Show Announcement

Hey guys - just wanted to let you all know I have some good news and some bad news regarding the show.

First - the good news - this Halloween I will be hosting a 2-hour prime time Halloween Special on Saturday, October 27th. It will be prime time, 7-9pm, on Nashville's CW58!

Now the bad news - next week, Sat Sept 15, will be the last week of the current show, Dr. Gangrene Presents. It's been a fantastic year with 43 episodes produced in a single season, definitely our most productive year ever!! BUT all good things must come to an end and it's time to move on to other creative ventures. There are many other projects Cameron and I want to pursue, and I feel I've done about all I can on local TV. I will be repackaging these shows into a 30min format and syndicating them, so Doc G will actually be seen in other markets again, and we're in plans to place them back on local television here in reruns.

So while it's the end of one chapter it's the beginning of another. Thank you to all of you who have given me so much support and feedback over the years. It's been 13 years of mad science and mayhem in Music City, and you guys are the reason I kept the show on the air for so long. It isn't goodbye, merely farewell for now while I head on to other adventures!! Stay Mad!! Doc Gangrene

Movie Night Equals Fight Night Most Nights

I almost hesitate to go to movie theaters anymore, as it almost always turns into a confrontational situation. People are so damn inconsiderate that it makes the experience trying to say the least. I know I sound like some grumpy old fart complaining that, “In my day people didn’t act like that,” but nowadays it’s not just the talking but texting that one has to put up with.

 And here’s the thing – it isn’t just teenagers doing it. I almost expect that from them. It’s the adults too. Here’s my most recent movie-going experience, you tell me if I was out of line…

My son and I went to a matinee of TOTAL RECALL. It was not opening weekend, as I intentionally waited a couple of weeks so as to somewhat avoid crowds. It was a Sunday afternoon around 3:00. We got there early, grabbed some popcorn and headed into the theater. Only a few couples were in there.  We took a seat center screen, back row. All was fine until the movie started. That’s when an older couple – I’m guessing in their 60s, came in late and decided to sit on the back row a few seats down from us. Not only were they late to the movie but they stopped halfway up the stairs to discuss where to sit. I can understand being a couple of minutes late, things come up and maybe they had car trouble or something. But just grab a spot people, you’re late, plop your ass in the first spot you find.  Strike one. Okay, no big deal, minor annoyance. Back to the movie. 

As mentioned, they sat on the row a few seats down from us. They then begin talking to one another. I figured they were just getting their bearings and would settle down promptly. The guy took out something that sounded like a potato chip bag and opened it, crinkling it loudly. I ignored this, as again, I figured they would settle down soon enough. Then the talking started up again. And continued. And continued. I waited as long as I could then finally had just had enough. I nudged my son and motioned for us to move. I stood up and said, in a normal speaking tone, “Let’s move, Luke, since these two won’t stop talking.” Strike two. We moved all the way to the opposite end of the aisle from them.

You’d think most people get the hint, but not these two. They kept right on talking throughout the picture as if they were sitting on their fuckin living room couch. I finally leaned over toward them and said, “Shh. Stop talking Please.” Strike three. My patience was done at this point and I was seriously about to go get an usher. But no, I thought, why should I miss part of the movie because of someone else’s rudeness?

The talking started up again. After about 5 minutes of this I got up, walked to the end of the aisle directly in front of them, leaned over the seats in front of them and said, “If you two don’t stop talking I am going to get an usher. This is ridiculous. I can hear every word you’re saying. Stop talking PLEASE.”

Finally these numbnuts got the message. By this time I was totally annoyed, and to top it off the movie sucked. But maybe it would have sucked a little less without dealing with distractions from grown adults.  

You know who I blame for this the most? The theaters. They KNOW this is an issue, yet they refuse to do anything about it.If you know there is a problem, rectify it. Make people stop disrupting the movie or kick them out without refund. Put a stop to this. By not taking action on this issue theaters are actually ENCOURAGING this behavior

Ever heard of the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin? Well, they are a theater that takes this issue seriously. They have a strict ZERO TOLERANCE FOR TALKING AND TEXTING policy. From their website:

“We have zero tolerance for talking or cell phone use of any kind during movies, and we aren't afraid to kick anyone rude enough to start texting their friends during a show right out of the theater.”

