R.I.P. William Hinzman

Me, with Bill Hinzman at the Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend


It's with deep sadness that we bring to you the news of the passing of Bill Hinzman this evening. We've lost another icon of the industry and more importantly one of the nicest and most genuine people we've ever had the chance of knowing.

Best known to fans everywhere as Zombie #1 or the Graveyard Zombie from the George A. Romero classic Night of the Living Dead, Hinzman has died after losing a bout with cancer. He was 75.

Bill Hinzman worked on numerous projects over the years, several of which were with Romero, such as There's Always Vanilla, Hungry Wives aka Season of the Witch, and of course The Crazies. On his own he tried his hand at directing with one of our favorite flicks, Flesh Eater.

A fixture on the convention circuit, Bill was always there with a smile for fans, often appearing in costume as the famed ghoul we all grew up with.

We here at Dread Central would like to take this time to offer our sincerest condolences to Bill's friends, family, and constituents. Rest in peace, sir. You will be incredibly missed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLIN CLIVE!

Born on January 20th, 1900, Colin Clive had a relatively short acting career, due to his death at the age of 37. Colin starred on both stage and film, and although only 3 of his films were actual horror films, we will always remember him as Dr. Henry Frankenstein in James Whale's Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein. Who could forget his wonderful performances in both films as Dr. Frankenstein, the man who made monsters! His performance as the Dr. Frankenstein set the stage for future portrayals of crazed scientists for years, much in the same way Bela Lugosi set the standard for Dracula. I would like to wish a very Happy Birthday to my favorite mad scientist!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN CARPENTER!

Born January 16, 1948, John Carpenter went on to be one of horror's favorite sons. The man who brought us such contemporary classics as The Thing, Christine, The Fog, Escape From New York, and the ultimate classic, the one and only original Halloween! I had the privilege of interviewing John at Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend 2010, and he was definitely an incredible individual. Below is the footage from the interview. John is truly a master or horror, and I personally want to thank him for bringing us such wonderfully frightening films! Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a John Carpenter movie marathon in honor of his birthday! Happy Birthday to the Horror Meister!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERNEST THESIGER!

Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger was born January 15th, 1879, and although his career spanned over 5 decades, we will always remember him as the flamboyantly quirky Doctor Pretorius in James Whale's masterpiece The Bride Of Frankenstein. Ernest took on many roles during his career, but horror fans will always cherish the characters he played in the horror films, such as Dr. Pretorius, Horace Femm in another James Whale classic, The Old Dark House, Laing in The Ghoul, starring Boris Karloff, and his small but memorable role as the undertaker in the 1951 classic Scrooge, starring Alastair Sim (considered the best version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and definitely my favorite version!) Read all about Ernest's film work on his Wikipedia page. Happy birthday you mad scientist!

Finally! Some good news from Universal!

Universal Home Entertainment will be introducing a limited edition 100th Anniversary Collector’s Series featuring some of the aforementioned film restorations on Blu-ray in collectible, book-style packaging showcasing rare movie memorabilia and brand new 10-minute video featurettes. In addition, special collections will be released throughout the year, culminating in the highly anticipated Blu-rayTM releases of Universal’s Classic Monster and Alfred Hitchcock series. A selection of movies that have shaped Universal’s legacy will also be released in commemorative packaging, many of them on Blu-rayTM for the first time ever. Some of the films listed are:
Dracula
Spanish Dracula
Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
All Quiet on the Western Front
Out of Africa
The Birds
Buck Privates
Jaws
Schindler’s List
Out of Africa
Pillow Talk
The Sting
To Kill a Mockingbird

Finally! JAWS on blu-ray!!!

HAPPY NEW FEAR! ....MONSTER SPOOKSHOW RADIO No. 38, 2012 FEARSHOW!

Hell-o there boils and ghouls!

Welcome to 2012 and the 38th installment of

MONSTER SPOOKSHOW RADIO...

2012 FEARSHOW!!

It's a new year, and that means an all-new Monster Spookshow Radio Fearshow! I know 2011 was a little sporadic
with the Spookshow Radio postings, as well as postings in general. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury that my last job afforded
me by sitting at a computer all day, allowing me to create the Spookshows, as well as having the accessibility to log online
post stuff on the blog, and for that I apologize. Hopefully 2012 will be a better year for me, personally, and for Monster Spookshow Radio!

This Month's moldy oldies (and some new ones too!) are:

THE HAUNTING - The Misfits
GHOST TOWN GUNFIGHT - The Gore-Gons
ZOMBIE A GO GO - Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures
GOO GOO MUCK - Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads
ADAM WEST VS. THE VAMPIRES - Hawaii Samurai
THE GHOST SONG - Salty Holmes
DRACULA - The Zane Bros.
GHOSTHOUSE - Cadillacula
GHOULS NIGHT OUT - The Crimson Ghosts
DADDY WAS A MUMMY - The Family Ghouls
KING KONG STOMP - Gene Moss
BRAINS! - Voltaire
WEREWOLF WATUSI - Don Hinson and the Rigamorticians
HIGHSCHOOL WITCH - 5,6,7,8s
THE HEARSE SONG - Oscar Brand
MONSTER'S LOVE - Danny and Lenny with The Hollywood Ghouls
WITHCRAFT - The Spiders
MONSTER HIGHSCHOOL PARTY - Kitty In A Casket
MAMBO MUMMY - Dickie Goodman
KEEP THEM COLD ICY FINGERS OFF OF ME - PeeWee King & His Golden West Cowboys
AMERICA WEREWOLVES IN LONDON - Wednesday 13



Just click on the image above to get the latest installment of

MONSTER SPOOKSHOW RADIO!

