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Clap for the Wolfman
Homemade horror host resurrects a dying genre
In the ‘70s, my scruffy neighborhood buddies and I wore a bare spot in the carpet watching local TV horror-movie hosts Sir Graves Ghastly and the Ghoul work their magic while presenting the most cheesy schlock imaginable. Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space, Ray Dennis Steckler's The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies, Harold P. Warren's Manos: The Hands of Fate — it was, quite literally, a feast of cheese.
But, no matter how outrageous the film was, the host was always the star. The image of grown men (they were all men in our market) losing themselves with firecrackers, coffins, and disfiguring makeup had a near narcotic effect on us ankle-biters. We all wanted to run away from home, move in with the Ghoul, and spend our days blowing things up with Chef Curdle.
TV tastes evolved (or devolved, depending on your point-of-view) and these amazing shows were eventually shed from weekend children's programming in favor of cheap Korean cartoons and Mutant Ninja Turtles. But the loyal never forget — and that's why I about fell off the couch a couple months ago when I happened across a locally produced cable-access show called Nightmare Sinema.
But, no matter how outrageous the film was, the host was always the star. The image of grown men (they were all men in our market) losing themselves with firecrackers, coffins, and disfiguring makeup had a near narcotic effect on us ankle-biters. We all wanted to run away from home, move in with the Ghoul, and spend our days blowing things up with Chef Curdle.
TV tastes evolved (or devolved, depending on your point-of-view) and these amazing shows were eventually shed from weekend children's programming in favor of cheap Korean cartoons and Mutant Ninja Turtles. But the loyal never forget — and that's why I about fell off the couch a couple months ago when I happened across a locally produced cable-access show called Nightmare Sinema.
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10:36 EDT, 14.Mar.08
16:45 EDT, 13.Mar.08