Bravo. Did you see the PSA they made about this issue? This followed an incident that happened last year, in 2011. A patron decided to ignore this policy and was subsequently ushered out of the theater for using her cell phone during the movie. She then called the theater and left an angry, rambling, and drunk sounding message about it. Bad move. Here’s the Alamo’s PSA:

This was played before every movie afterwards, and for all I know they still play it before movies. Here’s what Tim League, founder and CEO of the Alamo had to say on the issue:

When we adopted our strict no talking policy back in 1997 we knew we were going to alienate some of our patrons. That was the plan. If you can't change your behavior and be quiet (or unilluminated) during a movie, then we don't want you at our venue. Follow our rules, or get the hell out and don't come back until you can.

Ma'am, you may be free to text in all the other theaters in the Magnited States of America, but here at our "little crappy ass theater," you are not. Why you may ask? Well, we actually do give a f*$k.

Sincerely,

 Tim League
founder/CEO
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Tim League, you’re my hero! Huge props to the Alamo for taking a stand on this issue and doing what’s right. Look, this isn’t just a case of me being an asshole. I shouldn’t have to confront someone every time I go to the theater, and I should be able to enjoy the movie without interruption.

I ran across an entry on the Alamo blog recently that indicates this issue that is starting to be taken seriously. APPLE has apparently filed for a patent for a chip that goes in iphones. As mentioned in their blog, if a phone is used within a certain vicinity of a text free zone, “certain features may be disabled or enabled. Specific mention is made within the abstract of academic settings and, yes, movie theaters.”   Read the blog here

That sounds like a perfect solution. It would disable the texting feature, perhaps the backlight and ring as well. As long as the vibrate feature still works people could still get a call in the event of an emergency. Problem solved.

Not everyone is onboard with this way of thinking. Again in another Alamo blog post, Tim League talks about a move underway from some theaters to designate certain screenings as texting screenings, where viewers are free to text away. He goes on to make an argument why this is a bad idea, and I agree with him. It sets a bad precedent. Look, kids CAN go an hour and a half without texting. It won’t kill them, and perhaps they’ll learn how to properly view a movie instead of half-assed distractedly watching.

This policy hasn’t hurt the Alamo’s attendance any and I venture to guess their attendance has actually risen after instituting this policy. Here’s hoping a few more theaters follow suit. I know that here in Nashville I attended a midnight screening of Halloween 4 at the Belcourt theater back in 2009. Some jackass one row in front of me decided to use this screening as his own personal Mystery Science Theater opportunity. Several people in the audience asked this guy to PLEASE stop, but no luck. His commentary lasted throughout the movie. This was before my current vendetta against talking and texting had kicked in full bore. I actually sat through the film and didn’t confront him, something I’m not sure I’d do nowadays
.

Afterwards I wrote the Belcourt and told them about this experience. I don’t know if it was in response to my email or not, but they have since adopted a no distractions policy too. They don’t put up with it and like the Alamo, aren’t afraid to eject people from the theater.

It isn’t difficult to do the right thing folks. Put your cell phone on vibrate and stick it in your pocket. If it rings, get up and answer it in the lobby. It isn’t that difficult.

To quote Jason Shawhan,Belcourt employee, from a recent midnight movie screening... “As soon as you take out that phone everyone sitting behind you thinks you’re an asshole.” Well said, Jason!

 The Belcourt Theater, Nashville's PREMIERE movie theater!! Check out this great article about the Belcourt here

Would Zombies Eat Soylent Green?

I finally got a chance to watch the DEADLIEST WARRIOR episode VAMPIRES VS. ZOMBIES on Netflix this week. I’d heard about that episode but never actually tracked it down. Once it appeared in the Netflix cue I knew I had to watch it. After all, it’s a pretty neat premise and just more proof of how mainstream horror pop culture has become.

DEADLIEST WARRIOR is a pretty cool show. Most of you have probably seen it, but for those who haven’t it’s a series that airs on Spike TV in which two famous warriors from history, such as Napoleon and George Washington, are squared off against one another. A team of experts study the weapons, armor, fighting techniques, etc. of each combatant and attempt to simulate what would happen if the two actually battled. They test the weapons on a number of targets such as ballistic gel torsos, pig carcasses, etc. and measure the impact, damage, precision of the weapons, etc. They also test the armor of each combatant to see how it withstands the opponent’s weaponry. Experts on each combatant are consulted to take into account variables such as battle technique, specialized attacks, etc. Points are assigned for each of the tested categories and all the data is compiled and fed into a computer which then simulates the battle. They run the simulation 1,000 times to determine which warrior would win the fight. Finally they show the winner through a video simulation of the fight using live costumed actors to reenact the outcome.

