American Scary (2008/Cinema Libre DVD)
Picture: C
Sound: C Extras: B- Main Program: B-
To understand the Horror genre in America, you can hear
about the rise of 1950s B-movies, the Universal classics, the Hammer Horror
imports, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho,
1968 breakthrough at the big studio level (Rosemary’s
Baby, then The Exorcist) along
with the independent golden age classics (Night
Of The Living Dead, Black Christmas,
Texas Chain Saw Massacre) or how TV
(Night Gallery, Kolchak: The Night Stalker) and pop culture (model kits, original Scooby Doo, Groovie Goolies animated series) responded to a new love of Horror
movies of all kinds. American Scary covers the one most
often missed: local TV Horror movie hosts!
In order to make money from their feature film catalogs on
TV, Universal and Columbia (among others) created packages of their holdings
for syndication that any channel could bid for and would give them some good
and interesting (and sometimes edited for violence and other content) prints
(videotape did not take total hold until the 1980s, so 16mm prints would be
sent to many stations) of these films would be shipped for broadcast. Instead of showing movies cold, many stations
had hosts for their movie broadcasts (the late character actor Regis Cordic
hosted a showcase for non-Horror films call the Million Dollar Movie) and this included a sudden wave of Horror
hosts.
Many would dawn costumes and make up long before Elvira
became the last of this cycle to introduce and joke about the films being
shown. It was not Mystery Science Theater 3000, but some of these hosts would come
with a cast of players and they would do silly skits. It all depended on the channel and show
set-up. In Pittsburgh, make-up legend
Tom Savini used to watch Chiller Theater on the then WIIC-TV channel as hosted
by Bill Cardille, who did not wear any make-up at all. He just wore a suit and told odd jokes, but
his show too was fun and Savini amusingly remarks that he thought that was the
height of success in the world of entertainment at that time. He got the fun of it.
However, in all the shows, there is an energy and spirit
that comes through as the program (running 92 minutes and I wish it were
longer) at a time when TV and media in general was more innovative, creative,
fun and talking to people instead of at them.
This sounded like a fun DVD and it is, as well as a must for Horror and
Comedy fans.
The 1.33 X 1 full frame image is a mix of all kinds of
NTSC analog video, some of which is in black and white, but the transfer is not
bad overall. You can see the limits in
the new interview footage. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 is a mix of simple stereo and the original mono audio from all
those channels all those years ago. Extras
include the original pitch reel for this project, bonus interviews, trailers
and an audio commentary by the makers. I
just wish there were more samples of the original shows nationwide. These are almost orphan programs and if this
is a long term success, maybe we’ll see more of the vintage vault Horror skits
sometime down the line. Until then,
don’t miss American Scary.
- Nicholas Sheffo
