Horror 2023 Countdown: Bruiser (2000)

Bruiser (2000), dir. George A. Romero, Le Studio Canal+/Barenholtz Productions/Romero-Grunwald Productions 

So another year ends, each closing of the door seemingly being the last but before we go, how about some George Romero?

Horror 2023 Countdown: Existenz (1999)

Existenz (1999), dir. David Cronenburg, The Movie Channel/Natural Nylon/Telefilm Canda/Serendipity Point Films 

Nearing the end, so let's take a trip into body horror land with the Candian master, Cronenburg.

Horror 2023 Countdown: Night Terrors (1993)

Night Terrors (1993), dir. Tobe Hooper, Global Pictures/Golan-Globus Productions 

Lord, Tobe Hooper just couldn't catch a break, could he?

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), dir. Wes Craven, Universal Pictures 

So Wes Craven has more or less climbed his way back to the top after some hits. What would his take on zombies be?

Horror 2023 Countdown: Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), dir. John Carpenter, Le Studio Canal+/Regency Enterprises/Alcor Films/Cornelius Productions 

John Carpenter's big 90's debut and he brings us history's greatest monster. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: Burying the Ex (2014)

Burying the Ex (2014), dir. Joe Dante, Voltage Pictures/Elevated Productions/Act 4 Entertainment/Scooty Woop Entertainment/Armitage Entertainment

Ah, Joe Dante. Never has a man's career been filled with so many ups and downs. This would be his last feature film and the last horror film he would, as of 2023, direct. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Wasp Woman (1959)

The Wasp Woman (1959), dir. Roger Corman, the Filmgroup/Santa Cruz Productions 

We're finally ending the 1950's portion of Corman's filmography. Corman was the kind of guy who could get diamonds out of the dumbest coal and yeah, this isn't the best overall film but when you look at the themes? Shockingly good and even relevant today.

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Night Walker (1964)

The Night Walker (1964), dir. William Castle, William Castle Productions 

A William Castle film that doesn't have a gimmick? Will wonders never cease?

Horror 2023 Countdown: Lifeboat (1944)

Lifeboat (1944), dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 20th Century Fox

Moving into the director section, we see Alfred Hitchcock and one of his underrated films.

Horror 2023 Countdown: I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)

I was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), dir. Gene Fowler, Jr. Sunset Productions 

Ending our lookback at werewolves so why not end it on a good one? This was the film that convinced American International Pictures that teens were a viable market for horror flicks, so you lay both the good and bad on this one's feet. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Werewolf (1956)

The Werewolf (1956), dir. Fred F. Sears, Sam Katzman Productions 

Horror was changing by the 1950s. Crumbling castles and spooky crypts gave way to UFOs and atomic menaces. So seeing an honest to god monster warms the cockles I'll tell you.

Horror 2023 Countdown: Cry of the Werewolf (1944)

Cry of the Werewolf (1944), dir. Henry Levin, Columbia Pictures 

Columbia was never really a huge player in the horror genre, but they did dabble a bit. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Undying Monster (1942)

The Undying Monster (1942), dir. John Braham, Twentieth Century Fox 

By the 1940s, horror was pretty much Universal's domain, but that doesn't mean other studios couldn't try their hands. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Mad Monster (1942)

The Mad Monster (1942), dir. Sam Field, Producers Releasing Corporation 

Moving into the 1940s, and we see actual proper werewolves making a proper splash. The Werewolf of London had come out a few years earlier, but Universal's the Wolf Man the year prior had been such a hit, the boys on Poverty Row figured why not do a wolf pic on their own?

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Face at the Window (1939)

The Face at the Window (1939), dir. George King, George King Productions 

Moving into our special lookback, this year we focus on a particular favorite of mine, werewolves!

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022), dir. David Blue Garcia, Legendary Pictures/Exurbia Films/Bad Hombre

So it's come to this, a Netflix release. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: Maniac Cop (1987)

Maniac Cop (1987), dir. William Lustig, Sharpiro-Glickenhaus Productions 

William Lustig AND Larry Cohen together? With Bruce Campbell and Tom Atkins?