Of course there is no way to really prove something like this definitively, but it is still a really interesting program. You get a chance to see each warrior’s weapons in action and just how effective they are. The sword of Vlad the Impaler had to be the single most impressive weapon of any, in my mind. That thing was amazing – it sliced through an entire pig carcass with one swing as if cutting through a slab of butter. It was insane.

Vampire vs. Zombies was the first fight between fictional foes. As usual experts were brought in for each combatant. For the zombies they brought in Max Brooks, author of WORLD WAR Z and the ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE, and Matt Mogk, founder of the ZOMBIE RESEARCH SOCIETY. For the Vampires they brought in Steve Niles, author of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, and Scott Bowen, author of the VAMPIRE SURVIVAL GUIDE.



The first question to be decided was what type of monsters was squaring off, because as you know the rules for each vary from movie to movie. For the zombies they chose the slow moving viral-induced zombie, such as seen on THE WALKING DEAD. For the vampire they chose the 30 DAYS OF NIGHT style vampire, a more vicious pack hunting type creature. The weapons for this episode were simpler than usual, because they were very limited. Zombies had their teeth, grasp, and lack of pain. Vampires have teeth, claws, and speed. They also factored in the vampire’s hunting instincts and intelligence, and the zombie’s sheer numbers and viral infectiousness. They rigged some interesting devices to test the effectiveness of each creatures attack forms, assigning the approximate bite strength of a Rottweiler dog to the zombie, and the bite of a crocodile to the vampire.

But for these vampires the most impressive weapon is their claws, capable of crushing a human skull with one blow. These zombies follow the “destroy the brain, destroy the zombie” rule. So the ability to crush a skull and deliver a kill strike with a single swing is a huge advantage, especially combined with their super speed. You’d think it would be a clear cut contest in favor of the vampire – but they didn’t match them one on one. These zombies travel in hordes, and their sheer number s make up for their slow shambling and lack of mental facilities. I can’t remember exactly the ratio but it was something like 60 to one in favor of the zombies. They used 4 vampires, so it was around 240 to 4.

I won’t spoil the outcome, you’ll have to watch it for yourself to see which creature wins. It is available through Netflix streaming and I believe you can see it on the Deadliest Warrior webpage on the Spike TV site, too. http://www.spike.com/full-episodes/q7bq0v/deadliest-warrior-vampires-vs-zombies-season-3-ep-310

I do want to talk about one thing they addressed but really didn’t take into account too much, and that is the zombie’s viral nature. As these zombies originated from a virus they are highly contagious. This virus is similar to AIDS, meaning their bodily fluids – blood and saliva – are the means through which the virus is transmitted. The question this obviously raises is – what happens when a vampire becomes infected? Or can they even become infected at all?



If blood keeps these vampires alive then their bodies are functioning to some degree and processing nutrients from that blood. Therefore taking in tainted blood would naturally have an adverse effect of some sort. What would a zombified vampire look like? How would it act? Interesting questions.

But I would think the last thing a vampire would feed on is a zombie. Think of the most rotten, fetid food – disgusting, maggot-filled stinky meat or moldy, sour milk that’s months old. That’s what I envision a zombie smells like. Now imagine your senses are heightened to a super human heights – like a dog or a bear, where you’re able to smell food from a distance. Imagine how potent and disgusting a zombie would smell – their blood-soaked sour clothes and rotting flesh combining with the raw unprocessed meat in their bloated belly. Ever smelled a dead animal? You know how awful it is. The smell of death is a distinctive odor, unforgettable, and it permeates everything. Imagine that smell multiplied by the teens, or hundreds, or thousands.

Now would you want to make a meal of that? Of course not. And neither would a vampire. I believe, if I were writing a screenplay under this scenario, I would make a zombie toxic to vampires. They wouldn’t become zombie-vampires if they fed on one, but they would become sick and die. The rotten, infected blood and flesh are poisonous, of no use to a vampire nutritionally speaking. This would probably change the outcome of that Deadliest Warrior scenario a bit, as one of the major weapons of the vampire was its bite.



