Wednesday, October 8

2025 Halloween Countdown - Day 8


 

Welcome to Day 8 of our Ghost Host Halloween Countdown 2025! ๐ŸŽƒ Today, we’re diving into One Step Beyond, a 1959 anthology series hosted by John Newland. This public-domain gem blends eerie stories, haunting music by Harry Lubin, and Newland’s excellent narration.

Tuesday, October 7

2025 Halloween Countdown - Day 7 ๐ŸŽƒ

 Welcome to Day 7 of our Ghost Host Halloween 2025 Countdown! ๐ŸŽƒ๐Ÿ‘ป Dive into the spooky season with Dr. Gangrene's review of The Private Eyes (1980), a horror-comedy gem starring Tim Conway and Don Knotts. This old-dark-house mystery follows bumbling detectives Inspector Winship (Knotts) and Dr. Tart (Conway) as they investigate murders at the eerie Morley Estate, complete with hidden passages, cobwebs, and a torture chamber. Featuring Fred Stuthman (aka Jeepers Keeper, a legendary LA horror host) as Lord Morley, this film blends creepy atmosphere with classic comedy reminiscent of Abbott and Costello.


Is The Private Eyes a Halloween must-watch, or does its humor fall flat? Join us as we explore its spooky sets, quirky characters, and horror host connections! ๐Ÿ•ธ️๐Ÿ’€ Perfect for fans of horror comedies, Halloween movie marathons, and vintage mystery vibes. Don’t miss our take on this cult classic—subscribe and hit the bell ๐Ÿ”” for daily Halloween countdown videos leading up to October 31, 2025!

Grab The Private Eyes on Blu-ray:
https://amzn.to/4gVelKm

#Halloween2025 #HorrorComedy #ThePrivateEyes #TimConway #DonKnotts #HorrorHost #JeepersKeeper

Monday, October 6

2025 Halloween Countdown Day 6 ๐ŸŽƒ

Welcome to Day 6 of our horror countdown! ๐ŸŽƒ Dive into the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead, George Romero’s groundbreaking zombie masterpiece that redefined horror. We explore its low-budget brilliance, its accidental public domain status, and its lasting impact. Plus, we celebrate Pittsburgh’s iconic horror host Chilly Billy Cardille, the WIC-TV reporter who starred in the film and hosted Chiller Theater from 1963-1984. 


๐Ÿ’€ Join Dr. Gangrene for a nostalgic look at this 5-skull film, Romero’s legacy, and Chilly Billy’s unforgettable charm. What’s your favorite Romero movie? Comment below and check out our Top Romero Films list linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba6vEQ5-5RI Subscribe and hit the bell for more horror host history! ๐Ÿ”” #NightOfTheLivingDead #GeorgeRomero #ChillyBilly #HorrorHost #ClassicHorror

Sunday, October 5

2025 Halloween Countdown - Day 5 ๐ŸŽƒ

๐ŸŽƒ Welcome to Day 5 of our Ghost Host Halloween Countdown! ๐ŸŽฅ Join us as we dive into iconic horror hosts and the films/TV shows they star in. Tonight, we spotlight Boris Karloff’s Thriller (1960), one of the greatest horror anthology series ever!  


In this episode, we explore The Hungry Glass (Season 1, Episode 16), featuring William Shatner and Joanna Hayes as a couple moving into a haunted seaside mansion. Learn about the eerie legend of Laura Bellman, played by horror host legend Ottola Nesmith, whose chilling performance ties to her real-life role as a 1957 KTLA Channel 5 horror host. We’ll also dive into Thriller’s shift from crime to supernatural horror, its Weird Tales vibe, and its stellar cast, including Boris Karloff, Russell Johnson, and Elizabeth Allen. ๐Ÿ”ฎ Plus, discover Ottola Nesmith’s incredible career, from The Wolf Man to The Return of the Vampire to her career as a TV horror host. Don’t miss this deep dive into horror history! ๐Ÿ”” Subscribe and hit the bell for more spooky content in our Ghost Host Halloween Countdown! Join us tomorrow for another chilling horror host feature. ๐Ÿ’€Love classic horror? Drop a comment with your favorite Thriller episode or horror host!