Horror 2023 Countdown: Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987) dir. Lee Harry, Lawrence Applebaum Productions 

Sometimes a film that comes around that sets the standard and raises the bar; and then sometimes a film that comes around that just has enough screwy sense to at least make a meme.

Horror 2023 Countdown: Halloween (2018)

Halloween (2018) dir. David Gordon Green, Miramax/Blumhouse Productions/Trancas International Films/Rough House Pictures 

Moving into the slasher section, why not start off with a reboot? This takes a bold stance, removing everything, and I do mean everything, save the 1978 original.

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Vengeance of She (1968)

The Vengeance of She (1968), dir. Cliff Owen, Hammer Films-Seven Arts

1965's She was a hit, why not a sequel?

Horror 2023 Countdown: One Million Years, BC (1966)

One Million Years, BC (1966) dir. Don Caffery, Hammer Arts Productions-Seven Arts

For a period of time, along side gangsters, pirates, monsters and the like, there were caveman films. A sort of proto peplum, they usually had a bunch of fairly good looking people in furs running around a desert. If there was a good budget you might even get some dinosaurs, although most of the time they would your average lizards with junk glued on them. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966)

 Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966), dir. Don Sharp, Hammer Film Productions-Seven Arts

Hammer was still riding high, so why not do an epic?

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: Ashley Ghastly

Real name: Cyrus Newitt

Years active:  1978-1982 (?)

So we end with the only South Carolina host I could find anything on, Ashley Ghastly. He hosted Scream Theatre on WCSC-TV Channel 5 in Charleston. 

From what I was able to find, he seemed to be a pretty popular host, having several sidekicks and even a fan club. The character was painted with your usual skull/top hat bit but he seemed cool.

Horror 2023 Countdown: Captain Clegg

 Captain Clegg (1962) dir. Peter Graham Scott, Hammer Film Productions 

Now this is a treat. 

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: Dr. Shroud

 Real name: ???

Years active: 1960s-1970s?

Yeesh, thought the Gravedigger was a lost host? This dude (woman?) makes him look like Elvira. 

Seriously, found even less on the doc. Some sources put them around the Columbia area but even then no one seems 100% percent sure. Good name though, for whatever that's worth. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Terror of the Tongs (1961)

 The Terror of the Tongs (1961) dir. Anthony Bushell, Hammer Films 

Moving into our Hammer section, and we see the first time Christopher Lee gets top billing.

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: The Gravedigger

 Real name: ???

Years active: 1960s

Still had some time left this month, so why not move into the Palmetto State? Yup, for the rest of the month we'll be looking into the hosts of South Carolina. 

The Gravedigger is sadly a lost host, and I mean lost. We know for sure there was show, the Graveyard Shift, on WIS-TV Channel 10 in Columbia. 

Sadly that was it as far as I could find. Everyone agrees he was on in the 1960's but as far as exact dates? Came up with nada. Any readers out there care to comment?

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Phantom of the Opera (1989)

 The Phantom of the Opera (1989) dir. Dwight H. Little, Breton Film Productions/21st Century Film Corporation/Dee Gee Entertainment 

A depressing bit is that this is probably the most faithful adaptation of Leroux's novel besides the Lon Chaney version.

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: Wolfman Mac

 Real name: Mac Kelly

Years active: 2007 to 2011

So we end our look back at Michigan. Mac was a host I was quite frustrated with, as he only seemed to be on channels I coudn't view. 

Starting out WMYD and conventions in Detroit, Wolfman Mac's popularity exploded and soon he was on MyNetworkTV and later Retro Televison, replacing Castle Blood. 

Sadly Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In ended officially in 2011.

Horror 2023 Countdown: The Wolfman (2010)

 The Wolfman (2010) dir. Joe Johnston, Universal Pictures/Relativity Media/Stuber Pictures 

Ending our look back at Universal so why not end it with a remake?

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: The Scarlet Knave

 Real name: Unknown 

Years active: 1963-1964

Sadly our run of luck on Michigan hosts has ended. The only thing I could find on the Scarlet Knave (the best name though) was that he hosted the Grand Rapids chapter of Shock Theatre. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: Tarantula (1955)

 Tarantula (1955) dir. Jack Arnold, Universal-International Pictures 

1954 saw Them! being a hit for Warner Bros., so clearly the trend would be towards giant things running amuck, right?