The next question is whether a zombie can eat a vampire, and what effect would that have? A zombie is akin to a shark in my mind, a mindless eating machine. They have little brain function and exist to only to feed. What keeps zombies from turning on one another and attacking and eating each other? I can only assume they need fresh food, that they somehow can sense if something is alive. I don’t believe they operate on sense of smell, as their sense of smell would be dulled by their own disgusting odor as described above. So using the shark analogy, perhaps it is movement that triggers the zombie hunting instinct. Maybe like in SHAUN OF THE DEAD a living human could imitate the dead and pass unnoticed, as long as you didn’t get too close.



I’m going with that theory for my hypothetical screenplay, so therefore zombies would definitely go after a vampire. And since these zombies feed on all human tissue, not just brains as in RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, they would rip them to shreds and consume them.



Do zombies digest food? Nope, I don’t think so. Their bodily functions have stopped and therefore they don’t process food. They don’t piss, don’t defecate, don’t breathe. There is still stomach acid, so some of the food would be processed, but it isn’t passed along the digestive tract. The remaining feces from their last living day would probably be pushed out, thus all zombies would shit themselves. They’re a truly disgusting creature. Shark-like, they would eat until their distended bellies burst and all the rotten meat spilled onto the ground, then they would continue to eat more.

But would they eat Soylent Green? That’s something that crossed my mind as I was driving earlier today. Now for you folks who may not have seen this classic dystopian futuristic film I worn you to stop reading now – I’m talking to you, Miss Bren! I never want to be accused of being the guy who throws out spoilers, even to a film that is almost 40 years old. So this is your spoiler alert!

Would they eat a synthetic food substance? Nope, not my zombies, even if it’s made of people parts. Remember they operate on movement. If it moves like food they treat it like food. Humans, dogs, cats, mice – anything that moves is food. Even sharks, a-la Fulci’s ZOMBIE. They wouldn’t even notice Soylent Green if you dumped a bucket of it over their head.

Savage Naked Spitting on Graves

Stuart Feedback Andrews left a comment yesterday in regard to my post about comments the Gore-Met made on the Rue Morgue Podcast that kind of got me thinking. He suggested I have a listen to a show from the Rue Morgue vaults wherein they discussed the films SAVAGE VENGEANCE, NAKED VENGEANCE, and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE.  “Have a listen to that SAVAGE VENGEANCE show for some of my thoughts about women highlighting their sexuality as they very much echo some of the comments you've made here.

Well I actually listened to that episode back when he first posted it, but really didn’t remember it very well so I downloaded and gave it another listen. His co-host for that evening was Andrea Subisatti, who is a terrific guest host. She’s a very interesting person -  a writer, sociologist… and roller girl! Check out her website here: http://www.ladyhellbat.com/ She wrote a book called WHEN THERE’S NO MORE ROOM IN HELL: THE SOCIOLOGY OF THE LIVING DEAD which discusses the social impact of zombie cinema. Feedback had her on the podcast to help shed insight into these films and also, I think, to get a female perspective on them, which is important considering the subject matter.

All three of these films deal with the subject of violent rape and revenge. As they talk about in the podcast, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE was released in 1978, NAKED VENGEANCE in 1985, and SAVAGE VENGEANCE in 1993. NAKED VENGEANCE was a pseudo remake of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and SAVAGE VENGEANCE was a sort of unauthorized sequel to it. And, finally, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE was remade in 2012.

Whew! That’s a lot of remakes and re-imaginings of a little film from 1978 made for just 650,000 (according to IMDB). You have to wonder if the filmmakers had any idea they were creating something that would be this long lasting.  There is a whole sub-genre of rape-revenge films, of which of course ISOYG is considered one of the major players.




The interesting thing about all of these movies, from a personal standpoint, is that I’ve never seen any of them. I was aware of ISOYG and have seen that box cover a million times at video stores but never picked it up. I wasn’t aware of the other films until I heard them discussed on the Rue Morgue podcast, and I haven’t seen the 2010 remake either. Why is that?

I just honestly have never had any interest in I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE.  It isn’t the type movie I usually gravitate toward. I also haven’t seen LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, another rape-revenge movie (the first?) and another film that was, interestingly, remade recently. These are tough films with equally tough subject matter, definitely not fun films. I’ve listened to several podcasts discussing ISOYG since the remake came out. There is social relevance within these films but I just don’t think I care to watch it.