Saturday, October 4

2025 Halloween Countdown Day 4 ๐ŸŽƒ

 ๐ŸŽƒ๐Ÿ’€ Welcome to Day 4 of our Halloween Countdown, where we dive into ghost host films—movies and TV shows featuring iconic horror hosts! Today, we’re breaking the rules with a curveball: Fright Night (1985), the ultimate horror host movie, starring Roddy McDowall as the unforgettable TV horror host Peter Vincent. Despite not featuring a real-life horror host, this cult classic earns its spot for its stellar vampire-hunting, horror-comedy brilliance.


From its spooky storyline to Roddy McDowall’s legendary performance, this film will really sink its fangs into you. Curious about why it’s a must-watch for horror host and vampire movie fans? Check out our full review and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Love Fright Night? Grab the DVD here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4n9f0tY

Friday, October 3

2025 Halloween Countdown - Day 3 ๐ŸŽƒ

๐ŸŽƒ Welcome to Day 3 of our Daily October Halloween Countdown! ๐ŸŽƒ Join us as we dive into spooky classics featuring iconic horror hosts. Today, we’re exploring The Legend of Blood Mountain, a regional gem from Atlanta, Georgia, starring the beloved horror host Bestoink Dooley, played by George Ellis. Unique regional horror with a quirky horror host! 


๐Ÿ‘ป In this 1960s cult classic, bumbling reporter Bestoink Dooley investigates the eerie rumors of Blood Mountain, where rocks mysteriously bleed, signaling the return of a restless creature. Filmed in Stone Mountain National Park, this amateur yet charming production captures the creativity of local filmmakers. Learn about George Ellis’s legacy as a horror host on Atlanta’s Big Movie Shocker and Friday Night Fright, and discover why this film is a hidden treasure for horror fans! Featured in this video: ๐Ÿ’€ The Legend of Blood Mountain ๐Ÿ’€ Atlanta TV horror host Bestoink Dooley ๐Ÿ’€ A nostalgic look at 1960s Atlanta TV culture. ๐Ÿ’€ Are you from Atlanta or familiar with Bestoink Dooley? Drop a comment below and let us know if you’ve seen this film! ๐Ÿ‘‡

Thursday, October 2

Dr. Gangrene's 2025 Halloween Countdown - Day 2 ๐ŸŽƒ

๐ŸŽƒ Welcome to Day 2 of our 2025 Halloween Countdown! ๐Ÿ‘ป Join our Dr. Gangrene as he dives into films and shows featuring real-life horror hosts. Today, we’re spotlighting the iconic Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996), the legendary HBO series based on EC Comics’ horror classics like Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, and Haunt of Fear. 


๐Ÿ‘ป Meet the Crypt Keeper, voiced by John Kassir, a Horror Host Hall of Fame member! This creepy, pun-loving puppet stole the show with his graveyard humor and cackling laugh. From its amazing opening sequence to star-studded episodes featuring actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Reeve, and Timothy Dalton, Tales from the Crypt became a cultural phenomenon. ๐Ÿ’€ Is the Crypt Keeper your favorite horror host? Let us know in the comments! ๐Ÿ‘‡ Featured in this video: ๐Ÿ’€ Tales from the Crypt (1989-1996) ๐Ÿ’€ Horror host The Crypt Keeper ๐Ÿ’€ Fun facts about the 1950s EC Comics, the 1972 Amicus anthology film adaptation, spin-offs like Demon Knight (1995) and Bordello of Blood (1996), and the Saturday morning cartoon! Love Tales from the Crypt? Grab the DVD here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/41xr6UZ

Wednesday, October 1

Dr. Gangrene Halloween Countdown 2025 ๐ŸŽƒ

 ๐ŸŽƒ Get ready for a spooky start to Halloween 2025 with Dr. Gangrene’s Halloween Countdown!๐Ÿงช Day 1 dives into The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant (1971), a wild B-movie that also features Larry Vincent, aka Seymour, the iconic horror host of Fright Night! ๐Ÿ’€ Join us in the lab all October as we explore “Ghost Hosts” ๐Ÿ‘ป — films featuring legendary horror hosts.

