Random Ramblings from the Vault...

• So The Walking Dead Season 1 is over, after a mere six episodes? Wow, what a gyp. I mean, don't get me wrong, great show--but SIX EPISODES? What is this, the UK? Anyway, now we have to wait until a year from now for more. Pretty sneaky, AMC. Pretty sneaky.

• Dexter and True Blood are also now in between seasons, which means that horror fans may officially have no reason to turn on their TVs (other than to put on a DVD, of course.) If I'm wrong, please clue me in. I'm always looking for good horror television...

• My daughter recently had a birthday party, and I'm proud to announce that I firmly took over the proceedings and got all the little kiddies to settle down to a viewing of Hammer's Brides of Dracula. Ah, the pleasure of watching all their little faces frozen in rapt attention! Hey, I grew up watching Hammer on syndicated TV at their age, so I figure it's my duty to pass on the tradition in this sanitized Nick/Disney world we now live in. Am I right, people?

• But the fun doesn't stop there. During my work birthday party, I just had the pleasure of extolling the virtues of the original version of The Fly (these folks had only heard of the Cronenberg remake,) plus I insisted that everyone in the office needed to see Let the Right One In. Yes, sometimes it's a challenge working with a grade-A certified horrorphile, folks...

• When are we getting the Creature from the Black Lagoon remake already? Anyone heard any new developments? God, I can remember hearing rumblings about this project going back to when John Carpenter was supposedly directing it around 20 years ago...

• I unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to mention it here when it first happened some weeks back, but i just wanted to acknowledge the passing of Gloria Stuart, star of both James Whale's The Invisible Man and The Old Dark House (probably best known as the old broad from Titanic, though.) She was an underrated talent and a gorgeous leading lady, who ducked out of the business at an early age to start a family. Another legend of the Universal era gone...

• How ironic is it, that out of all the zombie movies pumped out over the past decade, during this whole undead renaissance...very possibly the best of the entire bunch would be Shaun of the Dead, a movie intended to be a spoof of the genre?

• I recently had the distinct pleasure of rejoining my fellow uber-geek Miguel Rodriguez for more Godzilla-based shenanigans. After a recent appearance on Conversations in the Dark, Miguel asked me to take part in his Monster Island Resort podcast, to talk even more about our favorite 400-foot fire-breathing lizard! Listen in, but I warn you--you may suffer wedgies or have your lunch money stolen as a possible side effect...

• Speaking of Miguel and of Godzilla, I have to share this bit of wackiness with you, courtesy of Mr. Rodriguez... Born of the mad musings we shared during that broadcast, in which we imagined what might have happened if the real Steve Martin had encountered Godzilla (as opposed to the character by that name, played infamously by Raymond Burr...)

Well, we thought it was funny...

• In other adventures, I'm blown away by the fact that Captain Cruella and myself were actually featured on the YNN News broadcast earlier this week in upstate New York! The TV station came down to cover our Ghouls' Yule event, and we were both interviewed. Follow the link to check it out...