Rape is a horrible crime, and if you’ve ever known anyone who has experienced it you know just how devastating it is. It isn’t funny, isn’t sexy, isn’t something to be taken lightly. I just don’t enjoy films that are that grim in nature, even if there is a revenge element to it. It sometimes makes me wonder if I’m even really a horror fan or not. I love a good monster movie – give me zombies, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, aliens – you name it, I’m there. But the worst monster of all, humans, might be my least favorite.

Films featuring violent sexual degradation just don’t interest me. The definition of degradation is, “the act of humiliating somebody, causing him or her a loss of status, reputation, or self-esteem.” This is why the recent wave of violent films is called torture porn. They’re going beyond just showing violent acts to featuring scenes of torture and degradation, violently humiliating victims and wallowing in their pain and misery. It’s almost as if they gain some sexual satisfaction from it, the more violent the act the bigger the orgasm.  They’re imitating snuff films, more or less, reveling in every gory detail and getting off on the victims pain. And that, to me, isn’t fun. And neither is an extended ten minute rape scene.

It’s interesting to hear Stuart and Andrea calmly discuss the realism, or lack of realism, of the rape scenes in these films. In a way, it’s almost surreal. I understand that this is a work of art that is being dissected, and that is just one part of that art, but it’s a significant element. Do films like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE wallow in the sexual depravity? To some extent I think they do. Again, having not watched them I’m sure people will cry foul. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for them, or that it is a topic that should be taboo. It just isn’t necessarily for me.

Elvira and Lianne Spiderbaby

Ran across this terrific photo of Elvira and Lianne Spiderbaby and thought I'd post it here, as it fits perfectly along with recent posts here.

Women in Horror Month – Sham or Sincere?

The post I made a couple days back led to some interesting discussion with the Gore-Met on the Rue Morgue Blog and got me thinking about Women in Horror Month a bit.

Is Women in Horror Month merely a sham promotional tool, a way for women in the horror field to prop themselves up and call attention to their endeavors? Some have claimed so. For the answer I think we have to look at why it was started in the first place…

Women in Horror Month is more than simply a month where people are encouraged to celebrate women in horror. WIHmonth is an official non-profit organization, a 5013c organization. It is a sister organization to the Vicera Organization, another 5013c not for profit organization. They’re the ones that hold the Viscera film festival, which features films created by female filmmakers. Their official website is: www.womeninhorrormonth.com - WIHmonth began as a blog post, a manifesto, as their website calls it, by Hannah Neurotica. It was a proposal to create a month-long celebration of women in the field of horror. There is a board of directors – Hannah Neurotica, Jovanca Vuckovic, Debbie Rochon, Heidi Honeycutt, Jen and Sylvia Soska, and Shannon Lark. All of these women work within the horror field in varying capacities as writers, producers, actresses, directors, and more.

Their mission, as stated on the website: Women in Horror Recognition Month (WiHM) assists underrepresented female genre artists in gaining opportunities, exposure, and education through charity events, printed material, articles, interviews, and online support. In addition, WiHM seeks to expose as well as break down social constructs and miscommunication between female professionals while simultaneously educating the public about discrimination and how they can assist the female gender in reaching equality within the film industry.

It is stated plainly in the mission statement that one purpose is to gain exposure and opportunities for women, specifically underrepresented ones. Of course the organizers gain exposure and promotion for themselves, too, by being involved in this, there really is no way not to. But I really don’t believe that is their main purpose. Their vision, again posted on their website, is: A world wherein all individuals are equally given the opportunity to create, share, and exploit their concept of life, pain, and freedom of expression.

Is the horror field an equal playing field for men and women? I honestly don’t think so. The last part of their Mission Statement talks about informing the public in “how they can assist the female gender in reaching equality within the film industry.” Things are better in that regard than ever before, and the work of organizations such as Viscera and the people who champion their cause certainly have helped with that, but there is still a long way to go.

I think it’s unfair to say it is only for self-promotion that this celebration was started. Chris Alexander, editor of Fangoria Magazine, caught a lot of flak for casually dismissing it in an editorial where he said WIHM was merely politicized and could “eat it.” I think Chris’ main point was that he feels WIHM is unnecessary and that Fangoria does much to promote women in horror year round, so there is no need to do so simply for Women in Horror Month. THAT part of his argument I actually agree with. He can and should feel free to write about women (and men) and events year round without pressure because of this or any other event. If he had just left off the eat it part I think he’d have made his point much better.