๐Ÿงช What’s Inside: Daily horror reviews, Seymour’s TV history, and Halloween spirit! ๐Ÿ’€ Perfect For: Horror fans, cult movie buffs, and spooky season lovers! Featured in this video: The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant (1971) Horror host Larry Vincent (Seymour) from Fright Night & Creature Features Fun facts about 1970s horror TV shows and cult classics

Buy a copy of the film (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/48bfY4g

Sunday, August 31

Where the Dead Live - 2001 SOV Horror ๐Ÿ“ผ

In 2001 the Chiller Cinema crew decided we wanted to make a movie. We got together with friends and shot it over a weekend on a farm in Tennessee. #sov #zombies #zombiemovies #wherethedeadlive

2001 Indy zombie movie, shot on video, directed by Chuck Angell. It originally aired on Dr. Gangrene's Chiller Cinema, episode 46 on 12/21/01. ๐Ÿ“ผ Directed by Chuck Angell Cast: Bryan Dorris - Bryan Annette Jones - Rose Kyle Jones - Kyle Linda Royer - Linda Karlee Bailey (Credited as Karlee Underwood) - Karlee Chuck Angell - Zombie Chris Baldwin - Zombie John Jones - Zombie Brandon Lunday Zombie Larry Underwood - Zombie

Tuesday, August 26

Dr. Gangrene's Horror Hootenanny is right around the corner!

Nashville's longest running rock-n-roll Halloween party is back, Saturday October 4th at EAST SIDE BOWL in Nashville! Dr. Gangrene gives all the details in the video below - 4 bands, costume contest, and big prizes, all for just 10 bucks!




Monday, July 28

Dr. Gangrene's Creature Feature

Back in the mid-2000s I hosted a program on the WB Channel 58 in Nashville called Creature Feature. It debuted in 2005, and ran off and on through 2010. During the run of the show the station changed named from the WB to the CW. It was an exciting time for me, as it provided a much wider audience and the station provided a terrific package of films for me to host.

 

Below is a partial list of films hosted by Dr. Gangrene while on the air on WNAB, Nashville's CW58. These were listed on my Wikipedia page, but I decided to move them here to clean up the page a bit, and link to them. First airing only listed (not reruns):

Film Date
Bruiser October 22, 2005
Dreamscape October 29, 2005
Sometimes They Come Back... for More November 5, 2005
Piranha November 12, 2005
Specimen November 19, 2005
Total Recall(1990 film) November 26, 2005
DNA December 3, 2005
The Devil Bat December 10, 2005
Beyond Tomorrow December 24, 2005
Nosferatu December 31, 2005
The Descendant January 7, 2006
Aerobicide January 29, 2006
The Giant Gila Monster February 5, 2006
The Ex February 12, 2006
Phoenix The Warrior February 19, 2006
Little Shop of Horrors March 11, 2006
Space Mutiny March 18, 2006
The Screaming Skull March 25, 2006
The Brain That Wouldn't Die April 8, 2006
Future Force April 15, 2006
Future Zone April 22, 2006
Total Recall1 April 29, 2006
Piranha May 6, 2006
The Wraith May 13, 2006
The House That Dripped Blood May 26, 2007
Night of the Living Dead October 13, 2007
The Last Man On Earth December 29, 2007
Five Deadly Venoms February 2, 2008
The Little Shop of Horrors September 13, 2008
The Phantom Planet September 27, 2008
White Zombie October 11, 2008
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2002 Version d. by Mark Redfield) November 1, 2008
Night Tide October 17, 2009
They Crawl October 30, 2009
The Hollow October 30, 2009
A Christmas Carol (1949 TV version) December 25, 2009
Deep Shock July 10, 2010
The Cave July 17, 2010
Black Cadillac July 24, 2010
Absolon July 31, 2010
Dark Waters (1993) August 7, 2010
Glass Trap August 14, 2010
Dark Descent August 21, 2010
The Untold September 4, 2010
The Sadist September 18, 2010
Eegah September 25, 2010
The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special October 31, 2010   

 

Following this run we changed the name of the show to Dr. Gangrene Presents. The format changed to a half-hour, with the Doc now hosting public domain TV shows like One Step Beyond, Suspense, and Boris Karloff's The Veil.

