Horror Hotel Cinema : American Scary (2007)

Calling all horror fans.....

Im gonna be posting films from time to time here, that you can all watch at your leisure without scouring the interwebs to find em, and I found this little number last nite. Its called AMERICAN SCARY, and I'll see you below the synopsis....

Take a trip back to a time when late night creature features were all the rage, and the personalities that presented them were nearly as popular as the movies, in this documentary about the uniquely American phenomenon of television horror hosting. Beginning in the 1950s, the horror host was a staple of regional television. From ghouls to vampires, to werewolves and crypt keepers, every host had a persona to suit their unique personalities. But their days were numbered, because as the local television business model began to shift thanks to production demands and the availability of cheaper syndicated material, Zacherley, Vampira, Ghoulardi, and the rest of these fiends began steadily disappearing from the small screen. Interviews with the hosts themselves, and the fans that elevated them to superstar status offer a chance to reflect on a bygone era of television that now appears poised for a comeback thanks to the internet and cable access.


Me again. Sounds fun huh? Well, it is. Being from Scotland, we didnt have any real form of Horror Hosting on TV, and my only real connection with it and understanding of it came from the ELVIRA films and good 'ole Peter Vincent in FRIGHT NIGHT. It always seemed like a pretty great tradition, and felt like a slice of true Americana, to me. Its nice to think that while myself and other kids over here were sneaaking downstairs to catch late shows of the Hammer classics, our American counterparts were spending time with this cavalcade of colorful characters. Watching the documentary made me pine for things I'll never know, but it was a whole lot of fun seeing some of these beloved hosts from yesteryear doing their thing. It has a real charm to it. So, I hope you enjoy as much as I did, and if your old enough to have been one of the kids checking out the ghoulish goings on in these late night B-Pic presentations, I envy you.

(Authors Note : I believe this film is in the public domain, as are all the ones I'll be posting from here on in, (maybe), so any cops that decide to lay foot on my property to give me static, should know I'll be packing heat, and Granny, who lives in the Hotel Wine Cellar, is VERY hungry. Your warned!!) 

Enjoy....