Farewell to THE RUE MORGUE PODCAST

They say all good things must come to an end- and if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years it’s to enjoy the good things while they’re here, because they won’t last forever. So it is with much sadness that I bid a fond farewell to the RUE MORGUE PODCAST.

It seems like only yesterday that I wrote a very similar post bidding farewell to the previous incarnation of this audio podcast, RUE MORGUE RADIO.   THAT show was a variety show of interviews, reviews, commentary and music of all genres, all brilliantly woven together by the talented Tomb Dragomir, who I interviewed here. It was a fantastically popular podcast (and perennial Rondo Award Winner) that was ended for budgetary reasons by RUE MORGUE MAGAZINE  in February of 2012.   

RMR was discontinued, but in its stead rose THE RUE MORGUE PODCAST. I wrote an article about the new RMpodcast here back in Feb of 2012.  Hosted by Stuart Feedback Andrews (and occasionally side-kick Last Chance Lance), the Rue Morgue Podcast featured interviews with directors, actors, and artists from the horror community, as well as contests, commentaries, music and more. It was always entertaining and one I looked forward to regularly. 

Feedback's interviews were always interesting and insightful…and influential, as a horde of imitators follow in his footsteps.  He was a true innovator of horror talk radio - and a true champion of Women In Horror Month, and I think his show played a big part in helping to spread WIHM's message.

169 episodes later Rue Morgue comes to an unfortunate end – but rather than end this post on a down note, I’d like to congratulate Feedback on the many hours of entertainment he’s provided, and the legacy he’s left behind.

So to Feedback, and The Rue Morgue Podcast, I salute you. I hope you continue to produce more podcasts, Feedback - especially Cinephobia-radio, your side project/podcast of which I'm a big fan.

Listen to my interview with Feedback here

Interview with horror author Andrea Subissati

 I've been sitting on this interview for a couple of weeks now and been meaning to post it - this is the perfect opportunity, as, in light of some recent events,  it's nice to spotlight a woman in the horror field in a positive fashion - tonight's guest is one of the busiest women in the field and a super cool chick to boot...

__________________________

   Greetings Fright Fans!! I was first introduced to tonight's interviewee through the Rue Morgue Radio podcast, where she was a guest. She was discussing her book on the Sociology of Zombies in mass culture. Since then she has become involved in a number of other creative endeavors, so I thought I’d catch up with her and talk a little about what she’s been up to… Welcome Andrea “Lady Hellbat” Subissati.  

 

Doc G - Hello Andrea! Great to speak with you! I see you’ve been really busy lately, with a number of creative irons in the fire, so to speak. 

Andrea - No kidding! I never would have guessed there was so much a person could do with their love of the horror genre: from freelance journalism to lectures to podcasts. In the past few years I’ve become connected to so many talented and inspiring folks in the industry (including you, Doc!) and there’s no shortage of interesting things to do in horror!

    Let’s start with your book, When There’s No More Room in Hell: The Sociology of the Living Dead (2010) - Tell me a little about it and how that whole topic came about. 

    I was working on my Masters degree in sociology in 2010 when the ‘new wave’ of zombie movies (like the Dawn of the Dead remake and 28 Days Later) were starting to mark a resurgence of the subgenre. As a horror fan and a sociologist, it was interesting to me that there were ‘trends’ in horror film. When I went to the school library, I found several books on the history of horror films and how they reflected societal anxieties of the time. There were lots of books on vampires, aliens and monsters but strangely, not a whole lot on zombies. There were great books out there, of course (Kim Paffenroth’s Gospel of the Dead was an invaluable resource in particular) but there wasn’t much formal academia on the subject. I took this as an opportunity and decided to write my thesis on why zombies were so popular in the 70s and why they appeared to be making a comeback.

    What has been the reception of it now that it’s in book format? 

I went with an academic publisher because I suspected that as the genre grew in popularity, more and more schools would be offering courses on the topic and would be interested in stocking my book in their libraries. The downside of that decision is that the book is rather expensive and it reads like an academic dissertation. I’ve sold quite a few copies at my book launch party and at my Black Museum lecture, but When There’s No More Room in Hell isn’t the kind of book you’re going to find on the shelves at your local Chapters.