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: Johnny Nightmare

 Real name: John William Robinson 

Years active: 2003

Couldn't find much on this fellow. He oversaw Creep Theater, which aired in Jackson-Lansing but I couldn't find a station, although what little I did see suggest public access. 

Also, the show seems to be a bit like Castle Blood in that there are multiple cast members, including Dr. Turner Headenkoff, Ron Zombie, and Sim Saminen. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: This Island Earth (1955)

 This Island Earth (1955) dirs. Joseph M. Newman/Jack Arnold, Universal-International Pictures 

Having watched Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, I assure you it is impossible to take this film seriously. 

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: Count Scary

 Real name: Tom Ryan 

Years active: 1982-1996

Sadly one of the lesser hosts. Starting in 1982, the count was in a series of yearly specials on WDIV in Detroit. 1984 through 1987 saw him hosting a movie marathon, with him dropping the scary part of his name in 1987. 

1996 saw him teaming up with the Ghoul for a final appearance, hosting Night of the Living Dead.  

Kind of shame he didn't get more regular work. 

Horror 2023 Countdown: Cult of the Cobra (1955)

 Cult of the Cobra (1955) dir. Francis D. Lyon, Universal-International Pictures 

One of the lesser offerings in the Universal cannon, even if it did play alongside Revenge of the Creature.

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: Christopher Coffin

 Real name: Reed Farrell

Years active: 1963 to 1967

Moving back to the 1960s, this time we swing by Flint and WJRT Channel 12 and Theater of Thrills. Coffin, DJ Farrell when he wasn't in the coffin, hosted what looked like a typical selection of early 60's offerings. The show was rather innovative for the day, what with the camera tricks and all. For a local Tv show it looked rather nice plus Coffin was a player in the creepy/cool vibe.  

Horror 2023 Countdown: Revenge of the Creature (1955)

 Revenge of the Creature (1955) dir. Jack Arnold, Universal-International Pictures 

Universal Monsters had been firmly planted into the B side of things for a while, but the previous year's Creature from the Black Lagoon proved to be a big hit, so naturally a sequel must be made. 

The Rita II slowly chugs into the familiar lagoon. Lucas (Nestor Paiva) got a new boat and crew and once again he's back in the place where he lost the previous ones. 

This time out, the scientists are more commercially minded than the previous batch. Ferguson (John Agar) and Hayes (John Bromfield) want the Creature (Ricou Browning underwater/Tom Hennesy on land). Specifically, they want him for Ocean Harbor, a sea park. There will be scientific work, but if they sell some overpriced soda and popcorn? Why not?

So they blast him with enough explosives to knock him out and drag him back to be gawked at by tourists. Grad student Helen Dobson (Lori Nelson) is excited to study him, and Ferguson is excited to study her. The Creature, once awake, is excited by her too, but thankfully that chain at the bottom of the tank is unbreakable, right?

One monster rampage later, Helen is kidnapped. Can the police save her in time?

Bit of a let down. We go from isolated jungle to Jacksonville, Florida. I suppose this makes the Creature a sort of proto-Florida Man but honestly no one's heart seems to be in the production. They even reused the exact same ending shot from the first film. 

Horror Host 2023 Retrospective: Count Zappula

 Real name: Don Melvoin

Years active: 1976-1992 (?)

This year we take a look at the hosts of the Wolverine State. Yup, Michigan is going to kick things off and we have quite a few hosts that hailed. 

First we take a look at Count Zappula. Played by longtime local TV fixture (played Deputy Don for the kid afternoon matinee) Don Melvoin out of Traverse City on WGUTV Channel 29, Don was a vampire. Count Zappula's Horror House ran until 1980, although I've seen where the show was until 1992. 

I've seen where he also played a character Dr. Maniac but I haven't found anything on that.  

Horror 2023 Countdown: My Friend, Dr. Jekyll (1960)

My Friend, Dr. Jekyll (1960) dir. Marino Girolami, CEI Incom/Produzione Cinematografica M.G.

Back for spooks and scares and why not open this season with some Jekyll and Hyde?