Beware the Batman: Hunted

“Hunted.” Beware the Batman. Cartoon Network. 13 July 2013

Batman is one of those characters that fit into nearly every medium. I could spend the next fifty pages describing the character and his influence, but since that is Chris Sims’s bag we’ll focus our attention on the latest Batman show. Beware the Batman hit the airwaves in 2013 to some resistance. The preceding series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, was a very well regarded program and the decision to end it annoyed more than a few fans. So, what was the selling point of the show? Would it be a wholesale re-imagining or a straight adaptation of classic stories? How would CGI compare to the tradition animation?

The chief selling point of the show was what it was lacking. The audience was told at the very start-No Joker, no Catwoman, etc. Understandable, given the iconic nature of the Rogue’s Gallery and the massive shoes left by Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Jeff Bennett, and the like, but the bar was set in a strange place.

Horror Film Countdown 2013, part 26

(forgot about this one, but there will be more later this year)

Halloween (1978), dir. John Carpenter, Compass International Productions

Animation Block: Fireball XL5

Since we’re putting stuff on the blog again, I felt it was a good time to post a review on a series I recently watched:  FireballXL5. The series was produced in 1962 and ran on NBC in 1963. I always had a long admiration for the works of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, having watched Thunderbirds on TechTV and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons on the Sci-Fi Channel. FireballXL5, however, was utterly unknown to me. After watching the series in its entirety I am now wondering if I was better off not knowing.

Set in the far off year of 2062, the World Space Patrol safeguards Earth and all civilized planets with its XL spaceships. The XL5, captained by Colonel Steve Zodiac (Paul Maxwell) zooms through space with his trusty crew at his side. Dr. Venus (Sylvia Anderson) is second in command and medical officer, while Professor Matthew Matic (David Graham) handles the science and upkeep on Robert the Robot (Gerry Anderson) the robotic co-pilot and occasional radio. 

Ramblings and other musings

So, that was the horror host articles that would have been published last year. For this year, the main focus would again be on films but there will be a few hosts added too. For the films the focus this year would be on sequels/sophomore efforts. As for the hosts, I was thinking focusing on the cable only hosts, although I might have a few states just to spice things up. Reviews to appear sporadically as needed.  

Horror Host 2013 Retrospective: Halloween Harvey

Halloween Harvey

Real name: Bob Mauldin

Years active: 2013-present, Tyler, Texas

And now for the finale; the last host is the most recent one. Starting out on radio in 2005, Halloween Harvey was at first a reoccurring character on Bob Mauldin’s radio show “Bob in the Morning”. Making the leap to television in 2013, Halloween Harvey is the long suffering mortician and sole worker at Fast Freddie’s Funeral Home and Fried Pies. When Fast Freddie died, but refused to leave, Halloween Harvey was forced to show movies in order to bring in more business. 

Thus the Festival of Fear was born. Airing on KCEB-METV in Tyler, as well as in the Atlanta and Paris, Texas markets during October, time will tell if Halloween Harvey will return to haunt our screens during the appointed time. Until then, stay safe and secure folks, for while Halloween is over the dead have all the time in the world. 

Website 

Horror Host retrospective: Seth Lazarus

Seth Lazarus

Real name: Eric Krueger

Years active: 2005-2012, Austin, Texas

The countdown is winding down. With our current subject, we move into the ever murky realm of public access television.

Seth Lazarus is the owner and bartender of the Keep Out Lounge, a quiet and sometimes dead watering hole for all, especially if your pulse is a bit slow. Krueger plays the titular Seth, as well as most of the other characters, ranging from crazed clowns to mad scientists. Dancing beauties dot the stage from time to time.

Despite appearing so late in the age of Youtube, there seems to be precious little footage of the show. All websites are redirected or otherwise dead. His Facebook is active, but nothing suggests the show is still production or even airing. Public Access Austin Texas (PACT) no longer has a listing for the Keep Out Lounge. If the show is on hiatus or if the last call has been served, that shall remain a mystery. The Facebook page is still active, so fans can still contact Mr. Krueger if they wish.

Horror Host 2013 Retrospective: Jami Deadly

Jami Deadly

Real name: Jami Deadly

Years active: 2003-2005, Denton, Texas

Moving into the Twenty-First Century, we find ourselves with a new host and possibly the one most not safe for work. Hosting from the NTTV station in Denton, Deadly Cinema only had a brief run, but Jami Deadly made sure the viewers at home remembered her.

Few hosts can boast of being an official impersonator, but Ms. Deadly is an officially recognized Marilyn Monroe impersonator. Wisecracking her way through only the finest public domain offerings alongside wacky werewolves and severed heads, Jami Deadly brought the proud tradition of the vamp fully into the twenty-first century.

The show, while cancelled, is available on DVD. Ms. Deadly performs burlesque to this day.