    I thought about rewriting it for a wider audience but by the time I was ready, a zillion books on zombie culture had sprung up and I was eager to move on to other topics. I do still love doing research and writing academic essays. I contributed a chapter on Hellraiser to a book called The Undead & Theology which was nominated for a Stoker award this year, and I’m always on the lookout for more projects within academia.

    Tell me about your latest endeavor, THE FACULTY OF HORROR. I find it interesting to hear a female perspective on movies that exist within a heavily male dominated genre. Have you enjoyed stepping into the world of podcasting? 

Have I ever! The Faculty of Horror podcast was largely the brainchild of my friend and co-host Alexandra West, who also writes for Rue Morgue, Famous Monsters and her blog, scare-tactic.blogspot.com. I love how podcasting gives me the opportunity to tackle smaller topics and bounce my ideas off someone else, especially a fellow female fan! Since we started the podcast last January, Alex and I have had the opportunity to network with several great horror/film podcasts (like The Projection Booth and 6ft+) and we’re thrilled to be making an appearance on a horror podcasting panel at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear this summer. 

    I was also amazed at how easy and inexpensive it is to create a podcast. Really, all you need is the time and the inclination; you don’t need fancy software or equipment at all. I do spend hours editing and sourcing out clips, but we record The Faculty of Horror on freeware (a program called Audacity, if you’re interested) and a mic made for the Rock Band video game on PS3!

Tell me about THE BLACK MUSEUM lecture series. 

    The Black Museum was inspired by the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies out of Montreal. I became aware of the Miskatonic when I was a guest on the Rue Morgue Podcast about my book: Stuart “Feedback” Andrews was prepping to teach a course on zombies and he filmed my interview to use in his presentation. Feedback and I kept in touch, and toyed with the idea of starting something similar in Toronto. The same idea had occurred to Paul Corupe, another Rue Morgue scribe who also runs Canuxploitation.com. Feedback introduced us and between the three of us, the Black Museum was born!

    The Black Museum has run two semesters now, and has welcomed the likes of Vincenzo Natali and Steven Kostanski of Astron-6 as guest instructors. Some of our most popular lectures were about horror posters, mad scientists and zombies, of course! We’re gearing up for semester 3 right now, and we’re looking forward to announcing a stellar fall lineup at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear in August.

    You’ve also done some freelance writing lately too, for Rue Morgue Magazine? 

    I sure have! I approached Rue Morgue to sponsor my book launch party and I’ve gotten to know them well since then. Rue Morgue has such a great staff who are truly committed to keeping on top of the genre and giving hardcore fans what they crave. They are the print authority on the subject and I feel very fortunate to live in the same city they’re based out of so I can attend their events and bug them for assignments!

    Magazine journalism is a bit of a departure from the heavy academic writing I used to do, so I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of writing about different topics to appeal to different audiences. I think the variety has really strengthened my writing skills and expanded my knowledge of the genre.

 

 

    You are also heavily involved in roller derby. That’s where you got the Lady Hellbat moniker, I believe. Talk about that a bit and are you still in the ring nowadays? 

    The flat-track, you mean! Sadly, between a compound injury last year and increasing time constraints I’ve decided to hang up my skates. I’ve got so much on the go, I can no longer devote all the time and energy to the league that I used to, and it’s not the kind of thing you can do part-
time. I had a great time with it though; I was MVP for my first bout and I was even on a poster once! I consider myself a Gore-Gore Rollergirl for life and I wouldn’t part with those memories for anything.

    So what’s next on your agenda? Any projects you’ve been dying to tackle that you haven’t tried yet? Another book in the works, perhaps? 

    Well, the Black Museum is slowly growing and we’ve talked about some strategies to expand our reach outside of Toronto. The Faculty of Horror keeps me busy, and I’ll be doing a mini-encore presentation of my Black Museum lecture called Unearthed: The Cultural History of the Zombie at the Festival of Fear this summer!

    As for other literary projects, I could tell you… but then I’d have to eat your brains…

Goodbye Rue Morgue Radio

It is with much sadness that I bid farewell to the one and only Rue Morgue Radio. It's true. The final RMR is online now. After years of providing the best horror podcast on the scarewaves the plug has been pulled on the podcast, in what was, as you may have guessed, mostly a financial decision. I really hate it, as I believe the podcast was largely responsible for the success of the magazine over the last few years. It was a great tool and a way for them to make themselves bigger and better than the competition, to attract a whole new wave of fans by spotlighting bands and playing their music - and most of all it was a great way to keep the listeners up to speed on the latest in the world of horror. Everything about it was top notch - from the commentary of liisa, the reviews of the Caustic Critics Feedback and Lance, the updates from Shannon, and the music from Tomb Dragomir, the host who spent countless hours putting the podcast together.