Enjoy......Happy Haunting!

George Van Orsdel

Countdown To Halloween, Day 31...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all my little boils and ghouls! Make sure to have Monster Spookshow Radio are your preferred choice for your spooky Halloween party music! And to make it easy for you, here is a collection of all my past Halloween Spooktacular Specials, all together in one happy post! Have a safe a very Happy Halloween!!! Happy Haunting!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 30: Trick 'R Treat

I know I posted about this movie last Halloween season, but I honestly can't get enough of it. It is now my second favorite Halloween-themed movie, second only to John Carpenter's Halloween of course! A great movie, featuring cleverly written stories that are woven together by our little friend Sam Hain. Starring Anna Paquin (Miss Sookie Stackhouse herself), Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, and Quinn Lord as little Sam. If you've never seen it, treat yourself to a great film,...if you have seen it, don't deny yourself the pleasure of watching it again!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 29: John Carpenter's Halloween

It wouldn't be a Halloween countdown without the listing of the one and only John Carpenter's Halloween. The film that started it all, and although there have been many sequels and even a remake, none will ever compare to the original. I am sure I don't have to tell all you fans of the Halloween season about this movie, and I am assuming you have all seen it....if not, shame on you!!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 28: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELSA LANCHESTER!

Elsa Sullivan Lanchester, was born October 28, 1902, and went on to become a very accomplished and successful actress of theatre, film and television. Her most popular and endearing character, The Bride Of Frankenstein, will live on forever in film and horror history, with the iconic image of the Bride with her hair standing on end and the white stripe on the sides, as well as the woman who created her, Mary Shelley (also portrayed by Elsa in the same film.). Elsa had a very long and diverse film career, starring in over 66 films. Elsa passed away on December 26, 1986 of pneumonia at the age of 84. Happy Birthday to the original Bride!

Check out this cool video of clips from The Bride Of Frankenstein, set to Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 27: The Mad Doctor (1933 - Disney)

Another Walt Disney gem, from 1933, featuring Mickey Mouse!

Countown To Halloween, Day 26: Trick Or Treat (Disney)

This classic Walt Disney cartoon features Donald Duck in his usual cranky mode, refusing to give treats to his nephews, instead playing tricks on them, until a friendly witch decides to show him a thing or two. One of my favorite Disney shorts. I hope you like it!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 25: The Headless Horseman of Halloween ( Scooby Doo)

2 of my favorites...The Headless Horseman and Scooby Doo! I love this cartoon, how can you go wrong with Scooby and Shaggy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 24: More Vintage Halloween Pin-Ups

Here are some great vintage Halloween Pin-Ups from days gone by! Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 23: Fat Albert's Halloween Special

When I was a kid, way back before the days of DVDs or even VHS tapes, we'd have to wait for certain times of the year to catch our favorite movies and shows. We'd have to wait for Christmas to watch the Grinch, and we'd have to wait for Halloween to watch "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", among many other Halloween favorites. One of my favorites was the Fat Albert Halloween Special. I grew up watching the Fat Albert cartoon series, and when they made a Halloween special, well, I was incredibly excited. I dunno, I just really liked it. It was definitely a silly cartoon, with some spooky moments, and as usual, a moral to the story in true Fat Albert fashion. If you've never watched it, give it a view and tell me what you think!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 22: Skeleton Frolic (1937)

The 1937 cartoon short, Skeleton Frolic, directer by Ub Iwerks and released by Colombia pictures, can be considered by most as a follow-up to Disney's famous Black and White cartoon short "The Skeleton Dance". As much as I love the original Disney cartoon, I have to admit I prefer Skeleton Frolic more, for several reasons. The obvious being the color. Secondly, the animation seems to be a bit better, the background images are wonderful, and it's just a better made cartoon all around, of course, in my opinion. Although both are incredibly similar in theme, and both featured the work of Ub Iwerks, Skeleton Frolic seems to have the upper hand.
Check out Skeleton Frolic, then compare it to Disney's Skeleton Dance (which I posted earlier this month) and tell me which one you prefer!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 21: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUX INTERIOR!

In honor of Lux Interior's birthday today (sadly Lux passed away on February 4, 2009 of aortic dissection), I am presenting to you a video of The Cramps performing "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" live in concert. Lux may be gone but his music will never die. Considered by many to be the forefather of Psychobilly music, Lux and The Cramps built themselves quite a fan base and have been associated with garage rock as well as horror since they first burst onto the music scene in 1976. I hope you enjoy this video!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 20: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELA LUGOSI!

a portrait of Bela, by the brilliant Basil Gogos


me with the Bela Lugosi as Dracula wax figure at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, NYC

Born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882, Bela Lugosi went on to become one of the most famous horror film actors in history. Bursting onto the screen as Dracula, Bela was an immediate star. Starring in over 100+ films, Bela has left a legacy behind for future generations to enjoy! As a treat I am posting a very nice fan-made tribute to Bela Lugosi. Happy Birthday Bela!!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 19: Grim Grinning Ghosts by The Family Ghouls

Here is a video by The Family Ghouls doing a rendition of Grim Grinning Ghosts from Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction. Using footage from several Disney cartoons and random other Haunted Mansion footage, it's a fun little video for a fun little song. (P.S., The Family Ghouls is actually just me, it's my solo musical project where I perform all the instruments as well as sing!) Enjoy!

Countdown To Halloween, Day 18: Samhain - Archangel

For those Misfits and Danzig fans out there, here is a video of Samhain, Glenn Danzig's musical project the spanned the time between The Misfits and Danzig. Filmed live at the Stardust Ballroom, it shows how chaotic this shows were back then. Still, a great song from an amazing band, enjoy!