrifying at times. The scene at the beginning when Al reminds Tim of the race regulations would only be the start of rules trying to put a damper on Tim's holiday fun, because at Christmas, they'll put a wattage limit on his lights, but that's another story. A Night to Dismember also addresses Mark's sudden conversion to Goth, wearing all black, complete with nail polish. It was a fad in the '90s and early '00s. If the show were made today, Mark would be a brooding emo. There's nothing wrong with expressing your feelings, but when you shout it out by changing your appearance and lifestyle, it tends to freak people out, as demonstrated in this episode. Thankfully Mark abandons the trend in Season 8. So if you know somebody who's gone full on Goth, or you like independent horror movies and you want something to watch this Halloween, add this episode to your watchlist. Horror with more power!