The thing I REALLY liked most about RMR was that it was different from the multitude of podcasts out there - it wasn't just a couple of guys sitting around talking. They put effort into it. It had variety, and was truly professionally produced. The interviews with folks in the profession that most of us would never have access to were top notch, and I loved most of all the rock and roll vibe of the podcast.  I also want to reiterate something that Feedback mentioned in this final podcast - RUE MORGUE RADIO was the originators of horror radio - not perennial Rondo Award Second Runners Up Deadpit, no matter how many times they claim it. Long live Rue Morgue, and I wish the best to all the staff.

The human Centipede dissected

I finally got a chance to watch The Human Centipede, a movie I've been curious about for some time. It was one I first heard about on Rue Morgue Radio. Sheer sensationalism, was my immediate reaction, done for shock value. Then after listening to the podcast ( if you aren't a regular listener to RMR, then do yourself a favor and check out this free weekly podcast, it is terrific... or should I shy - TERRORific) I thought it actually might have more to offer and wanted to give it a shot.

For those of you who haven't seen it, you might want to skip the next couple of paragraphs.

The story concerns two attractive young American girls on vacation in Europe. They are headed to a nightclub where one of the girls is hoping to hook up with a waiter she met earlier in the day. They get lost and, in a typical B-movie staple, have a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. They also, in what has become another staple of horror films of the modern age, have no cell service so their phones won't work. In this digital age of connectivity that is always an explanation that has to be quickly established, which I find an interesting sign of our times. So the girls, instead of staying safe in their car, decide to look for help and make their way to a nearby house that just so happens to be home to a very bad dude.

We were briefly introduced to this character at the beginning of the film while he was out hunting. Hunting for human prey - with a tranquilizer gun. You see, this is home of Dr.Heiter, a scientist of the maddest proportion. Heiter has been engaged in a series of experiments that involve combining multiple subjects into one creature, creating a human "centipede" by stitching them together, mouth to anus, thus linking the subjects together and creating one large digestive tract that flows throughout the subjects. He had previously tried this unsuccessfully with dogs, and we see a gravestone that says "My beloved 3 dog" written in German as the girls approach the house. You see, Heiter is a German doctor who has developed a laboratory in his basement to conduct his mad experiments. He drugs the two girls, and traps them in the lab along with another test subject. He later announces that their tissues are a match for this experiment, and explains the process to the three via a slide show while they are strapped onto hospital gurneys.

He then proceeds to do that very thing, slicing through the tendon below the kneecaps so they can't walk, forcing them to crawl at all times. He stitches them mouth to anus, with a Japanese male in the lead, and the two girls behind.

End of spoiler.

This is a horrific movie, make no doubt. The subject matter is so ludicrous it made me chuckle, but it was a nervous chuckle, as the operation dealt with such a personal and invasive area that it made me squeamish. It isn't a movie that is comfortable, it is in fact quite the opposite. Isn't that what a horror movie is supposed to do, explore those areas that are off limits in the daytime, shine a light into the dark recesses of the human psyche and look at the ugly side of humanity.



I think it is no accident that Dr. Heiter is German, or that the subjects are both American and Japanese. It brings to mind immediately the horrors of the Nazi regime in WWII, and I'd bet money this was an intentional move. The acts perpetuated by the Nazis were some of the most heinous in the history of mankind and carried out on a scale unimaginable. Had Mengele thought of such a perverted idea you can be sure he would have tried it.

Dr Heiter is played by Deiter Laser, and it is his performance that gives this movie it's powerful impact. He pulls off a difficult role, one which could easily have been ludicrous but instead is creepy and convincing. I have never seen this actor before, but he is indeed one scary guy - I look forward to seeing more of this guy's work.  The movie is directed by  Tom Six, and again, I've never seen any of his work. He does a magnificent job here, with beautiful camera work and direction, showing just enough of the abomination that is the centipede to get the disgust and horror across to the viewer without it being unwatchable. After all, we are talking about a human with their mouth stitched permanently to another's rectum. That is some pretty tough territory to pull off there.