 Below is an episode of Creature Feature hosting The Brain that Wouldn't Die.

Saturday, May 24

Halfway to Halloween UPDATE

 We just passed the halfway to Halloween mark, so here's an update about the Halloween countdown and some of the cool stuff coming up in Nashville this October season.

Tuesday, May 6

Dr. Gangrene in the Hall of Fame!

 Greetings Fright Fans - I am excited to share some big news with you all - Dr. Gangrene was inducted into the Rondo Award Hall of Fame this year! 

The fact that last year marked my 25th anniversary as a host made it doubly meaningful. It was also my 20th year of hosting movies live at Wonderfest last year, as well as the 20th anniversary of our Horror Hootenanny show held every October (although we missed a couple of years during Covid). AND last year was the year that we got the Sir Cecil Creape historical marker installed in Nashville, something I'm truly proud of. 

This is a true honor, and I'd like to thank David Colton, everyone at the Rondo Awards, and everyone who voted for me this year. The Rondos are THE biggest award in our industry, and to be inducted into the hall alongside such greats as Zacherley, Vampira, Morgus, Chilly Billy, etc. is a true honor (I love that David used the photo of me and Zacherley on the website for the announcement). Congratulations to all the other winners as well as everyone who was nominated. Being recognized by your peers is the best part of the Rondo Awards. It makes it all worthwhile. #rondoawards



Tuesday, March 11

It's Rondo Time !

 It's awards season, fright fans, and in horror fandom, our special award, THE RONDOS, has just opened voting season. Ongoing now for an impressive 23 years, the Rondos are a fan-voted award for horror (and Science Fiction) excellence. The entries span an impressive variety of categories.



I am very honored to announce Dr. Gangrene has been nominated for 2 Rondo Awards this year:

1. Best Event of 2024Historical Marker dedicated near Nashville home of late horror host Sir Cecil Crepe, organized by Larry Underwood

2. Favorite Horror Host - Dr. Gangrene

I would also like to suggest you vote for Dr. Gangrene for Monster Kid of the Year for organizing the marker for Sir Cecil Creape. That makes him the first host in the country to have a permanent marker of this sort dedicated in his honor.

And Dr. Gangrene for Monster Kid Hall of Fame, for the 25 + years of hosting horror.


To Vote, simply send an email to taraco@aol.com and let him know you'd like to vote for Dr. Gangrene in the above categories. I'd be much obliged!

Thanks! And to see the entire ballot go to: rondoaward.com




Thursday, February 27

The Hand of Death is Gripping!

 It was my pleasure to appear on the Bride of Monster Kid Radio this week to discuss the 1962 John Agar film Hand of Death. Always fun catching up with Derek, we talked about the Hand of Death, upcoming Dr. Gangrene projects, and much more. You can check it out at the link below, and be sure to check out Bride of Monster Kid regularly, it's a great podcast!


Bride of Monster Kid Radio #014 - Larry Underwood faces 1962's Hand of Death


Returning to the podcast is long-time friend of the show Larry Underwood, aka Dr. Gangrene. He catches up with Derek, letting us know about what he's been up to, what he's got coming up, and his thoughts on the 1962 John Agar film Hand of Death (dir. Gene Nolan). Plus, Mark Matzke's Beta Capsule Review (Ultraman Ace)!

Voicemail: (360) 524-2484
Email: monsterkidradio@gmail.com

Sunday, February 16

Susan Oliver - a real thriller!

 I was watching an episode of Karloff's Thriller this week called Choose a Victim. It is episode 19 of Season One (1961 - directed by Richard Carlson). It's about a rich woman who befriends a beach bum and starts a romance with him, but it turns out it is a ploy that leads to murder (of course). I'm a big fan of Thriller. In fact, it might be my favorite anthology series of all time, depending on my mood... It's certainly one of my favorites. This episode starred Susan Oliver as the rich heiress and Larry Blyden as the beach dweller.

A couple of days later I watched an episode of The Twilight Zone and there was Susan Oliver again. This episode was People Are Alike All Over (episode 25 of Season One, 1960). It's about a pair of Earth astronauts (Roddy McDowell and Paul Comi) who crash land on Mars. Susan plays one of the Martians they encounter who are just a little too friendly.