Look, I kind of get where he’s coming from. I mentioned in a post on the Rue Morgue blog today that I have shied away from interviewing women during WIH month because it almost seems like I’m only interviewing them only because of that movement, which is insulting to say the least. In a way that almost achieves the opposite of their desired effect, I guess. But I am aware of what is going on that month, and support their movement, and in that way they are achieving their goal.

Perhaps the fact it was created BY women in the horror field makes it seem dishonest to some people, but you know what? If these women hadn’t created WIHM it never would have happened, and it does raise awareness of many worthwhile projects and creators. So they hold their own celebration of women for the month of February. What’s the problem? Maybe some people object because they, as men, feel excluded.

I think like everything else, truth be told, there are positive and negative aspects to it. I wrote a post a couple of years back about having a problem with someone campaigning for an all women vote on the Rondo Award ballot. While not a direct endorsement by WIHM I believe it was spearheaded by someone in the organization (sorry memory is faulty here). The purpose of the Rondo Awards is to celebrate the best work of the year in the field of horror, and someone voting an all female ballot is as wrong as someone voting for a strictly male one. I get the sentiment behind that but I feel it’s misguided in this instance. We’re not voting on favorite gender here, we’re rewarding the work of people regardless of it.

Speaking of the Rondo Awards I also have to say I disagree with WIHM being added as a category for Best Event in the Rondos. WIHM is a series of events all under one banner. Now in full disclosure I have to admit that category is one I’m usually nominated in, but that isn’t the reason I disagree with it. I have no problem with WIHM events being nominated, and in fact agree they should be, but each event should be nominated separately, not all lumped together. They’re different events that occur at different times and places, and should be nominated as such.

So Is Women in Horror Month a sham or sincere? I personally have no problem with it and think it serves a real purpose. Heidi Honeycutt asked that same question in a blog post shortly after the Fangoria editorial I mentioned earlier
She got a LOT of responses, both pro and con, from both men and women on both sides. Very interesting reading.

Top 13 Horror Hosts

In yesterday’s post I wound up discussing, as Andrea Subisetti called it (thanks for the repost Andrea), the relevance of the horror host. Horror hosts on television got their start in 1954 with Vampira in Los Angeles. There is some question if Vampira was the very first host,  but for my money she’s the one that counts, especially considering her show was broadcast in the LA area and therefore much more influential than any other contenders.

The horror host is a natural extension of the old radio host programs such as LIGHTS OUT And SUSPENSE, where a mysterious announcer would introduce the evening’s offering of chills and thrills. The radio hosts were influenced in turn by the comic book hosts of companies such as EC Comics with their books TALES FROM THE CRYPT, VAULT OF HORROR, and HAUNT OF FEAR, hosted by the Crypt Keeper, the Vault Keeper, and the Old Witch respectively.

In 1957 Universal offered a package of 52 films to television stations. This was a big deal, as these movies had never been shown on television before. As a way to help promote these movies, Universal sent along suggestions for ways to increase viewership. Among these suggestions was the idea of adding a local host to introduce the movies. They suggested the hosts dress up in costumes and assume a character. These films were licensed to stations all across the country, and thus the local horror host was born. For more information about the Shock package of films see the fantastic Shock Theater blog here: http://shocktheater1.blogspot.com/

I say local horror host because that is where horror host works best, on the local level. In every city where a host introduced the SHOCK! package a community of devoted fans developed almost overnight. Kids latched onto their show and the hosts became local celebrities. The programs became the talk of the water fountain at school and their shows were a can’t-miss event. Ratings soared and in most cities these shows were the highest rated programs on the station.

The films in the SHOCK! Series were a pretty cool list of movies, some horror, some mystery:

The Black Cat

Calling Dr. Death

The Cat Creeps

Chinatown Squad

Danger Woman

A Dangerous Game

Dead Man's Eyes

Destination Unknown

Dracula

Dracula's Daughter

Enemy Agent

Frankenstein

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

The Frozen Ghost

The Great Impersonation

Horror Island

House of Horrors

The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man Returns

The Invisible Ray

The Last Warning

The Mad Doctor of Market Street

The Mad Ghoul

Man Made Monster

The Man Who Cried Wolf

The Mummy

The Mummy's Ghost

The Mummy's Hand

The Mummy's Tomb

Murders in the Rue Morgue

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

The Mystery of Marie Roget

Mystery of the White Room

Night Key

Nightmare

Night Monster

Pillow of Death

The Raven

Reported Missing!