Kudos to the actors - I don't think I could have done it, honestly.  It isn't every actor or actress that would agree to crawl on all fours, naked, with their face planted firmly in another person's arse for even a minute, much less the time it took to shoot this film, which, according to the Rue Morgue Radio broadcast, could be quite extensive at times. The girls, played by actresses Ashley Williams and Ashlynn Yennie, do a good job in this movie, although their characters are so stupid it is hard to believe anyone in the real world would make the choices they did to lead them into this predicament.

Ashley Williams in particular is really good. She is a gorgeous woman and her reactions to the terror going on around her are quite convincing.

One thing I really appreciate about this movie is the lack of sex. Despite the whole ATM angle, and the fact all three centipede sections are topless, the doctor's motivations are purely asexual. In fact, the only emotion he seems to show is toward himself, in the ultimate narcissistic moment where he makes out with his reflection in a mirror in celebration of the successful operation. Otherwise he is oblivious to gender - his subjects weren't chosen for sexuality, merely compatibility. And I think this is what makes this movie palatable. If the doctor was screwing the human centipede, we would be treading in completely different waters. The girls are topless but we only get brief shots of their breasts, and never in full frontal view. Again, it's not about that.

Ultimately Dr. Heiter is a mad scientist on par with the maddest of Bela's performances. He makes this movie, which is an interesting look at a perverted experiment involving human subjects - but ultimately it pales in comparison to the real life terrors of Nazi death camps. Definitely worth watching, and would have made my best films list of 2010 had I viewed it in time. The fact a movie like this cracked the Redbox and Netflix catalogs is amazing.




   

Interview with Tomb Dragomir

Greetings Fright Fans,

This week we have a special guest from north of the border, a man who is best known for his duties as a very scary host. No I’m not talking about Alex Trebek, I’m talking about that ghost host with the most, the voice of Rue Morgue Radio, Tomb Dragomir.

Tomb, welcome to the lab. Glad you made your way to my secret hidden lair here.

Thanks Dr. G, it's pretty dark, I think I stepped on a Test-Tube...(crunch)

Tell me about your background as a young ghoul. Where did you grow up and were you always a horror fan or did you come into it later in life?

I grew up in out the country a few hours east of Toronto, and yeah I spent a lot of time in the dark basement watching old horror flicks and listening to weird radio shows like Dr. Demento or anything on TV I could get with our crappy radial antenna from Buffalo, sttuff like Tales from the Darkside and Elviria's Movie Macabre. I can't remember a time when I wasn't obsessed with the weird and scary side of life. When I was really little I always fascinated with the Bermuda Triangle, wondering what happened to all those people and imaging all the ghastly possibilities surrounding their disappearance.

So tell me about creating an episode of Rue Morgue Radio. What is the creative process, and how much input do each of the contributors have?

The finished show is an amalgamation of all the weirdos who make it. Feedback, Liisa and Shannon have full control over their segments and I use that inspiration to create the actual show around it into a crazy stream of consciousness of clips, quips and terrror tunes. There is nothing like this out there!

RMR is a weekly show – how long does each episode take to edit together?

Just from my end, it takes about 18-20 hours a week to edit everything together. I've managed to shave a few hours off production time over the years with technology upgrades but it's still a mighty long haul stitching this really big show together each week, but I think it's worth it and one of the reasons we stand out above the crowd.

The podcast has a real sense of humor that runs throughout. I’m guessing it’s important to you to have fun with such dark material?

Yeah, I think that's just me. I'm a bit of a goofball. I think if I tried to play it off all cool and serious it wouldn't work. It would come off sounding too fake I think.

My favorite thing about Rue Morgue Radio as opposed to other podcasts is the music. You guys rock! You really have your finger on the pulse of horror rock, current and past, and play a variety of genres, from soundtracks and scores to metal and everything in between.

Damn right.

I know all the staff of Rue Morgue has their own personal preference of music. Lisa obviously leans more toward goth and industrial music. I kind of gather you’re a Cramps guy – true?

True, Lux Interior was a true rock n roll madman, showman. Wild animal.

What are a few of your other favorite bands?