Susan was a prolific actress on television, appearing in dozens of popular television shows the likes of Bonanza, The Andy Griffith Show, Gunsmoke, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Night Gallery, and The Wild Wild West. Her most famous appearance in genre circles was probably her performance as the green dancing alien in the original Star Trek. She appears in the closing credits of that show, so her image is burned into the memory of sci-fi fans everywhere. Her career stretched from the 50s to the 80s and she appeared in films as well, both made for TV and theatrical films. 

Susan was a terrific actress, stunningly beautiful and a talented performer. She is great in everything I've seen - I am definitely going to track down more of her work. Her career was tragically cut short when she died of cancer in 1990 at the age of 58. 

There is a documentary about Susan called The Green Girl that covers her life and acting career. It is available to watch on Tubi right now.



Friday, February 7

Tales of Terror

 

Last night, I rewatched my favorite film from the Corman Poe cycle - Tales of Terror. Made in 1962, this one features a fantastic script from the great Richard Matheson. Corman certainly recognized talent when he saw it. Matheson penned 4 of the Poe films - Charles Beaumont wrote another three, and Robert Towne wrote the final one, Tomb of Ligeia. Talk about an embarrassment of riches!

Tales of Terror is the fourth film in the series. It is a horror anthology comprised of three stories: Morella, The Black Cat, and The Case of M. Valdemar. Each of the stories features Vincent Price prominently. 


In Morella, Price plays Locke, whose estranged daughter Lenora (Maggie Pierce) returns to reunite with him before she dies of an illness. But the drunken, depressed Locke harbors a dark secret in the crumbling, cobweb-laden mansion…



The second tale is The Black Cat, a clever mashup of the Poe stories The Black Cat and The Cask of Amontillado. Matheson managed to combine the two tales flawlessly, and this story features my favorite segment of any film from Corman’s Poe cycle; the drinking contest between Fortunato Luchresi (Price) and Montresor Herringbone (Peter Lorre). Montressor stumbles into a wine-tasting convention and challenges the expert, Fortunato, to a tasting contest. The two actors play off one another perfectly in this segment, with Price genteelly sipping his wine in the approved fashion, while Lorre gulps great goblets of wine. 



The final story is The Case of M. Valdemar. Price plays Valdemar, an elderly man on his deathbed, who agrees to be hypnotized at the point of death by Carmichael (Basil Rathbone). This has unintended consequences, as Valdemar becomes trapped in a purgatory between life and death…


This film was a turning point in the series, as Corman decided to intentionally work humor into the script for the first time. Corman was worried they were beginning to repeat themselves in some ways with these films and thought working in humor would help differentiate this one. Which he should be credited for - always the artist, Corman wanted to stretch and try something new rather than take the easy route, which would have been more of the same. There had previously been humorous moments in the first three films, but this was the first time they intentionally made one of the films, or at least a segment of it, a comedy. The first three movies each featured a somber tone, but the second story in Tales of Terror leaned heavily into humor to great effect. That is not to say it was a straight comedy - it gracefully walks a tightrope between humor and horror, which isn’t the easiest thing to do. Matheson’s script has some genuine chills in addition to the laughs. This is the best segment in the film and sets the stage for a comedic feature film with the next Poe film, The Raven


“I am genuinely dedicated to your destruction.”



This segment also features a dream sequence that fits in with another theme I’ve been exploring recently - severed heads in films. Montressor returns from a heavy night of drinking at the pub and passes out on his bed. Now one note - at this point of the film he has discovered that his wife Annabel (Joyce Jameson) and Fortunato were having an affair, and has murdered both of them. He sealed their corpses inside a wall in the basement. He dreams that the two of them break free of their imprisonment and pull his head off, then begin playing catch with it. Lorre’s severed head begins protesting, “Give me back my head” while they play keep-away from his headless corpse, which is running around frantically.


It’s a neat little dream sequence, which these Corman films almost always feature - and has a touch of the macabre in it along with the humor; the scene of the corpses coming alive and breaking through the brick wall is legitimately spooky. I could see it giving young viewers nightmares in 1962.