Sealed Lips

The Secret of the Blue Room

Secret of the Chateau

She-Wolf of London

Son of Dracula

Son of Frankenstein

The Spider Woman Strikes Back

The Spy Ring

The Strange Case of Doctor Rx

Weird Woman

Werewolf of London

The Witness Vanishes

The Wolf Man

There were many, many pioneers of this tradition of horror hosting – the most comprehensive list of horror hosts past and present is the amazing website Ygor’s Chamber of TV Horror Hosts, run by George Chastain. If you ever wondered if your area had a horror host, check his site!

I thought I’d take this opportunity to make my own list of top horror hosts. Let me preface it by saying this is according to my own taste – I can only judge the hosts I’ve seen, naturally, and this is only my opinion. The categories I’m using to rank them are style, influence, and longevity. The magic number of hosts to rank seems to be 13, as it’s nice and spooky…



TOP 13 HORROR HOSTS

Runner up – Sir Cecil Creape, aka Russ McCown


I’d be remiss if I didn’t add my own host to the list, even if only in a runner-up position. Sir Cecil was my own horror host in Nashville TN. His show, CREATURE FEATURE, ran on the air from 1970-73, and he revived his show for a couple of years in the 1980s on TNN, The Nashville Network, although this time around the show was called THE PHANTOM OF THE OPRY. I actually didn’t get to watch CREATURE FEATURE– my parents wouldn’t let me stay up and see it. But I caught the promos for it and met him once at a Boy Scout event. I even got a patch at that event that reads “Sir Cecil’s Ghoul Patrol.” First thing I did when I began my show was to sew that patch onto my labcoat in tribute to Sir Cecil.

#13 – Chilly Billy Cardille – aka Bill Cardille

Host of Chiller Theater in Pittsburg, PA. The show ran on the air for 20 years in the Pittsburg area. Bill appeared in the George Romero classic film Night of the Living Dead as a TV news reporter. I’ve met Bill and he is a truly nice guy, and a true legend in the horror host field.




#12 – Joe Bob Briggs – aka John Bloom

Joe Bob was the host of JOE BOB’s DRIVE-IN THEATER on The Movie Channel for ten years and later MONSTERVISION on TNT for four years. Both were, of course, nationally syndicated programs. Joe Bob has one of the funnier schticks around, a redneck lowbrow lover of b-movies and drive-in theaters who employs a ratings system of three B’s (blood, breasts, and beasts) for his movies that is actually very smartly written. He has appeared in a number of movies and television shows and has written several books. He also went to Vanderbilt University, giving him a Nashville connection.




#11 – Dr. Paul Bearer – aka Dick Bennick

Dr. Paul Bearer was the host of SHOCK THEATRE, CREATURE FEATURE and FRIGHT THEATRE. He began hosting as Count Shockula in 1965 but changed his persona to Dr. Paul Bearer along the way. He hosted until 1995, originally in North Carolina but he later moved to Tampa, FL. Dr. Paul Bearer was famous for his use of puns and fake product placement. He spoke in an almost monotone voice that he called reverse falsetto.

#10 – Sammy Terry – real name Bob Carter

Sammy Terry hosted Nightmare Theater in Indianapolis, IN for close to 20 years in the 60s and 70s then off and on afterwards. He was and still is a fixture in the Indianapolis area, drawing large crowds at signings and events. Mention Sammy Terry to anyone from that area and their eyes will light up immediately!!




#9 – Count Gore DeVol – aka Dick Dyszel,

The Count hosted CREATURE FEATURE in Washington D.C. from 1973-87. In 1998 he revived his show on the internet in a weekly web series (the year before I began my own show – I met Gore for the first time in 1999, and we became fast friends). Almost 35 years later he’s still going strong, and has been influential to a new generation of horror hosts who followed his lead into the digital age of horror hosting on the internet.



#8 – Big Chuck and Lil’ John – real names Chuck Schodowski and John Rinaldi.

The duo hosted the BIG CHUCK AND LIL’ JOHN SHOW in Cleveland, Ohio from 1979 to 2007, an incredible 28 years! BUT, the show dates back much longer than that - it originally began as THE HOOLIHAN AND BIG CHUCK SHOW in 1966 with Chuck Schodowski and Bob Hoolihan, a weatherman on the station, bringing the total number of years the program ran in Cleveland to an amazing 41 years straight!!