We all know about the Rob Zombies and the Marilyn Mansons but here's a few other RM Radio approved bands you might not know about but probably should:

Midnight Syndicate, Psychocharger, Dead Vampires, The Creepshow, The Residents, The Ghastly Ones, Deadbolt, Squid Lid, The Creeping Cruds, Ghoultown, The Forbidden Dimension, Zombina and the Skeletones, The Independents...The list goes on forever...

Rue Morgue Radio developed as an offshoot of Rue Morgue Magazine. How much did the Editor-in-Chief change from Jovanka to Dave Alexander affect the radio side of things?

The Radio is run independently from the Magazine. In fact, we're starting to meet fans out there who don't even know about the mag, which is weird, but cool. That said, Dave's been great and we're even working together to create some awesome fake trailers for the show and develop some new areas of content.

I love the banter between you and Shannon. It seems the two of you have a good chemistry and get along well. Are you friends outside of the show and hang out, or is it more of a co-worker relationship?

Actually, Shannon is probably my best friend that I never get to see. At risk of breaking the illusion, Shannon lives and works in Edmonton on-air at one of those EZ Rock stations and we pre-tape her weekly segment... Seriously though, she's awesome and we have a lot of fun with it.

If I had any criticism of RMR it’s that it sometimes seems too short! I’d especially like Feedback and Lance to have more time for their movie reviews. I’m guessing there is a conscious effort to keep it concise with a snappy format and leave fans wanting more, as opposed to having rambling program with no direction, right?

While I do always wanna leave 'em wanting more, there's also a lot of music to fit into to such a short time, but never fear all you Caustic Critics fans out there we're working on bringing you some new content that will expand the RM Radio sphere. I can't say much more right now, but stay tuned...!

The new horror music compilation Hymns from the House of Horror is terrific and a great way to spotlight some of the music featured on RMR. Can we look forward to more editions of Hymns?

Hell Yeah! The next one's gonna blow your mind's mind!

In closing where would you like to see Rue Morgue Radio go in the future? Any directions you’d like to see it expand or other areas you’d like to explore?

I'm already working on some new RM Radio related projects that I hope to introduce soon and begin to introduce visual elements into the mix in some off-shoot projects. I can't really say much more right now...cuz I just cut out my own tongue! *SLICE!* Blah ha ha ha... *drip, drip* oowy....sssNurse???

Well thanks again for spending some time with me here on Shackle Island. New episodes of Rue Morgue Radio come out every Friday. You can download them at: www.ruemorgueradio.com and they have an archive of tons of old shows. Go there and download to your black heart’s content, and tell em’ Dr. Gangrene sent ya!

Thanks Dr. G! Tell all your fiends to follow me on Twitter @Tombdragomir. Adios!

Newspaper article

I somehow missed getting a physical copy of this paper when it came out. However a co-worker brought surprised me today - She was unaware of my show until after seeing the article in the paper, so she saved it and brought it in for me. "Dr. Gangrene celebrates Halloween year round" - indeed! What was funny was when I called to pay my car insurance this week the secretary there answered and said, "Hey, I saw your picture in the paper this week." So this article is getting some mileage! I had a co-worker snap a pic of me with the article...That's my mp3 player hanging around my neck - I've been listening to the Halloween episode of Rue Morgue Radio. GREAT podcast!!

Rondo Awards - Best CD

The ballot is being finalized as we speak, and I expect an official announcement of this year's Rondo Award nominees soon. In the category of Best CD, my choice for 2007 is Nashville's own premiere horror band, The Creeping Cruds and their latest CD, Tennessee Bloodbath!


The official Creeping Cruds website is: http://www.creepingcruds.com/ and you can, of course, find them on myspace too at: http://www.myspace.com/creepingcruds

You can pick up this cd at either of these spots or on CD Baby, Interpunk.com, itunes, amazon.mp3 or emusic. This is a terrific batch of horror schlock and roll, with songs to make any true monster kid howl with delight such as Come Out Neville (Based on the movie The Omega Man and the Matheson novel I am Legend ), I Kicked Dracula's Ass (sung from the Frankenstein Monster's perspective), and Meat and Three about a man who discovers his baby is now a part of the menu. Big loud guitars, in your face rock and roll with a horror twist - highly recommended.


The guys were also recently interviewed on Rue Morgue Radio - go to
http://www.ruemorgueradio.com/?a=archives
and download the January 9th show.