All of the Poe films were influential to fellow filmmakers at that time, and it must be noted this was pre-Amicus days. There had been a few anthology films up to this point, but not a lot. This one helped pave the way for more to come, as Amicus’ first portmanteau, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, would be made just three years after this. It's not a stretch to imagine that Subotsky and Rosenberg, the founders of Amicus, were influenced and inspired by this film.


Thursday, February 6

The Corman Poe Cycle

 I've been thinking about the Roger Corman Poe cycle a lot lately after hosting the double-feature this past weekend. Corman produced and directed this series of films between 1960-1964. All were based on Poe works and all but one of them starred the great Vincent Price.

 
There are eight official films in the Poe cycle, although I personally like to include The Terror in the cycle too. It isn't officially based on a Poe work, but it looks and feels just like one of those films. It was made in 1963 and was produced and directed by Corman (with other directors shooting additional footage after-the-fact to complete the film). It was also mostly shot on the sets of The Raven. Corman famously wanted to take advantage of the still-standing sets before they were torn down, and hired Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson for a two-day shoot. If they had included a couple of lines from some work of Poe's at the beginning or end of the film, it would have fit as easily as something like The Haunted Palace, which bears no other Poe ties than a quick quote.


The official films in the Poe cycle are: House of Usher (1960), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), The Premature Burial (1962), Tales of Terror (1962), The Raven (1963), The Haunted Palace (1963), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), The Tomb of Ligeia (1964). 

 They raised his reputation in the minds of critics and fans alike,
and are arguable his signature work.

These films were a real game changer for Corman. Prior to this, he had been known primarily as a producer/director who made films fast and cheap. The Poe films, made on a bigger budget, with better scripts and name actors, proved he was capable of more than just exploitation quickies. And they were wildly successful. They raised his reputation in the minds of critics and fans alike, and are arguable his signature work. They raised his stature to that of an auteur - like Bergman, Fellini, or Hitchcock. These films are instantly recognizable as Corman films - they don't look and feel like any other director's work. And they've stood the test of time - they're just as captivating and haunting today as when they originally came out. 


 

Sunday, February 2

Roger Corman Double-Feature intro

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of introducing a Roger Corman double-feature at the historic Belcourt Theater in Nashville, TN. The screening took place at noon and featured two of Corman’s Poe adaptations—The Pit and the Pendulum and Masque of the Red Death. Many consider these to be the best of the series, but of course that's a matter of personal taste.

I recorded my introduction and shared it on YouTube, so I thought I’d post it here as well. The audience was fantastic, and it was truly heartwarming to see a modern crowd applauding films that have been around for over 60 years. Even better, a group of high school students attended, and one of them said afterward that The Pit and the Pendulum was the best horror movie he’d ever seen. How great is that?

A heartfelt thank you to the Belcourt for inviting me—it’s always an honor to be part of these screenings!


Thursday, January 30

The Frozen Dead

 A couple of days ago my friend Tim Lucas (film critic, writer, former editor of Video Watchdog magazine) posted a photo on Facebook from The Frozen Dead (1966). I’ve been aware of this movie for some time now and always meant to watch it but somehow never got around to it. Which is surprising because subject matter-wise it’s right up my alley. So, I thought I’d do myself a favor and finally seek this one out.

The Frozen Dead stars Dana Andrews as a Nazi mad scientist named Dr. Norberg, speaking with a German inflection no less! I’ve always liked Dana Andrews, so that was a plus for me right off the bat. The plot is suitably ridiculous for this type of film: Norberg is attempting to revive a squadron of Nazi soldiers that have been frozen since WWII, and in the process, has been carrying out wild experiments, which include a wall of severed arms kept “alive.”

He maintains a hidden room full of botched experiments—soldiers that were faultily resurrected as brain-dead zombies. The doctor’s niece unexpectedly arrives for a visit with a friend named Elsa (Kathleen Breck). Their stay doesn't go as well as expected, however, as one of the resurrected soldiers murders Elsa on their first night at the mansion.


(Gotta love that the frozen soldiers are held by clamps on their HEADS, like frozen chunks of beef.)