#7 – Svengoolie – aka Rich Coz

Svengoolie is the host of a self titled program in Chicago, IL. Svengoolie started his show in 1979 as Son of Svengooli , taking over the role of Svengoolie from former host Jerry G. Bishop (his show, SCREAMING YELLOW THEATER, ran from 1970-73). Jerry is one of my all-time favorites as well. He was quick witted and funny with a really natural sense of humor. The Son of Svengoolie show ran from 1979-86, then returned in 1994 on another channel (WCIU) where it continues to this day. Rich shortened his name to simply Svengoolie and the rest is history. Sven is easily my favorite current horror host. 25 years on the air and counting and he’s still going strong!



#6 – Morgus the Magnificent – real name Sid Noel

Dr Morgus is the host of THE HOUSE OF SHOCK and DR. MORGUS PRESENTS! in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started his program in 1959 and it ran until 1989, then was resurrected in 2005 and reruns continue to this day. Dr. Morgus is a mad scientist who conducted mad experiments each week between breaks in the movie. It was my pleasure to induct him into the Rondo Award Hall of Fame last year.








#5 – Bob Wilkins/John Stanley

Okay, I know it isn’t fair to lump two hosts together but hey, it’s my countdown, so I make the rules here!! Bob Wilkins hosted CREATURE FEATURES in San Francisco from 1971 to 1978. John Stanley then took over host duties from Bob Wilkins and continued the program until 1984. Both hosts were non-costumed, appearing as themselves to introduce the movies wearing a suit and tie. Bob always had a trademark cigar in hand while hosting. Together the two kept their motto alive, “Watch Horror Movies, Keep America Strong.” Bob Wilkins was inducted into the Rondo Award Hall of Fame in 2008.



#4 – Ghoulardi – aka Ernie Anderson

Ghoulardi hosted Shock Theater in Cleveland Ohio from 1963-1966. While his run on the show wasn’t that long his impact was enormous. Ghoulardi was a hipster beatnik who appeared in trademark goatee and moustache. His show was the predecessor to Hoolihan and Big Chuck, who took over after he left. Music played an important part in THE GHOULARDI show, and they made especially good use of PAPA-OOM-MOW-MOW. He would blow up models and items sent in from viewers with fireworks, BOOM-BOOms he called them, live on the air. He had an irreverent air and defiant sensibility that kids immediately latched onto. Ghoulardi rocked the airwaves of Cleveland and is still remembered fondly to this day.





#3 – Vampira, aka Maila Nurmi

Vampira hosted THE VAMPIRA SHOW from 1954-1955. This will probably be the most controversial pick of this list, but despite her being recognized as the first horror host I ranked her #3 because her show was so short lived and so little of it exists (just a few minutes of footage that surfaced a few years back). She drew inspiration for her character from Morticia Addams of THE ADDAMS FAMILY cartoon. Skin-tight long black dress, impossibly thin waist and long jet black hair and nails were her trademark, and she would open every show with a blood curdling scream! She is perhaps best remembered nowadays for appearing in the Ed Wood film PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. Vampira was inducted to the Rondo Award Hall of Fame the very first year, 2002.




#2 – Elvira – aka Cassandra Peterson

Elvira is perhaps the most widely recognized horror host alive today. Vampira might have done it first but Elvira certainly did it bigger! Anytime I need to explain my show to someone unfamiliar with horror hosting I mention Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Her show, MOVIE MACABRE, was nationally syndicated from 1981-1987. She became an inter-national celebrity, appeared in commercials for national products and was a Halloween icon throughout the eighties. A series of Movie Macabre episodes were released on home video in the late eighties and she revived her show in 2010.




#1 – Zacherley – aka John Zacherle

Zacherley, the cool ghoul, was the host of SHOCK THEATER, ZACHERLEY AT LARGE, CHILLER THEATER. Zacherley is the epitome of a TV horror host. If you looked up the term in an encyclopedia, if such a thing existed any longer (dating myself here), Zacherley’s picture should be the one next to the description. Zacherley began his hosting career in 1957 as Roland, host of SHOCK THEATER in Philadelphia. In 1958 he moved to New York City and changed his host name to Zacherley. He was wildly popular and his personal appearances drew thousands. He was the first to use “cut-ins”, inserting himself into the movie as if he was part of the action, a standard trick for horror hosts thereafter. Zacherley was inducted to the Rondo Award Hall of Fame the very first year, 2002.