Not one to let an opportunity go to waste, Norberg uses this as an excuse to perform an experiment he'd always wanted to try. He keeps Elsa’s severed head alive in a box, with a plastic dome mounted over the top of her skull where the brain is now exposed. Her skin is also inexplicably blue.

While I appreciate the mad science shenanigans in this one, it’s unfortunately nowhere near as interesting as it could have been. The setup is great, but the film falls short in the execution; large portions of this one are just plain boring. The film also lifts heavily from the much better film The Brain that Wouldn’t Die (1962). Just as in that film, this one has a female head kept alive through science, a failed experiment locked away (the monster in Brain, the zombie soldiers in this one), and the head develops telepathic powers in each. Elsa begs for them to "Bury me," and in Brain we hear the woman (Jan, played by Virginia Leith) beg, "Let me die." By the way, The Brain that Wouldn't Die in turn borrowed material from the German film The Head (1959), which brings us back full circle with the Germanic influence.

The Frozen Dead was directed by Herbert J. Leder, who also directed It! starring Roddy McDowall. In fact, this film played on a double bill with It!. Leder had also previously written the screenplay for Fiend Without a Face.

Despite the pacing issues, The Frozen Dead is still worth a watch with plenty of outlandish elements, including zombies, frozen Nazi soldiers, gruesome experiments, a dungeon laboratory, severed body parts, and a head kept alive. Plus, it's got some memorable visuals. If you're a sucker for mad science films like me, then check it out!

Sunday, January 26

Cameron Mitchell, Horror Host

Last week, I discussed actor Cameron Mitchell's appearance in the film Nightmare in Wax. A few days later, I posted about my Halloween countdown of films from the Shock! package of Universal movies and the horror hosts who showed those films in their initial run on television in the 1950s and 1960s. Did you know that Cameron Mitchell also took a turn as a horror host? 


Well, sort of. More accurately, he played a horror-host-STYLE character in Terror on Tape (1985). This was a shot-on-video production that featured Mitchell playing the proprietor of a video store that specializes in horror movies. A trio of customers come into the shop (including scream queen Michelle Bauer), each looking for the scariest and goriest films in existence. Mitchell shows them clips from various horror movies on a television set resting on the counter. The film keeps cutting back and forth between the video store and the movie clips, with Cameron enthusiastically introducing each segment with a cheesy flair that would make the best horror host proud.






This program was made by Comet Video and Continental Video, and the movie clips were all from films distributed by Continental.


The movies featured were:


Nightmare

The Eerie Midnight Horror Show

Frozen Scream

Cathy’s Curse

Return of the Alien’s Deadly Spawn

Ruby

Night Creature

Suicide Cult

Scalps

Slayer

2000 Maniacs

Blood Feast

Color Me Blood Red

To the Devil a Daughter

Kidnapping of the President

Vampire Hookers

Alien Prey

City of the Walking Dead

Bloodtide

Madhouse Mansion


The best I can tell, Comet Video shot this for Continental. Either it was a collaboration between the two, or perhaps Comet was a subsidiary of Continental. Either way, it was a clever idea from Continental. Put together a fun little video using clips from their catalog - Instant advertising for their own movies. Ingenious!


Terror on Tape was released straight to video and became a favorite of kids of a certain age who stumbled across it at their local video store. Nowadays, these tapes go for big money - a quick search on eBay showed listings between 150 - 400 dollars. However, I think 150 is the standard price you can expect to pay on VHS in 2025 depending on the quality of the tape. Someone has it for sale there on DVD as well, but it’s pretty cheap (and is probably just a rip from tape). It’s those original VHS tapes that are coveted by collectors.


This tape is a nostalgic snapshot of a bygone era,
an age of big-box VHS and mom-and-pop video stores.



This tape is a nostalgic snapshot of a bygone era, an age of big-box VHS and mom-and-pop video stores. The clips are fun, but the host segments are what really make this work. They’re campy and fun and Mitchell does a great job as the cornball spooky host. The fog-shrouded store is decorated with cobwebs and spooky artifacts, and Mitchell makes the most of it, shuffling about the set, conversing with skulls, and introducing the films with a hammy flair. It’s silly, ridiculous, and completely charming. Worth a look, you can find a copy on YouTube or archive.org.